Bruins Recall Michael DiPietro
Feb. 20: Boston has assigned DiPietro back to Providence, Conor Ryan of the Boston Globe reports.
Feb. 18: The Bruins announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled goaltender Michael DiPietro from AHL Providence on an emergency basis. He’ll serve as Boston’s lone NHL-contracted practice netminder for the time being, as Jeremy Swayman (USA) and Joonas Korpisalo (Finland) are still representing their respective countries at the Olympics.
Back during training camp, there was concern DiPietro wouldn’t make it through waivers on his way to Providence. The 26-year-old had emerged as one of the AHL’s top netminders over the previous two seasons, including a .927 SV% in 40 games last year that earned him the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as the league’s best goaltender.
He’s well on his way to taking home that hardware for a second straight season. In 28 appearances for the P-Bruins, he’s put up a downright ridiculous .942 SV% and 1.64 GAA with a 21-5-0 record – but somehow only has one shutout to his name. Nonetheless, he has a 12-point lead in save percentage on the second-place netminder with at least 20 appearances.
He’s signed through next season at a $812,500 cap hit, giving the Bruins almost no choice but to work with Korpisalo’s 10-team no-trade list and find a new home for the veteran backup this summer. If they can’t, they’d essentially be forced into trading DiPietro to avoid the near certainty of losing him for nothing on waivers next October.
Wild Recall Boris Katchouk, Ben Gleason
Feb. 20: The Wild announced they’ve reassigned Kiersted to Iowa. Katchouk and Gleason remain with the club for now.
Feb. 18: The Wild announced they’ve recalled forward Boris Katchouk and defensemen Ben Gleason and Matt Kiersted from AHL Iowa. All will likely be on their way back to Iowa once Minnesota’s Olympians return stateside.
Katchouk started the season with the Lightning, kicking off his second stint with the team that drafted him 44th overall in 2016 by signing a two-way deal in free agency. All three of his NHL appearances this season – his first in two years – came in a Tampa sweater back in November. He went pointless while averaging 12:11 of ice time per game, going 7-for-19 (36.8%) on faceoffs.
After being returned to the minors, Katchouk remained in the Bolts organization for a month before being sent to the Wild in exchange for Michael Milne shortly after Christmas. The Wild were looking to jumpstart their AHL affiliate’s hapless offense with Katchouk’s veteran presence and 179 games of NHL experience, but it hasn’t worked out that way. An injury kept Katchouk out of the lineup for nearly a month in January, and he’s been limited to a goal and an assist in five games for Iowa as a result.
Gleason and Kiersted are also in their first years in the organization, although both of them arrived in free agency last summer rather than via trade. Gleason, 28 next month, hasn’t played in the NHL since his four-game debut with the Stars in 2018-19 but has been a desirable minor-league asset for the past eight years thanks to his steady two-way game. The cousin of longtime Hurricanes rearguard Tim Gleason has one goal and 17 points with a -16 rating in 44 outings for Iowa, tied for sixth on the team in scoring and second among blue-liners.
Kiersted is the only one of the group to see NHL time for the Wild this season. He’s suited up four times as an injury fill-in, posting one assist and a -1 rating with five blocks while averaging 13:42 of ice time per game. The Minnesota native hasn’t had much of an offensive impact on the farm, though, only notching six points and a -7 rating through 31 games.
Lightning Aiming To Add Right-Shot Defenseman
One of the Lightning’s priorities before the trade deadline is supplement their blue line, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said on Thursday’s edition of “Daily Faceoff Live.”
“The right side of that ‘D’ corps has been something that they’ve been looking to add. [I] wouldn’t be surprised if [Lightning GM Julien] BriseBois pulls that off. Now, one of the things he did tell me during the Stadium Series was that if they make a move, they don’t just want it to be for this season. They view it as adding now and impacting the roster moving forward. So, to me, that means somebody with term or at least somebody controllable.”
Short-term, adding to the blue line in a season where they’re arguably the clear favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference is arguably a requirement for BriseBois to address. While they’ve gotten consistently strong play out of their call-ups this season, they’ve been plagued by injuries. That won’t change after the Olympic break. Maxwell Crozier won’t be an option until the first round of the playoffs after undergoing core muscle surgery. Victor Hedman has been limited to just 21 games this season and sustained another lower-body injury while warming up for Sweden in yesterday’s Olympic quarterfinal loss to the United States.
The short and long-term pictures are thin on the right side. Crozier, when healthy, had emerged as an NHL-capable third-pairing option. Behind their top three of Darren Raddysh, Erik Černák, and Crozier, they don’t have any other righties in the organization that they’d want playing postseason minutes.
