Oilers Place Leon Draisaitl On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Oilers were expected to eventually move star center Leon Draisaitl to long-term injured reserve after it was announced he’ll be shut down for the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury. That’s now happened, per a team announcement, and they’ve used their newfound cap space to recall winger Roby Jarventie from AHL Bakersfield in the corresponding move.
As the ever-durable Draisaitl gears up for the longest absence of his career at one of the worst possible times, the Oilers had just a few days left to be eligible for cap relief by placing him on LTIR. They have 28 days left in their regular season, and there has to be at least 24 days or 10 games – the LTIR minimums – left on the regular-season calendar to initiate an LTIR placement.
Edmonton is now over the cap by nearly $2.5MM, but with Draisaitl now generating some relief in addition to the previously LTIR-bound Colton Dach, Mattias Janmark, and Curtis Lazar, the Oilers’ LTIR pool is now at almost $7MM, leaving them $3.3MM in current cap space after Jarventie’s recall, per PuckPedia.
With all those names sidelined, the 23-year-old Jarventie should be ticketed for his first NHL appearance since debuting with the Senators in November 2023. An early second-round pick in the 2020 draft, he was traded to Edmonton in the 2024 offseason for Xavier Bourgault, but he missed all but two AHL games last season due to knee surgery.
Jarventie initially planned to return home to Finland with Tappara early last offseason, but ended up accepting a two-way extension from the Oilers in June. That decision has proved fruitful for both parties. The 6’2″, 184-lb Jarventie hasn’t clicked at the near point-per-game rate he did in the minors before his injury, but he’s back to at least being a serviceable producer. In 52 outings for Bakersfield, he has 17 goals and 36 points with a +12 rating. That’s good for fifth on the team in scoring.
Islanders Sign Cole Eiserman To Entry-Level Deal
March 18: The Islanders officially announced Eiserman has signed his entry-level deal, which begins next season. He’ll finish out the year with Bridgeport on a tryout as expected.
March 17: After signing one of their best non-NHL affiliate prospects earlier today, it doesn’t appear the New York Islanders are finished yet. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Islanders are finalizing a contract with forward prospect Cole Eiserman.
If and when Eiserman puts pen to paper on his entry-level contract, Pagnotta expects that he’ll begin his professional career with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. Unfortunately, despite his offensive potential, New York doesn’t have much room for him on the NHL roster at this point.
Still, that is expected to change as early as next season. It would be surprising to see the Islanders fail to extend captain Anders Lee before July 1, but they are actively looking to trade Anthony Duclair, which would open up a roster spot for Eiserman this summer.
As one of the best pure goal-scorers from the 2024 NHL Draft class, Eiserman has continued to do just that at the collegiate level. Across two years with the Boston University Terriers, Eiserman scored 43 goals and 21 assists in 71 games. He took a step back in terms of his production this season, but he was far from the only one to do so in the Terriers program.
He’s also been a proficient player at the international level. During the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships, Eiserman scored five goals and 10 points in 12 games, helping Team USA to a Gold medal finish in the 2024-25 tournament.
In Bridgeport, the Islanders will want to make sure Eiserman plays next to an established playmaker. He has one of the heaviest shots and quickest releases for his age, but he doesn’t appear to have the level to his game to drive an entire line. There were some serious question marks surrounding his play on the defensive side of the puck entering the 2024 NHL Draft, and New York will want to make sure he continues to grow on that side of the game.
Penguins Expected To Activate Sidney Crosby From IR
Penguins star Sidney Crosby was a full participant in this morning’s skate and is expected to come off injured reserve for tonight’s game against the Hurricanes, per Josh Getzoff of SportsNet Pittsburgh. Crosby had been out since the Olympic break with a Grade 2 MCL sprain he sustained in Team Canada’s quarterfinal win over the Czechs. The Penguins said Crosby would miss at least four weeks when they placed him on IR on Feb. 25, putting his return well ahead of schedule.
The 38-year-old pushing the envelope to get back in the lineup is no surprise. He pushed as hard as he could to get back into Canada’s lineup for the gold medal game, but ultimately couldn’t go, as they ended up with silver in an overtime loss to the United States. He’ll now return to help the Penguins battle through a tough playoff race in the Eastern Conference after sitting out what surely felt like an excruciating 11 games.
Pittsburgh is 5-3-3 without its captain and franchise icon. That’s been enough to keep pace and is about as good as can be expected, considering they were also missing Evgeni Malkin for a five-game stretch due to a slashing suspension. They’ve scored 3.45 goals per game during that time while allowing 3.18 goals per game. Their possession metrics have lagged, controlling 48.5% of 5-on-5 shot attempts. They’re also winning a league-worst 41.0% of faceoffs since the break.
