Golden Knights Expected To Activate Shea Theodore, Raphael Lavoie
The Golden Knights are expected to activate defenseman Shea Theodore from long-term injured reserve, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. They’ve also removed forward Raphael Lavoie from injured reserve, Webster relays from the league’s media site, but he’s not on the roster, indicating he’s been reassigned to AHL Henderson. Vegas wasn’t using Theodore’s LTIR relief to stay cap-compliant, so they could activate him without an additional cap-clearing move.
Theodore will be a game-time decision for tonight’s road matchup against the Wild as a result, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters, including Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. The 29-year-old has been out since sustaining an arm injury while suiting up for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The 10-year veteran is amid another spectacular offensive campaign. After starting the year with three multi-point efforts in his first six appearances, he put pen to paper on a seven-year, $51.975MM extension to keep him in Vegas for what could be the rest of his career. He went onto post 48 points in 55 games until the 4 Nations break, during which he injured his right arm on a hit from Swedish winger Adrian Kempe in the Canadians’ first round-robin game.
While injuries have taken a huge bite out of Theodore’s availability for the third season in a row, he remains one of the league’s premier point producers from the blue line. Since the 2019-20 season, Theodore’s 271 points rank 11th among defensemen, while his 0.75 points per game rank ninth among rearguards with at least 100 games played. The Golden Knights hope he can continue at this season’s 71-point pace upon his return, helping soften the blow of losing star center Tomáš Hertl to a shoulder injury for at least their next three games after he didn’t travel with the team, Webster relayed yesterday.
Theodore presumably returns to his usual spot, playing his offside with lefty Brayden McNabb on the team’s second pairing. The duo, who have been regular partners since the 2021-22 season, have controlled 52.7% of expected goals this season while outscoring opponents 25-21 at 5v5, per MoneyPuck. 24-year-old Kaedan Korczak will likely head to the press box after playing a regular role in Theodore’s absence, posting five assists and a plus-four rating in 13 games coming out of the 4 Nations break.
Lavoie presumably heads to the farm after being held out of the lineup since March 5 with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old narrowly remains waiver-exempt, playing just nine NHL games this season and remaining on the active roster for under 30 cumulative days thanks to a series of paper transactions. The ex-Oilers prospect hopped between Edmonton and Vegas three times on the waiver wire in October before finally settling down with the Knights organization.
He hasn’t made an impact in the NHL lineup when dressed, averaging 10:05 per game and posting a minus-four rating without registering a point. He remains pointless across 16 career big league appearances, but he does have 13-8–21 in 32 showings for Henderson this year.
Blackhawks’ Jason Dickinson Out For Season
Blackhawks head coach Anders Sorensen told reporters today that center Jason Dickinson is done for the year after sustaining a wrist injury (via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times). For now, Chicago still has 12 healthy forwards, so don’t expect a corresponding move – at least not immediately.
A couple of weeks ago, Dickinson returned to the lineup after a high ankle sprain sustained just before the 4 Nations break held him out of a month’s worth of action. He then hurt his wrist while fighting Blues forward Jake Neighbours in the first period of Saturday’s loss and missed Sunday’s game against the Flyers.
He ends his season with 7-9–16 in 59 games, a far cry from his career-best 2023-24 campaign that earned him a two-year, $8.5MM extension. His career high was 22 points when Chicago acquired the pivot from Vancouver during training camp in 2022, but he put up back-to-back 30-point campaigns to begin his Blackhawks tenure – including 22 goals and 13 assists for 35 points last year while playing in all 82 games. It was Dickinson’s first time hitting double-digit goals in his 10-year career, and his plus-four rating on a team with a -111 goal differential earned him outside Selke Trophy consideration.
While Dickinson’s shooting percentage has remained at a respectable 12.5%, he’s not generating individual chances near the rate he did last year. He averaged 0.95 shots on goal per game in 2024-25 compared to 1.54 in 2023-24. He’s also attempting 12% fewer shots per game than last season. Some of that can be attributed to a marginal decrease in average ice time (15:42, down from 16:34), but it’s still a disappointing regression.
