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Panthers Recall Tobias Bjornfot

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The Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Tobias Bjornfot from the AHL. This move comes after Dmitry Kulikov was injured in the first period of the team’s Sunday loss to the New York Islanders, after getting wrapped up on Islanders forward Anthony Duclair. This marks Bjornfot’s second call-up as a member of the Panthers organization, after spending 20 days on the NHL roster in January. He stepped into eight NHL games on the recall and managed no scoring.

Bjornfot has otherwise spent the rest of the season in the minors. He’s amassed 16 points, 22 penalty minutes, and a plus-one in 43 games with the Charlotte Checkers, good for third on the team’s blue-line in scoring. It’s just his third full season in the NHL since making his professional debut in the 2019-20 season. He spent the bulk of that year with the AHL’s Ontario Reign where he recorded 19 points, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-13 in 44 games. Bjornfot received the first three games of his NHL career in the mix of those minor league minutes, and earned a hardier shot at the Los Angeles Kings lineup over the next two years. But he only managed 14 points through the first 106 games of his NHL career, prompting a return to the minors for the start of the 2022-23 campaign. Bjornfot scored 12 points in 50 AHL games that year.

Bjornfot followed another middling year in the minors with a winding journey last season. He appeared in games for Los Angeles, Vegas, and Florida throughout the 2023-24 season – and moved between each team through two separate waiver claims. Ultimately, Bjornfot couldn’t find his footing in any of his new destinations – and managed no scoring through 11 NHL games or five AHL games on the season. He’s returned to the scoresheet through the first half of this year, but still hasn’t found a consistent stride.

There’s been no indication as to whether Kulikov will be available for Florida’s Thursday matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’ll vacate a top-pair role if he does have to sit out, opening the door for Bjornfot to earn modest ice time as Florida mends an already-weakened blue-line.  Bjornfot has averaged 13:24 in ice time through his eight NHL appearances this season. A lineup nod would give Bjornfot another chance to earn his first point as a member of the Florida Panthers – and his first NHL point outside of the Los Angeles Kings organization.

Stars Expecting Tyler Seguin Back, Miro Heiskanen Out For First Round

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The postseason availability of two pillars of the Dallas Stars’ lineup became clearer at Tuesday’s practice. Winger Tyler Seguin is continuing to improve and could be healthy before the end of the regular season, head coach Pete DeBoer shared with Brian Rea of Bally Sports Southwest. Seguin has missed Dallas’ last 43 games with a hip injury sustained on December 1st. In more negative news, DeBoer also told Rea that there’s a realistic chance Dallas plays the First Round without star defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Heiskanen has missed Dallas’ last 16 games after sustaining a knee injury on January 28th.

The injury updates bring highs and lows. Adding Seguin back to the lineup will go a long way towards giving Dallas one of the most complete forward groups in the NHL. The 33-year-old Stars legend has continued to produce into the golden years of his career, netting nine goals and 20 points in 19 games before his injury. That’s an 82-game pace of 39 goals and 86 points, which would both stand as career-highs – though the likelihood of Seguin maintaining his point-per-game scoring through an entire season aren’t sky-high. Even then, he’s remained a consistent scorer down the lineup – surpassing the 20 goal and 50 point mark in each of the last two seasons. He fell one point short of 50 in 2021-22.

Seguin sits 12 games back from his 1,000th career game in the NHL. Nearly all of those appearances – 785 over the course of 12 seasons, to be exact – have come with the Dallas Stars. Over that time, Seguin has amassed the fifth-most goals (304), assists (383), and points (687) in franchise history. He’s consistently maintained his hot scoring into the postseason, with 71 points in 133 career playoff games and 13 points in 19 games just last season. Seguin averaged just 16 minutes of playing time prior to his injury – marking a career low, save for his rookie season. But his ability to continue producing in those minutes is invaluable, and should give Dallas a major boost as they near the final games of their season.

Unfortunately, they’ll need all the boost they can get with potential Norris Trophy candidate Heiskanen set for a continued absence. Heiskanen was scoring at a modest pace this season – netting 25 points in 50 games prior to injury – but he made up for it with fantastic impacts in all three zones. The 25-year-old was averaging 25:10 in ice time prior to his injury, marking the fifth-straight season that he’s played more than 24:30 each night. He’s averaged more ice time than any other Star, and performed well enough to support the struggling right-shot defenders like Cody Ceci, Matt Dumba, and Ilya Lyubushkin.