Crosby will help immensely in all of those areas. Aside from his usual stature as the club’s leading point-getter, he’s won a team-high 55.4% of his draws this season, which should get the Pens much closer to league average in that department. Surprisingly, Crosby’s defensive results this season aren’t great – he’s only a +1 on a team with a +35 goal differential, and his possession numbers are dead average – but his return importantly allows Rickard Rakell to shift back to his preferred position on the wing after stepping in for Crosby as the Pens’ top-line center over the last few weeks.
With no roster limit and plenty of cap space, Pittsburgh won’t need to make a corresponding move to activate Crosby. They could still opt to reassign prospects Avery Hayes or Ville Koivunen back to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if their NHL playing time is going to be limited following Crosby’s return. Hayes was already a healthy scratch when Malkin was reinstated for Monday’s dominant road win over the Avalanche, so that could be an indication he’ll be on his way back down after being ferried to the minors on deadline day to make him AHL-eligible for the rest of the season.
Crosby, who’s got another year left at his $8.7MM cap hit, now hopes to anchor the Pens’ skaters to a playoff appearance after a three-year absence from postseason play, the only time in Crosby’s career he’s missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons and the first time at all since his rookie year. They’re in a good spot, holding serve for second in the Metropolitan Division. They’re tied with the Islanders at 83 points but have done so in one fewer game, giving them a higher points percentage. Per MoneyPuck, they have an 81.8% chance of making the playoffs.
Panthers Place Brad Marchand On LTIR, Expected To Activate Seth Jones
The second half of the season is becoming clearer for the Florida Panthers, who saw multiple players progress and regress from extended injuries. Defenseman Seth Jones and center Jonah Gadjovich, both on long-term injured reserve, have each taken a step forward but both still aren’t ready to return yet, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson.
Maurice spoke more in depth about winger Brad Marchand who will see doctors on Tuesday to determine if he needs surgery for a nagging, undisclosed injury. Marchand has dealt with the injury for most of the season, pushing Maurice to try and control his rest. That task has become tougher as a condensed back-half of the season rolls around. Marchand hasn’t been able to stand up to his top-six role since March rolled around, averaging just 13:30 in ice time over his last four games – over four minutes under his season-long average. The team expects to have an answer on his status for the rest of the season before the week ends.
After a week to weigh his decision, Marchand will indeed land on long-term injured reserve for the Panthers. This move will give the Panthers enough cap room to activate Jones off of LTIR per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. Marchand will be eligible to return as soon as April 6th, when the Panthers have five games remaining in the regular season. If he will be healthy enough to play those games – or, if they’re worth the risk at all – will be the next question facing the Panthers winger.
Marchand has been a cornerstone of Florida’s offense, even while playing through injuries. He has scored 54 points – split evenly – in 52 games, making him one of only two Panthers scoring above a point-per-game alongside Matthew Tkachuk. Marchand’s ability to produce consistently from the first or second line has supported Tkachuk as he’s eased back from a season-opening injury and heavy role at the Winter Olympics.
The Panthers will turn towards trade acquisition Vinnie Hinostroza to fill in the lineup chart with Marchand on the shelf. He scored three goals and 10 points in 48 games with the Minnesota Wild before moving to Florida at the Trade Deadline for future considerations. He will step into a fourth-line role with the Panthers, while Eetu Luostarinen earns a bump into unrivaled, top-six minutes. Luostarinen has 24 points in 55 games this season and is in the midst of a seven-game scoring drought. He and Carter Verhaeghe should be the biggest beneficiary of Marchand’s available minutes.
Florida is missing another major piece in Jones, who ranks second on the defense in scoring with 24 points in 40 games. He led the team in ice time per-game before going down with injury, averaging 23:29 – a good stride above Gustav Forsling‘s 22:44 ranked second. Jones has stood up to a top role in Florida’s offense after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks for a steep price in 2025. Jones’ return will fortify Florida’s blue-line alongside Aaron Ekblad.
Meanwhile, Gadjovich’s return will round out Florida’s depth alongside waiver acquisition Cole Reinhardt. Gadjovich recorded three assists in 10 games before going down with injury on October 25th. He has missed 53 games, and the Winter Olympics, since.
The Panthers will move forward with a dented lineup as they try to climb back from an 11-point deficit in the standings. It seems they are much more likely to miss the postseason on the heels of back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, an outcome that – at the least – would allow more time for stars Tkachuk, Marchand, and Jones to work to full health by next season.