There’s also the question of whether Raddysh, a pending unrestricted free agent, will opt to extend with Tampa. The 29-year-old may be the top pending UFA available at this stage after Artemi Panarin signed his extension with the Kings. His incredible breakout campaign has him sixth in the league in scoring among defensemen with 52 points (17 goals, 35 assists) in 49 games. He’s also now Tampa’s No. 1 on the blue line in terms of deployment, averaging 22:33 of ice time per game. AFP Analytics projects a four-year extension in the mid-$5MM AAV range if he sticks around, but as his earning potential will never be greater than it is now, it’s hard to imagine him not at least wanting to test the market.
With Černák serving as their only top-four piece on the right side signed long-term, and the aging Hedman and Ryan McDonagh needing to start to wind down their minutes on the left side, the need for another high-powered righty to take the Bolts through the end of the decade is apparent. On the left side, they have at least one succession policy in J.J. Moser, who’s already arrived as a top-pairing capable piece. Until they have some degree of certainty surrounding Raddysh’s future, though, long-term right-shot depth remains an active weakness.
If the Bolts aren’t in the rental market, their options become more limited. Teams are never exactly chomping at the bit to part ways with a cost-controlled, or even rights-controlled, right-shot blue liner with top-four deployability. The most talked-about names on the market, veterans Dougie Hamilton and Justin Faulk, are both rather high-cost, on the wrong side of 30, and are only signed for two seasons (Hamilton) or one season (Faulk) past this one.
A younger name who could be a fit, especially short-term as a more natural third-pairing upgrade, is the Rangers’ Braden Schneider. The 24-year-old is a pending restricted free agent, so while he’s not cost-controlled, he at least has two years of team control left for the Bolts to sign him to a long-term deal. He’s averaging a career-high 20:19 per game for the Blueshirts this season with two goals, 11 points, and a -15 rating in 57 games. New York has relied on him heavily in shutdown situations over the past few seasons, and his possession numbers consistently come out above water compared to his offensive zone start percentage. With Černák taking the brunt of shutdown minutes in Tampa, there may be room for Schneider to chip in more offensively in easier minutes.
Sidney Crosby Ruled Out Of Semifinals, Possible For Medal Game
Feb. 20: Crosby will not play in today’s semifinal matchup against Finland, Hockey Canada announced. As IIHF rules stipulate a captain must be named for each game, Connor McDavid will wear the ‘C’ in his absence. Crosby, who by all accounts avoided a worst-case injury, is still questionable for either the bronze or gold medal game pending today’s result.
Feb. 18: During Canada’s dramatic overtime victory over Czechia in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby was forced out of the game with an injury.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan relayed word from Canadian head coach Jon Cooper post-game, who said that he didn’t know the extent of Crosby’s injury. According to Kaplan, Crosby will undergo medical imaging to determine the extent of the lower-body injury he suffered. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Hockey Canada is expected to issue an update on Crosby’s status on Thursday.
As one of the most iconic players in the history of Canadian international hockey competition, Crosby’s status is one of the key storylines to watch as the tournament progresses into the semifinal stage. At this point in time, one can only speculate on whether Crosby will be available for the rest of the tournament.
If Crosby is unavailable, it goes without saying that would be a massive loss for Canada. Crosby has six points in the tournament and his line with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone has been one of Canada’s best.
Any extended absence would also impact the Penguins. Pittsburgh is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, in large part powered by Crosby’s 59 points in 56 games. Losing Crosby, even for a brief period of time, would make winning on a nightly basis far more challenging for the Penguins.
As of right now, all Canada and Penguins fans can do is wait for Hockey Canada to issue an update regarding Crosby and hope it’s positive.
Snapshots: McMann, Chytil, Jets
Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann is the middle of a career year and appears to be poised to cash in on his next contract. While Toronto would like to re-sign him, talks don’t appear to be going well as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on a Leafs Morning Take appearance (video link) that there has been no progression in those discussions. The 29-year-old is on a very affordable $1.35MM price tag which could fit in on most contender’s cap structures which is part of the reason Toronto is believed to be seeking a first-round pick for his services. If the two sides can’t work out an extension over the next couple of weeks, we’ll find out if his contract is valuable enough to net the Maple Leafs the return they seek.
More from around the NHL:
- Filip Chytil’s tough luck this season continues. After missing time before the break with more migraine headaches, he returned to practice on Tuesday. However, Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province notes that the center took a puck to the face in a mini-game at practice on Wednesday, causing him to exit early and go for imaging. Chytil has been limited to just a dozen games this season and has a long, documented history with concussions (or concussion-like symptoms). Now, it looks like he could be out of the Canucks’ lineup for a while once again.
