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Wild’s Jacob Middleton Out Day-To-Day

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Already without forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, the Minnesota Wild are dealing with another injury to a key contributor. The team announced that defenseman Jacob Middleton will be out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Middleton was hit from behind during Friday night’s loss to the New York Islanders by forward Bo Horvat. Middleton was helped off the ice and immediately went to the locker room without returning. For his part, Horvat only received a minor penalty, which upset the Wild coaches and players. According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Horvat will not receive a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

In 66 games on the season, Middleton has recorded eight goals, 20 points, and a plus-12 rating. He has also averaged a hefty 21:56 of total ice time per game, recorded 98 hits, and blocked 155 shots. The 29-year-old has spent the last three seasons in Minnesota after being traded to the club by the San Jose Sharks during the 2021-22 season. In 246 games in Minnesota, Middleton has recorded 19 goals, 46 assists, and 77 points to go with 202 penalty minutes and 500 hits.

With the Wild tumbling down the standings (losing their last four games), Middleton’s return will be key with just five games remaining. The team is still holding onto the second wild card position in the west, but the Calgary Flames are just four points back and have a game in hand on the Wild. With Middleton out, the Wild recalled defender Cameron Crotty from the AHL. Crotty has been pinging back and forth between the AHL and NHL over the last several weeks but has yet to appear in a game for the Wild this season. The 25-year-old captain of the Iowa Wild has recorded zero goals and 10 assists in 68 AHL games this season. He is not in the lineup for the Wild’s contest today against the Dallas Stars.

Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas Out Week-To-Week

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While Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are still on cloud nine, not all news was good news today for the team. Forward Aliaksei Protas will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, per a team announcement. Protas was injured in Friday night’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks after sustaining a cut to his foot on a collision in front of the net.

The loss of the 6’6, 225-pound Protas is a tough blow for the top-seeded Capitals as they look ahead to the playoffs. The 24-year-old has burst onto the scene this season, shattering his previous career-highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, and shooting percentage. On the season, he has recorded 30 goals, 66 points, and a plus-40 rating, all while averaging just 16:27 of ice time per game. What’s more, he’s accomplished all these lofty totals while only registering one point on the power play. His 60 even-strength points tie him with Mitch Marner for eighth place in the NHL this season. Prior to this season, Protas recorded 53 career points in 169 games, and his evolution has played a large factor in the team’s success.

With Protas on the shelf, head coach Spencer Carbery said prior to today’s afternoon matchup with the Islanders that recently acquired Anthony Beauvillier would return to the lineup. Sent over to the Capitals in a trade-deadline deal with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, Beauvillier has scored 15 goals in 75 games on the season, including two with Washington in 12 games. The 27-year-old has registered 131 goals and 271 points in 625 career games, providing the Capitals with a solid depth piece as they head into the playoffs. He has added 16 goals and 31 points in 55 career postseason contests. Carbery noted how well the veteran has fit into the culture of the organization, adding that Beauvillier “complements the locker room.” He added that Beauvillier is a bit of a “Swiss army knife” that can be used up and down the lineup. After sitting out as a healthy scratch, Beauvillier was slotted on the fourth line alongside Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd during today’s 4-1 loss to the Islanders, receiving 17 shifts and 12:49 of ice time.

Oilers Notes: Carfagna, Clattenburg, Rodrigue

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Sunday has been a busy day for the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL ranks. It was kicked off when the Bakersfield Condors announced that they’ve signed college free agent Damien Carfagna to an amateur try-out for the remainder of the season. Carfagna will turn pro after wrapping up his junior year of school at The Ohio State University. He was first draft eligible in 2021, during his time with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.

Carfagna was a high-impact defender in juniors on the back of strong play on both blue lines. He began his final year in the USHL – the 2021-22 campaign – with a strong 37 points in 40 games with the Green Bay Gamblers, then joined the eventual championship-winning Sioux City Musketeers via trade and contributed an additional 13 points in 31 games. Carfagna moved to the University of New Hampshire in the following year, and managed a stout 16 points in 35 games as a freshman. He moved to Ohio State for his sophomore season, and saw a dip to just six points in 34 games in his first year as a Buckeye. But Carfagna straightened that out this season, finishing the year with 28 points, six penalty minutes, and a plus-16 in 38 games.

He’ll now look to maintain his strong footing into the pro ranks. Carfagna is likely to serve as a depth option, rotating in-and-out of the lineup, through Bakersfield’s final seven games of the season.

