Panthers Reassign Jack Studnicka
3/29/26: The Panthers announced they have reassigned Studnicka back to AHL Charlotte. Studnicka skated in 7:32 time on ice in the Panthers’ loss to the New York Islanders yesterday, his lone NHL game of this one-day recall.
With Greer now eligible to return against the Rangers, Studnicka’s services were no longer required on the Panthers’ NHL roster. He’ll return to Charlotte, but it is unclear at this time whether he’ll be able to play in the Checkers’ game this evening against the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The logistics are in his favor: the Checkers are on the road in Hartford while the Panthers have been in New York for their two-game swing against the Islanders and Rangers.
3/28/26: The Panthers recalled forward Jack Studnicka from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on Saturday morning, according to the AHL’s transactions log.
With A.J. Greer not eligible to return from his three-game suspension until tomorrow afternoon’s game against the Rangers, Studnicka will dress for today’s matinee against the Islanders. Evan Rodrigues sustained a broken finger in Thursday’s loss to the Wild and is out for at least four weeks, head coach Paul Maurice said postgame, ending his season.
Rodrigues’ injury brings Florida’s injured list up to 10. Six of them – Uvis Balinskis, Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand, Niko Mikkola, and Rodrigues – have effectively been shut down for the year. Jonah Gadjovich, Sam Reinhart, Mackie Samoskevich, and Cole Schwindt are all day-to-day and could be options in the next week, but for now, the Cats will need to dig even further into their AHL depth.
Studnicka, 27, was recalled in December after Eetu Luostarinen was sidelined following burns sustained in a home barbecue grill accident. He played a routine fourth-line role in the six weeks that followed but was held pointless in 18 games, posting a -6 rating before being waived and returned to Charlotte in January.
Once a top prospect for the Bruins, those games earlier this season were Studnicka’s first in the NHL since getting a look with the Sharks down the stretch in 2023-24. The 6’1″ center/right-winger has settled in as a top-six name in the minors but hasn’t demonstrated the offensive utility to seriously contend for an NHL job. In 34 games with the Checkers this season, he has an 8-14–22 scoring line with a +7 rating.
There’s a chance Studnicka could be on his way to his sixth organization in five years this summer. He only landed a one-year, two-way deal with the Cats last offseason and will be an unrestricted free agent again in July. He was traded from the Bruins to the Canucks in 2022, flipped to San Jose in 2023, and signed a two-way deal with the Kings in free agency in 2024 before landing in Florida.
Senators Reassign Jorian Donovan
3/29/26: The Senators announced Sunday morning that Donovan has been reassigned back to AHL Belleville.
The move comes after Donovan was made a healthy scratch for the team’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday. Thomson drew back into the lineup for that game, ending a brief absence due to a lower-body injury. It appears Thomson’s return has cost Donovan his spot on the Senators’ NHL roster.
The 21-year-old got to make his NHL debut during this recall. He skated in just 4:42 time on ice during Ottawa’s crucial road win over the Detroit Red Wings last week. He got into just under 10 minutes of ice time the following game, a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Donovan ends his first stretch in the NHL with two games played, two hits, and a blocked shot.
3/24/26: The Senators’ push for the playoffs got a lot murkier despite last night’s defensive standout win over the Rangers. The two points cost them both Thomas Chabot and Lassi Thomson on the blue line, who, head coach Travis Green said, would miss multiple games with apparent right wrist injuries and undisclosed injuries, respectively. Ottawa was already without Dennis Gilbert, Nick Jensen, and Jake Sanderson on defense, so they would need to recall a pair of rearguards from AHL Belleville before tonight’s game against the Red Wings to have six healthy ones. Those two beneficiaries are Jorian Donovan and Carter Yakemchuk, the team announced Tuesday morning.
Both will be making their NHL debuts tonight. It comes right on schedule for Yakemchuk, who, at seventh overall in 2024, Ottawa hopes will be the last high pick of their years-long rebuild. The 6’4″, 207-lb righty was a physically dominant offensive threat in his draft year for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, leading the league in goals by a defenseman that year with 30.
Since then, Yakemchuk’s development has hit some speed bumps. His post-draft year with the Hitmen immediately raised some red flags as his offensive production took a step back from 1.08 points per game in 2023-24 to 0.88 in 2024-25, particularly concerning considering he was already one of the oldest players in his class. Those concerns have only persisted as he made the adjustment to professional life in Belleville this season. He’s slotted in as their top offensive weapon on the blue line as expected, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with a 10-26–36 line in 50 games, but that’s been accompanied by a team-worst -30 rating and some glaring concerns regarding his defensive play.
