Flyers To Activate Tyson Foerster From Injured Reserve
The Flyers will activate winger Tyson Foerster from injured reserve before tonight’s game against the Red Wings, the team announced. He underwent arm surgery in mid-December and wasn’t expected to be an option until mid-May, making his return roughly six weeks ahead of schedule.
Things couldn’t look much brighter at the moment for the Flyers, who have made themselves a late entrant in the Eastern Conference playoff push. They’ve gotten some help with the Islanders, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, and Senators all cooling off, but have done their job to make themselves competitive, going 7-2-1 in their last 10. They’re now just two points back of Columbus for the playoff cutoff with a game in hand, but still have Detroit and Ottawa to leapfrog, too. The crowded field still has the Flyers’ playoff odds down at 22.3%, per MoneyPuck, but that’s still a tangible chance this late in the year.
Foerster returning only stands to boost their chances. A strong two-way piece who looks to be a consistent 20-goal man for years to come, he started his season with 10 tallies in only 21 games before sustaining the fracture.
The 23rd overall pick in 2020, Foerster is scoring at a 25-goal, 42-point pace per 82 games so far in his NHL career. With only 187 games under his belt, there’s plenty of room to grow. The 24-year-old inked a two-year, $7.5MM bridge deal before reaching restricted free agency last summer but was rewarded with plenty of ice time to begin the year, skating on the left wing in a familiar top-nine slot with Noah Cates and the now-traded Bobby Brink while averaging a career-high 17:27 per game.
Head coach Rick Tocchet has done a good bit of line shuffling since the last time Foerster was available, and they’ve also welcomed a pair of rookies, Denver Barkey and Porter Martone, into the regular forward rotation. Even with that, they trialed Foerster as their first-line left wing at this morning’s practice alongside Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett, per Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports, so it doesn’t appear he’ll be limited at all despite his early return.
Senators Recall Cameron Crotty
The Senators have recalled defenseman Cameron Crotty from AHL Belleville, the team announced Thursday.
Crotty gets elevated to the NHL blue line amid yet another injury in Ottawa. Top defense prospect Carter Yakemchuk, who was an injury-related call-up in his own right last week after Thomas Chabot needed surgery on his right forearm, left the Sens’ loss to the Panthers on Tuesday after a hit from Noah Gregor left him dazed. He presumably won’t be playing tonight against the Sabres with his upper-body injury, although it’s unclear whether he’s in concussion protocol.
And, while #1 option Jake Sanderson is close to returning from the upper-body injury that’s sidelined him for the last 12 games, that won’t happen tonight, per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. He’s been upgraded to day-to-day but still carried a non-contact designation at Thursday morning’s practice. With Dennis Gilbert also out another two weeks with an upper-body issue and Nick Jensen done for the regular season, that’s five defense options, including three regulars, that the Sens are missing as they chase down a wild-card spot.
As such, Crotty will make his Ottawa debut and just his third career NHL appearance tonight against Buffalo with a long-awaited playoff berth for their opponent on the line. The 26-year-old is an Ottawa-area native and signed a two-year, two-way pact with the Sens last offseason.
The Sens are Crotty’s third NHL organization. He was a third-round pick by the Coyotes in 2017 and stayed in Arizona until becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent in 2024. He then signed a two-way deal with the Wild, spending just last year with Minnesota before landing in Ottawa.
Crotty’s two career NHL appearances came at the tail ends of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns with the Coyotes and Wild, respectively. The 6’3″ defensive-minded righty didn’t record a point in either, logging a -2 rating with two blocks and four hits with only 15:11 of total time on ice.
In 49 games with Belleville this season, Crotty has three goals and seven assists for 10 points with a -4 rating. He’s now up to 59 points in 332 career AHL outings over the last six seasons.
All these injuries will leave Tyler Kleven as Ottawa’s lone left-shot option on defense tonight. That means Nikolas Matinpalo and Lassi Thomson will dress on their off-sides on the second and third pairings, respectively.
William Nylander Wants To Stay With Maple Leafs Through Retool
The Maple Leafs’ next general manager will likely be the most important move Keith Pelley makes as president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. He admitted as much in his media availability Tuesday after announcing the firing of Brad Treliving the night before (via Kristen Shilton of ESPN).