He remains an effective checking forward, winning under 49.5% of his draws while contributing 53 blocks and 102 hits. Unfortunately, his substantial possession impacts from last year also nosedived in 2024-25. His expected rating dropped from -4.3 to -10.9 at even strength, while his CF% decreased from 46.4 to 43.4. That’s amid a slight overall increase in Chicago’s 5v5 possession play, checking in at 44.7% of shot attempts so far in 2024-25 after finishing with 44.3% in 2023-24.
Dickinson had spent the majority of his time in the lineup centering a line with Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teräväinen. Captain Nick Foligno assumed that role against Philly and could do so for the remainder of the year, although the Hawks have shuffled their lines frequently in the past few months.
Capitals Sign Jakob Chychrun To Eight-Year Extension
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year, $72MM extension ($9MM AAV). An extension between the Capitals and Chychrun has seemingly been in the works for some time, with rumored interest dating back to the beginning of the season.
The deal comes across as a market-setter for upper-echelon defensemen ahead of unrestricted free agency kicking off in a few months, not too dissimilar from how Leon Draisaitl‘s eight-year, $112MM extension influenced the market for superstar forwards. Of course, Chychrun would be the top name on that market if he didn’t reach an agreement with Washington. Instead, he gets a deal that gives him much-desired stability while tying him for the tenth-highest-paid defenseman in the league, at least for next season.
Acquired from the Senators last summer in what was Chychrun’s second swap in as many years, the soon-to-be 27-year-old has re-emerged as a top-20 rearguard in the league. He’s seemingly shed the injury-prone label that followed him at the beginning of his career in Arizona, playing in 147 of 152 possible contests since the beginning of last season. After spending the first eight years of his time in the NHL with middling Coyotes and Senators clubs, he’s tracking to make the postseason for the first time aside from Arizona’s appearance in the 2020 bubble – playing a crucial role on the current President’s Trophy favorite.
The Caps’ league-leading offense is something to behold, considering their question marks entering the season about their depth, and a large part of their system success can be attributed to how general manager Chris Patrick retooled their blue line on the fly. Along with signing Matt Roy, acquiring Chychrun gave the Caps another puck mover with historically strong possession impacts to slot into their top four. He’s held up his end of the bargain, ranking third in the league in goals by defensemen with 18 and adding 25 assists for 43 points, second among Washington defenders behind John Carlson‘s 46. He’s split the year between pairings with Carlson and Trevor van Riemsdyk, leading to a slight reduction in ice time compared to his career average. His 20:56 ATOI is his lowest mark since the 2018-19 campaign, but that’s a testament to Washington’s blue line depth more than anything else.
Aside from the point totals (his 0.662 points per game are 17th in the league among defensemen), he continues to positively impact the Caps’ ability to keep the puck out of their net. His 52.8 CF% is second among Washington defensemen behind Carlson at even strength, and his +4.6 expected rating is third. While his overall shares are driven more by his offensive production, his raw defensive numbers at 5v5 (26.15 scoring chances against per 60 minutes, per Natural Stat Trick) are still in line with his teammates.
Chychrun will return to D.C. next season along with all five of his regular teammates on defense, barring any trades. As the aging Carlson and van Riemsdyk weigh their future past next season, Washington’s defensemen at No. 2-4 on their depth chart – Chychrun, Roy, and Rasmus Sandin – are all signed through at least 2029. The other piece of the puzzle, Martin Fehérváry, is set to be an RFA in the summer of 2026 in Washington’s last year of team control. The Caps are committing $33.025MM in cap space to their blue line for 2025-26, 34.6% of the $95.5MM upper limit.
Overall, Washington now projects to have $14.125MM in spending money this offseason with six roster spots to fill, per PuckPedia. They don’t have any particularly high-cost pending free agents on the active roster, so that should be enough flexibility to retain who they want while making a somewhat impactful add on the open market.
