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Devils Dougie Hamilton Returns From Injury

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The Devils Dougie Hamilton is in the lineup tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, per a team announcement. The defender has missed the past 18 games due to a lower body injury he sustained on March 4th against the Dallas Stars. He has recovered quicker than expected after it was originally thought he would miss the remainer of the regular season.

According to an NHL release, Hamilton has been skating on his own the past three weeks and participated in warmups prior to Sunday’s game against the Islanders. Tonight, he has slotted right back into the team’s top pairing alongside Brenden Dillon.

On the season, the offensive-minded defender has put up 9 goals, 31 assists and 40 points in 63 games. He has added 81 blocked shots, 74 hits, a plus-nine rating, and has averaged 19:48 of total ice time per game on the year. In his career, the 31-year-old has scored 501 points in 834 career games.

Prior to the game, Devils coach Sheldon Keefe noted how hard Hamilton has worked to get ahead of schedule and back into the lineup. He added that Hamilton was, “Excited to go.”

New Jersey will finish third in the Metropolitan Division and will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Hamilton’s return and ability to shake off a little rust tonight, should support the Devils’ efforts in the playoffs. In 66 career playoff games, Hamilton has posted 29 points.

Snapshots: Merzlikins, Nurse, Atkinson, Puljujarvi

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will have to stick with alternative options in net as starter Elvis Merzlikins is not expected to be healthy for the team’s season finale on Thursday per NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Merzlikins has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. He’s not far off from a return and has already returned to practice, should Columbus find a way to extend their season. To make the playoffs, the Blue Jackets will need to win their final game, and hope the Montreal Canadiens lose their finale against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Columbus has utilized red-hot goaltender Jet Greaves in the wake of Merzlikins’ injury. The 24-year-old fill-in has been stellar over his recent stretch, winning each of his last four games and recording two shutouts. In total, Greaves has posted a .975 save percentage over his last stretch. The performance has been a continuation of Greaves’ dominant season in the minor leagues, where he’s recorded a .920 save percentage in 40 appearances – sixth-highest in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets will face a tough decision should they break into the postseason. Merzlikins has a quaint .892 save percentage and 26-21-5 record on the season. That’s been enough to perform above backup Daniil Tarasov’s .881 save percentage, but it’s hardly been enough to boost the squad’s playoff odds. With Greaves having one of the hottest gloves in the hockey world over his last four games, Columbus could opt for the youngster as they pursue their first playoff bid since 2020.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended for one game for cross-checking Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, per an announcement from the Department of Player Safety. No details on if Byfield is injured have been released, though he was a scratch in Los Angeles’ final game of the season. Nurse will miss Edmonton’s season finale – an ultimately inconsequential game with the squad already locked into a First Round matchup with the Kings. As things stand, both Nurse and Byfield are expected to return for Game 1 of the postseason. Nurse will look to find a spark after netting 33 points in 76 games this season, while Byfield will continue his lead of the Kings’ lineup, after scoring 23 goals and 54 points in 80 games. Byfield ranks fourth on the Kings in scoring.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled veteran depth forward Cam Atkinson. The move comes after fourth-line forward Mitchell Chaffee was banged up in the team’s Tuesday win over the Florida Panthers. Atkinson has been assigned to the minors on multiple occasions but hasn’t played in any AHL contests. His only hockey this season has come from 38 games in the Tampa Bay lineup, where he’s recorded nine points, eleven penalty minutes, and a minus-four. Atkinson may need to fill Chaffee’s depth role in Tampa Bay’s Thursday finale against the New York Rangers. Chaffee has 12 goals and 18 points in 66 games this season.
  • Speaking of Chaffee, Florida Panthers winger Jesse Puljujarvi is set to have a DoPS hearing for an illegal check to the Lightning forward’s head on Tuesday. Puljujarvi hasn’t yet received any discipline from DoPS in his eight-year NHL career. He’s playing with his fourth NHL club in the last three years in Florida, and has one goal and 15 penalty minutes in five games. Puljujarvi earned his call-up to the Panthers lineup after recording 12 points in 20 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He’ll be one of many options the team has as they enter the postseason, though any lineup role would be minimal.