Teetering on the edge between a more conservative, short-term retool and a blow-it-all-up rebuild, that decision will determine whether the foundational pieces still remaining from their post-lockout decade of darkness have a chance to end their careers in Toronto. If it’s the latter option with the goal of returning to consistent playoff contention within a year or two, star winger William Nylander told Jonas Siegel of The Athletic on Wednesday that “I still want to be here” if the Leafs’ head executive doesn’t opt for a full teardown.
Of course, any full rebuild would involve at least entertaining the idea of moving Nylander, the Leafs’ all-around offensive centerpiece who turns 30 next month. He holds all the cards with a no-movement clause for all six years remaining on his $11.5MM AAV contract, but if it comes to that, his desire to stay would be “a different story,” he told Siegel. He stopped short of admitting it was a foregone conclusion that he would be open to a move if Toronto opted to sell off the rest of their valuable pieces, but it’s clear it would be something he would consider.
The retool-or-rebuild decision comes down to whether the Leafs’ incoming GM believes there’s enough they can do to return to a playoff spot within the next two years. Auston Matthews will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028. They’re not in a long-term position where they can even think about risking losing him for nothing.
If they can do enough surgery on the rest of the roster, which is headed for a bottom-three finish in the East this year for the first time in a decade, to give them a bright enough long-term outlook to convince Matthews to stay, then it makes sense to keep rolling as long as they can given their bevy of other long-term commitments on the books. If not, the best time to sell off names like Matthews, Nylander, and Matthew Knies is this summer, when their cost-control levels are highest, and they have the most years of effective play remaining.
Nylander has clinched his fourth consecutive season above a point per game and leads the Leafs with 71 points despite missing over 15 games this season with various injuries. The second of two Mikko Rantanen trades last season, which netted the Hurricanes a pair of first-round picks, a pair of thirds, and a long-term top-nine fixture in Logan Stankoven, would be a direct comparable if they did opt to rebuild and look to move him.
Of course, the three-time 40-goal scorer’s remarkable consistency in production as of late makes him, as Pelley said Tuesday, an incredibly strong foundational piece to continue building around. That remains ownership’s preference, but he signaled they would be open to a more aggressive rebuilding approach if that’s what his hire of choice believes is the best path forward.
Assessing The Best Free Agent Signings From Summer 2025
As we move into the final month of the season, it has become quite clear which moves from last summer paid off and which ones did not. While long-term effects of summer trades and signings are always part of the picture, it’s interesting to look back and assess the best free-agent signings to see which teams got value for their money and which did not.
Players don’t always succeed immediately with their new teams; sometimes there’s a settling-in period. However, many moves made last summer in free agency have significantly impacted playoff races this year.
For this exercise, we will focus specifically on players who were unrestricted free agents and moved to new teams. This excludes players like Brad Marchand or John Tavares, who re-signed with their respective teams before July 1.
The first player that comes to mind is the Penguins’ top goal scorer, Anthony Mantha, who signed a one-year, $2.5MM contract (plus $2MM in performance bonuses) with the Penguins after missing most of last season with the Flames due to an ACL tear. Many believed that Mantha would have a chance to improve his free-agent stock in Pittsburgh by playing top-six minutes before cashing in during the summer of 2026.
Last summer, the Penguins seemed like a team that would be selling at the trade deadline, so it made sense that they would give Mantha a one-year deal and then trade him for future assets in February or March. However, that outlook couldn’t have been further from the truth, as Mantha has become a key part of a Pittsburgh team that has surprised the NHL this season and remains competitive in the Eastern Conference. With 30 goals and 28 assists in 75 games, Mantha has provided considerable surplus value to the Penguins and is likely to secure a major contract this summer, particularly among one of the thinnest free-agent fields in the salary cap era.
Last year, much of the talk during free agency was that the goaltending market was incredibly thin, and on paper, it certainly looked that way. But that didn’t stop the Buffalo Sabres from exploring the free agency waters, signing Alex Lyon to a two-year, $3MM contract that has proven to be an absolute steal.
Lyon has split duties with his goalie partner, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and has appeared in 35 games this season, posting a record of 20-9-4 with a 2.69 GAA and a .909 SV%. While those stats are solid, the standout figure in Lyon’s line is his goals saved above expected, which currently sits at 14.8 (according to MoneyPuck). Lyon won’t be winning any awards this year, but considering how much money teams are spending on ineffective goaltending, Lyon has been a real boon for Buffalo.
