Maple Leafs Recall Jacob Quillan
The Maple Leafs recalled center Jacob Quillan from AHL Toronto today, per a team announcement. He takes Nicolas Roy‘s roster spot after he was traded to the Avalanche this morning.
Quillan, 24, has been up and down between the Leafs and Marlies for much of this season but has made a strong case to stay up for the stretch run as Toronto enters sell mode. The second-year pro out of Quinnipiac has suddenly established himself as one of Toronto’s top “prospects,” even given his relatively advanced age, putting up a 12-21–33 scoring line in 38 AHL games.
Quillan has received brief looks in the NHL over the last two seasons, seeing his debut in January 2025 cut short by an injury. He’s been buried on the fourth line and hasn’t scored, only averaging 7:11 of ice time per game across five total appearances, but is averaging two hits per game in that small sample.
This year’s offensive surge has likely put him squarely on the Leafs’ radar for a roster spot in the fall, although the pending restricted free agent will need a new contract before that happens. Even if that scoring doesn’t translate to the NHL, he has the physical tools at 6’1″ and 204 lbs, plus a strong history of two-way play in the NCAA and AHL, to make him a fourth-line staple.
It’s worth noting that the Leafs might return Quillan to the AHL tomorrow to make him eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs. He can then be recalled again after the trade deadline – players just have to be on an AHL roster at the time the deadline passes to be able to suit up in minor-league playoff action.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign, Waive Garrett Wilson
The Philadelphia Flyers are rewarding the captain of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms for his years of service. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that the Flyers have signed forward Garrett Wilson to an NHL contract. Wilson must clear waivers before his contract can officially be registered with the Flyers.
Wilson, 34, is in his 15th professional season. He was originally selected with the 107th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. Working his way up through the ECHL and AHL, Wilson made his NHL debut on March 18th, 2014, with the Panthers.
Unfortunately, during some productive years in the AHL with the San Antonio Rampage and Portland Pirates, Wilson failed to produce in the NHL. After spending five years in the Panthers organization, Wilson finished his tenure with zero points in 34 games, averaging 9:26 of ice time.
Seeking a new opportunity, Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 2016-17 season. It was with the Penguins that Wilson enjoyed the best season of his NHL career. Though he again primarily played in the AHL, Wilson scored two goals and eight points in 50 games with Pittsburgh in the 2018-19 season, and even chipped in one goal across four postseason contests during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Since then, it’s been all AHL for Wilson. Aside from a one-year stint with the Toronto Marlies in 2020-21, Wilson has spent the last six years in Lehigh Valley, and the last three as the team’s captain. Over that stretch, he has scored 62 goals and 145 points in 338 games, with 857 PIMs.
Lightning Place Curtis Douglas On Waivers
The Lightning have placed forward Curtis Douglas on waivers, according to a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The move will allow him to report to AHL Syracuse temporarily tomorrow if he clears, making him eligible to suit up for them in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
He can be immediately recalled back to the Lightning’s roster after doing so without having first played an AHL game, thanks to a specific deadline day exemption in the new CBA’s rule that players must play at least one minor-league game after reassignment before being eligible for a recall.
Douglas, 26 tomorrow, was selected off waivers from the Mammoth at the end of training camp last fall. He’s served as a fringe fourth-line option for the Lightning’s forward group throughout the year, spending more time in the press box than in the lineup.
While a natural center, he’s played exclusively at left wing. He’s appeared in 29 games this season, recording two points and a +1 rating.
It’s not Douglas’ offense that the Bolts insert him into the lineup for, though. The gargantuan 6’9″, 242-lb enforcer has shown some offensive upside in the minors but has exclusively been a pot-stirrer for Tampa, recording a team-high 92 penalty minutes despite not providing a ton of straight-up physicality at 1.10 hits per game.
Douglas’ possession impacts have been quite strong, ranking near the middle of the Bolts’ forward pack with a 52.7% Corsi For rate but leading them with a 60.4% share of expected goals. A lot of that has to do with his deployment. Tampa doesn’t give its fourth line a ton of defensive zone assignments like most other teams, instead preferring to use them in sheltered O-zone forecheck usage. No Bolts forward has started a greater share of shifts in the offensive zone at 5-on-5 than Douglas at 75.5%.
