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Flyers’ Olle Lycksell Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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Apr. 8th: Philadelphia announced that Lycksell has successfully cleared waivers. The team also shared that they have reassigned Lycksell to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Apr. 7th: The Flyers placed winger Olle Lycksell on waivers today, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The move is presumably to get him some playing time with AHL Lehigh Valley down the stretch. As a pending Group VI unrestricted free agent, there’s no risk of a claim since he’d be ineligible to dress for his new team for its final few regular season games.

Lycksell was a healthy scratch against the Canadiens on Saturday, the first time he’d been one since being brought back up to the NHL following the trade deadline. While historically a productive player in the minors and top-level European leagues, he hasn’t carried that offensive momentum to the NHL. He has five assists and a minus-three rating in 19 showings for the Flyers this year. All of that offense came in his 13 post-deadline appearances.

Selected by Philadelphia in the sixth round of the 2017 draft, the 25-year-old Swede has produced above a point per game for the second consecutive year in the minors. He’s recorded 17-24–41 in 40 games with Lehigh Valley, and his 1.03 points per game since the beginning of last season rank eighth in the AHL among players with at least 50 games played. He has 50-75–125 in 131 appearances for the Phantoms since arriving in North America in 2022.

Back in his home country, the 5’11” forward put up 42-53–95 in 221 career Swedish Hockey League games with Linköping HC, Färjestad BK, and Växjö Lakers HC. He could be headed back to one of those clubs this summer, with the Flyers set to lose team control over his signing rights. He’s certainly shown enough at the AHL level to get a lucrative two-way deal from another NHL club, but he may prefer to return home for more stability and a guaranteed role.

Since Lycksell was on the Phantoms’ roster on trade deadline day, he’s eligible to suit up for Lehigh Valley in the Calder Cup Playoffs, to which they’ve clinched their berth already. He remains their leading scorer despite his extended stints on the NHL roster this year.

Canadiens Sign Tyler Thorpe To Three-Year Contract

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1:00 p.m.: According to PuckPedia, Thorpe’s entry-level contract breaks down as follows:

  • Year 1: $775K salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $102.5K unspecified games played bonus
  • Year 2: $775K salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $102.5K unspecified games played bonus
  • Year 3: $775K salary, $85K signing bonus

9:47 a.m.: The Montreal Canadiens have signed 2024 fifth-round pick Tyler Thorpe to a three-year, entry-level contract. Thorpe has also signed an AHL professional try-out agreement with the Laval Rocket for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Laval has five regular season games, and likely a hardy playoff run, remaining in their year.

Thorpe has spent the last three seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, where he’s grown from a menial bottom-six power-forward to a top-six scorer. He managed 27 goals and 52 points in 68 games this season, good for third on the team in goals and fifth in scoring among forwards. The performance was a slight downtick in point-per-game scoring from Thorpe’s 23 goals and 44 points in 51 games last season. It was on the heels of that performance that Montreal chose to draft Thorpe in the midrounds – no doubt allured by his six-foot-five, 215-pound frame.

Thorpe does it all in his hefty frame – capable of filling a strong role in front of the net, beating opponents with a heavy shot, or throwing his body around in the corners. He’s grown substantially in his ability to move around in his big frame, a direct contributor to his growth from just six points as a rookie to 44 last year, and then to 52 this season. Thorpe’s finding new ways to make an impact in all three zones, and should enter the pro flight with a projectable style thanks to his size advantage. He’ll find comfort in his abilities to control the netfront, but Montreal will surely watch for his hard shot to reach a pro level.

With this move, Thorpe becomes the third 2024 fifth-round pick to sign their entry-level deals, behind Utah’s Owen Allard and Edmonton’s Connor Clattenburg.

Calgary Flames Recall Zayne Parekh

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One of the game’s top defensive prospects will debut tomorrow night against the Anaheim Ducks. The Calgary Flames announced they’ve recalled defenseman Zayne Parekh from the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, and he’ll join the club immediately.