Since the beginning of Chychrun’s breakout 2020-21 campaign in Arizona, when he finished 10th in Norris voting, he ranks 27th in the league among defensemen in points per game (min. 100 games). He has 94-165–259 in 532 career games with Arizona, Ottawa, and Washington.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this article.
Canucks’ Elias Pettersson, Nils Hoglander Out At Least Four Games
The Vancouver Canucks will be without star centerman Elias Pettersson and top-six winger Nils Hoglander for the remaining four games of their current road-trip per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. Both players missed Vancouver’s team practice on Sunday after each leaving Saturday night’s game with injury. Pettersson exited with roughly five minutes left in the second period. He didn’t appear to sustain an injury, though none of his final five shifts lasted longer than 30 seconds. Hoglander exited with under two minutes left in the second and also didn’t appear injured, though he did get in a choppy stick battle in his final shift. Both players are out with undisclosed injuries.
The Canucks were two games into their second six-game road trip of the season. Pettersson and Hoglander were both pivotal pieces of the lineup in the road trip’s kickoff game against St. Louis on Thursday. Pettersson led all forwards with 20 minutes of ice time and recorded two assists, while Hoglander scored one assist in 17 minutes of ice time. Neither scored in their limited action on Saturday, and Vancouver will now be forced to fill two glaring holes in their top-six.
Rookie Aatu Räty is expected to earn an immediate promotion to the lineup. Räty hasn’t played since January 31st, which was itself a one-off start after not receiving routine NHL minutes since December. He’s appeared in 21 NHL games in total this season, netting just four points split evenly. Räty has been far more productive in the minor leagues, where he leads the Abbotsford Canucks in both total and point-per-game scoring with 39 points in 41 games. The Canucks recalled Räty ahead of Saturday’s game, and he’ll now have a golden chance at hardy minutes with Vancouver away from home for another week.
The Canucks are also carrying rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who has rotated into the NHL lineup throughout March. He’s managed seven appearances and one assist through the month, bringing his season-long totals up to four points in 18 NHL Games. Lekkerimaki has also scored 19 goals and 28 points in 32 AHL games this year. He’s received as little as nine minutes of ice time through his recent stretch in the top flight, though Hoglander’s absence should break open at least a third-line role. Räty and Lekkerimaki could also be beneficiaries of the large chunk of power-play minutes that both Pettersson and Hoglander leave behind.
This will be a great chance for Vancouver’s top prospects to show they can shine. The Canucks will need all the support they can get, as they find themselves five points away from a Western Conference Wild Card with two games in hand. They’ve posted a menial 5-4-1 record over their last 10 games – not enough to get ahead the red-hot, 8-1-1 St. Louis Blues or the productive 5-2-3 record of the Calgary Flames. Even with opportunity at hand, it’s hard to imagine the rookies will live up to Pettersson’s 45 points in 64 games this season, which leads all Canucks forwards. Hoglander’s 21 points in 66 games, and gritty middle-six role, will likely be a bit more acheivable to match.
WHL To Add Penticton Vees, Initiate Application For Chilliwack Chiefs
The Western Hockey League (WHL) has announced their first formal expansion in 18 years in a formal press release. They will absorb the BCHL’s Penticton Vees in 2025-26 and have begun the application process for the Chilliwack Chiefs to join in 2026-27.
Penticton will maintain their majority owner, Graham Fraser, but they will also add Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele, former New York Ranger Mike Richter, and businessmen Joe Walters and Gord Kovacik as minority partners. In a ceremony welcoming the Vees to the WHL, Fraser shared that they began the process of moving leagues last season. He added that the move also required a unique lease agreement between the Vees and the city of Penticton, captured by Chelsea Powrie of the local Casanet. It did not necessitate any rink renovations. The BCHL has added that Penticton’s BCHL rights will be relocated with existing ownerhsip, including Fraser.