Sticking with the goalies, another underrated signing that has paid off is Daniel Vladař of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 28-year-old was mainly a backup before this season but has become the Flyers’ starting goaltender, dressing in 45 games while posting a 24-13-7 record, a 2.50 GAA, and a .904 SV%.
Vladař has been excellent value on a two-year deal with a $3.35MM AAV. Not only is Vladař’s save percentage above average, but his goals saved above expected is up to 9.6, suggesting that his underlying numbers indicate a goaltender who has stolen some games for Philadelphia.
A signing that didn’t happen until the fall was forward Jack Roslovic, who again had to accept an under-market one-year deal. Roslovic signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with the Oilers on Oct. 8 after his second straight unsuccessful free agency run, where he failed to secure a multi-year deal that suited him.
In Edmonton, the 29-year-old has already achieved his second straight 20-goal season and has been a reliable playmaker for the Oilers. Given his consistent production over the past two seasons, it’s unlikely he’s willing to settle for another one-year deal, especially in a tight free agent market.
Moving to the backend, veteran Brent Burns was a free agent for the first time in his career at age 40. Burns signed a one-year deal with the Avalanche that included a potential $4MM in bonuses, of which he will likely earn $3MM this season.
Burns is no longer an elite offensive defenseman, but he has still scored 10 goals and 19 assists in 73 games this year while playing in every game and averaging almost 19 minutes per game. Burns has benefited from playing on a top team and from a high PDO, but for a veteran right-shot defenseman or a bargain one-year deal, he’s worked out as well as the Avs could have hoped for.
Finally, we return to the Penguins and the skillful work of general manager Kyle Dubas accomplished in the early days of free agency last year. Not only did Dubas sign 30-goal scorer Mantha, but he also secured Justin Brazeau with a two-year deal worth just $3MM, as well as defenseman Parker Wotherspoon on a two-year, $2MM deal. The contracts gave Dubas a top-nine forward in Brazeau and a top-pairing defenseman to play alongside Erik Karlsson, all at a total cost of $2.5MM per season for this year and the next.
Dubas and Penguins Director of Player Personnel Wes Clark did excellent work last summer, finding players with lots of potential who hadn’t been given the chance to succeed. By betting on low-risk, high-upside free agents, Dubas effectively accelerated the Penguins’ retooling plans, which seemed unlikely just a year ago, when the team had missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
Earlier this season, there was talk that Penguins captain Sidney Crosby should request a trade because he might not make the playoffs again. However, thanks to Dubas’s bargain shopping, the Penguins now seem to be on track for the playoffs and have plenty of cap space this summer to strengthen their already impressive lineup.
Snapshots: Ducks, Smith, Tracy
Shortly ahead of tonight’s game at San Jose, the Anaheim Ducks revealed that Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov wouldn’t play due to lower body injuries.
For Gudas, it more or less confirms the suspicion that the 35-year-old laced them up not yet healthy in order to answer the bell against the Maple Leafs. It’s a commendable act from the Ducks’ captain, especially as Gudas didn’t throw a punch in his scrap with Max Domi, stemming from the controversial hit which ended Auston Matthews’ season. Nonetheless, the Czech stay-at-home man will look to get healthy in time for the playoffs.
Another defenseman, Mintyukov has dealt with his own lower body issue, keeping him out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. The 22-year-old has developed nicely in Anaheim, averaging 18:26 a contest and needing just one more game to make a career high 69 appearances in a season. Mintyukov still has untapped offensive upside, offering 20 points so far in 2025-26.
Neither Gudas or Mintyukov figure to have serious issues, but in the meantime, Ian Moore and Drew Helleson have stepped in.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Los Angeles will weigh their coaching options this summer, as insider David Pagnotta suspected that interim head coach D.J. Smith won’t be back, on Monday’s edition of Oilersnation Everyday. After firing Jim Hiller on March 1, Smith’s efforts to provide a spark have proved often ineffective, with a 5-5-4 record. The former Senators head man has a .465 career win percentage, not winning more than 39 games in a season. This summer will bring major change to the Kings with icon Anže Kopitar set to hang up his skates, but still offering a strong core in win-now mode, Los Angeles will seek a long-term solution behind the bench. Smith, 48, came to the Kings as an assistant in February 2024. If it’s indeed the beginning of the end of his tenure, it’s safe to assume another NHL club will come calling with a similiar job offer.