- Jets defenseman Neal Pionk could return to the lineup on their upcoming three-game road trip, relays Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). The veteran has missed a little more than a month with a lower-body injury. Pionk has had at least 32 points in six straight years but will be hard-pressed to get there this season as he has just eight in 40 outings. Meanwhile, it appears blueliner Haydn Fleury is a little further away from returning. Head coach Scott Arniel noted that while Fleury is progressing in his recovery from an upper-body injury, he still needs time to build his conditioning back up.
Two Prospects Receive 20-Game Suspensions In AHL
A pair of NHL prospects will be waiting quite a while before they can play their next game. Earlier this week, the AHL announced that Rockford goalie Stanislav Berezhnoy and Coachella Valley forward David Goyette have received 20-game suspensions for violating the terms of the AHL/PHPA Performance Enhancing Substance Program. The program essentially replicates the NHL’s penalties for violations, meaning that this is a first-time offence for both players. They will be ineligible for recall to the NHL while serving their bans.
Berezhnoy is in his first season in North America after the Blackhawks signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract last summer. The 22-year-old has played in 15 games so far this season for the IceHogs, largely serving as Drew Commesso’s backup. Berezhnoy has a 5-9-1 record with a 3.18 GAA and a .888 SV% in those outings. He received a brief NHL recall in January when Chicago’s starting tandem was unavailable but didn’t see any game action.
As for Goyette, he’s in the second season of his entry-level deal. Drafted in the second round (61st overall) by the Kraken back in 2022, the 21-year-old was a productive scorer in junior but that has yet to translate to the pros. Goyette had 282 points in three OHL seasons (spanning 197 games) but had 18 points in 54 outings with the Firebirds last season and has just 10 in 47 appearances in 2025-26. He hasn’t seen any NHL action so far in his career.
Both players will be able to return before the playoffs. Berezhnoy is eligible to return on April 11th while Goyette can play one day sooner. At that point, there will be just over a week left in the AHL season and if either team is still fighting for a playoff spot since then, it could be risky to put them in after being off for so long.
Central Notes: Stanley, Holloway, Dickinson
Jets defenseman Logan Stanley told Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press that contract extension talks are likely to resume over the next few days. The blueliner is a pending unrestricted free agent and is in the middle of a career season. He already has nine goals and 18 points, both personal bests, while his 16:33 ATOI would also be a new benchmark if it holds up the rest of the season. Stanley made it clear that he would love to stay in Winnipeg but having said that, if a deal isn’t reached by the March 6th trade deadline, it’s likely that he’ll be on the move instead. The 27-year-old is on a very affordable $1.25MM contract which will only help generate interest should the Jets opt to put him on the market.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- Blues winger Dylan Holloway is expected to return to the lineup next Thursday, relays Lou Korac of The Hockey News. The 24-year-old returned to game action a little more than a month ago from a high ankle sprain that cost him 15 games. However, the return was rushed and he ultimately sat the next eight leading into the break. After a breakout performance last season that saw him pick up a career-high 26 goals and 63 points, Holloway has been limited to eight goals and nine assists in 34 games this year. Heading for restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility this summer, he’ll be looking for a strong performance down the stretch, even with St. Louis well out of the playoff picture.
- Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson left practice today due to illness, notes Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). He’s likely to be one of Chicago’s more prominent trade chips heading into the trade deadline a couple of weeks from now. Dickinson only has 13 points in 43 games but his defensive reputation should help garner some interest from teams looking for bottom-six depth, especially if the Blackhawks retain part of his $4.25MM cap charge.
Evening Notes: Anderson, Luukkonen, Ratzlaff
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson told reporters, including Zach Dooley, Manager of Editorial Content for the team, that he is optimistic to return next game post-break, against Vegas on February 25.
The 26-year-old was able to skate over the break and is on the right track. Anderson left early against Carolina on February 1 with an apparent finger injury, unable to go in the Kings’ last two games before the Olympics. Clearly missing their trusty shutdown sidekick of Drew Doughty, the Kings lost both, and were outscored 8-3. Anderson was placed on injured reserve February 8.