The Vees are will maintain head coach, general manager, and team president Fred Harbinson through the move. Harbinson has been Penticton’s coach and GM since the 2007-08 season. He led the club to a BCHL championship in his very first year at the helm. He’s appeared in the postseason in every season since, and added five more championship rings.
For all intents and purposes, the Vees are formally a WHL as of this announcement. They will participate in a WHL Expansion Draft on May 7th, as well as the upcoming WHL Prospects Draft and WHL U.S. Priority Drafts. Penticton is already recruiting for their 15-player list. Fraser mentioned that the Vees will try to maintain current players whose WHL rights aren’t currently owned, though only nine players on the current roster meet eligibility requirements. Penticton will need to expand that to a full 50-player list by May 7th.
Meanwhile, Chilliwack will return to the BCHL for one season while they entertain WHL expansion. The city of Chilliwack were a part of one of the WHL’s most recent expansion waves in the early-2000s, getting awarded a club in 2005 and relocating to Victoria in 2011. Since then, Chilliwack has appeared in two BCHL Finals and consistently ranked as a top-five team in the Coastal Conference. The Chiefs’ home arena, Chilliwack Coliseum, is city-owned and is also approved for a WHL club. Still, the city has announced plans to invest $3.7MM in upgrades to the arena before joining the WHL in 2026-27, as shared by Fraser Valley Today. These upgrades will include improvements to the scoreboard, lighting system, and dasher boards among other upgrades.
The Chiefs will next have to go through an official franchise application process that will be reviewed by the WHL Commissioner and Executive Commission. The outcome of this process is expected to be announced before the start of the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile, the BCHL has announced no further plans for the Chilliwack franchise at this time – pointing towards their commitment to the league for the foreseeable future.
This news would theoretically grow the WHL from 22 to 24 teams within the next two years. Penticton will likely join the B.C. Division of the WHL’s Western Conference. Integrating Chilliwack could be more of a challenge. The city is a bit too far from the league’s Eastern Conference, which could lead to 13 teams in the Western Conference and 11 in the Eastern Conference.
The news of BCHL clubs joining the WHL is substantial. The CHL recently agreed to a partnership with the NCAA that would allow CHL players to commit to American colleges – something previously outlawed by the NCAA’s professional sports policy. This news has allowed the CHL to become a pipeline for players with collegiate aspirations, a perk that used to only belong to non-CHL Canadian junior leagues like the BCHL, AJHL, and OJHL. Penticton and Chilliwack’s moves could be the start of the growing snowball that is CHL hockey, though it’s likely to be slowed down by eligibility concerns and logistical red tape. Still, the news will give hockey fans at all levels some action to anticipate as the WHL, and other CHL leagues, approach key dates this offseason.
Jets’ Gabriel Vilardi Out Week-To-Week
Jets head coach Scott Arniel told reporters today that Gabriel Vilardi is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury (via the team’s Mitchell Clinton). While Arniel declined to say what exactly is ailing the winger, he confirmed it’s unrelated to the puck he took to the ear in yesterday’s loss to the Sabres. The injury will leave Vilardi out of the lineup for the first time this season and will lead to either David Gustafsson or Rasmus Kupari re-entering the lineup.
Who moves up to Vilardi’s spot on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele remains to be seen, especially since the line has barely been touched this year. Vilardi’s appeared with Connor and Scheifele in all 71 of his appearances this season, and their 907 minutes together makes them the most frequent forward line combination in the league, per MoneyPuck. No other forward unit has more than 650 minutes together.
A week-to-week designation could presumably end Vilardi’s regular season. Winnipeg has 11 games remaining, and even a two-week absence – likely optimistic – means he’ll return with only four games left. Without a firmer timeline, it’s possible he may remain unavailable for a portion of their first-round playoff series as well.
That’s bad news for a Jets team that didn’t land a big fish at the trade deadline, instead opting for depth pickups Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev. The 25-year-old Vilardi has set career-highs across the board with his 71 appearances, 27 goals, 34 assists and 61 points. Averaging over 18 minutes per game, he seemed to have finally overcome his career-long injury bug that caused him to average just 40 games per season over the first five years of his NHL career.