Without Heiskanen in the lineup, Dallas has been forced to turn to 23-year-old Thomas Harley with their top-pair role. Harley has taken full advantage of the opportunity, netting 16 points in 16 games and playing as much as 27 minutes a night since Heiskanen’s injury. It’s been a welcome breakout performance – and one that should supplant Heiskanen’s impact until he’s back to full health. Dallas will certainly hope that’s the case, as they eye a potential best-of-seven series without their clear top defender. If Harley can help push the team through and Heiskanen’s timeline holds true, Dallas could enter the second round with one of the best left-defense corps in the NHL.

Penguins Prospect Ville Koivunen Breaking Out In Second Half

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The NHL season has not gone according to plan for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have the third-oldest lineup in the league, but land in the bottom-10 of the standings with just 13 games left on the schedule. Staff and fans alike have started to turn their attention towards the future, evidenced by the team’s sale of Anthony Beauvillier, Luke Schenn, and Cody Glass for future assets at this year’s Trade Deadline. The moves have trained a bright spotlight on the Penguins’ deep prospect pool – and lucky for hopeful fans, wing prospect Ville Koivunen has shined.

Koivunen has been one of the hockey world’s hottest players in 2025. Playing for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he has amassed 31 points in 31 games since the calendar turned over. That hot streak gives Koivunen 53 points in 58 games this season – most among any AHL rookie and fifth in the league as a whole. No other rookie ranks in the top 15 of scoring. Koviunen has blossomed into a star producer, on the back of a confidence that seems to grow every single game.

The Penguins certainly knew to have high hopes for Koivunen. He was the primary future asset in the 2024 Trade Deadline move that sent star scorer Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. Pittsburgh also acquired NHL winger Michael Bunting, fellow prospects Vasiliy Ponomarev and Cruz Lucius, and a second-round draft pick in the trade. But with Bunting traded to the Predators one year later and Lucius missing the season to injury – it has been up to Koivunen and Ponomarev to prove general manager Kyle Dubas didn’t blunder in dealing away his 40-goal scorer.

That’s certainly a lofty bill to place on a 21-year-old forward. But Koivunen has answered the bell and then some. He’s found his AHL spark after spending the last three seasons dominating ice time with the Liiga’s Karpat, part of Finland’s top pro league. Koivunen scored 29 points in 53 games of his rookie Liiga season in 2021-22. That mark set him as the 20th-highest scoring U19 player in Liiga history behind a list full of NHL talent – including Joel Armia, Sami Vatanen, and Artturi Lehkonen directly ahead of him. Koivunen nearly matched that total again in the next year, netting 28 points in 52 games. But his struggle to cross the 30-point threshold was matched by just one goal in 12 AHL games at the end of the season.

Koivunen returned to the Liiga at the start of last season, with many holding their breath around his long-term scoring upside. Even as he started to find his footing at a pro level – netting 14 points in 20 games to start the season – fans still held back. But Koivunen’s wheels only got faster. He went on a spree of multi-point games through February and March of the 2023-24 season, ultimately ending the year with 56 points in 59 games – the most of any U22 Liiga player since 2000.

A breakout in Finland wasn’t going to be convincing on it’s own – but Koivunen is now nearly lapping his totals in the AHL. His ability as a spot shooter and fast-break scorer defined his draft-year excitement. He earned attention as a first-round candidate in the 2021 class, and ultimately fell to the Carolina Hurricanes with the 51st overall selection. Those defining traits have continued to grow in the years since – Koivunen has become a great sniper, with the ability to pick corners while flat-footed or moving at full speed. But, more excitingly, Koivunen has gone to lengths to round out his style. He’s become far more physical and confident when driving into space. And he’s found his poise as a playmaker – taking the time to slow down when entering the zone, and using strong stickhandling and skating to get the puck into a passing lane.

There are certainly long strides between Koivunen and the NHL. But he’s become a lethal asset in the offensive zone. His shot can’t be left alone, but his ability to connect with his teammates is what has sparked a near point-per-game season. That ability held strong in the difficult move from Liiga to AHL, and should it hold through to the NHL – it’d be hard to think Koivunen couldn’t continue to dominate the scoresheet next on a top-six NHL line. After years of finding his footing, growing his role, and adapting his skills to a pro scene – Koivunen has fully broken out. He’s scoring at a point-per-game pace since the start of 2025, with no signs of slowing down as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton approaches a confident playoff bid. Koivunen hasn’t yet received the first in-season NHL call-up of his career – and at this rate, it appears he’ll be in the minors through the end of the season. But with a strong playoff performance, he could enter Pittsburgh’s 2025-26 training camp with his sails at full mast.

