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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.

Wild Sign Stevie Leskovar To Entry-Level Contract

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The Wild announced they’ve signed defenseman Stevie Leskovar to a three-year, entry-level contract starting next season. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Minnesota selected Leskovar, 20, in the sixth round (No. 174 overall) of last year’s draft. His upside comes solely from physicality and defensive play. He has just 1-4–5 in 33 games with the Brampton Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League this season, although his 70 PIMs rank fifth on the team.

That menial offensive production is slightly decreased from his 2023-24 pace when the 6’4″, 216-lb lefty posted 2-10–12, a +11 rating, and 96 shots in 61 games with a team-leading 113 PIMs. Leskovar, an Ontario native, has 20 points, 237 PIMs, and 203 shots on goal in 158 career OHL games since debuting at the major-junior level with the Peterborough Petes in 2022-23.

He doesn’t stand out much in the Wild’s prospect pool, which remains one of the league’s deepest. He didn’t earn a mention from Scott Wheeler of The Athletic when he put together his 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings, although that’s par for the course for a player selected in the sixth round after being passed over in both the 2022 and 2023 drafts. If he sniffs NHL minutes at some point during his professional career, it’ll presumably be in a bottom-pairing or press box role as a penalty-kill specialist. That’s not of much concern for Minnesota, who has names like 2024 No. 12 overall pick Zeev Buium and David Jiříček still in the pipeline.

Since Leskovar is already 20, he’s ineligible for an entry-level slide and can suit up in the pros with AHL Iowa next season. His ELC will run through the 2027-28 campaign, making him a restricted free agent upon expiry. The Wild now has 28 contracts on the books for 2025-26.

Rangers Reassign Anton Blidh

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March 21: The Rangers’ PR department announced they’ve assigned Blidh back to Hartford today. Since his services weren’t required in last night’s game, he has to be returned to the minors on off days to qualify as an emergency recall.

March 20: As expected, the New York Rangers have recalled depth forward Anton Blidh from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Multiple reports this morning indicated the Rangers could have multiple players out tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but forward Matt Rempe is the only one as he’s out with an illness.

Blidh wasn’t included in tonight’s lineup and likely won’t be during the call-up. The Molnlycke, Sweden native is in his third season with the Rangers organization but has only suited up in one contest since being acquired from the Colorado Avalance in 2023.

Still, he’s been productive in the AHL with Hartford. The career bottom-six talent has scored 31 goals and 56 points in 131 games with the Wolf Pack, making for the best stretch of his career since playing for the AHL’s Providence Bruins in the late 2010s. He’s already earned a career-high 28 points this season with 11 games remaining in Hartford’s schedule.

Meanwhile, Rempe is absent from New York’s lineup for the first time in 29 games. The young enforcer has scored two goals and five points, delivering 87 hits, and earning 30 penalty minutes. Rempe’s 29 consecutive games are relatively impressive given he’s had considerable issues with suspensions and injuries through the first two years of his NHL career.

Red Wings Sign Eduards Tralmaks To Two-Way Deal

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The Red Wings announced today they’ve signed forward Eduards Tralmaks to a two-way deal for the 2025-26 campaign. His deal includes a $775K NHL salary and a $225K minors salary, PuckPedia reports.

This won’t be Tralmaks’ first stint in North America, although it is the 28-year-old’s first NHL contract. The 6’4″, 209-lb forward, who can play both wings and center, spent a pair of seasons in the Bruins’ system with AHL Providence coming out of college in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Tralmaks, a former University of Maine standout, posted 22-19–41 with a +23 rating and 42 PIMs in 87 appearances for the P-Bruins from 2021 to 2023. After failing to land an NHL deal with the Bruins or any other club, the Latvian headed overseas. He signed with Jaromír Jágr’s club, Czech Extraliga side Rytíři Kladno, where he’s been dominant. After leading the league in power-play goals in 2023-24, he led the Extraliga in points with 23-28–51 in 48 games. He also finished atop the league leaderboard in faceoff percentage with a 62.5% win rate.

He doesn’t have much of any growth left in his game in his late 20s, and he’s unlikely to make an impact in Detroit’s lineup next season. Nonetheless, he should be an important piece for their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. If he impresses, he now has the option to be called up, unlike in years past.

Tralmaks will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Wings now have 30 standard contracts on the books for next season.