He’ll now miss significant time again as the Jets teeter on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. They’re almost certainly slated for a Central Division title and a first-round matchup against the second wild-card team in the West, whoever that may be, but doing so without a player who accounts for 11% of their goals this season is a significant blow. Vilardi is humming at a 20.8% shooting rate but, as per usual for Winnipeg’s top line, has struggled to control possession at even strength. They’re all underwater in their shot-attempt numbers but have managed to control 52.6% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.
Vilardi’s season hits pause amid a cold streak. He’d gone without a point in his last four games, compiling a minus-three rating during that stretch. Nonetheless, he’s a huge loss during the final month of the regular season as Winnipeg looks to seal the deal on their best regular season in franchise history.
St. Louis Blues Recall Dalibor Dvorský For NHL Debut
March 23: Dvorský will indeed be making his NHL debut tonight against the Predators, head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed (via Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic). He replaces Oskar Sundqvist in the lineup after he played through an undisclosed injury yesterday against the Blackhawks.
March 22: As expected, the St. Louis Blues are bringing their top prospect to the NHL ranks. The Blues announced they recalled Dalibor Dvorský from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, for his NHL debut.
St. Louis selected Dvorský with the 10th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. The physical forward from Zvolen, Slovakia, had a season where he scored six goals and accumulated 14 points in 38 games for AIK in HockeyAllsvenskan. Additionally, he earned three points in five games while representing Slovakia’s U20 team at the 2022-23 World Junior Championship.
Dvorský began the 2023-24 season on loan with the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn. Unfortunately, after going scoreless in 10 contests and seeing his ice time cut dramatically, Dvorský moved to North America to join the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.
Dvorský had a productive year, finishing with 45 goals and 88 points in 52 games. He ranked 13th in scoring in the OHL alongside teammates David Goyette and Quentin Musty. He registered three goals and 10 points in nine playoff contests but couldn’t help Sudbury move beyond the second round of the OHL playoffs.
Given his impressive performance in the OHL and subsequent play during preseason play, there was an outside chance of Dvorský cracking the Blues’ roster out of training camp. However, the team delayed his NHL start, playing Dvorský in the AHL for the year.
It’s another move that’s worked out well for the young forward. Dvorský has scored 20 goals and 43 points in 57 games in AHL Springfield, good for third on the team in scoring and tied for fifth among rookies.
Dvorský’s debut won’t be in meaningless hockey either. The Blues are holding on to the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference thanks to a five-game winning streak. St. Louis has a relatively easy schedule coming up with two out of their next three games against the Nashville Predators. Still, they will be important games for the team to win should they hold onto their playoff spot down the stretch.
List Of NHL Prospects In The 2025 NCAA Championship Tournament
Today, the NCAA confirmed the 16 schools set to participate in the 2025 Division I men’s ice hockey championship tournament. With the regionals confirmed, we know the NHL prospects to watch over the next couple of weeks as they pursue the national collegiate crown. Prospects are listed along with their drafted team along with their point of selection.
