Sabres Activate Conor Timmins From Injured Reserve
Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins has been cleared to return to the lineup after missing over three months with a broken leg, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters Wednesday (including Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News). He will draw right back into the lineup tonight against the Bruins, replacing Zach Metsa as Buffalo’s third-pairing righty, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.
Timmins, 27, was an offseason acquisition in June 2025 in a trade that sent defenseman Connor Clifton to the Penguins. He played 33 games for Buffalo prior to his injury and had a total of six points, averaging 19:14 of ice time. This is the first year out of a two-year deal signed shortly after the trade, and he will be a UFA at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The 6’3″ righty comes back into the lineup in a competitive environment, as he looks to prove himself to Ruff and work himself into the equation as a valuable option for the playoffs. At this time, the Sabres have Metsa, Michael Kesselring, and Luke Schenn as their right-shot defenseman options, with Logan Stanley on the third pairing. With Timmins healthy, the team will have to evaluate its options as it heads into the final stretch of the regular season.
When Timmins was dressed earlier this season, he featured primarily with either Bowen Byram or Owen Power on his left flank. That won’t be the case now as those two lefties have gelled together on the Sabres’ second pairing, but it’s worth noting that Byram’s defensive results were better with Timmins than they were with Power – logging a 2.44 xGA/60 with the former and a 2.96 xGA/60 with the latter, per MoneyPuck.
The hope is that Timmins can give the third pairing a bit more offensive juice than what Metsa has provided over the last few games, although Metsa does have a raucous +20 rating on the season and has been on the ice for just two goals against at 5-on-5 in 385 minutes of ice time.
Senators, Gabriel Eliasson Agree To Terms On Entry-Level Deal
The Senators announced Wednesday that they’ve agreed to terms with defense prospect Gabriel Eliasson on a three-year, entry-level contract that starts next season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Eliasson, 19, was the 39th overall selection in the 2024 draft, going early in the second round. The pick warranted a fair amount of detractors at the time. He was a consensus third-to-fourth-round threat by most rankings and, although NHL teams favored him more than the public sphere, he was still taken several spots north of his #55 slot in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts that year.
The left-shot Swede checks in at 6’7″ and 220 lbs. He has the skating ability to pair with that to create good defensive impacts, but is limited virtually everywhere else, keeping him squarely as a bottom-pairing and penalty-killing threat if he cracks the NHL.
As such, Eliasson didn’t even earn a mention on Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s ranking of Senators prospects this month, although he was listed at #10 by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff last offseason. His standing in their pool likely didn’t improve this season. He’s spent the last two seasons in North American juniors after playing his draft year in his native Sweden, but has managed just a 5-10–15 scoring line with an even rating in 124 games for the OHL’s Barrie Colts. He was also the OHL’s most penalized player this season, with 122 penalty minutes, and earned the same honor twice in two different Swedish junior leagues during his development.
Eliasson had previously committed to the University of Michigan. That ship had likely already sailed, but he’s officially no longer eligible to jump to the NCAA as a freshman next year after inking his NHL deal. He’ll instead report to AHL Belleville to begin his pro career in the fall if his Colts remain in the postseason picture past the end of Belleville’s current season.
Avalanche’s Nicolas Roy To Miss Time
Avalanche forward Nicolas Roy will be held out of the lineup “for a little bit” with the upper-body injury that caused him to miss last night’s win over the Penguins, head coach Jared Bednar said on Altitude Sports Radio this morning (via Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette).
Bednar said that his proclamation has more to do with the fact that they won’t be rushing him back into the lineup rather than the immediate severity of his injury. It’s still unclear what happened to Roy, who missed some shifts against the Capitals last Sunday and played a season-low 8:40 but never left the game for good.