Kraken’s Jared McCann Scheduled For Surgery

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Despite playing all 82 games this season, Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann has been dealing with a lingering undisclosed injury and will have surgery in the offseason, per Seattle Times Reporter Kate Shefte.

While the exact procedure isn’t known, McCann told reporters on Monday that the surgery is something that will keep him on the shelf for approximately six weeks. That timeline should easily allow McCann to be ready for training camp next season. McCann and the Kraken will look to build upon their 35-40-6 record this season, which of course resulted in missing the playoffs. For his part, the soon-to-be 29-year-old put led the Kraken in points with 22-39-61 stat line. He added a plus-eight rating, 50 hits, and 47 blocked shots on 17:13 minutes of ice time per game.

Since coming to Seattle after being left exposed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2021 expansion draft, McCann has become a legitimate top six forward. In 315 games with Seattle, he has registered 118 goals, 125 assists, and 243 points. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in goals, points, shots, and shooting percentage, and only trails Adam Larsson in games played. He has scored at least 20 goals in each season with Seattle, and his 39 assists this season set a career high.

Selected 24th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2014, McCann has two years remaining on a team-friendly $5MM AAV contract. That pairs him with forwards Matthew Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, Jaden Schwartz, Andre Burakovsky, and Jordan Eberle for at least another season. Kaapo Kakko, who thrived in Seattle after being traded by the New York Rangers, is set to become a restricted free agent. It stands to reason the Kraken will be interested in retaining Kakko’s services, although he will be due a large raise on his current $2.4MM contract.

Minor Transactions: 4/16/25

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The NHL season has come to an end, or soon will, for teams around the league that missed out on this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. That fact has driven many to begin the process of assigning their waiver-exempt players to more successful teams in the minor leagues. We’ll cover the bulk of those assignments here:

  • In a rare move with playoff implications, the St. Louis Blues have assigned top forward prospect Dalibor Dvorsky to the minor leagues. Dvorsky hasn’t played since April 9th, when he made his second career appearance in the NHL. He has no points and an average of nine minutes in ice time over his first two games. This move will return him to a star role in the minor leagues, where his 20 goals and 44 points in 59 games rank third and fourth on the Springfield Thunderbirds respectively. Springfield have squeaked into the Calder Cup playoffs with 74 points in 70 games this season. Dvorsky will be a major boost to their postseason roster, unless the Blues opt to include him in their inevitable wave of Black Ace recalls.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned top defense prospects Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov to the AHL after the end of their season, per a release from the Rockford IceHogs. Both players have manned dominant roles in the IceHogs lineup this season – Korchinski looking to find his comfort after a hard NHL role last season, and Levshunov looking to vindicate his second-overall selection in last year’s draft. They lead the Rockford blue-line in scoring, with Korchinski netting 27 points in 54 games and Levshunov scoring 22 points in 50 games. Levshunov proved the more productive in all three zones at the NHL level. He recorded six assists, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-13 in his first 18 games in the NHL. Korchisnki only scored two points in 16 NHL games this season, though his minus-five was the fourth-best on the Chicago defense. The duo will offer a well-rounded impact to Rockford’s playoff push – Korchinski bringing strong offense and Levshunov showing strong two-way play.
  • The San Jose Sharks have assigned defenseman Luca Cagnoni back to the minor leagues after recalling him to play in their latest game, per Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Cagnoni recorded an assist and two penalties in roughly 18 minutes of Monday’s overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The score was his second assist in six NHL games this season, on top of eight penalty minutes and a minus-four. Cagnoni was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team on Wednesday – high praise after he led all rookie defensemen in scoring with 14 goals and 49 points in 62 games this season. Cagnoni had a breakout season in his first professional campaign, and already seems to be outperforming his fourth-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. He will look to keep a good year going as the San Jose Barracuda prepare for a playoff push.
  • Winger Kailer Yamamoto represents the first veteran on this list. He’s headed back to the Tucson Roadrunners alongside goaltender Matt Villalta, after the end of the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. Yamamoto has been a force in the minor leagues. He leads Tucson in scoring this season with 53 points in 52 games. It’s been a valiant performance that earned the depth forward 12 appearances in the NHL. He scored three points in those games. Villalta has stood tall as Tucson’s starting goaltender as well, with a team-leading .906 save percentage in 41 games this season. He played in just the third NHL game of his career this season and recorded a win, with 28 saves on 31 shots. Yamamoto will return to Tucson’s top-line, while Villalta will likely return to the starter’s role ahead of Jaxson Stauber.
  • The Nashville Predators have assigned Ryan Ufko back to the minor leagues, per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. Ufko made his NHL debut on Monday. He didn’t manage any notable stat changes in 15:37 of ice time. Ufko has emerged as a top-four defender for the Milwaukee Admirals this season. His eight goals and 29 points in 71 games lead the Admirals blue-line in scoring. Ufko is still rounding out the physical and two-way aspects of his game, but his emergence as an AHL rookie has proven promising on a Preadtors team well capable of honing defenders into NHL talents.