Manchester, NH Regional
#1: Boston College
Jr.-F Andre Gasseau (Bruins, 2021, 7-213)
Jr.-F Oscar Jellvik (Bruins, 2021, 5-149)
So.-F Ryan Leonard (Capitals, 2023, 1-8)
Fr.-F Dean Letourneau (Bruins, 2024, 1-25)
So.-F Gabe Perreault (Rangers, 2023, 1-23)
Fr.-F Teddy Stiga (Predators, 2024, 2-55)
So.-D Drew Fortescue (Rangers, 2023, 3-90)
Sr.-D Aidan Hreschuk (Blue Jackets, 2021, 3-94) Selected by Hurricanes, acquired in 2022’s Max Domi trade
So.-D Aram Minnetian (Stars, 2023, 4-125)
Gr.-D Eamon Powell (Lightning, 2020, 4-116)
Fr.-D Will Skahan (Utah, 2024, 2-65)
So.-G Jacob Fowler (Canadiens, 2023, 3-69)
#2: Providence College
Fr.-F Trevor Connelly (Golden Knights, 2024, 1-19)
So.-F Hudson Malinoski (Maple Leafs, 2023, 5-153)
Fr.-F John Mustard (Blackhawks, 2024, 3-67)
Fr.-F Logan Sawyer (Canadiens, 2024, 3-78)
Gr.-F Chase Yoder (Penguins, 2020, 6-170)
Sr.-D Taige Harding (Blackhawks, 2021, 3-91)
Gr.-D Connor Kelley (Blackhawks, 2021, 7-204)
Fr.-D Tomas Machu (Islanders, 2021, 7-221)
Sr.-D Guillaume Richard (Blue Jackets, 2021, 4-101)
Jr.-G Philip Svedebäck (Bruins, 2021, 4-117)
#3: University of Denver
Fr.-F Hagen Burrows (Lightning, 2024, 4-128)
Sr.-F Jack Devine (Panthers, 2022, 7-221)
Fr.-F Jake Fisher (Avalanche, 2024, 4-121)
So.-F Sam Harris (Canadiens, 2023, 5-133)
Jr.-F Rieger Lorenz (Wild, 2022, 2-56)
Fr.-F James Reeder (Kings, 2024, 7-198)
Jr.-F Samu Salminen (Devils, 2021, 3-68)
Jr.-F Aidan Thompson (Blackhawks, 2022, 3-90)
Jr.-F Jared Wright (Kings, 2022, 6-169)
So.-D Garrett Brown (Jets, 2022, 4-99)
So.-D Zeev Buium (Wild, 2024, 1-12)
Fr.-D Tory Pitner (Avalanche, 2024, 6-185)
So.-D Eric Pohlkamp (Sharks, 2023, 5-132)
#4: Bentley University
none
Fargo, ND Regional
#1: Western Michigan University
So.-F Alex Bump (Flyers, 2022, 5-133)
Sr.-F Matteo Constantini (Sabres, 2020, 5-131)
Fr.-F Ty Henricks (Rangers, 2023, 6-183)
Fr.-F Zachary Nehring (Jets, 2023, 3-82)
Sr.-F Wyatt Schingoethe (Maple Leafs, 2020, 7-195)
Fr.-D Joona Väisänen (Penguins, 2024, 6-175)
Fr.-G Hampton Slukynsky (Kings, 2023, 4-118)
#2: University of Minnesota
So.-F Jimmy Clark (Wild, 2023, 7-213)
Fr.-F Beckett Hendrickson (Bruins, 2023, 4-124)
Sr.-F Aaron Huglen (Sabres, 2019, 4-102) *injured, won’t play
Jr.-F Connor Kurth (Lightning, 2022, 6-192)
Jr.-F Brody Lamb (Rangers, 2021, 4-104)
So.-F Oliver Moore (Blackhawks, 2023, 1-19)
Fr.-F Erik Påhlsson (Predators, 2024, 7-213)
Jr.-F Jimmy Snuggerud (Blues, 2022, 1-23)
Jr.-F Matthew Wood (Predators, 2023, 1-15)
Fr.-F Brodie Ziemer (Sabres, 2024, 3-71)
Jr.-D Ryan Chesley (Capitals, 2022, 2-37)
Gr.-D Mike Koster (Maple Leafs, 2019, 5-146)
Jr.-D Luke Mittelstadt (Canadiens, 2023, 7-197)
So.-D Sam Rinzel (Blackhawks, 2022, 1-25)
Jr.-D Cal Thomas (Utah, 2021, 6-171)
Fr.-D John Whipple (Red Wings, 2024, 5-144)
#3: University of Massachusetts
Jr.-F Kenny Connors (Kings, 2022, 4-103)
So.-F Dans Locmelis (Bruins, 2022, 4-119)
Sr.-F Lucas Mercuri (Hurricanes, 2020, 6-159)
Jr.-F Cole O’Hara (Predators, 2022, 4-114)