Five Key Stories: 3/10/25 – 3/16/25

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The stretch run is now in full swing with the playoffs just a little more than a month away.  Even with the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, there was still some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.

One More Year: Jonathan Quick’s career isn’t coming to an end just yet.  The Rangers are keeping the goaltender around for another year after they signed him to a one-year contract extension.  The deal will carry a cap hit of $1.55MM while it contains an additional $300K in performance incentives tied to starts, games played, save percentage, and wins.  Quick earns a raise for the second straight year as his initial year in New York saw him make $825K before bonuses while his guaranteed salary this season is $1.275MM.  The 39-year-old has a 3.14 GAA with a .896 SV% in 21 appearances in 2024-25, a notable drop-off in his numbers from a year ago.

Bad News For Hamilton: The week-to-week injury that Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton is dealing with may be better off being termed as month-to-month.  It was revealed that the veteran will miss the remainder of the regular season and at least the first round of the playoffs due to a lower-body injury sustained earlier this month.  That means he’ll miss at least two months with the issue.  The 31-year-old had an injury-riddled campaign last season that saw him play in just 20 games.  This season, Hamilton made it into 63 contests, notching 40 points in a little under 20 minutes a night of playing time.  With Jack Hughes also out for the year, New Jersey’s push for the playoffs will see them have to get in without two of their top-five scorers.

Ekblad Gets 20: Aaron Ekblad’s 2024-25 regular season came to an end much earlier than expected.  However, it wasn’t due to an injury.  Instead, the Panthers blueliner was given a 20-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.  The length of the suspension is fixed at 20 games for a first offense.  Ekblad released a statement indicating that the positive test stemmed from taking something to help him recover from recent injuries that he didn’t clear with team personnel first.  He will miss the final 18 games of the regular season as well as Florida’s first two playoff appearances.  Ekblad finishes the first part of the campaign with 33 points in 56 games as he gets set to test unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer.

Kovalchuk Calls It A Career: Veteran winger Ilya Kovalchuk has hung up his skates, announcing his retirement at the age of 41.  In his prime, he was an elite winger with Atlanta before signing a long-term contract with New Jersey; the original 17-year agreement was deemed cap circumvention but a revised 15-year pact was approved.  (New Jersey’s final cap charge for salary cap recapture comes off the books after this season.)  But he left that contract after three seasons, going to the KHL for six seasons before a brief NHL return.  All told, Kovalchuk collected 443 goals and 423 assists in 926 NHL games over parts of 13 years along with 352 points in 334 contests in eight KHL campaigns.

Hill’s Sticking Around: The goaltending position in Vegas has been solidified for the long haul as the Golden Knights signed Adin Hill to a six-year, $37.5MM contract extension.  The deal, which carries a $6.25MM cap charge, is a nice raise from his current $4.9MM AAV while it also checks in a little ahead of former teammate Logan Thompson, who signed for $5.85MM per season in Washington on a new deal that starts next season.  Initially acquired as injury insurance back in 2022, Hill has worked his way from being a platoon netminder to a full-fledged starter and has posted a .910 SV% in his three seasons with the Golden Knights.  Hill received a partial no-trade clause as part of the contract, one that kicked in immediately.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Big Hype Prospects: Fowler, McKenna, Lardis, Frondell

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Mid-March is rolling around and hockey seasons are entering their waning point. Many college seasons are already concluded, while plenty of players in junior hockey are beginning to prepare for long playoff runs or springtime international hockey. It’s the final wave of action before the season comes to an end, so let’s take the chance to once again borrow from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to bring you four of the hottest U21 players in hockey.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (NCAA Hockey East, ’23 Montreal Canadiens)
32 GP – 24-5-2 – 0.941 Sv% – 1.62 GAA