Devils Recall Nolan Foote

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The New Jersey Devils have recalled forward Nolan Foote from the minor leagues. New Jersey opted not to practice on Friday, keeping reporters from clearly seeing who Foote could be filling in for. Both Ondrej Palat and Curtis Lazar are questionable for Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators due to undisclosed injuries. Both forwards sat out of the team’s Thursday loss to the Calgary Flames.

While it’s unclear if he’ll step into the lineup, this recall is nonetheless good news for Foote. It’s just his second call-up of the season, after he spent 10 days on the NHL roster in November. Foote stepped into two NHL games on that stint but didn’t manage any scoring. He’s been far more productive in the minors, where he leads the Utica Comets in scoring with 39 points in 53 games. He’s also second on the team with 18 goals, behind Brian Halonen’s 21 goals. The performance has been a welcome return to form for Foote, after he missed all but eight games of the 2023-24 season with injury. Prior to that, Foote had scored 37 points in 55 AHL games in the 2022-23 campaign. He’s lapped those totals this year, and could now get a chance at hardy NHL minutes.

Foote has appeared in 25 NHL games across the last five seasons. He started off hot, with six points in his first 13 career games. But he’s added just two points since then. On the back of an improved groove in the minors, this recall could be a chance to get back onto an NHL scoresheet. Palat’s absence could open up third-line minutes, while Lazar vacates a fourth-line role. It’s likely New Jersey will allocate the bulk of minutes, and special team roles, to players like Daniel Sprong and Erik Haula. That likely leaves a minute, fourth-line role for Foote, should he be the preferred lineup choice. The Devils also have centerman Justin Dowling on the NHL roster and available to cover injuries.

Islanders Sign Gleb Veremyev

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12:30 PM: The Islanders have made this signing official. Veremyev will join the Islanders on a two-year contract beginning in the 2025-26 season. His deal carries an $885K cap hit, per PuckPedia, and breaks down as follows:

2025-26: $775K base salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $102.5K games played bonus, $85K minors salary
2026-27: $800K base salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $77.5K games played bonus, $85K minors salary

10:00 AM: The New York Islanders are expected to ink one of the top available college free agents, Gleb Veremyev (as per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff).  The center has good size, is solid defensively and is excellent on the draw, but he doesn’t project as much of an offensive player. This season, in 37 games, the 21-year-old has just nine goals and eight assists with Colorado College of the NCAA, this represented a significant drop from last year when he tallied 15 goals and 13 assists in 37 games.

Seravalli has called Veremyev a David Steckel-type player, which appears to be a fair comparison given the numbers and the style of game that Veremyev plays. Steckel was a former late first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, while the Islanders wouldn’t be giving up any assets (other than money) to sign Veremyev. It’s safe to guess that Veremyev will spend significant time in the AHL before beginning his NHL journey. Steckel spent three full seasons in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer, and Veremyev will likely need similar seasoning.

Veremyev stands 6’4” tall and while he doesn’t meet the definition of a power forward, he is a relentless forechecker and does have some skill around the net and could continue to develop some of the offensive elements to his game. Defensively he is described as having an active stick and being disruptive when it comes to physical battles.

Islanders’ general manager Lou Lamoriello has expressed a desire to get younger and bringing in Veremyev will certainly inch the organization in that direction.

Red Wings’ Erik Gustafsson Out Long-Term, Elmer Söderblom Day-To-Day

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The Detroit Red Wings continue to receive bad news from their blue-line. Head coach Todd McLellan shared that veteran defender Erik Gustafsson will be out long-term with an undisclosed injury. McLellan didn’t provide a specific timeline for Gustafsson’s absence, though he’s been significantly downgraded after only being designated as out day-to-day on Thursday. Rookie forward Elmer Söderblom will also be out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, and remains day-to-day.

Gustafsson appeared to suffer his injury in the third period of Detroit’s Tuesday loss to the Washington Capitals after a collision with Capitals forward Lars Eller sent him crashing into the boards. No specifics of Gustafsson’s injury have been revealed, though his awkward fall into the boards could suggest knee or ankle related issues.

In response to these injuries, Detroit has recalled forwards Austin Watson and Brogan Rafferty under emergency conditions.

Now, it seems Gustafsson’s scary crash will indeed result in a long-term absence. He’s been leaned on heavily down the stretch, and even played upwards of 20 minutes a night in Detroit’s second-half. Gustafsson ranks third on the Detroit blue-line in scoring with 18 points in 60 games. He’s also posted a team-worst minus-19. Both statlines are a downtick from Gustafsson’s 31 points and plus-three in 76 games with the New York Rangers last season; which was itself a step down from 42 points and a plus-nine in the 2022-23 season.