Still, Douglas averaging just 5:58 of ice time per game signals he isn’t a piece that head coach Jon Cooper ideally wants in his playoff lineup. With today’s news that Dominic James will miss at least the first round of the playoffs and likely well into the second round as well, it won’t be surprising to see the Lightning use their limited deadline cap space on a bottom-six forward to keep Douglas primarily in a press-box role.
Golden Knights Place Alexander Holtz, Cole Reinhardt On Waivers
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vegas Golden Knights have placed forwards Alexander Holtz and Cole Reinhardt on waivers. The other 31 teams in the league will have 24 hours to claim either forward ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.
The writing has been on the wall for Holtz for some time. Drafted seventh overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2020, Holtz was believed to become a long-term fixture in New Jersey’s top six. That didn’t come to fruition.
He showed flashes of quality play, especially during the 2023-24 season when he scored 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games for the Devils. Ultimately, New Jersey opted to move on from Holtz the following summer, sending him, along with netminder Akira Schmid, to the Golden Knights for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick.
Things haven’t gone much better in Sin City. Throughout the last two years, typically in a bottom-six role, Holtz has scored seven goals and 21 points in 81 games, averaging 11:33 of ice time. Holtz has grown accustomed to being a healthy scratch on multiple occasions and even being demoted to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights last season.
Still, he’s signed through next year on a $850K salary and is only six years removed from being a top-10 selection. He clearly hasn’t met his draft expectations, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a rebuilding team like the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, or Vancouver Canucks to take a flyer on him for free.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt, 26, is a bottom-six forward in his first year with the Golden Knights. After spending several years with the Ottawa Senators organization, Reinhardt signed a two-year, $1.63MM ($813K AAV) contract with Vegas last summer. He’s gotten the most NHL playing time he’s ever received this year, scoring three goals and seven points in 44 games, averaging 9:47 of action.
If he were to be claimed, he could add physicality to a different team’s bottom-six. However, Reinhardt provides minimal assistance beyond his physicality, and there are likely better alternatives available at this time of year.
Regardless, like the NHL’s qualification rules, players must be on an AHL roster by 3:00 p.m. EST to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs. Given that Henderson is in the hunt in the AHL’s Pacific Division, and if the Golden Knights weren’t planning on utilizing them for their postseason run, Holtz and Reinhardt would become eligible to assist Henderson if needed.
New Jersey Devils Place Three On Waivers
According to a team announcement, the New Jersey Devils have placed Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers. If all three players clear, they would have added flexibility on the trade market by tomorrow afternoon, given they can be freely reassigned to the AHL by the acquiring club.
The placement of all three on waivers is the Devils’ way of trimming some fat off the roster ahead of the deadline. Dadonov and Glendening will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, whereas Tsyplakov is signed through next year at a $2.25MM cap hit.
After some fruitful years with the Dallas Stars, Dadonov joined New Jersey on a one-year, $1MM contract last offseason. There are performance bonuses included in his contract that would bring the salary to $3.25MM, and he has a full no-trade clause through the end of the year. Despite being brought in to add additional firepower to the team’s bottom-six, Dadonov’s 2025-26 campaign has been completely derailed by injuries.
Scoring 35 goals and 78 points in 154 games with the Stars, Dadonov has yet to register his first point with the Devils. He’s had multiple stints on the injured reserve due to hand and wrist injuries, and he has registered only 17 appearances this year.
Meanwhile, Glendening likely has the least value of the trio. Earning a professional tryout agreement in September, Glendening officially joined New Jersey on a one-year, league minimum contract. Isolated to a fourth-line role, the 36-year-old center has tallied four assists in 52 games, averaging 9:54 of ice time. Still, he has immense value in the playoff dot, averaging a 55.6% success rate throughout his career while beginning 73.5% of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Lastly, Tsyplakov has only been a Devil for a little while. He was the only player acquired by New Jersey in last month’s trade, sending Ondřej Palát to the New York Islanders. During his brief tenure in New Jersey, Tsyplakov has yet to register a point in nine contests. Even if he does clear waivers, the Devils may be hard-pressed to find a landing spot for him, even at a lower cost.
Blues, Mathieu Joseph To Terminate Contract
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the St. Louis Blues are placing forward Mathieu Joseph on waivers to terminate his contract. As Friedman noted, if Joseph clears, he will have to sign by 3:00 p.m. EST tomorrow to be eligible for the postseason.