Acquired at the trade deadline from the Maple Leafs for a first and a fifth-round pick, Roy has been a natural fit defensively thus far in Colorado’s bottom six. He was relied upon as a shutdown presence in Toronto through the first chunk of the season, and with his offensive-zone usage increasing a little bit after the trade to a 42.1 oZS% at 5-on-5, his possession numbers have jumped to a 56.1 CF% and 54.0 xGF%.
He’s yet to notch an assist in the burgundy and blue, but he does have three goals in nine outings, 60% of his goal output in Toronto this season in nearly 60 games. He won’t continue finishing at a 17.6% clip, but the chance generation numbers are way up – 1.89 shots on goal per game for the Avs compared to only 0.93 per game for the Leafs.
Faceoffs have been a struggle, though. He’s normally below average but was quite stout with the Leafs at the start of the season, winning 52.9% of his draws. Post-trade, he’s gone 17-for-41 (41.5%) and has seen a good bit of time on the wing, bouncing around a bit but seeing a good bit of time as high as the second-line right wing slot with Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson.
Colorado got a pair of key bottom-nine forwards back in Ross Colton and Logan O’Connor last night, so that helps offset Roy’s loss a bit. For now, there’s no indication they expect him to be unavailable for Game 1 of their playoff run next month. With him and Artturi Lehkonen sidelined, that’ll just mean more reps for depth names like Zakhar Bardakov and Joel Kiviranta last night.
Islanders Reassign Victor Eklund To AHL
The Islanders have recalled top right-wing prospect Victor Eklund from his loan to Djurgårdens IF of the SHL, the Swedish club announced this morning. He was subsequently loaned to AHL Bridgeport, where he will finish this season before competing for an opening night roster spot in 2026-27. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period was the first to relay the news yesterday.
Eklund, 19, was the second of three first-round draft choices the Isles made last summer, going 16th overall with the earlier of the two picks New York had acquired from the Canadiens in the Noah Dobson trade. It was a significant fall for someone who scouts unanimously labeled as a top-10 pick. Eklund was the second-ranked European skater in the class behind only Anton Frondell, according to NHL Central Scouting, while outlets like McKeen’s Hockey, Elite Prospects, and even TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts had him going in the #8-10 range overall.
The Islanders were happy to be the beneficiaries of the 5’11”, 170-lb righty slipping through the cracks. A workhorse, all-around forward, Eklund played a key role in helping Djurgården gain promotion from the second-tier Allsvenskan to the SHL last year, posting a team-leading 19 goals in 42 games while adding 12 assists for 31 points and a +16 rating.
Eklund’s production took an understandable hit this year as the strength of competition increased significantly, but not too much. He finished sixth on the team in regular-season scoring with a 6-18–24 line in 43 games, tied for second with a +8 rating, and added three assists in three playoff games as Djurgården dropped its best-of-three play-in series against the Malmö Redhawks to end their season.
The younger brother of Sharks winger William Eklund now looks to follow in his footsteps as he looks to quickly become a dependable top-nine piece on Long Island. He was ranked as the #4 name in the Islanders’ prospect pool last summer by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, who projects Eklund to top out as a complementary top-line piece, but the top two names on that list, Matthew Schaefer and Calum Ritchie, have now graduated to full-time NHL roles. There’s an argument to be made that while he doesn’t have the goal-scoring acumen of #3-ranked Cole Eiserman, his all-around game – plus Eiserman’s semi-underwhelming sophomore season at Boston University in 2025-26 – should make Eklund the Islanders’ top prospect at this point.
It’s worth noting that because Eklund already signed his entry-level contract last summer and he was on the Isles’ reserve list at the trade deadline, he will be eligible to play for them in both the regular season and playoffs if they make it there. For now, though, he’ll make the adjustment to North American ice in the minors.
Snapshots: Elick, Wutzke, Larsen
Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Charlie Elick will join the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters this week and embark on his professional career, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
A second-round selection in 2024 by the Jackets, Elick inked his entry-level contract last March. Since then, he wrapped up his final WHL chapter with 63 games for the Tri-City Americans, recording 20 points and 46 penalty minutes.
