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Lightning Recall Brandon Halverson, Reassign Cam Atkinson

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled goaltender Brandon Halverson from the minor leagues. It is his first formal call-up with Tampa Bay, after signing a two-year, $1.6MM contract with the club on February 3rd. Halverson ad spent the season on an AHL contract with the Syracuse Crunch prior to that deal. In a corresponding move, Tampa Bay has also reassigned veteran forward Cam Atkinson to the minor leagues. It is the second time that Atkinson has been assigned to the minor leagues this season.

Halverson’s recall represents little more than roster padding as the Lightning prepare for back-to-back road games against Utah and Vegas this weekend. The 28-year-old netminder will step in as Tampa Bay’s third string for the trip, operating behind Andrei Vasilievskiy and Jonas Johansson. Halverson earns the recognition after posting an impressive 16-9-8 record and .913 save percentage in 34 AHL games this season. The numbers are closely in line with his statline from last season, when he maintained a .913 through both 14 AHL games and 32 ECHL games in Tampa Bay’s system.

Halverson joined the Lightning organization on a minor-league contract before the 2023-24 campaign. Before that, he was a journeyman minor leaguer – working through depth-chart stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Arizona Coyotes, and Dallas Stars. But Halverson spent the bulk of his pro career with the New York Rangers, who originally drafted him in the second-round of the 2014 NHL Draft. Halverson made his pro debut two seasons later, and quickly carved out a habit of average play in the AHL and solid play in the ECHL. His biggest moment came in the 2017-18 season, when he made a 12-minute NHL debut in relief of Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist. Halverson allowed one goal on six shots. He was reassigned soon after that came, and returned to bouncing between second and third tier pros.

Atkinson, meanwhile, returns to the minors after playing just two games in the month of March. He scored one goal and played just 16 total minutes of ice time in those appearances. The point brings Atkinson up to three points in his last five NHL games, though that stretch dates as far back as February 6th. He’s become Tampa Bay’s extra forward, on the back of just nine points in 38 games this season. Atkinson did not play in any AHL games on his previous assignment. He’ll have one chance to play this weekend, with the Crunch set to host the Rochester Americans on Saturday. If he does, Atkinson will be playing in his first AHL game since the 2012-13 season. He scored 38 points in 33 AHL games that year.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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It has been a busy last month or so around the hockey world.  The 4 Nations Face-Off came and went with plenty of success while the trade deadline featured several swaps of note with some teams willing to significantly shake up their rosters.  Now, the stretch run is upon us with several close battles shaping up for a playoff spot.

With all that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again.  Our last call for questions yielded enough for three separate columns.  The first focused primarily on the 4 Nations tournament as well as Kevyn Adams’ future as the GM in Buffalo.  Among the topics in the second were offer sheets and plenty of trade deadline talk.  Meanwhile, the third included a discussion on Chicago’s goaltending situation (which has since been simplified a bit), the old Tagging Rule, and more.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Pacific Notes: Moore, Wennberg, Lombardi

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The Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, today signed defenseman Ian Moore to an amateur tryout, per a team announcement. Moore spent four seasons playing collegiately at Harvard University. At the ivy-league school, Moore put up 56 points in 122 games and the 6’3, 200-pound defender was named team captain the last two seasons. He was drafted by the Ducks in the third round of the 2020 draft. With his college career over, Moore immediately becomes one of the franchise’s top defensive prospects, along with Tarin Smith, who has scored 58 points in 63 WHL games this season, and Tristan Luneau, who has scored 42 points in 46 AHL games.

More from the Pacific:

  • San Jose Sharks’ veteran forward Alexander Wennberg is a game-time decision for tomorrow’s game, per Bay Area News Group’s Curtis Pashelka. Pashelka goes on to note that there is optimism he will be able to suit up. In 64 games this season, the 30-year-old Wennberg has put up 31 points. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky added that the injury is something Wennberg has been dealing with for some time. Wennberg had been serving in a bottom-six role until the trade of Mikael Granlund to the Stars in February. Wennberg has since been serving as the team’s second-line center. He has one year remaining on his two year, $10MM AAV contract he signed last July.
  • On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings honored former president and GM Dean Lombardi, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. After his first stint as a general manager fizzled out with the Sharks, Lombardi oversaw tremendous success in his time in LA, which resulted in two Stanley Cup winning teams. Lombardi saw success in developing draft picks (perhaps most notably with Drew Doughty) but also made aggressive trades for veterans like Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Since being let go by the team in 2017, Lombardi has served as an executive with the Flyers. During Monday’s celebration, as Friedman notes, Lombardi took time to state that he believes the game is getting too expensive for some children to play. He called it a “grassroots problem” that excludes some athletes from being able to pick up the game.