It’s the second time in as many weeks that the Blues have placed Joseph on waivers. Last week, St. Louis placed him on waivers and eventually reassigned him to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Things can change quickly this time of year, but Joseph is unlikely to be claimed off of release waivers.
Still, a team may be interested in taking a shot on Joseph at a league minimum salary. He could benefit the bottom six of a playoff-bound team, or serve as a placeholder for a club that sells a few forwards before tomorrow’s deadline.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many teams that have much interest in him, and his nearly $3MM salary. The only saving grace for his cap hit, whether a team claims him or not, is that Joseph will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and be entirely off the books.
Regardless, it’s safe to say that Joseph’s tenure in St. Louis has gone poorly. After scoring 11 goals and 35 points in 72 games for the Ottawa Senators during the 2023-24 campaign, Joseph has yet to reach those totals despite playing in more games with the Blues. Throughout his last two years with the club, he has registered only six goals and 25 points in 99 games, averaging 12:13 of ice time.
Still, what Joseph lacks in scoring output, he makes up for in physicality. Dating back to his time in Ottawa, he has tallied 311 hits, which could benefit a playoff-bound team if they’re looking to get nastier to play against. Although the question remains unanswered, Joseph is anticipated to find a new club within the next 24 hours.
Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators
With the Olympic break now over, the trade deadline is this week. Where do each team stand, and what moves should they be targeting? We continue our look around the league, focusing on playoff-hunting teams, and we’re back with the Predators.
Nashville isn’t a strong hockey team, but luckily for them, they play in the Western Conference. Despite an unimpressive record, they are still fighting for a playoff spot. The Predators have an ageing and costly core and would likely prefer to get younger now. However, they have several high-priced contracts that are hard to move, and a few others they might deal if they can persuade the players to accept a trade. What Nashville will do remains uncertain, but they do have options despite their fragile roster setup.
Record
27-26-8, 5th in the Central
Deadline Status
Conservative Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$31.75MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention slots used, 41/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: NAS 1st, NAS 2nd, MIN 2nd, NAS 3rd, NAS 4th, NAS 5th, EDM 5th, CAR 5th, UTA 6th, NAS 7th
2027: NAS 1st, NAS 2nd, STL 2nd, NAS 3rd, EDM 3rd, VGK 3rd, COL 3rd, NAS 4th, NYR 4th, NAS 5th, COL 5th, NAS 6th, NAS 7th
Trade Chips
What the Predators do over the next two days will depend on several factors, including the offers they receive and how they play this week. They don’t have to do anything. They could retain their pending UFAs and make a run for the playoffs if they wanted, and it would be understandable given the age of their core players.
That being said, if a team makes a high-priced offer for center Ryan O’Reilly, you have to believe the Predators would listen. O’Reilly has one year left on a team-friendly $4.5MM cap hit and would bring Nashville a substantial return if traded. It’s difficult to assess whether it’s a buyer’s or a seller’s market. Some people have said it leans heavily towards the sellers, but a few teams have committed to selling in recent days, which will change the market a bit. That being said, if it turns out to be a seller’s market, Nashville will likely trade him. If the opposite is true, they will probably hold onto him until at least the summer.
Steven Stamkos has also been mentioned as a potential trade candidate in recent weeks. Stamkos is in his second year with the Predators after a widely discussed departure from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 36-year-old Stamkos didn’t have an ideal first year in Nashville by his standards, but he has improved significantly this season, with 30 goals and 17 assists in 61 games. His near 0.5 goals per game would be very attractive to any NHL team, but Stamkos holds sway over his own fate thanks to a full no-movement clause and can remain with the team if he chooses. Given the limited time to make a move, it seems likely Stamkos could be a summer trade candidate, but anything is possible if teams and players are motivated to facilitate deals.
Beyond the two veterans, Nashville has a few other players they could trade at the deadline, starting with forward Michael Bunting, who is a UFA this summer. The 30-year-old has been traded twice in the last two years, both times around the trade deadline, and could be moved for a third time during his current three-year contract. There is nothing wrong with Bunting’s game; he remains a solid depth scorer with a bit of sandpaper to his game. Bunting could be a good addition to a team seeking more scoring from their middle six and likely wouldn’t cost too much if Nashville decides to move him.