Standing at 6’3” and a right-handed shot, Elick came in at 10th in the Blue Jackets system last summer according to Steven Ellis of The Daily Faceoff. The Calgary native has solid mobility for a physical shutdown defender, and his ranking is more indicative of a well stocked Columbus system, as he’d come in higher in many other team’s pools. It won’t be immediate considering their wide age gap, but he naturally lines up as a long term replacement for veteran Erik Gudbranson‘s on-ice role, whose contract expires this summer.
Even if his ceiling is limited to a middle-pairing role, Elick’s reliable game has the chance to pan out nicely at the highest level, with physical tools sought after by general managers everywhere in today’s game. He’ll join the 12th-ranked Monsters who have had a nice season thanks to a strong defensive core well split between prospects and veterans.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Minnesota Wild goaltending prospect Chase Wutzke has been assigned to the Iowa Wild, per the team. The 19-year-old enters the professional circuit having concluded play with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, where he posted a .906 save percentage and a 3.47 goals-against-average on the struggling junior club this year. Wutzke signed his ELC last September. Iowa ranks second-to-last in the AHL, so there’s good reason for him to get an audition, slotting into a goalie group led by former NHL standout Cal Petersen. With a Minnesota goaltending pipeline full, the 6’2” Saskatoon native is a long term project for any sustainable NHL role, but he could become a contributor for Iowa in the coming seasons.
- Former NHL defenseman Philip Larsen has retired at age 36, he announced in an interview shared by DirekteSport on Instagram. Larsen was drafted in the fifth round by Dallas in 2008, debuting in 2009-10, and eventually being dealt to Edmonton in exchange for Shawn Horcoff in the 2013 offseason. After not panning out in Edmonton at age 24, he left for the KHL, with rights being traded to Vancouver. It became a notable trade tree, as the pick the Oilers acquired for Larsen was eventually involved in another trade which allowed them to select Stuart Skinner in 2017. Larsen’s strong play in Russia brought him to the Canucks in 2016-17, his 26 games proving to be the last in the NHL. From there, the 5’11” righty spent the next several years with Ufa Salavat Yulayev of the KHL as a star blueliner. In 2022 he returned to his native Denmark with Esbjerg EfB Ishockey, where he spent the last four years of his career. With a strong two-way acumen, Larsen hangs it up after 151 NHL games, 361 in the KHL, and 136 representing his home country.
Injury Notes: Malkin, DeAngelo, Roy
Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin’s upper-body injury is unrelated to the previously nagging one which sidelined him in the winter, according to head coach Dan Muse, as shared by Josh Yohe, team beat writer.
Earlier today it became apparent that Malkin would be day-to-day, with forward Ville Koivunen recalled as a result. The 39-year-old is still fifth in team scoring despite playing just 50 games, coming in just above the point-per-game mark with 52.
A future Hall of Famer, there’s little doubt he will be an impact player until the end, but Malkin’s 2024-25 performance seemed indicative of decline. Instead, Malkin has turned back the clock this year under Muse as a huge part of the Pens’ resurgence. He will finish 2025-26 under last year’s 68 total games, but it’s by no means shocking for any player nearing 40.
Losing their star against the league’s top team in Colorado creates a tall task, but thankfully it doesn’t seem serious and Malkin could be back as soon as Thursday in Ottawa.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The New York Islanders announced mid-game that Tony DeAngelo won’t return due to a lower-body injury. The defenseman’s night came to an end after six shifts which totaled 6:09. DeAngelo has become a journeyman, but the 30-year-old still plays a key role for New York with power play time and top four minutes, all on an expiring contract worth just $1.75MM. The New Jersey native has 33 points in 71 games, not missing a single game for the Islanders to this point. He seemed to skate gingerly after hustling back in an attempt to catch a Blackhawks rush which led to a goal. If he has to miss an extended period, it would be a tough blow for the Islanders’ hopes to hold onto their Wild Card berth in a season which has surpassed expectations.