He’ll need to work on that moving forward to ensure he doesn’t top out as a third-pairing threat at even strength to limit his minutes while serving as a power-play quarterback for the Sens. For now, while everyone involved hoped it would be under better circumstances, he’ll at least get his first taste of NHL play this year while getting a chance to boost his shot at a roster spot next October with a strong run of play in the absence of Ottawa’s two top two-way threats on defense in Chabot and Sanderson.
Donovan is a more unheralded prospect but an intriguing talent nonetheless. A fifth-round pick in 2022, the 6’2″ lefty is now 21 years old in his second season with the B-Sens. He’s coming along nicely as a well-rounded two-way piece who can wash out opponents with ease, recording a 4-17–21 line in 58 outings this season with a -12 rating and 70 penalty minutes.
His development at this stage significantly outpaces the normal curve of a fifth-rounder. Donovan now ranks #5 in Ottawa’s prospect pool and is their top left-shot option in the system, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic opined this month. The Calgary native “has the tools to become a No. 5-8 D and play NHL games” with “pro size and excellent skating,” Wheeler wrote.
Boston Bruins Sign Max Lundgren
The Boston Bruins have signed NCAA free agent goaltender Max Lundgren to a one-year entry-level contract, per a team announcement.
The deal carries a $952.5K cap hit and will be for the 2026-27 campaign. This news comes just over a week after Lundgren told Mark Divver of New England Hockey Journal that he would be attending Bruins development camp this summer.
Lundgren, 23, was the No. 17-ranked NCAA free agent according to the team at Elite Prospects. The Swedish goalie has had a strong three-season run in North America since crossing the Atlantic in 2022. He put up a .913 save percentage in 41 games as the starter for the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers in 2022-23, and began a two-year run at Merrimack College in 2024-25.
He had a solid freshman campaign last season, posting a .909 save percentage despite going 8-13-0. But it’s his sophomore campaign that really positioned him to sign with an NHL team. In 39 games, Lundgren went 21-16-2 with a .920 save percentage.
Lundgren’s performance in his final NCAA game etched his name into Merrimack history. His 49 saves against UConn in the Hockey East tournament final gave his program, which entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed, its first-ever Hockey East playoff championship. Merrimack has been a member of the conference since 1989-90.
With his college career ending on a high note, Lundgren will now join the Bruins organization. It’s a big opportunity for Lundgren, who joins an organization with an excellent track record of developing goalies.
The Providence Bruins already have the reigning AHL Goalie of the Year in Michael DiPietro, who is under contract through next season. But the organization’s No. 4 and No. 5 goalies, Simon Zajicek and Luke Cavallin, respectively, are set to be RFAs this summer.
Cavallin, 24, has been excellent at the ECHL level (including a stellar playoff run last season that ended in a Kelly Cup title) but could end up seeking a spot in an organization with a goaltending depth chart more favorable to him getting AHL games. Zajicek, who is also 24, has a .920 save percentage in the AHL this season but has only gotten into 17 games. There is the possibility to consider that Zajicek, who led the Czech Extraliga in save percentage last season, could elect to return to Europe.
In any case, the Bruins have added a talented young goalie to an organizational pipeline at the position that is already well-stocked with talent. Whether the move is plainly about adding an additional young talent to their organization, or signals something more about the future of the Bruins’ other minor-league goalies, remains to be seen.
Red Wings Reassign Michal Postava
3/29/26: The Red Wings announced Sunday morning that Postava has been reassigned to AHL Grand Rapids.
With Talbot healthy and playing once more, there is no longer a need for Postava to remain on Detroit’s NHL roster. He backed up Gibson for Friday’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres, but Talbot was able to return as a backup for yesterday’s game. Talbot actually ended up seeing a little over nine minutes of ice time in relief for Gibson after Gibson surrendered four goals on 21 shots.
3/26/26: The Red Wings announced Thursday that they’ve recalled goaltender Michal Postava from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. He is expected to back up John Gibson tomorrow against the Sabres after head coach Todd McLellan ruled Cam Talbot out earlier today due to a minor tweak (via Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press).
It will be Postava’s first time dressing for an NHL contest. The 24-year-old is in his first season in the organization, having signed an entry-level deal as an undrafted free agent last summer.
Before coming stateside, the 6’2″, 205-lb netminder spent several years climbing the ladder in his native Czechia. Only in 2024-25 did he emerge as a full-time option in the country’s top division, Extraliga, doing so with a bang.
In 42 showings for HC Kometa Brno, he erupted for a .921 SV%, 2.39 GAA, three shutouts, and a 23-18-0 record. He went on to author a Cinderella run for the mid-tier Brno all the way to an Extraliga championship, posting a league-leading .940 SV% in 17 playoff games.