Erik Haula is another veteran forward with an expiring deal who might be moved. The 34-year-old is having a solid offensive season, with nine goals and 21 assists in 61 games, making him a decent addition to a team’s bottom six. Like Bunting, he is a UFA this summer, and the cost to acquire him shouldn’t be too high, which could attract teams working within an asset budget. Haula is a fantastic penalty killer, decent on faceoffs, and a good defensive forward, but he takes far too many minor penalties, which might be problematic for a contending team.
Team Needs
A Center: The Predators currently lack sufficient center depth, and trading O’Reilly would weaken what little they have. The team recently moved Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild and needs to acquire some centers — preferably young ones — who can eventually play behind the 2025 fifth-overall pick, Brady Martin, once he makes his full-time transition to the NHL. The Predators have a few other center prospects who project as NHLers, but it’s hard to tell if they will develop into top-six options. O’Reilly won’t be around during the Predators’ next contention window, but if they want to develop strong center prospects, he could serve as a mentor, similar to how Sidney Crosby has helped 18-year-old Benjamin Kindel develop in Pittsburgh.
Prospects: The Predators have a slightly above-average farm system if you look at conventional prospect rankings. But if they are keen on launching their rebuild while the likes of Juuse Saros and Filip Forsberg are still key contributors, they will need to ramp up their drafting and development. The optimal way to do that would be to sell off any veteran assets that can be moved and trade for futures or young roster players. As the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals have demonstrated in recent years, teams can retool on the fly with a veteran core and compete quickly if they are willing to make tough decisions and take chances. Current GM Barry Trotz won’t be the one to make those decisions, but he can lay a foundation on his way out the door that will allow the next general manager to make those hard choices. Nashville has Saros signed until 2033 and Forsberg until 2030. It’s not unrealistic to believe that the Predators could be competitive again in another 2-3 years, giving them some runway with their vets to serve as both mentors and contributors while their young players find their way in the NHL.
Photo by Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
Sabres’ Colton Parayko Trade Falls Through
3/5/26: Parayko has declined to waive his no-trade clause to join the Sabres, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. As a result, as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun noted, the reported trade will not happen.
On Frankly Hockey, Frank Seravalli indicated that Parayko is open to a trade from St. Louis, but will not accept a move to Buffalo, specifically. As frustrating as it may be for both clubs, it is Parayko’s right to dictate where he goes, given the no-trade protection in his contract.
Following Seravalli’s report, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes indicated that Parayko would prefer to stay in the Western Conference. Weekes specifically mentioned the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, though neither club has any known interest in adding another defenseman.
It’s unknown at this time if Mrtka and a first-round pick were the only pieces that would have headed to the Blues in the deal. If that’s the case, Buffalo had the opportunity to amass arguably the best defensive corps in the league.
Missing out on a player of Parayko’s stature will sting, but there are a few remaining options for the Sabres. Justin Faulk, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Logan Stanley, among others, are all options currently on the market that Buffalo could target. Depending on how long Buffalo negotiated with the Blues, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them turn around and acquire Faulk.
Unfortunately, it does paint a negative picture for Buffalo. Despite the team being on fire this year and heading toward the postseason for the first time in a decade, they are still having trouble encouraging outside talent to join the team. Factoring in Seravalli’s report, it’s clear that Parayko simply didn’t want to head to New York.
Meanwhile, it’s not the best situation for St. Louis either. There’s no reporting on how many teams are interested in Parayko. If they’re unable to move him before the deadline tomorrow, it’ll become awkward at the very least. While it remains a business decision, Parayko’s connection to the community may lead to feelings of animosity regarding the situation, particularly since the trade was leaked before he had a chance to approve it.
Things can and will change fast this time of year. Over the last few days, Parayko and Tyler Myers have each had their names leaked in trade conversations, only to veto the trade. Still, given that he’s willing to consider different clubs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Parayko approve a trade somewhere else.
3/4/26: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Buffalo Sabres are moving toward acquiring defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues. Dreger noted that the trade is still being finalized and that both teams are waiting to see if Parayko will waive his no-trade clause to join the Sabres. Dreger later added that defensive prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick will be a part of the deal. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that the framework of the trade is complete, but Parayko has not yet signed off on it.
It would obviously be a seismic trade for the Sabres, especially if nothing is coming off the NHL roster. Buffalo already has Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson in the top four of their defensive corps. Parayko has been on the top pairing in St. Louis for nearly a decade, and is signed through the 2029-30 season at an affordable $6.5MM salary.