Another season is coming to its end, which means it’s time for Jacob Fowler to receive his annual flowers. He’s won MVP awards and (or) championship rings in every single season of his junior hockey journey, and this year proved no exception. Fowler posted an incredibly .941 save percentage this season, the second highest in all of college behind 24-year-old junior Alex Tracy (.944). That masterclass performance was recognized on Thursday when Fowler unanimously won the Hockey East goalie of the year award. He beat out fantastic competition, namely Maine’s brick wall Albin Boija. The 20-year-old Fowler took a major stride forward from his 32-6-1 record and .926 Sv% last season – which was itself a continuation of the pair of above-.920 seasons he posted in the USHL. Fowler now holds the record for U17 save percentage in the USHL, won the USHL playoff MVP in a 2023 championship run, and now just matched Connor Hellebuyck’s save percentage in his age-20 season. Fowler is cool, calm, collected – and above all else – amazingly consistent. He’s proven to be a star at Boston College, and likely won’t be long from trying to do the same in the NHL.

Gavin McKenna, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL, 2026 NHL Draft)
53 GP – 34 G – 80 A – 114 TP – 17 PIM – +51

This is now Gavin McKenna’s third mention in our big hype prospects series – but there is simply no other player worth such acclaim. McKenna has continued to show his superstardom, dazzling even without standout centerman and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha. He extended his active scoring streak to 37 games on Friday, tying thee Sidney Crosby for the second-longest point streak among CHL players since 2000-01. He’s only behind Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who stretched his streak to 65 games. McKenna has taken to a more prominent center role this season, to great effect. It’s pushed him to be more physical, or find even niftier ways to beat defenders. He’s slick on the puck and makes incredibly intelligent plays – capable of beating defenders with some of the simplest, but most effective, punch stops and quick cuts. There’s been no doubt that McKenna was going to be the first-overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft – but his performance this season, and namely this calendar year, have cemented that fact in a way that hasn’t been rivaled since Rasmus Dahlin, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid. McKenna is thee clear-cut star of his age group – and still has a year of junior (or collegiate) hockey to find yet another gear to his game.

Nick Lardis, LW/C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL, ’23 Chicago Blackhawks)
63 GP – 71 G – 44 A – 115 TP – 16 PIM – +20

Continuing the conversation of record-setting seasons is Blackhawks wing prospect Nick Lardis, who sits just one goal back from all-time heights. His 71 goals this season are the second-highest in the OHL since 2000 – and just one back from what former exceptional status superstar John Tavares managed in the 2006-07 season. Lardis has taken an incredible stride forward after potting 29 goals and 50 points in 37 games last year; and 25 goals and 46 points in 33 games of 2022-23. He’s developed a knack for the scoring imbalance, finding more goals than assists on the back of great positioning around the net, hard-nosed puck battles, and a killer wrist shot. Lardis simply can’t be left alone in the lower two-thirds of the offensive zone – which has proven a major challenge considering defenders also have to monitor teammate and fellow Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker. The mix of Vanacker’s nifty hands and ability to control space, and Lardis’ hot-shot scoring, has been simply too much to bear for OHL defenses. With both players in their pipeline, Chicago has a real chance to ensure that their chemistry remains overwhelming for NHL opponents as well.

Anton Frondell, RW/C, Djurgardens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan, 2025 NHL Draft)
29 GP – 11 G – 14 A – 25 TP – 16 PIM – +11

Health has been the obstacle for star 2025 NHL Draft prospect Anton Frondell. He’s missed big chunks of games in October, November, December, and February of this season – intercut with spot starts. But when he’s healthy, there may be no international talent that rivals Frondell in this draft class. He has a simply jaw-dropping 14 points in his last eight games in the HA – Sweden’s second-tier pros. That scoring includes a four-point night and a three-point night in what is a very competitive, and often low-scoring, pro league. Finally, with his feet and his health under him, Frondell’s offense is exploding. He may be dancing a little too late for the crowd, but his ability to control the puck and work through space on the boards is incredible. Frondell has a powerful frame and drives hard to the slot – or steps back for hard wrist shots when defenders block his lanes. He’s a lethal threat north of the red line, with the positioning and grit to stay effective on the defensive side as well. Frondell will – or, should – be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. If he keeps up this recent performance, that number could rise north of top-five. The World U18 Championships will be his best chance to prove his worth to NHL brass. That tournament begins on April 23rd.

Ducks Recall Nikita Nesterenko

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With injuries mounting, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled winger Nikita Nesterenko from AHL’s San Diego Gulls, the team announced. He is in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Predators.