Islanders Sign Kashawn Aitcheson To Entry-Level Deal
The New York Islanders have signed 2025 first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson to a three-year, entry-level contract. Their top defense prospect will see his deal begin next season. His deal essentially works out to a max ELC in every area except performance bonuses with a cap hit of $1.075MM, per PuckPedia. The full breakdown is as follows:
2026-27: $922.5K NHL salary, $102.5K signing bonus, up to $500K in performance bonuses, $85K minors salary
2027-28: $967.5K NHL salary, $107.5K signing bonus, up to $500K in performance bonuses, $85K minors salary
2028-29: $1.013MM NHL salary, $112.5K signing bonus, up to $500K in performance bonuses, $85K minors salary
Aitcheson led all OHL defensemen in scoring this season with 28 goals and 70 points in only 54 games. His 1.30 points-per-game average ranks in the top-20 among OHL defenseman since 2000, though Aitcheson’s 0.52 goals-per-game average has only been topped by four players in that time frame – Brandt Clarke, Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson, and Nicolas Hague.
Aitcheson found a unique mix of aggression, physicality, and scoring prowess through four seasons with the Colts. After netting just three points in his first 23 games in the league, the left-defender boomed with 39 points and 126 penalty minutes in 64 games of the 2023-24 season. He balanced out those totals ahead of his draft year last season, ending the year with 26 goals and 59 points – both best on the Barrie roster. This season, while serving as Barrie’s captain, he found a mix of both, emerging above a point-per-game pace and ranked second on Barrie in penalty minutes (86).
Through his OHL career, Aitcheson set the record for the most goals (63) and points (171) scored by a Barrie defenseman. He beat out the previous marks of 40 goals and 158 points set by Clarke through three seasons. Aitcheson also scored four points in seven games of the 2026 World Junior Championship and notched three points in seven games at the 2024 World U18 Championship.
Aitcheson’s unique style was enough to earn the 17th overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, joining a great Islanders draft class led by Matthew Schaefer and Victor Eklund. Now, New York will get to test how Aitcheson can translate his heavy-hitting and strong-scoring to the pro flight. He will be eligible to join the NHL roster right away – but won’t be able to play in the AHL, as he won’t turn 20 until this summer. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Aitcheson could have the frame needed to ease into NHL minutes sooner rather than later.
Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl Expected To Miss Remaining Regular Season
The Edmonton Oilers will be missing major firepower for Tuesday night’s divisional matchup against the San Jose Sharks. Superstar Leon Draisaitl has been declared out for the matchup due to a lower-body injury sustained in Sunday’s win over the Nashville Predators. Draisaitl left that game in the first period after taking a hard bump from Predators winger Ozzy Wiesblatt. No update was provided after the game.
After announcing that he would miss Tuesday night’s game, the Oilers released an additional statement sharing that Draisaitl will have to miss the remaining regular season. He will not need surgery for the injury and should be available for the start of playoffs, general manager Stan Bowman told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This news will be a major blow to the Oilers offense as they look to seal their spot in the top-three of the Pacific Division. Draisaitl has stayed red-hot since Edmonton returned from the Olympic break. He has six goals and 17 points in his last 10 games, bringing his year-long totals up to 35 goals and 97 points in just 65 games. The 30 year old ranks second on the Oilers in scoring behind Connor McDavid, who has already reached 114 points in 68 games. The two are one of the best duos in the league whether they’re playing alongside each other or not – making Edmonton’s task of replacing Draisaitl that much more challenging.
Max Jones will step into the lineup to fill Draisaitl’s hole. Jones has appeared in nine NHL games, and scored one point, this season. He has also racked up 10 goals, 18 points, and 61 penalty minutes in 39 AHL games. He is a veteran of 293 NHL games with 66 points, split evenly, to show for it. Jones should assume a bottom-line role, while Vasily Podkolzin and Matthew Savoie move up the lineup to bridge the top-six. Podkolzin has three points in his last six games and 30 points on the year, while Savoie has two points in his last two games and 27 points in total. The two should keep play moving just enough to earn Edmonton’s other star talent – McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman – scoring chances. Meanwhile the Oilers brass will hold their breath until a clearer timeline for Draisaitl’s return becomes available. The team expects to have updates before the weekend.
If that will be enough to sustain Edmonton’s offense across their remaining 14 games will be a larger question. The Oilers have scored the second-most goals in the NHL (238) behind only the Colorado Avalanche (249). Much of that scoring came from the one-two punch that is McDavid and Draisaitl. Without one of those hooks, the Oilers will need to look towards Hyman to make up for short-term scoring. This could also be a major opportunity for Savoie or Isaac Howard to step up as scoring pieces, after quieter starts to their pro careers than many expected.