- Before tonight’s game in Pittsburgh, the Colorado Avalanche revealed that Nicolas Roy wouldn’t play due to an upper body injury. Additional details aren’t clear, but the forward played just 8:40 on Sunday against Washington, well below his normal usage as a third liner. In nine games with Colorado since being acquired from the Maple Leafs, Roy has three goals, after finding the back of the net just five times in 59 games prior. The 29-year-old could return as soon as Thursday in Winnipeg, his new club closing in on the Presidents’ Trophy as long as they can maintain their current pace.
Hurricanes Reassign Charles-Alexis Legault
6:15 PM: Legault has been re-assigned to Chicago within hours, per the team. Carolina moves forward with six healthy defensemen on their roster, suggesting Gostisbehere could return Saturday against New Jersey. Meanwhile, Legault won’t play against his hometown team, the prompt ticket back to Chicago a result of their schedule; he should be all set for the Wolves’ game in Iowa tomorrow night.
3:56 PM: The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that they have recalled defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Legault, 22, made his NHL debut earlier this season but has spent most of the year at the AHL level.
With veteran defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere still sidelined by a lower-body injury, the Hurricanes had just six healthy defensemen on their active roster before this recall. Bringing Legault to the NHL gives the team a seventh defenseman and therefore cover in case an unexpected injury occurs. The Hurricanes are playing against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal tonight. While this was surely not the primary consideration motivating this recall, today’s transaction does give Legault the opportunity to travel for, and potentially dress for, tonight’s game.
Because that is happening in Montreal, it is a game in which his current team is competing against the NHL team nearest to where he grew up. With just eight NHL games on his resume, today’s recall could allow for Legault, a Laval native, to play an NHL game in front of scores of friends and family for the first time in his career. Even if he doesn’t dress, getting recalled for a road trip to his home city is still a nice reward for a player who has diligently worked his way up Carolina’s organizational depth chart this season.
The right-handed defenseman is in his second full season as a professional, spending two years at Quinnipiac University before turning pro. While there, he was a teammate of Skyler Brind’Amour, his current teammate with the Wolves and the son of Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour. He has been a clear developmental success story for the team as a 2023 fifth-round pick, and offers some defensive upside thanks to his size and strength. (He stands 6’4″, 220 pounds)
If he can continue to get more comfortable with the puck, he could eventually compete for a more permanent NHL role down the line. He is a regular penalty killer at the AHL level, and was the organization’s No. 22 prospect entering the season according to the team at Elite Prospects.
Dallas Stars Sign Aram Minnetian To Entry-Level Deal
The Dallas Stars announced that they have signed defenseman Aram Minnetian to a three-year entry-level contract, set to begin in the 2026-27 season. Minnetian will first sign an ATO to play for the AHL’s Texas Stars for the rest of the season.
A fourth-round pick of the Stars at the 2023 draft, Minnetian has spent the last three years playing college hockey at Boston College. By signing this contract, he has concluded his collegiate career at the end of his junior year. The 21-year-old New Jersey native developed into an impactful two-way top-four defenseman in college, utilizing his above-average skating and range to provide value on both ends of the ice.
He was the Eagles’ No. 1 defenseman this season, playing a heavy workload including a team-leading amount of ice time on the penalty kill. He entered the season ranked as Dallas’ No. 3 prospect by the team at Elite Prospects, with the outlet projecting him as a future No. 4 or No. 5 defenseman in the NHL. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked Minnetian as Dallas’ No. 6 prospect, calling him a “decisive, confident, consistent player in all areas.”
Minnetian will join an AHL stars team that looks to be a safe bet to reach the league’s postseason. Signing there will allow him to get his feet wet in pro hockey in a lower-stakes environment than the NHL, while still allowing him to play in important games for a team looking to chase down a Calder Cup.