This marks the second recall on the year for Nesterenko, 23, who previously registered a goal and an assist during a seven-game stretch earlier this season. In 19 career games with the big club, he has registered three goals and four points.

He has fared much better offensively at the AHL-level, where he has 13 goals and 34 points in 48 games with the Gulls this season, along with 71 points in 118 career AHL games. He’s been particularly hot of late, ranking third among all AHL players in points (19) since the AHL’s all-star break.

The Ducks acquired Nesterenko, defender Andrej Sustr (who never dressed for the Ducks and is now playing overseas) and a 2025 fourth-round selection from the Wild for defenseman John Klingberg in March 2023. Nesterenko was selected by Minnesota in the sixth round (173rd overall) in the 2019 NHL entry draft.

While his recall may be deserving, it also comes with a degree of necessity as forwards Sam Colangelo and Ross Johnston are both out day-to-day with injuries. The 23-year-old Colangelo has scored 6 goals in 20 games this season and his injury comes at a particularly inopportune time, as he scored four goals in his last five games. This included his first career two-goal game at home against the Islanders on March 9. The right-handed winger was selected by Anaheim in the second round of the 2020 draft.

Johnston, a veteran of 245 NHL games, has registered just four points in 45 games on the season. Now in his ninth NHL season and second with Ducks, Johnston has averaged just 8:41 of ice time on the year.

Sharks Recall Zack Ostapchuk

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled recently-acquired center prospect Zack Ostapchuk to the NHL. The Sharks acquired Ostapchuk in a Trade Deadline move that sent Fabian Zetterlund, Tristen Robins, and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor, and a 2025 second-round pick. This roster move will set Ostapchuk up to play his first game as a member of the Sharks organization.

Ostapchuk split the early season between Ottawa’s NHL and AHL rosters. He didn’t originally make the NHL roster out of training camp, but earned a call-up just three weeks into the season after scoring five points in his first six AHL games. Ottawa brought him up for their October 29th matchup against the St. Louis Blues, where Ostapchuk recorded an assist as part of an 8-1 Ottawa win. He went without any scoring in five games after that, prompting a return to the minor leagues that Ostapchuk quickly forced Ottawa to reverse – on the back of three points in three more AHL games. He was brought back to the NHL roster on November 25th and went on to tally one goal and two assists across 40 NHL appearances, while operating off of Ottawa’s fourth-line.

The Senators again returned Ostapchuk to the minor leagues on February 24th. It was in the AHL that he finished out his tenure in the Senators organization, which allowed him to be immediately assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda following his deadline move. San Jose will now follow in the footsteps of the Senators, and bring Ostapchuk up to the NHL roster on the back of three points in his last seven AHL games.

Ottawa drafted Ostapchuk with the 39th-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft – drawn to his full-sized frame and leadership role with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. Ostapchuk followed his draft selection with two more seasons in juniors, and ultimately totaled 134 in 187 games and five seasons in the WHL. He made his pro debut last season and spent the bulk of the year with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, where he managed 28 points in 69 games. He’s far surpassed that point production this year, with 11 points in 15 AHL games. Ostapchuk also served as one of Belleville’s alternate captains this year, at just 21 years old. It will be that boosted scoring and leadership presence that San Jose looks to tease out with this move.

Blue Jackets’ Erik Gudbranson Expected To Return Soon

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Veteran defenseman Erik Gudbranson has been out of the Columbus Blue Jackets lineup since their third game of the season. He sustained a shoulder injury on a collision with teammate Sean Monahan on October 15th, and required shoulder surgery one week later. But after nearly five months out of the lineup, Gudbranson could return as soon as early next week, head coach Dean Evason shared with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

This is fantastic news for the oft-injured Gudbranson. His career has been marred by routine long-term absences, dating back to his second year in the NHL in 2012-13 – when he was held to just 34 games between the NHL and AHL due to injury. Gudbranson has seemed to suffer a setback in nearly every season since then, including going through a stretch of playing just 254 games across four seasons between 2017 and 2021.

Gudbranson spurred his bad luck when he returned for the 2021-22 season. At the age of 30, he appeared in a career-high 78 games in a one-off season with the Calgary Flames. He joined the Blue Jackets on a four-year, $16MM contract in the following summer and carried his good health through a move to Ohio. Gudbranson appeared in 70 games of the 2022-23 season, then matched his career-high 78 appearances last year. Through the three seasons, he totaled 56 points in 226 total games – while missing just 20 games in total.