Other notes out of Edmonton:

  • Joining Carfagna on the Bakersfield blue-line will be Connor Clattenburg, who the Oilers have reassigned to the AHL after the end of his OHL season. Clattenburg has spent the last two seasons with the Flint Firebirds and totaled 35 points, 108 penalty minutes, and a plus-two in 46 games this season. His OHL career – which was split between tenures with the Firebirds and Soo Greyhounds – ends with 74 points in 162 career games. Edmonton drafted Clattenburg in the fifth-round of the 2024 NHL Draft – drawn in by the hard-hitting style of the six-foot-two, 205-pound centerman. Clattenburg will also serve a depth role through Bakersfield’s remaining season.
  • Longtime Bakersfield goaltender Olivier Rodrigue is expected to receive his first career NHL start on Monday night per Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Rodrigue made his NHL debut in relief of Calvin Pickard on March 27th, after the latter allowed five goals on 29 shots. Rodrigue went on to allow one more goal on eight shots. Pickard has allowed 13 goals and platooned starter Stuart Skinner has allowed 15 in their last five games respectively. With that precedent, and a playoff spot all but guaranteed, Edmonton will look for a spark with their AHL starter. Rodrigue has set a 18-15-7 record and .899 save percentage in 40 AHL games this season. He posted a .916 in 37 games, and a .912 in 29 games, in the last two seasons respectively.

Alex Ovechkin Breaks All-Time Goals Record

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With his 895th career goal today against the New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin has surpassed Wayne Gretzky and is now the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer. It was Ovechkin’s first goal against Islanders star goalie Ilya Sorokin, coming on Ovechkin’s first shot of Washington’s first power-play. In classic fashion, he beat Sorokin with a hard wrist-shot from the tops of the circles.

So ends ’The Gr8 Chase,’ a storyline most thought would never come to fruition after Gretzky retired 26 years ago. Many of his records are still considered and will likely stand as unbreakable. Still, Ovechkin’s excellence as a pure goal-scorer has him passing The Great One for one of the league’s most prestigious stat-based records.

While Ovechkin’s chances of breaking the record truly became realistic a couple of years ago after a resurgent 50-goal campaign in 2021-22, it’s his performance this season that will stand out. Now 39 years old, Ovechkin’s scoring goals at his highest rate per game this season since 2019-20. He’s managed to do so despite missing over a month with a fractured left fibula earlier in the year – by far the most extended injury-related absence of his incredibly durable 20-year career.

Of course, his success has done more than serve as a nice story for Washington this season. He’s helped the Caps’ team offense along to a league-best 3.60 goals per game, positioning them to finish atop the Eastern Conference after barely squeaking into the postseason picture last year with the league’s 28th-ranked offense.

Ovechkin’s career resume needs no introduction. He holds the record for most 30-goal (19) and 40-goal (13) seasons and is tied with Gretzky and Mike Bossy with nine 50-goal campaigns, a record his injury will prevent him from taking outright. He’s won the Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal-scorer nine times and the Hart Trophy on three occasions. The 12-time All-Star won his only Stanley Cup championship (to date) with Washington in 2018 and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after scoring a league-leading 15 goals in 24 games.

The all-time goals record is now the fourth offensive record Ovechkin holds. He’s also the all-time leader in power-play goals (323), game-winning goals (135), and shots on goal (6,844). It’s also not the only notable Gretzky record to fall this season. Penguins captain and longtime rival Sidney Crosby has clinched a 20th straight point-per-game season in 2024-25, breaking Gretzky’s record of 19.

Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.

Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette Away From Team For Family Matters

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Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette missed the team’s Saturday practice due to family matters, and is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. Assistant coach Todd Richards ran Saturday’s practice in Brunette’s absence and will be in line to man the bench should Brunette need to miss another day.

Richards has been in an assistant coach role for the last nine seasons, splitting time between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators. Before that, he served as the head of the Columbus Blue Jackets for parts of five seasons – starting his tenure as a midseason replacement for Scott Arniel in 2012. Richards led Columbus to three winning seasons, though they missed the playoffs in all but one year – and lost in the first round in the other year – of his reign. He was replaced by infamous Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella in 2016. Richards also served two seasons as the Minnesota Wild head coach from 2009 to 2011; and led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a loss in the Calder Cup Championship Final in 2008. His career head coaching record at the NHL level sits at 204-183-37, or a win percentage of 0.481.

A new voice at the helm could be aptly timed for the Predators. They’re in the midst of a five-game losing streak and have a dismal 8-13-1 record since the Four Nations Face-Off Break – seventh-worst in the NHL. Brunette led the Predators to a first-round exit in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but will miss the postseason by a large step this year. His .408 win percentage on the year is the second-lowest in Predators history, behind their 28-47-7 campaign in 1998-99.