Set to host Vegas in six days, the game will be full of excitement as Artemi Panarin is expected to make his long awaited Kings debut, although with the damper of missing Kevin Fiala after his devastating injury in Milan. Hopefully with Anderson back in the mix, Los Angeles will work on catching Anaheim for the second Wild Card spot and push for the playoffs.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen returned to practice today, noted by Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550, and seems to be on track to return in his club’s next game as well. The soon to be 27-year-old left mid game against Toronto on January 27 due to an apparent lower-body injury, concerning as he had to miss the start of the campaign due to the same ailment. Unfortunately, the injury cost him a spot on Team Finland at the Olympics, opening the door for Bruins netminder Joonas Korpisalo. Luukkonen has posted a .902 save percentage and 2.73 goals against average, to go with an 11-7-2 record. Buffalo is back in action next Wednesday at New Jersey.
- Not surprising given Luukkonen’s positive news, Buffalo reassigned fellow netminder Scott Ratzlaff back to ECHL Jacksonville earlier today. Like many others across the league, Ratzlaff got to fill in and practice with the big club during the Olympic break. A fifth round selection by the team in 2023, the 20-year-old is in his first professional season hailing from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Ratzlaff has spent most time in the ECHL, posting a strong .916 save percentage in 12 contests, also playing in six games for AHL Rochester, winning three.
Penguins, Evgeni Malkin Expected To Discuss Extension
The Penguins are presumed to sit down with icon Evgeni Malkin and discuss an extension before the NHL season starts again next Wednesday, as outlined by David Pagnotta in an article published by The Fourth Period.
According to Pagnotta, prior to the Olympic break, it had been planned that GM Kyle Dubas and Malkin’s agent J.P. Barry would work through their options. It has yet to happen, but there’s still a plan to do so, at least laying the groundwork for a new contract which could be finalized down the road. Naturally, Malkin’s status has been a major story in Pittsburgh this season, and after this week, both sides should have a stronger indication of what’s next.
As difficult as it is to imagine the 39-year-old wearing anything else other than the black and yellow, 20 years into his Penguins tenure, the club has missed the playoffs in each of their last three seasons. Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff round since 2018, when Phil Kessel was still dishing it around on Malkin’s wing at an elite level.
Former GM Ron Hextall’s efforts to keep the window open proved futile, leaving Dubas with the difficult situation of simultaneously building toward the future, while doing the team’s beloved stars right and not letting them go out quietly.
All of that to say, there was enough reason to speculate if the core had one more run left in them, or if Malkin and Sidney Crosby could split before it is all said and done. Instead, to the credit of Dubas, the Pens are well on their way back to the postseason. Not all of the former Toronto executive’s moves have panned out perfectly, but if anything, the team’s revival is a testament to the legend of Malkin and Crosby. Just last month, it was starting to become apparent that the predicament was fading away, and an extension should materialize.
A -24 last season with 50 points in 68 games, Geno has turned the page in 2025-26, currently at over a point-per-game production in 41 contests. His metrics at even strength have dipped, just below the 50% mark in corsi for in all situations, but Malkin remains elite on the power play and still a vital top six contributor.
Outlined in the article, Malkin is likely willing to take a pay cut from his current $6.1MM value on a one-year extension, taking him through 2026-27, which is also Crosby’s final year signed. Such will have to be worked out in the coming weeks, but in all likelihood, Penguins fans can look ahead to a proper final chapter for their franchise giants of the 21st century.
Image Credit: Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Flyers Reassign Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald, Carson Bjarnason
Feb. 19: The Flyers announced they’ve returned Bonk, McDonald, and goaltender Carson Bjarnason to Lehigh Valley today. They’ll get into AHL game action over the weekend after getting a day’s worth of NHL practice time.
Feb. 18: The Flyers have recalled defensemen Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald from AHL Lehigh Valley as expected, per a team announcement. They’ll get some practice reps in while Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen are still representing their countries at the Olympics.
While Bonk likely won’t be sticking around past the next week, it’s still a nice reward for Philly’s top-ranked defense prospect. Viewed as the only future top-four piece in their pipeline, the 21-year-old has had a trying first professional season. An upper-body injury sustained during rookie camp kept him out of the lineup until December. Since returning, he’s had two goals and six points with a -5 rating in 22 games for Lehigh Valley.
Bonk was the 22nd overall selection in 2023. He’s a two-time OHL champion with the London Knights and recorded 150 points in 189 career junior games with a +88 rating across four seasons. The early lack of offensive production in the AHL likely isn’t too concerning for the Flyers, who drafted the right-shot Bonk as more of a defensive-oriented two-way piece, but they’ll look to continue to grow his defensive game in the minors until likely giving him a more extended look on the roster in either 2026-27 or 2027-28.
McDonald, also a shutdown-type piece, got a brief recall in January while Rasmus Ristolainen was sidelined, but was scratched in three games before being returned to Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old 6’4″ lefty has five assists and a +9 rating in 40 games for the Phantoms this year.