Doug Armstrong Steps Down As Team Canada GM
Following the 2026 Winter Olympics, Doug Armstrong has stepped down as the general manager of Team Canada’s Olympic men’s hockey team per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Armstrong led Canada to a silver medal finish at the latest Olympics, losing in a heartbreak overtime to Team USA. The tournament was led in scoring by two Canadian players – superstar Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini, the youngest NHL player to suit up for Canada’s Olympic men’s team. In an interview with LeBrun, Armstrong said that the result of the tournament was not why he was stepping down. Instead, he felt it was time for change:
I’ve enjoyed every aspect of it. Obviously, you wish you could go out on top. But it would be selfish to want to do it again. It’s such a great experience and I think more people should enjoy it.
Armstrong’s tenure in Canada’s upper management stretches all the way back to the 2002 World Championship, when he worked under Lanny McDonald‘s lead. He has since won seven Gold medals and six Silver medals at the World Championship. Armstrong also worked under Steve Yzerman to put together Canada’s Gold medal-winning rosters at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
Throughout his reign over the country’s national team, Armstrong has been no stranger to bold decisions. He chose to ignore Celebrini’s age when rostering him for the 2026 Olympics and leaned on a goalie he could trust – the goalie who earned Armstrong his first Stanley Cup win, Jordan Binnington. Those patterns for bold decisions stretch back to the inclusion of players like Braden Schneider, Chris Kunitz, and Dan Hamhuis on international rosters. The decisions often benefited chemistry and morale where they didn’t boost the scoresheet – helping Canada continue blazing their trail of international success.
Naturally, the conversation will shift towards who will become Armstrong’s heir leading Canada’s men’s roster. The triple-gold-winning GM didn’t have any thoughts on immediate successors but did tell LeBrun that he thinks Sidney Crosby would be a perfect fit on the other side of his playing days. Armstrong praised Crosby’s “dignity and grace” on top of his wealth of hockey experience and drive to win. Where Canada tries to act professional and classy, Crosby takes it to another level. Armstrong said he also sees those traits in McDavid.
Armstrong will move forward with a focus on his final days in the St. Louis Blues’ GM role, which is set to turnover to Alexander Steen this summer while Armstrong moves into a full-time President of Hockey Operations role. Team Canada won’t need to worry about a replacement immediately, though they’ll have a great list of options available. Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, and Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney were all assistants to Armstrong at the 2026 Olympics. The team’s management staff also employed Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas and up-and-coming managerial advisor Ryan Getzlaf.
It seems any of the reigning Silver medal winners could take on the big chair – with Nill and Sweeney offering experience, Dubas offering youth, and BriseBois offering unique approaches. Canada has also called on Yzerman, Shane Doan, and even Wayne Gretzky to manage international rosters. Their star-studded list of candidates will keep news around Team Canada exciting, even as they lose a core part of their management for more than 20 years.
NHL Announce 2028 World Cup Of Hockey
NHL general managers are convening in Palm Beach, Florida for a week of GM meetings beginning on Monday. A top agenda item will be preparing the announcement for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The tournament has been held three times between 1996 and 2016. It was most recently held from September 17 to September 29, 2016, in Toronto. The 2028 iteration of the tournament was originally announced in February 2025.
Despite claims that the tournament will move forward without IIHF involvement, the NHL has announced that they are partnering with the international body to help ensure players from outside the NHL can be made available per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen.
The league made the official announcement at 12:30 P.M. ET on Monday. In it, Calgary and Edmonton, Canada, and Prague, Czechia, were revealed as the hosts cities. The event will take place in February, 2028 – in the middle of the 2027-28 season. Prague and Calgary will each host half of the round robin section of the tournament, while Edmonton will host the semi-finals and finals.
Further, the NHL announced that the tournament will use NHL rules rather than international rules per LeBrun. Most notably, that will mean that overtime periods are five-on-five, rather than three-on-three.
The last iteration of the tournament brought together six countries – America, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Czechia – as well as two specialized teams, one featuring talent from other European countries and another featuring the top U24 players in America and Canada. The resulting Team North America brought together many NHL superstars well ahead of their prime, including Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Aaron Ekblad, Nathan MacKinnon, and more.