Eastern Notes: Senators, Capitals, Tarasov

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The Ottawa Senators are making strides toward building a new arena, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. As Garrioch explains, Cyril Leeder, the National Hockey League club’s chief operating officer and president, told Senator season-ticket holders during a virtual chat that talks with the National Capital Commission were progressing.

The new proposed arena will be constructed in the LeBreton Flats section of Ottawa. Leeder noted many key steps remain, including the completion of the purchase, zoning and approvals, design of the building, financing, construction and, finally, the opening. While Leeder appeared optimistic about the project, he also didn’t want to commit to a completion date.

The Sens have played at the Canadian Tire Centre since 1996.

More in the Eastern Conference:

  • While goalie Elvis Merzlikins received the start tonight in Pittsburgh, the backup needed a change. With Daniil Tarasov out sick, Jet Greaves is backing up Merzlikins, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda. The lefty-catching Tarasov has struggled on the season, posting a .882 save percentage to go along with his 7-8-2 record. Through parts of four seasons in Columbus, the team’s third round selection in the 2017 draft has a .899 career save percentage. In limited action this season at the NHL-level, Greaves has fared better than Tarasov, posting a .905 save percentage and 2.83 GAA. He has added a .915 save percentage in 34 games in the AHL. With Tarasov set for restricted free agency this summer, it will be interesting to see what Columbus decides to do with their backup position moving forward.
  • Last night, the Washington Capitals became the first NHL team to officially qualified for the playoffs. What’s more, they became the first club to since 1979-80 to be the first to clinch after being the last to get in the previous season, per AP’s Stephen Whyno. Their turnaround this season has been aided by usual suspects like Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, and John Carlson, but have also been sparked by career-years from players like Dylan Strome, Aliaksei Protas, and Connor McMichael. As Ovechkin nears the all-time goal mark, he’ll also set his sights on making a run at his second Stanley Cup.

Trent Frederic Out At Least Two More Weeks

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Edmonton Oilers’ forward Trent Frederic will remain out for at least an additional two weeks with a lingering lower-body injury, per team reporter Tony Brar. Frederic has yet to appear for the Oilers since being traded to the club in a three-team deal on March 4.

At the time of the trade, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reported there being a possibility Frederic wouldn’t be available to play until the playoffs, so today’s news doesn’t necessarily mean he has had any setbacks with his injury. However, getting Frederic regular season playing time to knock off some rust and develop chemistry with his new teammates would no doubt be beneficial for the defending Western Conference champs. The Oilers currently rank second in the Pacific Division behind the Vegas Golden Knights.

Frederic was going through a tough season with the Boston Bruins – who drafted him 29th overall in the 2016 draft – to the tune of 15 points and a minus-14 rating though 57 games. This represented a steep decline from last season’s career-high 18 goals and 40 points.

Despite his offensive dip, Frederic has always provided a gritty, defensive-minded approach that could serve the Oilers well in a bottom-six role. In 82 games last season, Frederic blocked 52 shots and recorded 204 hits in 82 games, all while averaging just 13:45 of ice time per game. This season, the 6’3, 221 pound forward has recorded 155 hits in 57 games.

With the Bruins sliding further and further down the standings and with Frederic’s contract set to expire at season’s end, the trade made sense for all parties involved. But a solid showing in the playoffs could reestablish Frederic as a commodity this summer for team’s looking for a depth forward. At just 26-years-old, Frederic will have a chance to showcase his first-round pedigree if he can return to play for the Oilers.