Vancouver Canucks Recall Cole Clayton
One of the Vancouver Canucks’ recently acquired prospects will be joining the team. According to a team announcement, the Canucks have recalled defenseman Cole Clayton from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.
Clayton, 26, was acquired a few months ago in the trade that sent Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. He was in his first year with the Sharks organization after signing a one-year, $775K contract with them last offseason.
Before his brief time in San Jose, Clayton had spent four years in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. Signed as an undrafted free agent from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, Clayton scored 12 goals and 61 points in 224 games exclusively for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
This season, he has seen his scoring output dissipate mildly. Split between the Barracuda and the AHL Canucks, Clayton has registered only two goals and seven points in 49 games. In his 16 games with Abbotsford, he has also produced 15 PIMs and a -5 rating.
Given that he’s not expected to be a long-term fixture in Vancouver, Clayton is likely only a placeholder for now. After dealing Quinn Hughes earlier this year, there are no defensemen on the Canucks’ roster who have generated much trade interest, if they’re even available. Still, Vancouver recently lost Pierre-Olivier Joseph to an upper-body injury for the next few weeks, so Clayton will likely serve as the team’s seventh defenseman until he returns.
Colorado Avalanche Acquire Nicolas Roy
The Colorado Avalanche have acquired forward Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs, in exchange for a conditional 2027 first-round pick and a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick. The conditions on both picks read as follows:
In the event Colorado’s 2027 first-round selection is in the top-10 of the 2027 NHL Draft, Colorado will send its unprotected 2028 first-round pick to Toronto. Colorado currently holds three fifth-round selections in the 2026 NHL Draft; the lowest of those three picks will be transferred to Toronto as part of the transaction.
Yesterday, Frank Seravalli reported that the Maple Leafs’ asking price of a first-round pick plus a prospect for Roy had “held steady,” and that Toronto was unwilling to retain salary at that price. The Maple Leafs ultimately got the first-rounder they sought, though the fifth-round pick will have to suffice in place of a prospect. 
The move ends what was a brief tenure in Toronto for Roy, who was acquired over the summer as part of the Vegas Golden Knights’ acquisition of star winger Mitch Marner. Roy had been a solid middle-six center in Vegas, scoring 15 goals and 31 points in 71 games in 2024-25 and 41 points in 70 games in 2023-24.
His numbers took a tumble in Toronto, where he has just five goals and 20 points in 59 games, but his resume remains strong nonetheless.
That’s especially true considering he’s under contract for an additional year at an entirely affordable $3MM cap hit. Roy was also regularly playing on the penalty kill in Toronto, ranking No. 3 among Maple Leafs forwards in short-handed time on ice per game.
Roy is likely to slot in as Colorado’s No. 3 center, lining up behind Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson. As previously mentioned, he excelled in a similar role in Vegas, and given the team control afforded by his contract, it appears the Avalanche have their top three centers locked in for the next two playoff runs, at the minimum. His addition could also help the already-stellar Avalanche penalty kill.
While a first-round pick isn’t a cheap price to pay for any player, it looks to be a fair one for Roy. While his numbers are down, he should be able to capably occupy the No. 3 center role with some special teams value. That’s not an insignificant role whatsoever, and adding Roy now is more valuable to the Avalanche than selecting a player with that first-round pick likely would be. Colorado is looking to maximize its odds of winning another Stanley Cup with core players such as MacKinnon and Cale Makar in their prime, and adding Roy certainly helps in that pursuit.
From Toronto’s perspective, this trade begins what could be a larger effort to sell players and regroup with an eye to the future. The offseason loss of Mitch Marner, among other factors, helped destabilize what has been a consistent regular-season juggernaut over the last decade. Toronto looks more likely than not to miss the playoffs for just the second time since 2015-16, the year they earned the No. 1 pick and right to select franchise face Auston Matthews.
Landing a first-round pick for Roy will allow the team to bolster its prospect pool, which entered the season ranked No. 27 in the NHL by Elite Prospects. The team could also flip the pick for a younger player who is at or near NHL-readiness, in order to better support a competitive timeline centered around its existing stars.
In any case, this move is one that makes considerable sense for both involved teams, and it will be interesting to see what decisions Toronto makes moving forward as it navigates a wholly uncertain future.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images