So.-F Cameron O’Neill (Senators, 2022, 5-143)
So.-F Aydar Suniev (Flames, 2023, 3-80)
So.-F Nicholas Van Tassell (Senators, 2023, 7-215)
Fr.-D Larry Keenan (Red Wings, 2023, 4-117)
So.-G Michael Hrabal (Utah, 2023, 2-38)
#4: Minnesota State University (Mankato)
Fr.-D Luke Ashton (Blue Jackets, 2024, 6-165)
Allentown, PA Regional
#1: University of Maine
Sr.-F Taylor Makar (Avalanche, 2021, 7-220)
#2: University of Connecticut
So.-F Joey Muldowney (Sharks, 2022, 6-172)
So.-F Jake Richard (Sabres, 2022, 6-170)
Jr.-G Tyler Muszelik (Panthers, 2022, 6-189)
#3: Quinnipiac University
Fr.-F Christopher Pelosi (Bruins, 2023, 3-92)
So.-D Nate Benoit (Wild, 2021, 6-182)
Fr.-D Elliott Groenewold (Bruins, 2024, 4-110)
Jr.-D Charlie Leddy (Devils, 2022, 4-126)
#4: Penn State University
So.-F Aiden Fink (Predators, 2023, 7-218)
So.-F Reese Laubach (Sharks, 2022, 7-217)
Jr.-G Arsenii Sergeev (Flames, 2021, 7-205)
Toledo, OH Regional
#1: Michigan State University
Jr.-F Isaac Howard (Lightning, 2022, 1-31)
Sr.-F Red Savage (Red Wings, 2021, 4-114)
Jr.-F Charlie Stramel (Wild, 2023, 1-21)
So.-D Patrick Geary (Sabres, 2024, 6-172)
Sr.-D David Gucciardi (Capitals, 2022, 7-213)
Fr.-D Vladislav Lukashevich (Panthers, 2021, 4-120)
So.-D Maxim Strbak (Sabres, 2023, 2-45)
So.-G Trey Augustine (Red Wings, 2023, 2-41)
#2: Boston University
Fr.-F Kamil Bednarik (Islanders, 2024, 2-61)
Sr.-F Matt Copponi (Oilers, 2023, 7-216)
Fr.-F Cole Eiserman (Islanders, 2024, 1-20)
Jr.-F Ryan Greene (Blackhawks, 2022, 2-57)
So.-F Jack Harvey (Lightning, 2023, 7-193)
Sr.-F Jack Hughes (Kings, 2022, 2-51)
Jr.-F Devin Kaplan (Flyers, 2022, 3-69)
So.-F Shane Lachance (Devils, 2021, 6-186) Selected by Oilers, acquired in 2025’s Trent Frederic trade
Fr.-F Brandon Svoboda (Sharks, 2023, 3-71)
So.-D Aiden Celebrini (Canucks, 2023, 6-171)
Fr.-D Cole Hutson (Capitals, 2024, 2-43)
So.-D Gavin McCarthy (Sabres, 2023, 3-86)
So.-D Tom Willander (Canucks, 2023, 1-11)
Fr.-G Mikhail Yegorov (Devils, 2024, 2-49)
#3: Ohio State University
Gr.-F Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (Predators, 2020, 7-202)
Sr.-D Brent Johnson (Capitals, 2021, 3-80)
Fr.-D Chris Romaine (Avalanche, 2022, 6-193)
So.-D Theo Wallberg (Senators, 2022, 6-168)
#4: Cornell University
So.-F Jonathan Castagna (Utah, 2023, 3-70)
So.-F Luke Devlin (Penguins, 2022, 6-182) *injured, won’t play
So.-F Ryan Walsh (Bruins, 2023, 6-188)
So.-D George Fegaras (Stars, 2022, 3-83)
Sr.-D Hank Kempf (Avalanche, 2021, 7-208) Selected by Rangers, acquired in 2025’s Ryan Lindgren trade
So.-D Hoyt Stanley (Senators, 2023, 4-108)
Rangers Sign Jackson Dorrington To Entry-Level Contract
Defenseman Jackson Dorrington is officially turning pro after his junior season at Northeastern University ended a few days ago. The New York Rangers announced they’ve signed Dorrington to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning next season, and he’ll report to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of the season.