 

Penguins Reassign Matthew Nieto

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The Penguins announced today they’ve reassigned winger Matthew Nieto to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. While he’s been shuttled between leagues frequently in the past couple of weeks as an emergency recall, this demotion is of a more permanent nature, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Despite the recalls, Nieto hasn’t appeared in a game for the Pens since Feb. 23. The 32-year-old has struggled mightily – as expected after missing a good portion of the past two years due to multiple knee surgeries. Since signing a two-year, $1.8MM deal in Pittsburgh during the 2023 offseason, Nieto has just 2-5–7 with a minus-three rating in 53 games.

Those struggles led to Nieto landing on waivers for the second time in his career in February. He hadn’t been on the wire since January 2017, when the Avalanche claimed Nieto off waivers from the Sharks. He promptly had a career-high 15 goals the following campaign. While on assignment to the Baby Pens, Nieto has a goal and two assists for three points in eight games.

An unrestricted free agent this summer, a return to the Penguins organization seems unlikely for Nieto – as does an NHL contract. The 5’11” forward’s calling card has always been his speed, something that’s obviously taken a hit with his knee issues. An AHL deal, a commitment from a European club, or even retirement could be on the table for the 12-year veteran in a few months.

As for the Pens, they intend to give Bokondji Imama and Joona Koppanen extended runs in their bottom six until injured forwards Emil Bemström and Thomas Novak are ready to return from their day-to-day ailments. Nieto’s demotion likely suggests one of Bemström or Novak could be an option to return against the Panthers on Sunday. They’ve both already been ruled out of tonight’s game against Columbus.

Sharks Sign Cameron Lund To Entry-Level Contract

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The Sharks announced today they’ve signed forward Cameron Lund to a three-year entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal begins immediately and will see him report to San Jose to finish the season, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports.

Lund, who checks in at 6’2″ and 195 lbs, was picked up by San Jose early in the second round (No. 34 overall) of the 2022 draft. The 20-year-old pivot, whose junior season with Northeastern University ended last night, led the school with 18 goals and finished second on the Huskies in assists (22) and points (40) in 37 appearances. All were career highs.

A two-time nominee for the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player (2024, 2025), Lund was also named to the Hockey East conference’s All-Rookie team in his freshman campaign in 2022-23. He ends his tenure at Northeastern with 36-57–93 in 107 games, tied for 26th in NCAA scoring over the last three years.

The sharp-shooting Massachusetts native would likely stand as a top-five prospect on more than a few teams, but he’s the No. 11 prospect in the league’s deepest system, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic opined in February. However, he is the No. 2 ranked center in the Sharks’ pool who’s not currently on the NHL roster (Will Smith was ranked No. 1, while Macklin Celebrini wasn’t included as he’s played the entire year in a top-six role). Most of San Jose’s “next wave” is coming on the wings, defense, and in goal.

His ceiling likely isn’t much higher than that of a middle-six scoring forward – likely a third-liner, Wheeler opines – but he enters the Sharks’ ranks with a pro-ready game that should see him get an audition down the stretch. San Jose still has 13 games left on their regular season schedule, so it could be a longer run than usual for Lund compared to other late-season additions out of college.

Since Lund’s deal goes into effect immediately, it runs through the 2026-27 season – after which he’ll be an RFA. San Jose now has 47 contracts on their books, three short of the maximum.

Wild Reassign David Jiříček, Jonas Brodin Likely To Return

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The Wild announced they’ve reassigned top right-shot defense prospect David Jiříček to AHL Iowa. That bodes well for the likelihood of top shutdown rearguard Jonas Brodin returning to the lineup tomorrow against the Sabres, something head coach John Hynes called a “strong possibility” today (via Michael Russo of The Athletic).

Jiříček’s latest stint on the Minnesota roster was nothing to write home about. After being recalled on March 1 following Brodin’s injury, he sat as a healthy scratch for nine straight games while depth veteran Jonathon Merrill got an extended run in the lineup instead. Jiříček told Joe Smith of The Athletic this week that while he was disappointed with the lack of playing time, he preferred the development work with the NHL staff instead of spending time in Iowa amid a light schedule for the minor-league club over the past few weeks.

Since the Wild acquired the 2022 No. 6 overall pick from the Blue Jackets in November, he’s suited up just six times for them while posting a goal and an assist with a plus-two rating. That’s much better than what he’s shown in Iowa, where he’s failed to score and has just six assists with a minus-two rating in 26 appearances for the struggling affiliate. Before spending most of last year in the NHL with Columbus, Jiříček was an AHL All-Star in 2022-23 amid a 38-point showing in 55 games with Cleveland.