- The Henderson Silver Knights, aptly named affiliates of Vegas, inked goaltender Alexander Tracy to an AHL contract for 2026-27. The undrafted netminder enters the professional circuit after an impressive four year career at Minnesota State University – Mankato. A native of Chicago, Illinois, the 25-year-old got the bulk of starts for three of his four collegiate seasons. He put up an eye-popping .946 save percentage last season, followed by a .927% this year, winning over 20 games in each. Vegas has had three drafted goaltenders who have gotten significant playing time in the AHL, but behind Carl Lindbom, who has played well, neither Cameron Whitehead or Jesper Vikman have been able to stand out. Vikman was dealt to the Capitals organization as part of the Nic Dowd trade. As a result, the 5’11” Tracy will compete for a backup role in Henderson.
Injury Notes: Moore, Mangiapane, Hagel
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, including Scott Powers of The Athletic, that young forward Oliver Moore could make a late season return, but it’s also possible his season has ended. Needless to say, it’s uncertain at this time.
Moore suffered an undisclosed injury in early March, leaving against Dallas and not playing since. In the dreary closing games of the campaign for the 31st-ranked Hawks, bringing the explosive skater back into the lineup would bring some excitement. However, Chicago has no reason to rush their top prospect back.
The 21-year-old has recorded 19 points in 51 games this year, a successful first true NHL campaign. His 48% expected goals share is laudable for any young forward on a team less often in the win column. It’s a nice foundation to build off of in 2026-27.
Even if the 19th overall selection (2023) doesn’t eventually blossom into a true top six forward, he has the perfect skill set to be a force in the middle six. Such are the exact type of players Chicago needs to cap off their rebuild.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Also in the Windy City, Andrew Mangiapane is traveling with the team, noted by Powers. He won’t get to carry a chip on his shoulder to the ice in Edmonton, but could appear later in the road trip. Since coming over from the Oilers, Mangiapane has two points in seven games as he looks to rebuild his stock. His possession metrics have dipped even further as a Blackhawk, down to 43.6% corsi for at five-on-five, but that’s expected on the non-playoff team. If the 29-year-old is to restore his old high scoring ways, it’ll have to be by earning a larger role and getting power play time alongside Connor Bedard. So far Mangiapane is averaging 12:23 a night in Chicago, essentially the same as was in Edmonton.
- Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel is day-to-day and it’s unlikely he’ll appear tomorrow against Pittsburgh, per Diandra Loux of The Hockey News. The 27-year-old former sixth round selection continues to flourish with the Lightning, putting up 73 points in 69 games this season as the Bolts’ third leading scorer. It’ll be beneficial for the Penguins who are more in need of points than their opponents. Hagel should return far in time for the playoffs, as soon as Saturday against Boston. His club is currently fifth in the league, looking to end their three year first round exit streak.
Golden Knights Assign Braeden Bowman To AHL
The Vegas Golden Knights announced tonight that Braeden Bowman has been assigned to AHL Henderson.
Undrafted out of the OHL, Bowman caught on with Vegas and has become a solid depth forward at just 22 years old. A team always right against the cap, with injuries also a factor, the winger managed to get into 54 games at the NHL level where he’s come away with eight goals and 26 points on 14:08 a night. Offering a 49.6% corsi for at five on five, respectable for any unsung rookie, Bowman’s shifts were relatively protected by the now-fired head coach Bruce Cassidy, starting just under 60% in the offensive zone.
Either way, Bowman has lit it up in small AHL usage this season, 12 points in as many games, and he’ll be welcomed into 12th-ranked Henderson’s forward corps with open arms.
The trade deadline acquisitions of Nic Dowd and Cole Smith, both defensive specialists, effectively bumped Bowman out of the lineup who naturally was less trusted in such a role. He hadn’t played since March 21, also unable yet to make an impression in-game under new bench boss John Tortorella.
With seven regular season games left after a shocking late-season shift, Vegas will hope the bold move provides a spark, while Bowman will enjoy playing time in the AHL. The Golden Knights have several veterans with expiring contracts, the likes of Colton Sissons, Brandon Saad, Reilly Smith, as well as the other Smith mentioned above. As a result, Bowman will continue to be an appealing depth option in years to come, already putting together an impressive career for an undrafted player.