It was a promising stretch that helped Gudbranson plant his feet as one of Columbus’ most-utilized defensemen. He averaged 21:18 and 19:40 over his last two respective seasons with the Blue Jackets and appeared to be headed for another top-end role this year. But his lucky streak snapped this year. Columbus has just 17 games remaining in their season – and it will likely take Gudbranson at least a couple more to work his way back into the lineup. That will leave him pushing to appear in even 20 games this season, which would mark the fewest games he’s played in a single season in his 14-year NHL career.

But despite the bad news, Gudbranson still stands as a popular name on the Columbus blue-line. He’s recorded 39 points, 133 penalty minutes, and a minus-38 in 151 career games with the Blue Jackets, while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time. Much of that playing time was split between menial roles next to depth defenders – like Jake Bean and Tim Berni – and top-end roles next to Blue Jackets superstar Zach Werenski.

Werenski is in the midst of a career year and stands as a favorite for the Norris Trophy and found a strong partner in mid-season acquisition Dante Fabbro. Columbus also has plenty of strength down their lineup, with hard-hitting veteran right-shot defender Ivan Provorov supporting rookie Denton Mateychuk on the second pair and veterans Jack Johnson and Damon Severson making up the third pair. That right-side depth could make it hard for Gudbranson to sneak back into the Blue Jackets lineup, even with the precedent of playing top minutes with the club. It won’t be low scoring that earns Gudbranson a hardy shot, with Provorov and Werenski recording 17 and 11 blocked shots over their last 10 games respectively.

How the Blue Jackets opt to return Gudbranson to the lineup could be telling as they attempt to hold onto their control of an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Veteran depth behind the lineup is a coveted asset for many playoff-bound teams, and the Blue Jackets could opt to lean into that by shelving the former third-overall draft pick Gudbranson until his services are called upon. Should they want to push him back into a spot, it will likely be Johnson taking a step back – leaving Evason with the challenge of juggling four right-shot defensemen.

Sabres Notes: Kozak, Peterka, Norris, Bernard-Docker, Tullio

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Friday morning’s practice brought a wave of roster moves, injury updates, and lineup implications for the Buffalo Sabres. Most notably, the team has recalled depth winger Tyson Kozak from the minor leagues. Kozak has been back and forth between the minor leagues since the start of December, with his most recent call-up coming to an end on January 31st. He’s recorded two points, 11 penalty minutes, and 10 shots on net in seven games since returning to the minors.

Kozak received the first NHL recall of his career on December 5th. He didn’t manage any notable stat changes in his NHL debut, but did score his first NHL goal in his second career game. Buffalo rewarded Kozak with one more game, but returned him to the minors immediately after. He stayed buried through the start of the new year, before being called back up on January 9th for another eight NHL appearances. Kozak didn’t pot any scoring in those games – giving him just one goal in 11 NHL games on the season – though he did see his ice time climb from 7:23 at its lowest to 16:06 at its highest over the extent of the call-up. Another recall will give Kozak a chance to continue carving out a role in the Sabres lineup, while hopefully padding his scoring stats along the way. He has eight goals and 14 points in 31 AHL games this season.

Buffalo should have plenty of room to insert Kozak into the lineup, after top forwards JJ Peterka and Joshua Norris both missed Friday’s practice, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Peterka missed Buffalo’s Wednesday matchup against the Detroit Red Wings due to a day-to-day, lower-body injury. He is expected to also miss Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but will travel with the team on their four-game road trip next week. Peterka has been one of Buffalo’s hottest players over the recent stretch, with a team-leading 10 points in his last nine games. He’s up to a career-high 51 points in 61 games this season.

Norris’ injury remains undisclosed. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Lysowski that Norris has been dealing with the injury for a little bit, and that he’s currently being evaluated by the Sabres’ medical staff. Norris has appeared in three games with Buffalo since joining the team at March 7th’s Trade Deadline. He has two points, split evenly, and 10 penalty minutes in those appearances. News of an injury will force Sabres fans to hold their breath thanks to Norris’ extensive injury history. He hasn’t played more than 66 games in a single season since his pro career began in 2019-20. He’s been impaired by shoulder injuries in every season since 2022. Those injuries have limited Norris in multiple seasons, including holding him out of all but eight games of the 2022-23 campaign. With that in mind, there has been no indication that Norris’ current, undisclosed injury is connected to his previous shoulder troubles.