Blues Recall Dalibor Dvorsky

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The St. Louis Blues have recalled top center prospect Dalibor Dvorsky from the minor leagues. Dvorsky was reassigned to the AHL on Wednesday, but will now return to the Blues roster after news that top-line winger Dylan Holloway is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Dvorsky made his NHL debut on his last recall. He didn’t manage any scoring in what was a productive 4-1 over the Nashville Predators, but Dvorsky looked effective enough in a bottom-line role. He returned to the minors for two games and one point this weekend, bringing his year long totals in the AHL up to 20 goals and 44 points in 59 games. That scoring ranks Dvorsky fourth on the Springfield Thunderbirds and eighth among all AHL rookies in total points. He’s carried his strong scoring into international play this season as well – netting five goals and nine points in nine games of the 2025 World Junior Championship, while captaining Team Slovakia. Everywhere he’s gone, Dvorsky has earned top scoring totals on the back of his confidence on the puck and poise on the forecheck. His strengths look like they’ll clearly translate to the top flight once he gets comfortable, and this recall could be a golden chance to find that footing before the season ends.

It seems clear that Dvorsky is headed right back into St. Louis’ lineup with this move. The Blues managed a closely-fought 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, extending their win streak to a franchise-record 12 straight games. But nobody in St. Louis’ bottom-six managed any scoring through the record-setting win, and names like Mathieu Joseph and Radek Faksa seemed near invisible. St. Louis is now confidently in hold of a Western Conference Wild Card, and adding Dvorsky to the lineup over a quiet fourth-line veteran could go far in giving them another spark plug. With the season dwindling down, the Blues will have to find some way to make up for Holloway’s electric 63 points in 77 games this season, and 14 points in his last 10 games. High-offense rookies like Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud, who recorded his first NHL point on Saturday, may be the key to keeping the offense afloat.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Koppanen, Muggli

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Despite their massive struggles down the stretch – which resulted in the firing of coach John Tortorella – Flyers GM Daniel Briere sees light at the end of the tunnel and is willing to potentially part with first round picks to get his team over the hump, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. As LeBrun reports, Briere told The Athletic last week that the goal for the franchise is not just compete or “squeeze into the playoffs,” but rather be a contender year in and year out.

With three first-round selections in this year’s upcoming draft (including two they acquired via trades) and four second-round selections, Briere may have the assets needed to bring in NHL-ready talent. Briere noted he likes having the opportunity to make the Flyers more competitive as soon as possible. As the team has firmly been in a rebuild the last several seasons, it stands to reason Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones (both Philly legends in their own right) would now look to expedite the process. Briere took over as GM of the Flyers on March 17, 2023 and in the 2023-24 season, the upstart Flyers impressed to the tune of a 38-33-11 record, narrowly missing the playoffs but showcasing the potential of the roster. However, the team came falling back down to earth this season and currently hold a 30-36-9 mark on the year. After dismissing Tortorella, Briere noted the organization needed to move to the “next chapter.” It appears that chapter may also include selling off draft assets to improve the current roster.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned Joona Koppanen to the AHL, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review. Koppanen was recalled on April 3 and suited up in Pittsburgh’s 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues, registering 11:24 of ice time. While he has made appearances in three separate NHL seasons between the Boston Bruins and Pens, Koppanen, 27, has suited up for just 15 career NHL games. With Pittsburgh all but out of the playoff race this season, he seemed primed a larger opportunity to showcase his talents. However, with Pittsburgh recently calling up prospects Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty, and with fellow youngsters like Vasili Ponomaryov, Sam Poulin, and Tristan Broz awaiting their turn, Koppanen’s chances may have once again taken a hit.
  • The Washington Capitals have re-assigned defender Leon Muggli of the Swiss National League to their AHL affiliate, per a team announcement. Muggli, the team’s 2024 second round selection, is not expected to play for Hershey tonight or on Sunday. The 18-year-old, left-handed defenseman has registered 11 points in 40 games for the EV Zug. The Switzerland native represented his country at the 2025 World Junior Championship, serving as an alternate captain and recording three assists in five games. Last season, Muffli’s 12 points were the most ever by a defenseman age 17 or younger in Swiss National League history.

Oilers Sign Goalie Nathaniel Day To Entry-Level Deal

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed goaltending prospect Nathaniel Day to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Day was the organization’s sixth round selection in the 2023 draft.

Day was named the OHL Flint Firebird’s 2024-25 team MVP after leading the league in games and minutes played by a goalie. In 59 games, Day recorded a less-than-stellar 26-25-2-3 record and an .894 save percentage but also faced the fourth-most shots in the OHL. He recorded his first three professional shutouts this season, added a .902 save percentage in five playoff games, and was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Week on three separate occasions.

The Burlington, Ontario native sits at 6’4, 205 pounds and possesses the size coveted by today’s NHL teams. And while only 20-years-old, the 2024-25 campaign marked the fourth season Day has appeared exclusively for the Firebirds. All told, he has appeared in 153 regular season games for Flint and an additional 17 playoff contests. Last fall, he also participated in the 2024 Young Stars Classic representing the Oilers and also made his NHL preseason debut.