Now in Grand Rapids, he’s played second fiddle to top prospect Sebastian Cossa. In most any other environment, he would have emerged as a clear-cut #3 by now. Through 21 games, he’s logged a .932 SV%, 1.86 GAA, two shutouts, and a 13-6-0 record.
Postava remains under contract through next season before becoming a restricted free agent. Given his play, it’s hard to see a universe in which he or Cossa aren’t the backup option to Gibson next season, replacing the pending UFA Talbot.
Morning Notes: McKenna, Protas, Gudas
Penn State University forward Gavin McKenna, a leading contender to go No. 1 overall at the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft, had his collegiate season ended yesterday at the hands of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. While his time with the Nittany Lions this season may have concluded, it’s unlikely to be his final competitive game before the draft. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada that “the most likely next step” for McKenna is to represent Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships.
Friedman said that, “barring something very surprising,” McKenna will end up playing for Canada at Worlds. There is some precedent for top NCAA prospects to play for Team Canada at Worlds just shortly before they’re drafted. 2025 No. 6 overall pick Porter Martone played two games for Canada at last year’s tournament, while 2023 No. 3 pick Adam Fantilli scored a highlight-reel goal and won a gold medal at the 2023 edition of the games. With McKenna looking to secure his spot at the top of NHL teams’ draft lists, the World Championships will be a chance for him to showcase his qualities in a high-stakes tournament against competition largely made up of pro players. That could give teams an opportunity to directly compare McKenna to a fellow contender for the No. 1 draft slot, Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg. Stenberg has been competing at the pro level all season for Frölunda in the SHL.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas was knocked out of yesterday’s shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body injury, according to a team announcement. The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber indicated Protas’ absence was due to a “big collision” with former teammate Nic Dowd, one that resulted in Protas being helped off the ice. The big 25-year-old forward is among Washington’s more promising offensive talents. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024-25, scoring 30 goals and 66 points. He has 23 goals and 47 points this season.
- Friedman also reported on Saturday Headlines that injured Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas is pushing to play the team’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. Gudas is dealing with a lower-body injury and was sidelined for Anaheim’s last game. His timeline to return is still in question. What isn’t is Gudas’ desire to play against the Maple Leafs, per Friedman. Tomorrow’s contest will be Toronto’s first against the Ducks since Gudas’ highly controversial hit on Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews. Gudas was suspended five games for the play, returning to action March 22.
Evening Notes: Musa, Stramel, Spurgeon
The scoring leader for the University of Massachusetts has spurned multiple NHL teams to return to Amherst for his senior season. According to Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal, forward Jack Musa has turned down interest from several NHL teams, including the Boston Bruins, to return to the Minutemen for the 2026-27 NCAA season.
It’s a fairly surprising update given Musa’s production throughout his collegiate career. Undrafted, Musa, 22, has scored 46 goals and 100 points in 111 games with a +40 rating since debuting in the 2023-24 season. This season, leading the team in scoring, Musa finished with 16 goals and 36 points in 34 games.
If Musa continues his scoring pace for his senior campaign, he has a good chance of breaking school records. At the time of writing, forward Bobby Trivigno ranks fourth all-time in program scoring with 131 points, and Musa will have a good opportunity to break it. Unfortunately, unless he finds a completely different level, he’s unlikely to surpass Warren Norris, who scored 155 points from 1993-1997.
More evening updates:
- Not only did Minnesota Wild prospect Charlie Stramel lose the last game of his collegiate career, but he also left the game with a broken ankle. According to Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News, Stramel, 21, left the first period against his former club, the University of Wisconsin, after taking a shot off his ankle. The Michigan State University Spartan finished his senior campaign with 19 goals and 44 points in 37 games.
- The Minnesota Wild were without their captain tonight in their loss against the Boston Bruins. In an update from head coach John Hynes, defenseman Jared Spurgeon wasn’t available today due to a lower-body injury, and he is expected to miss the next few games. Fortunately, the Wild have a few days until their upcoming matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, so Spurgeon will likely return then.
East Notes: Ostlund, Voronkov, Gostisbehere
The Buffalo Sabres may be without one of their up-and-coming players for some time. According to Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, Noah Ostlund‘s upper-body injury is expected to take some time to recover from.
Fortunately, the Sabres can afford to give Ostlund all the time he needs. Although the team hasn’t technically qualified for the postseason yet, MoneyPuck gives Buffalo a 99.94% chance of making the postseason, which is essentially a lock. All that matters now is where they’ll finish.