Flames Recall Hunter Brzustewicz and Samuel Morton

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The Calgary Flames have recalled defense prospect Hunter Brzustewicz and forward prospect Samuel Morton ahead of their final game of the season. This is the first NHL call-up of either player’s career. They could make their NHL debut in Calgary’s flag-waving game, after the Flames were mathematically eliminated from the postseason on Tuesday.

This moves marks a chance for Calgary to gauge their early returns on the January 2024 trade that sent Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for NHL winger Andrei Kuzmenko, the rights to Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, and two draft picks. Kuzmenko spent 66 games with the Flames before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers this season, and Calgary hasn’t yet seen any of their acquired prospects on NHL ice. Brzustewicz could be the player to change that, after posting a stout five goals and 31 points in 69 games as an AHL rookie this season. He ranked second in scoring on the Calgary Wranglers’ blue-line behind Jeremie Poirier. The duo also ranked dead-last on the Wranglers’ blue-line in plus-minus, with Poirier sporting a minus-10 and Brzustewicz a minus-nine.

Brzustewicz has long been lauded as a diligent puck-moving defenseman who excels at getting through the neutral zone with tempo. But that knack has left him exposed to quick-moving plays or turnovers in either end. The fast-paced, downhill style of the NHL could be what snaps the 19-year-old defender out of his one-way funk, and give him the platform needed to mix strong scoring and well-rounded defense.

While Brzustewicz looks to bring a good name to drafted prospects, Morton will look to show the capabilities of undrafted free agents. He signed with the Wranglers at the end of the 2023-24 season, after wrapping up his sixth year in college and his fourth with Minnesota State-Mankato. Morton was a strong scorer in his final collegiate season, netting 24 goals and 34 points in 37 games. That high-energy, hard-earned scoring carried over to the pro ranks. Morton scored 11 points in his first 19 pro games last season, split between the regular-season and postseason. He built onto that with a breakout year this season, netting 20 goals and 45 points in 69 games – good for fourth on the Wranglers in scoring. Morton also posted a team-worst minus-14, though his physical presence has helped make up for some lacking defense. He’s another high-energy scorer who will look to round out his game as he receives more NHL opportunities.

Should they make their debuts in Calgary’s final game, Brzustewicz would likely replace one of Jake Bean or Brayden Pachal in the lineup, while Morton would replace Ryan Lomberg, Kevin Rooney, or Yegor Sharangovich. The Flames take on the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Stars Activate Tyler Seguin From Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Stars have activated center Tyler Seguin from long-term injured reserve, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports. He’s expected to play in tonight’s season finale against the Predators. Dallas assigned defensemen Lian Bichsel and Alexander Petrovic to AHL Texas to remain cap-compliant for their final regular-season contest.

Seguin returns after a four and a half month absence due to a pair of procedures on his left hip. Stars fans held their breath after the announcement – Seguin had similar surgeries done on his right hip in 2020, during which his recovery spiraled and nearly threatened his career. He was given a four-to-six-month recovery timeline, so while today’s news comes at the earlier end of that timeframe, it’s not entirely unexpected. He began practicing last month, and head coach Peter DeBoer said they were expecting him back for their first-round series.

The 33-year-old started the season on a tear before going under the knife, posting 9-11–20 through 19 contests while averaging 16:13 per game. Despite Dallas ranking fourth in the league in goals, Seguin remains the Stars’ only player to notch above a point per game this year. However, Matt Duchene has 81 in 81 and could join him with a multi-point effort tonight. Youngster Logan Stankoven initially stepped into Seguin’s spot on a line with Duchene and Mason Marchment after he exited the lineup. Still, they found a more experienced man for the job when they acquired Mikael Granlund from the Sharks in early February. Stankoven was later traded to the Hurricanes in the second Mikko Rantanen blockbuster of the year.