He’ll now return to the farm for the stretch run. Iowa likely won’t be making the Calder Cup Playoffs, sitting 10 points back of a spot with 14 games remaining, so he should be on Minnesota’s playoff roster. Despite their recent struggles, the team still has a 93.8% chance of clinching a playoff berth, per MoneyPuck.

Getting Brodin back is a tremendous defensive boost to a team needing to keep pucks out of their net, with Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov’s absences limiting their offensive upside. He missed nine games with a lower-body issue, another in a string of ailments for the 31-year-old Swede this season. He’s only appeared in 38 of 69 contests for the Wild, clinching his third straight season without hitting the 70-game mark.

When healthy, he’s been his usual self – if not even better, tossing in a bit more offensively than normal – with 4-14–18 with a +10 rating while averaging 22:42 per game. He continues to have positive possession impacts in difficult shutdown deployment.

Hurricanes Making Lucas Mercuri Available For Trade

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Hurricanes center prospect Lucas Mercuri has informed the club he won’t sign an entry-level contract with them when his collegiate season at the University of Massachusetts is over, reports Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. He will become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15 if Carolina doesn’t trade his signing rights to another team before then. Ellis adds the Hurricanes are actively making Mercuri’s rights available in exchange for what’s likely a mid-to-late-round draft pick.

A sixth-round pick in 2020 (No. 159 overall), the 6’3″ pivot has steadily grown his game with the Minutemen. Now a 23-year-old senior, he has a career-high 10-21–31 scoring line in 38 games ahead of UMass’ trip to the national championship tournament, which begins next week. He captured a Hockey East championship with the school in his freshman campaign.

Mercuri’s motivation for looking for opportunities elsewhere is unclear. Usually, players will opt to test free agency or request a trade before signing if they don’t see a logical pathway to NHL minutes for themselves in the organization. For Mercuri, who doesn’t rank among the team’s top 15 prospects in any notable public ranking, that’s likely the case.

The Montreal native ranks third on UMass this season with a +15 rating, his first time finishing above a +10. He’s their fourth-leading point-getter behind Predators 2022 fourth-rounder Cole O’Hara, Flames 2023 third-rounder Aydar Suniev, and undrafted 21-year-old Jack Musa.

Sharks Recall Lucas Carlsson

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The Sharks have recalled defenseman Lucas Carlsson from AHL San Jose, according to the team’s media relations department. Jimmy Schuldt was returned to the Barracuda in a corresponding move.

Carlsson, 27, joined the Sharks on a two-year, two-way deal last summer. He finished last season in the Panthers organization on the injured list after ACL surgery and subsequently began the 2024-25 campaign on the non-roster list. San Jose’s medical staff cleared his return in early November, after which he cleared waivers and headed down to the minors. Since returning, the offensive-minded lefty has 10-13–23 in 44 games with 26 PIMs and a minus-one rating for the Barracuda.

The 6’0″ Swede has 60 NHL games to his name with the Blackhawks and Panthers, although he hasn’t appeared in a contest since November 2022. A fourth-round pick by Chicago back in 2016, he’s posted 3-8–11 with a plus-six rating while averaging just 12:50 per game.

Usually a capable minor-league presence, Carlsson is two years removed from leading the AHL in goals by defensemen with 20 in 61 games with Florida’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte. He’ll now get the chance to slot into the San Jose lineup, likely on a pairing with Timothy Liljegren, as Jan Rutta (lower body, indefinite), Henry Thrun (upper body, week-to-week), and Marc-Édouard Vlasic (back, day-to-day) remain injured. Because they need Carlsson to ice six healthy defenders against Boston this weekend, he qualifies as an emergency recall.

Heading back down in Schuldt, who’s frequented the transaction wire this month. First recalled before the trade deadline on March 3, he was returned to the AHL on deadline day to maintain his eligibility for the Calder Cup Playoffs. He’s now been recalled and reassigned twice since then. The 29-year-old lefty has no points and a minus-one rating in five showings this year, averaging 14:28 per game while controlling 44.4% of shot attempts at even strength.

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