Like many of his teammates, Ostlund has had a quality 2025-26 campaign. Throughout his second season, the former 16th-overall pick has scored 16 goals and 27 points in 60 games, averaging 13:58 of ice time per game.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t exit the ice tonight with just a regulation loss. Before the conclusion of the game, the Blue Jackets announced that winger Dmitri Voronkov had left the game with an upper-body injury. Before leaving the game with an injury, Voronkov registered 4:03 of ice time in seven shifts, adding one blocked shot and two hits.
- Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was welcomed back to the Carolina Hurricanes tonight after missing the last nine games with a lower-body injury. The offensive blueliner picked up right where he left off, scoring one goal and two points tonight with a +1 rating, accruing 17:42 of ice time.
Pacific Notes: Gudas, Mintyukov, Wright, Romani
The Anaheim Ducks were playing fairly shorthanded in today’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Ahead of the game, the Ducks announced that defensemen Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov would miss due to lower-body injuries.
Gudas, 35, only recently returned from a five-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews that cost the latter his season. Meanwhile, Mintyukov, 22, hasn’t missed a game for Anaheim since the Olympic break, scoring two goals and five points in 16 games.
The lack of defensive depth showed tonight, but not to a significant degree. The Ducks have typically averaged 28 shots against this season, and allowed 34 shots to the Oilers tonight, who also had three power plays. Anaheim didn’t indicate how long either defenseman was expected to miss with their respective injuries.
Additional notes from the Pacific Division:
- In tonight’s game between the Seattle Kraken and Buffalo Sabres, the former will leave with some injury concerns for their center corps. After only 3:36 of ice time, the Kraken announced that center Shane Wright exited the game due to injury. Wright was not obviously injured during a specific play, but he had been hurt in Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which means he may have started tonight’s game in discomfort.
- According to Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, the Vancouver Canucks are not expected to sign recent sixth-round pick Anthony Romani to his entry-level contract. Romani, playing at Michigan State University, had his season ended today in overtime against the University of Wisconsin. Romani had 14 goals and 27 points in 36 games this season, and is expected to return to the Spartans for his sophomore season.
West Notes: Thomas, Kuzmenko, Castagna
As the Blues continue to remain within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the West, they’ll welcome back a key piece to the lineup. Lou Korac of The Hockey News relays (Twitter link) that Robert Thomas will return after missing Thursday’s game due to an upper-body injury sustained earlier this week against Washington. The 26-year-old was featured in trade speculation leading up to the deadline earlier this month but ultimately stayed in St. Louis. Thomas leads the Blues in scoring despite missing 18 games due to injury, collecting 16 goals and 30 assists in 53 appearances so far this season.
More from out West:
- Kings winger Andrei Kuzmenko has resumed skating as he works his way back from a meniscus injury, notes Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. He has missed the last month due to the injury and was initially ruled as being out for the remainder of the regular season. However, while it appears that he’s back on the ice a little earlier than anticipated, the team is still proceeding as if he won’t return before the playoffs, should the team qualify. Kuzmenko, in his first full season with Los Angeles, has 13 goals and 12 assists in 52 games this season.
- With Cornell being eliminated from the NCAA tournament yesterday, the Flames have sent two front office staff to speak to Jonathan Castagna to try to get him to sign, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was acquired as part of the return for MacKenzie Weegar earlier this month and is coming off a strong season that saw him record 15 goals and 19 assists in 34 games. Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg adds (Twitter link) that Calgary has two contract slots remaining and wants Castagna to fill one of those, suggesting that if he agrees to sign, his deal will begin this season.
Detroit Red Wings Recall Carter Mazur
Birthday wishes do come true. On his 24th birthday, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Carter Mazur from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, according to a team announcement.
Mazur earned the first call-up of his professional career last March. Unfortunately, his NHL debut couldn’t have gone much worse. On March 8th, against the Utah Hockey Club, Mazur skated for two shifts totaling 1:10 before his season was prematurely ended due to an upper-body injury.
Unfortunately, injuries have followed him into the 2025-26 campaign. A lower-body injury, suffered in October, has limited Mazur to 14 games for the Griffins this season. Still, he’s been productive when healthy, tallying 11 goals and 15 points with a +6 rating. Throughout his entire four-year AHL career, the Jackson, MI native has scored 39 goals and 73 points in 100 games with a +0 rating.
Hopefully, for everyone’s sake, Mazur’s second time in the NHL lasts longer than his first. It’s not clear if Mazur will draw into the lineup tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, though he could provide more youthful energy for the Red Wings’ fourth line over Dominik Shine.
Regardless, Mazur will be involved in more competitive hockey in Detroit than he will in Grand Rapids for the time being. The Red Wings are one point back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, whereas the Griffins clinched a postseason spot back in February.