It’s not clear where Seguin slots into the lineup tonight. DeBoer told the team’s Mike Heika earlier today that there will be some game-time decisions at forward. But when the playoffs begin, it stands to reason Seguin will reclaim his top-six spot and push Granlund down the depth chart. Not only is Granlund’s points-per-game production a downgrade (7-14–21 in 30 GP since the trade), but his possession numbers with Duchene and Marchment are quite underwhelming compared to when Seguin was on the line. The trio has controlled just 37% of expected goals with Granlund compared to 58.9% with Seguin, according to MoneyPuck.

Seguin’s health gives the Stars an even deeper forward lineup, a necessity entering their first-round series against the Avalanche with star defenseman Miro Heiskanen remaining unavailable for the first few games at least. An on-time recovery is also a good sign for his career at large, with two years left on his contract at a $9.85MM cap hit.

As for Bichsel and Petrovic, they’ll presumably be back up with Dallas once the regular season ends and salary-cap restrictions are lifted. Bichsel should be penciled into their Game 1 lineup. The 2022 first-rounder hasn’t served as a healthy scratch since his most recent recall from Texas in February, only exiting the lineup a few times due to concussion protocols and illness. With 4-5–9 and a plus-two rating in 38 appearances this year, he’s been a far more stable depth presence than what Mathew Dumba and Brendan Smith have offered in similar deployment.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

Devils Recall Nico Daws, Mike Hardman

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The Devils announced they’ve recalled goaltender Nico Daws and forward Mike Hardman from AHL Utica. They’ll presumably dress for tonight’s regular-season finale against the Red Wings to allow a couple of players to rest ahead of their pending Game 1 of the playoffs against the Hurricanes.

Daws’ time in New Jersey this year has been short and sweet. There haven’t been many opportunities for upward mobility for him this year, with veterans Jacob Markström and Jake Allen having strong seasons, but when he gets the chance to play due to injuries, he’s seized it. He’s won all three of his starts and made an additional two relief appearances, posting a shining .966 SV% and 0.88 GAA – including a 29-save shutout against the Predators on Feb. 23. That’s good for a remarkable 6.9 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

Puzzlingly, the 24-year-old hasn’t fared nearly as well in the minors. He’s logged a 3.16 GAA and .893 SV% with one shutout and an 11-20-3 record in 34 showings for the Comets. It’s his second straight AHL season below the .900 mark. The 2020 third-rounder still has another year left on his contract with an $812.5K cap hit. It changes from a two-way to a one-way deal for next year, though, so he’ll get a significant raise even if he stays in the minors.

Hardman has made a lone appearance for the Devils this year, slotting into a game against the Rangers in early December. It was the 38th appearance of his career, which has spanned parts of four NHL seasons. The 26-year-old has been an infrequent call-up option for Chicago and New Jersey over his pro career, signing with the Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent out of Boston College in 2021.

After three-plus years in the Blackhawks organization, Hardman achieved Group VI unrestricted free agent status last summer and inked a two-year, two-way deal in New Jersey, so they’ve got him as depth for next season, too. The 6’2″, 205-lb forward leads Utica with a +11 rating and ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 18-17–35 in 57 games. He has 1-4–5 in his 38 career NHL appearances.

Jets Sign Alex Iafallo To Three-Year Extension

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12:16 p.m.: Iafallo’s deal pays him $4MM in base salary in 2025-26 and 2026-27 before dropping to $3MM in 2027-28, PuckPedia reports. There are no signing bonuses or trade protection in his contract.

9:02 a.m.: Pending unrestricted free agent winger Alex Iafallo is staying with the Jets on a three-year, $11MM extension, the team announced Wednesday. The deal carries a $3.67MM cap hit and will keep him in Winnipeg through the 2027-28 campaign.