Team North America posted a 2-1-0 record and scored an 11-to-eight goal-differential – but ultimately lost out to Russia’s fewer goals-against (five) in the standings. Russia lost to Team Canada in the first round of the knockout stage, while Team Europe beat Sweden on the other side. Canada would go on to win the tournament, proudly led by leading scorer Sidney Crosby. Alongside Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews, Brad Marchand, and Carey Price – Crosby was able to lead Canada to a win over Europe’s Mats Zuccarello, Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, and Leon Draisaitl.
The next iteration of the World Cup of Hockey should similarly bring together world class talent in a best-on-best competition in the years leading up to the 2030 Winter Olympics. One questoin the NHL will need to be prepared to answer is if, and where, Russian talent will fit into the conversation. The country has been, and continues to be, excluded from all IIHF competition dating back to 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine. The NHL will not have to abide by the IIHF’s decision but has previously said that Russia is not expected to be invited to the event, however the NHL did not confirm this in their press conference following the official announcement.
If the NHL chooses to bolster the number of contending teams with another Team Europe or Team North America will also be closely followed. The league has no shortage of young talent breaking through – with stars like Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer even making their case for league-best titles.
Capitals Sign Cole Hutson To Entry-Level Contract
3:00 p.m.: The Capitals have made the signing official, according to a team announcement. As alluded to by Weekes, the contract will begin this season. It’s a three-year, $2.925MM ($975K AAV) agreement between Hutson and the Capitals.
2:49 p.m.: According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Washington Capitals are signing defenseman prospect Cole Hutson to his entry-level contract. The Capitals have yet to confirm the signing.
It’s an expected outcome for the former 43rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft. In fact, according to several sources at the trade deadline, Washington became more open to dealing veteran defenseman John Carlson to make room for Hutson on the NHL roster.
The hype around Hutson has certainly grown over the last two years. A product of the United States National Team Development Program in Plymouth, MI, Hutson has spent the last two years with the NCAA’s Boston University Terriers.
He’s taken the collegiate level by storm, especially as a relatively small defenseman. Throughout his two-year tenure, Hutson scored 24 goals and 80 points in 74 games with a +18 rating. Additionally, at the international level, Hutson contributed to the United States’ second-half success in their back-to-back gold medal wins at the IIHF World Junior Championships, scoring three goals and adding 11 points in seven games during the 2025 tournament.
Obviously, at only 19 years old, there are concerns about how Hutson will translate to the NHL level. Given that the Capitals are still in contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, that environment tends to filter out prospects who aren’t quite ready for the highest level of the game.
Still, Hutson isn’t without his comparables. His brother, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, is also on the smaller side and has been one of the league’s top defenders since debuting toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign. If Cole can stay away from injury trouble down the stretch, his puck-moving abilities are eerily similar to Carlson’s, which would offer the Capitals some continuity in their offense despite moving on from one of the franchise’s top defenseman.
Unfortunately, as Washington will undoubtedly look to get Hutson into the lineup if they’re signing him to his ELC, that means someone will have to come out. That defenseman will likely be Trevor van Riemsdyk, who hasn’t had a particularly good season and is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Maple Leafs Sign Artur Akhtyamov To Extension
The Toronto Maple Leafs are retaining some of their goaltending depth for the foreseeable future. According to a team announcement, the Maple Leafs have signed netminder Artur Akhtyamov to a three-year contract extension.
It’ll be a $2.7MM ($900K AAV) contract for the 24-year-old Russian. The contract will start as a two-way deal for the 2026-27 season, then convert to a one-way deal for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons, according to Toronto’s announcement.
It implies, at the very least, that the Maple Leafs believe that Akhtyamov will become a consistent part of the NHL roster in the near future. Still, it’s not a guarantee, as Toronto has Joseph Woll signed through the 2027-28 season, while Anthony Stolarz is signed until the 2030-31 campaign.
Regardless, it’s difficult to argue that Akhtyamov didn’t earn a few more years to test his mettle. Since moving to North America ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, Akhtyamov has managed a 29-18-13 record in 58 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, with a .903 SV% and 2.84 GAA, including four shutouts.
Earlier this season, when the Maple Leafs were dealing with a few injury issues in the crease, Akhtyamov was allowed to debut in the NHL against the Edmonton Oilers on December 13th. He participated in 10:32 of the game, stopping all five shots faced.
Given the injury issues faced by Toronto, particularly in the crease, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Akhtyamov feature in a few more games next season. Still, the fact that the Maple Leafs chose to sign Akhtyamov to a relatively lengthy extension indicates that the team could move on from netminder Dennis Hildeby this offseason. Hildeby has been part of the Maple Leafs’ organization since the 2022-23 season but has not received a significant opportunity at the NHL level, even though he has performed relatively well.