While Norris was unavailable on Friday, the skate did mark fellow trade acquisition Jacob Bernard-Docker’s first practice with the Sabres. Bernard-Docker was held off the ice for the last week while he tried to secure a work visa that would make him eligible to move from a Canadian team to an American team. He’s spent the season as the extra defender for the Ottawa Senators. He tallied four points in 25 games in the role. This season marks Bernard-Docker’s first full pro season with, so far, no AHL appearances – after bouncing between the major and minor rosters over the last three years. He’s totaled 20 points in 129 NHL Games, and 15 points in 101 AHL games over the course of his short career. The Sabres will likely utilize Bernard-Docker in the same depth role, though he could carve out a roster spot after fellow right-handed defenseman Henri Jokiharju was traded to the Boston Bruins.

In the final move of a busy day in Buffalo, the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, also loaned middle-six winger Tyler Tullio to the Calgary Wranglers. Tullio – acquired in the trade that shipped Ryan McLeod to Buffalo and Matthew Savoie to Edmonton – hasn’t yet found his groove in the Americans lineup. He has just one goal, seven points, and 30 penalty minutes in 30 games played – far below the 21 points he scored in 54 games last year. With no sign of lineup progress in place, he’ll get a chance to carve out a role on a new minor-league squad. Tullio recorded 47 points in 117 games with the Bakersfield Condors over the last two seasons.

Snapshots: Peterka, Kulich, Hintz, Werenski

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The Buffalo Sabres will exchange young forwards in Wednesday night’s lineup. Centerman Jiri Kulich is expected to return to the ice after missing Buffalo’s last game with an illness, while top-line winger JJ Peterka is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

Adding Kulich back to the fold is a positive step for the Sabres. The 20-year-old centerman has recorded two points and eight shots on net in his last four games, bringing his year-long totals up to 12 goals and 19 points in 48 games. Kulich has taken on more-and-more role in the second half of the season, and appeared in a season-high 19 minutes of ice time in his most recent appearance. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff made no indication of what line Kulich would play on in his return, but he could be set to head back to the top-six with Buffalo down one of their top players.

To that end, losing Peterka for even a short time is a hard blow for the Sabres. He’s confidently led the team over their latest stretch, with 10 points in nine games since returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break. Peterka is quickly evolving into a star – with 19 goals and 51 points in 61 games this season putting him on a year-long pace of 26 goals and 69 points in 82 games. He’s already lapped his career-high of 50 points scored last season, with no signs of slowing down. Peterka’s absence should lead to increased minutes for wingers like Jason Zucker and Zach Benson – though Buffalo could also opt to move Ryan McLeod or Peyton Krebs to the wing with Kulich back in the fold.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • Top Dallas Stars centerman Roope Hintz is progressing well after taking an Adam Henrique shot to the face on Saturday. Hintz sat out of Dallas’ Sunday win over the Vancouver Canucks and is set to miss Friday’s game against Winnipeg – but head coach Pete DeBoer shared that Hintz could return as soon as Sunday, per NHL.com’s Mike Heika. Hintz has been red-hot since the end of the 4-Nations break, with 16 points in his last eight games. That includes back-to-back four-point games on February 28th and March 2nd. Dallas managed a confident win over Vancouver in his absence, but will undoubtedly be eager to bring their second-line centerman back before his scoring touch cools off. With Hintz out, Dallas has awarded more minutes to Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston, and Matt Duchene.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has become the Norris Trophy favorite in NHL.com’s recent poll of their staff writers. Werenski has been lights out this season after being held to just 83 games combined over the last two years. Now back to full health, he has a team-leading 69 points in 63 games on the year. That includes 20 goals, making Werenski the first 20-goal-scoring defenseman in Blue Jackets history. His 2024-25 campaign marked the most goals from a Blue Jackets defenseman in February, when he passed Seth Jones’ previous record of 16 goals set int he 2017-18 season. Werenski’s 69 points are also a club record. He has shown everything Columbus could ask for and then some. His performances are a key reason why Columbus is one of five teams in the race for the Eastern Conference Wild Cards, and could soon earn Werenski the first Norris Trophy of his nine-year NHL career. He previously received Norris votes in 2019-20 (eighth-place finish) and in his rookie season of 2016-17 (18th-place finish).

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