Dorrington was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks with the 176th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft. Before ever registering a game in the Canucks organization, Vancouver traded Dorrington alongside Erik Brännström and J.T. Miller to the Rangers on the last day of January for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick.
Unfortunately, Dorrington’s junior year at Northeastern University concluded similarly to the others, being knocked out of the difficult Hockey East conference tournament. Since joining the Boston-based academic institution for the 2022-23 NCAA season, Dorrington and the Huskies did not advance past the conference tournament semifinals. They qualified for the National Tournament during his freshman year but were eliminated in the regional semifinal by Western Michigan University.
He wasn’t much of a point-producer at Northeastern, finishing his collegiate career with eight goals and 33 points in 105 games. Still, Dorrington displayed an abundance of poise on the defensive side of the puck, evidenced by his +17 rating.
Outside of the statistics, Dorrington proved effective at defensive positioning. Although he’s not a replica by any means, Dorrington’s playstyle is similar to former Ranger Ryan McDonagh, who has excelled at defensive positioning for much of his NHL career. He’s unlikely to become a powerplay candidate at any point in his professional career, but Dorrington could become a useful arrow in the quiver in the Rangers’ penalty kill for years to come.
Pat Maroon To Retire After The Season
Blackhawks winger Pat Maroon is in his 14th NHL season but there won’t be a 15th. The veteran revealed to CHSN during today’s pregame show (Twitter link) that he plans to retire at the end of the season, citing a desire to start a new chapter with his family.
Maroon is in his first season with Chicago after signing a one-year, $1.3MM contract with them in free agency last summer. He was brought in to play a mentoring role while taking a regular shift on the fourth line and has done just that, getting into 59 games this season where he has 16 points, 95 hits, and 81 penalty minutes in 11:37 of playing time per outing.
It felt like the 36-year-old was going to be a candidate to be moved at the trade deadline earlier this month to a team looking to add some extra depth and experience for the stretch run. However, he indicated to the team last month that his preference was to remain with Chicago rather than be on the move for the second straight deadline.
Maroon was a sixth-round pick by Philadelphia back in 2006, going 171st overall. He spent parts of four seasons in their farm system but never got a chance to play with the Flyers, eventually being traded to Anaheim in 2010.
While Maroon saw a bit of NHL action with the Ducks after the move, it took until the 2013-14 campaign for him to become a regular player for them at the age of 25. He wound up spending parts of five years with them before he was traded to Edmonton at the 2016 deadline. With the Oilers is where he had his best success offensively, notching 86 points in 154 games over parts of three years before being moved to New Jersey at the 2018 trade deadline.
Maroon then signed with St. Louis the following summer, winning a Stanley Cup with them in 2019 before moving on to Tampa Bay where he won two more in consecutive seasons. Along the way, he went from being more of a second-line option as he was with Edmonton to more of an energetic bottom-six piece, one that spent parts of four years with the Lightning before being picked up at the deadline by Boston last season.
All told, Maroon has 125 goals and 195 assists along with 1,583 hits and 1,071 penalty minutes in 839 regular season games across eight different organizations heading into today’s action. He also has suited up in 163 postseason contests, in the top 75 in NHL history in that regard where he has 53 points and those three Stanley Cup rings. While Maroon has a few more weeks to add to those regular season numbers, it has certainly been a very solid career for someone who wound up being a late bloomer after working his way up from a long stint in the minors.
Photo courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.