Day is among a list of goaltending prospects in the Oilers’ organization, including 2022 fifth round selection Samuel Jonsson, 2018 second round pick Olivier Rodrigue, and current ECHL goalie Connor Ungar. Then there is also Brett Brochu, who recently earned a call-up to AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and has performed admirably, recording a .937 save percentage through three starts. In 35 games in the ECHL this season, Brochu, 22, has recorded a .924 save percentage to go with his 20-10-4 record. He has worked his way up the ranks, showcasing solid stats throughout the PJCHL, OHL, ECHL, and now AHL. Rodrigue was recently recalled to Edmonton to provide support during Stuart Skinner’s injury absence.

Florida Panthers’ Injury Updates: Tkachuk, Kulikov, Barkov, Sturm

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As the Florida Panthers gear up for a repeat run at the Stanley Cup, head coach Paul Maurice provide injury updates today on several key players, per team reporter Jameson Olive. Maurice noted that Matthew Tkachuk is still “a ways away” from returning from injured reserve after sustaining an injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off back in February. The team remains hopeful Tkachuk will be available for the playoffs. In 52 games on the season, Tkachuk has registered 22 goals and 57 points to go along with 84 hits. Now in his third full season with the Panthers, he has produced 265 points in 211 career regular season games with Florida, but was never more valuable than last season’s run to the Stanley Cup, where he produced 22 points in 24 games. The fan favorite’s return to the lineup will be a key to their back-to-back cup aspirations.

Maurice said the return of defender Dmitry Kulikov could come as early as next week. The 6’1, 212 Kulikov has been out since March 18 with an upper-body injury. The team announced on March 31 that he would be traveling with the club on their four-game road trip but would not appear in any of those contests. Kulikov has registered four goals, 13 points and a plus-13 rating on the season. Maurice added that veteran center Aleksander Barkov would have a similar return timeline as Kulikov. Barkov was injured in Tuesday night’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens and was subsequently kept out against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. While he was also ruled out of this weekend’s games, based on Maurice’s update today, his injury does not appear to be serious or something that is expected to linger. Barkov has registered 19 goals and 67 points in 64 games on the season. By lighting the lamp one more time this season, Barkov would secure his 10th career 20-plus goal season. And just like Tkachuk, Barkov scored 22 points during last season’s playoffs.

Finally, Maurice also discussed center Nico Sturm’s expected return from an upper-body injury, noting that Sturm could return as early as the start of next week. Sturm, who was traded by the San Jose Sharks to the Panthers in March, has registered 14 points in 58 games on the season. He sustained his injury Tuesday against Montreal.

Pacific Notes: Frederic, Pitlick, Koskenvuo

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Edmonton Oilers’ forward Trent Frederic was activated from the injured reserve list today and is in the lineup for their game against the Los Angeles Kings. Team TV host Tony Brar said yesterday there was a slight chance for a return for Frederic today, who has been out since Feb. 27 with a lower-body injury. Today marks his first action in an Oilers jersey since being traded on March 4 from the Boston Bruins as in a three-team deal.

Frederic is slotted on the team’s second line alongside center Adam Henrique and winger Zach Hyman. In 57 games in Boston this season, Frederic posted 15 points, a minue-14 rating, and 144 hits while averaging 13:50 of total ice time per game. While he’s seeing top six minutes in his Edmonton debut, he’ll likely slot into a depth role for the squad once stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as well as veteran Evander Kane, return from injury.

Frederic is set to hit free agency following the season but should prove to be a strong resource for the Oilers heading into the playoffs. The 27-year-old has appeared in 22 playoff contests in his career, including 13 games last season in Boston.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • The San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate announced the release of veteran Rem Pitlick today. Pitlick appeared in 18 games for the San Jose Barracuda this season, picking up two goals and 13 points along the way. A veteran of five NHL seasons, Pitlick’s best results occurred during the 2021-22 campaign, where he registered 15 goals and 37 points in 66 contests split between the Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens. In 132 career NHL games, Pitlick has picked up 21 goals and 54 points, while adding an additional 138 points in the AHL. Originally a 2016 third round selection of the Nashville Predators, Pitlick will look for another opportunity to make his way back into the NHL.
  • The Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate signed goalie Aku Koskenvuo to an amateur try-out agreement, per a team announcement. The 22-year-old, Finnish prospect just wrapped up his third NCAA season at Harvard, posting a respectable .902 save percentage on the season. And while the team’s 2021 fifth round selection only secured an ATO, it is likely Koskenvuo will receive an entry-level deal at some point soon.

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