Canucks Recall Ty Mueller
Ahead of tonight’s game against Colorado, the Vancouver Canucks announced that prospect Ty Mueller has been recalled from AHL Abbotsford.
A fourth round selection by the team in 2023, the center has developed nicely in the AHL right from the jump out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Mueller debuted last year with 39 points in 64 games, serving as a key rookie on the way to Abbotsford’s 2025 Calder Cup title. The efforts got him into two games with the big club, where he didn’t record any points.
This season the Edmonton, Alberta native has continued to progress, sitting second in team scoring with 35 points in 59 games. Abbotsford has iced a younger forward corps this year, and ranking 30th in the AHL, they won’t be defending their championship this spring. With that in mind, the similarly bottom-feeding Vancouver has little to lose in giving the 23-year-old another look.
With a forecast projected to land somewhere in the bottom six level, Mueller is not among the Canucks’ highest end prospects, hovering more in the 5-10 range. Yet for a player chosen 105th overall, the lefty has made a strong case to crack Vancouver’s lineup starting next fall, particularly as they’ll turn the roster over to more young players. Mueller’s AHL production has already surpassed his expectations, and with a season far lost, Vancouver fans will hope to watch a successful audition as he continues to grow into a future NHLer. At 5’11”, he brings a very well rounded game.
Evidently, Max Sasson is expected to return to the lineup tonight in a whimsical battle between the NHL’s best and worst team. As a result Mueller is not expected to play, but the youngster will enjoy the call-up nonetheless, looking ahead to tomorrow’s action in Minnesota as a chance to appear in his third NHL game.
San Jose Sharks Activate Ty Dellandrea
The San Jose Sharks announced that they’ve activated forward Ty Dellandrea from the injured reserve. Without a corresponding roster move, the Sharks will have 25 players on the active roster, 16 of whom are forwards.
Dellandrea, 25, has missed nearly two full months of action. On January 6th, in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dellandrea collided with a goal post and subsequently tore his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Although he managed to avoid surgery, his extensive recovery process cost him 30 games of the regular season.
Before the injury, Dellandrea was having a relatively solid season. In 42 games this year, his second in San Jose, Dellandrea registered two goals and 11 points with a -15 rating, averaging 14:24 of ice time per game. Still, he remains looking to recapture his form from a few years ago, when he scored nine goals and 28 points in 82 games with the Dallas Stars while averaging a similar ATOI.
However, if he had remained healthy, Dellandrea would have gotten fairly close to those totals. Even as a third-line forward, the Sharks still view Dellandrea as a part of the near future, as they made him one of seven forwards on the team to be signed through the 2027-28 season.
It’ll be interesting to see how Dellandrea’s role on the Sharks changes throughout his upcoming contract. San Jose has a glut of young forwards knocking on the door, and cuts will have to be made to make room. Still, with many veteran forwards playing on one to two-year deals, Dellandrea’s spot on the roster should be safe for now.
Panthers Recall Tobias Bjornfot, Mikulas Hovorka
The Florida Panthers need more depth with two additional defensemen out with injury. According to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, the Panthers have recalled Tobias Björnfot and Mikulas Hovorka from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Florida later confirmed the transaction.
It’s expected that both defensemen will be in the lineup tomorrow against the Boston Bruins. In the same report, Richards shared that Aaron Ekblad, who is dealing with a hand injury after blocking a shot, and Dmitry Kulikov, who took a puck off the face, are both being held out.
That will leave Seth Jones and Gustav Forsling as the only two defensemen who played on opening night this season to be in Florida’s lineup tomorrow. That’s without factoring in the multiple injuries to the forward corps, as the Panthers are also expected to be without Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, Jonah Gadjovich, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart, and Anton Lundell.
It’s been the overarching theme of the 2025-26 season for Florida. Injuries have prevented the Panthers from achieving any success this year and will also prevent the team from defending their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
At any rate, it allows a pair of defensemen who haven’t played much for the team this season. Björnfot, 24, has scored two goals and one assist in 11 games for the Panthers this season, averaging 11:33 of ice time per night. Meanwhile, Hovorka, 24, has only one game of NHL experience under his belt, skating for 11:27 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on February 5th.