Detroit will need to fill vacancies on the second pair and second powerplay unit with Gustafsson out. That latter hole has opened the door for rookie Simon Edvinsson to finally earn consistent powerplay ice time. Edvinsson has 25 points in 64 games this season. He also ranks third on the blue-line in blocks (118) and hits (66) behind Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot. Edvinsson is known for his puck control and passing ability – and racking up impacts away from the puck has helped earn him a chance at special teams minutes.

Who fills Gustafsson’s even-strength role is less clear. Rookie Albert Johansson seems like the best candidate to step into a bigger role, after playing over 21 minutes of action in each of his last two games. Johansson has eight points and a minus-seven in 47 games this year. He’s also tallied 76 blocked shots and 49 hits – stats that rank first and third on the Red Wings’ blue-line on a per-game basis. If not Johansson, Detroit is likely to award bigger minutes to Chiarot and William Lagesson. Chiarot has 11 points in 67 games, while Lagesson hasn’t yet scored through two appearances.

While the Red Wings rush to fill Gustafsson’s openings, rookie Söderblom will focus on not losing his momentum. He has nine points in 22 games this season – one more point in one more game than he totaled in his first taste of the NHL in 2022-23. He’s been a sizeable addition to the Red Wings lineup, both in height and impact – giving the Wings a hint of the success that the New York Rangers have found in players like Adam Edstrom. Söderblom still has a path to pave before he’s an everyday piece of the lineup, but a strong return from injury could do the work for him.

The Red Wings bear with these injuries while sitting on the fringe of a hotly-contested playoff race. Five different teams have between 70 and 74 points in the Eastern Conference. Detroit sits on the low-end, while the Montreal Canadiens have hold of the second Wild Card spot on the other end. Properly filling Gustafsson’s void, and seeing the return of an impactful bottom-six piece like Söderblom, could heavily sway Detroit’s playoffs hopes as they approach their final 14 games of the season.

Oilers’ Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl To Undergo Further Testing

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Thursday night’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets was hard for the Edmonton Oilers to bear for many reasons. They entered the night without superstar forward Leon Draisaitl, who was announced as out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury after the team’s morning skate. Edmonton also saw two major injuries occur mid-game. Franchise centerman Connor McDavid left the game before the start of the third period, after appearing to suffer a lower-body injury on his final shift of the second-period – which only lasted 16 seconds. Later in the third, concussion spotters also forced starting goaltender Stuart Skinner to exit the game. The Oilers went on to lose 4-3 in overtime – and are now forced to pick up the pieces of three crucial absences. Both Draisaitl and McDavid will head for further testing on Friday to help determine the severity and duration of their injuries, per Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff.

No update has been provided on Skinner, though head coach Kris Knoblauch did share that Skinner was frustrated over getting pulled early, per Jason Gregor of Sports 1440. He’ll need to be cleared of a concussion before he can step back into the lineup.

This news comes as a terrible blow to an Oilers club that seemed to be firing on all cylinders. They were on a three-game win streak entering Thursday night, having outscored opponents 12-3 along the way. McDavid scored five points, and Draisaitl scored three points, over that streak – while Skinner saved 21 of the 22 shots he faced in one game of action. The trio served crucial roles in Edmonton’s success, and losing them so suddenly will be a blow to the Oilers roster.

Center Adam Henrique took over for McDavid on the top line in the immediate wake of his injury, while newcomer Max Jones slotted into a fourth-line role in Draisaitl’s absence. Henrique will likely maintain a top-six role while McDavid sits out, though priority minutes could go to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who has six points in his last three games. Jones will be the de facto fill-in winger, though he could face competition from healthy scratch Derek Ryan. Ryan hasn’t played since January 11th and has five points in 33 games this season. Jones has one assist in six games with the Oilers.

Edmonton will also keep an eye on Evander Kane as they think of deeper injury concerns. Kane hasn’t played since the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. He’s been forced out of this season by abdominal and knee surgeries, but returned to Edmonton’s practices for the first time on Thursday. He seems unlikely to return before the regular season ends, but any extended absences for Draisaitl or McDavid could push the Oilers to consider load management with just 13 games left in their season. Edmonton would need to clear roughly $5MM in cap space to active Kane off of long-term injured reserve before the season ended.

Meanwhile, Edmonton will likely be pushed to recall Collin Delia or Olivier Rodrigue should Skinner need to miss additional time. Pickard, who could get an open path to a short-term starting role, has posted a 3-2-0 record and .904 save percentage in his last five starts.

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