Red Wings Reassign Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Dylan Larkin To Return
The Red Wings announced that they’ve reassigned rookie winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to AHL Grand Rapids. That means his emergency conditions have been removed, meaning that captain Dylan Larkin should be expected to return to the lineup tonight against the Senators. He’s officially labeled a game-time decision for now, per Ansar Khan of MLive.
Brandsegg-Nygard’s recall back on March 7, the day after the trade deadline, was linked directly to Larkin’s injury the night before. He also ended up falling victim to Detroit’s injury bug, sitting out the last four games with an undisclosed injury. At the very least, he’s now at least healthy and cleared to play and will do so for Grand Rapids in short order.
The 20-year-old Norwegian only got into three games on this recall before the injury. In them, he went without a point while averaging 12:28 of ice time per game. He added eight hits and six shot attempts.
The 2024 15th overall pick is in his first season in North America. While he hasn’t made much of an NHL impact – just one assist and a -5 rating across 12 games dating back to his opening-night roster inclusion – he has made a smooth adjustment to AHL play. With 16 goals and 37 points in 50 games for Grand Rapids, he’s tied for second on the team in scoring – along with a glowing +24 rating – and will get some postseason experience too with the Griffins cruising toward the best record in the AHL’s Western Conference.
As for Larkin, Detroit navigated his absence as well as can be expected. The star pivot has missed seven games with a non-contact leg injury, during which the Wings have tread water with a 3-3-1 record. In a playoff race as tight as it is in the East, that’s potentially a death blow to their postseason hopes. They’re now one point back of the Islanders for a spot with a game in hand and have a must-win contest tonight against the Senators, who only trail Detroit by a point.
Avalanche Activate Logan O’Connor From Long-Term Injured Reserve
Avalanche winger Logan O’Connor will make his season debut tonight, the team announced. He has been activated from long-term injured reserve, per the NHL’s media site. The club still has nearly $5MM in cap space after the move, per PuckPedia, so they’re not in a crunch there.
It’s months overdue, but a welcome sight nonetheless. O’Connor underwent hip surgery in early June last year after the Avs were dispatched by the Stars in the first round of the playoffs. It was his second hip surgery in as many years. The procedure came with a five-to-six-month recovery timeline, meaning he should have been back in the lineup a couple of weeks before Christmas at the latest – especially since reports late in the offseason indicated his recovery was ahead of schedule.
That may have been the case initially. O’Connor then had soft tissue issues pop up in November as he was ramping up toward a return. The pain and swelling that came along with it proved incredibly difficult to manage. O’Connor’s return timeline stretched for weeks without him even skating, but he did eventually return to the ice shortly before the Olympic break. Now, another six weeks later, he’ll finally be an option for Colorado over the last 13 games of the regular season.
Currently in the first season of a six-year, $15MM extension he signed back in 2024 during training camp, O’Connor has proven a valuable defensive checking presence in the Avs’ bottom six over the past several years. The 29-year-old first emerged as a full-time threat amid Colorado’s championship-winning season in 2021-22 and has stuck around as a regular ever since.
When healthy, he’s money in the bank for 20 points. He seemed to have taken another step forward in 2023-24, managing a career-high 13 goals and 25 points in only 57 outings, before his first hip surgery ended his season. His production took a step back to a 10-11–21 line in 80 games last year. His hit totals saw a significant drop-off, too, only logging 0.85 per game after clearing one per night easily through most of his career.
Still, O’Connor’s possession impacts have historically been outstanding. Over the past two seasons, he posted Corsi shares of 54.4% and 53.1% at 5-on-5 despite starting less than 35% of his shifts in the offensive zone. The Avs haven’t trusted any of their forwards to start fewer than 40% of their shifts in the defensive end this year, so having O’Connor back will be a luxury to allow even more offensive zone time for the team’s star-loaded scoring lines.