The Jets acquired Iafallo in one of the 2023 offseason’s biggest trades. He was part of the haul the Kings sent to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois, joining first-rounders Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi and a second-round pick that turned into defenseman Alfons Freij. L.A. mostly needed to give him up for salary-balancing purposes – he was on an affordable deal with a $4MM cap hit, was coming off a career-high 0.61 points per game, and had routinely spent time on the Kings’ top line alongside Anže Kopitar.

After averaging north of 17 minutes per game across his first six NHL seasons in Los Angeles, Iafallo’s ice time has been slashed since arriving with the Jets. He was immediately bumped to the bottom-six with the younger Vilardi grabbing a first-line role alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, and his production has suffered as a result. He’s posted 26-32–58 in 163 games since the trade, an average of 29 points per 82 games. That’s a good bit south of his career average of 37.

Iafallo has still been among the first players to get elevated into a top-six role when injuries strike. Vilardi has missed much of the last few weeks of the campaign with an upper-body injury, and Iafallo has slotted into his place on the top line. He carries a four-game point streak into the final game of the regular season and has 15-16–31 in 81 games on the year overall, up from last year’s 27 points in 82 games. As such, he’s not missed a game for Winnipeg since his acquisition.

The 31-year-old has also brought sterling possession impacts, particularly this season. He leads Jets forwards with a +21 rating and ranks fifth on the team with a 51.2 CF% at even strength, the highest mark among Winnipeg skaters who have seen the majority of their deployment in the defensive zone. While he doesn’t shoot particularly often, he’s been an effective shooter when he does. He’s scoring at a 14.2% clip and is one of Winnipeg’s best players at turning shot attempts into shots on goal with a 57.3% through rate.

While he hasn’t seen much ice at even strength this year, Iafallo is still averaging north of 13 minutes per game and routinely features on Winnipeg’s second power-play unit and comprises their top penalty-killing forward duo with captain Adam Lowry. That special teams versatility, along with his ability to slide up and down the lineup with good defensive play, makes him a more valuable skater than just his point totals indicate.

The Jets thus retain him for the next three years at a slight discount from what they’re paying him now. It’s a good bit of business that still leaves Winnipeg with $32.7MM in cap space this summer and six roster spots to fill.

Photo courtesy of Terrence Lee-Imagn Images.

Capitals Sign Nic Dowd To Two-Year Extension

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The Capitals announced they’ve re-signed center Nic Dowd to a two-year, $6MM contract. He’ll remain in Washington through the 2026-27 campaign and carry a $3MM cap hit for the next two seasons.

A crucial part of Washington’s bottom-six forward group since his arrival in 2018, the 34-year-old will forego free agency on the heels of a career-best season offensively. Dowd has 14-13–27 in 81 games. While that’s a slightly lower points per game pace than he’s put up over the last few years, this is his first fully healthy season since the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

That production comes despite Dowd being used almost exclusively as a shutdown center at even strength. The Alabama native has started over 80% of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone, and his 5-on-5 oZS% ranks lowest in the NHL among qualified forwards. He’s also averaging north of 15 minutes per game for the second year in a row, including 2:35 per game shorthanded.

One of the league’s premier fourth-line centers, Dowd has been remarkably consistent over his seven years in Washington. He’s scored 75-75–150 in 450 games as a Cap with a +47 rating. He’s currently on his fourth contract with Washington, joining on a one-year, $650K pact for 2018-19. He landed a three-year, $2.25MM extension the following year and then signed a three-year, $3.9MM deal in November 2021, which is wrapping up this season. He would have been in high command on the open market, potentially even landing a deal north of $3.5MM per season, but instead chooses to stay with what’s been a perfect fit over the last decade-plus as Washington returns to being a playoff and championship contender.

A seventh-round pick of the Kings back in 2009, Dowd is the first NHL player in history from Alabama and will easily play north of 700 career games when all is said and done – high value for such a late-round selection. With the extension, the Caps are now down to $8.6MM in cap space for next season, but only have two roster spots to fill. They’ve been fervent in keeping their pending UFAs off the market, also coming to terms on extensions with Jakob Chychrun, Charlie Lindgren, and Logan Thompson throughout the year. Their only remaining pending UFAs are all depth forwards – Lars Eller, Anthony Beauvillier, Taylor Raddysh, and Andrew Mangiapane. The contracts of LTIR-bound forwards Nicklas Bäckström and T.J. Oshie are also coming off the books.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

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