The Flames selected Parekh with the ninth overall selection of the 2024 NHL Draft, and there’s reason to believe he should have been selected higher. In his draft season, Parekh scored 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games with a +39 rating, easily winning the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s best defenseman and being named the CHL Defenseman of the Year.

He followed that performance up with an even better year. Parekh scored 33 goals and 107 points in 61 games for the Spirit this season with a +42 rating, finishing fifth in the league in scoring. Not only did Parekh lead all OHL defensemen in scoring, but there was a 16-point gap between him and Sam Dickinson, who finished in second. Furthermore, the only other defenseman in OHL history to record back-to-back 30-goal campaigns came in the 1965-66 season, when an 18-year-old Bobby Orr tallied 38 goals for the Oshawa Generals.

Despite seeing his postseason end at the hands of the Erie Otters, Parekh still has a chance to play meaningful hockey down the stretch with Calgary. The Flames are four points behind the Minnesota Wild for the final wild-card position in the Western Conference with five games remaining and a game in hand.

Calgary ranks 21st in the league with 129 points contributed by defensemen. That number should improve marginally over the five remaining regular season contests if Parekh contributes even fractionally to his performance in the OHL.

Still, his position in the lineup could be up in the air. The Flames already have two top-four right-handed defensemen in MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson, with the former having played on the left side several times. Calgary can allow Parekh a quality opportunity over the next two weeks alongside Weegar or a more defensive-minded option like Kevin Bahl or Joel Hanley. Should Parekh play as advertised, the Flames may enter the off-season one blueliner away from having an elite defensive unit.

Seattle Kraken Recall Victor Ostman, Ryan Winterton

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The Seattle Kraken will have a few additional players on their bench for their matchup against the Utah Hockey Club tonight. Seattle announced they’ve recalled goaltender Victor Ostman from their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, on an emergency basis. A few moments later, the Kraken also shared they’ve recalled Ryan Winterton on a standard recall.

Ostman’s recall suggests that either Joey Daccord or Philipp Grubauer won’t be available for Seattle tonight, but there haven’t been any updates regarding their availability. The Swedish netminder is likely considered the Kraken’s fourth-string goaltender and has yet to debut in the NHL.

Still, the 2024-25 campaign is his first playing in the professional ranks. He signed with Seattle as a collegiate free agent out of the University of Maine after managing a 35-38-7 record in 86 NCAA contests with a .905 SV% and 2.82 GAA. This season, he’s primarily played for the Kraken’s ECHL affiliate, the Kansas City Mavericks, posting a 21-7-4 record with a .903 SV%, 2.52 GAA, and two shutouts in 32 contests.

Meanwhile, Winterton earns his fifth call-up of the season with this transaction. Seattle selected Winterton with the 67th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he debuted with the club last year. This season, the Markham, Ontario native has scored 18 goals and 37 points in 55 games for AHL Coachella Valley with a +11 rating. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone great in the NHL with Seattle, as he’s only mustered one assist while carrying a -7 rating in nine contests.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Noah Philp On Emergency Basis

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Following yesterday’s announcement about Trent Frederic’s aggravation of his ankle injury, the Edmonton Oilers made an emergency recall as soon as permitted. According to a team announcement, the Oilers have recalled Noah Philp from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

It’s not the first time Philp has been recalled this season for similar reasons. Despite spending most of the year with AHL Bakersfield, Philp has suited up in 12 games with Edmonton this season, with his last NHL contest coming in early February.

He wasn’t heavily utilized in those appearances. Philp has tallied two assists while averaging 8:40 of ice time for the Oilers, maintaining a +1 rating while playing on the fourth line. He displayed quality possession and defensive metrics, but Philp wouldn’t have been an improvement on their other options when healthy.

Still, he’s had a quality season with the Condors, scoring 15 goals and 30 points in 52 contests. That offensive output places him seventh on the team in scoring, and he remains one of the best defensive-minded forwards on the roster.

The season is even more impressive considering Philp’s 2023-24 campaign, or lack thereof. Just over two years ago, Philp retired from professional hockey, citing personal reasons. After spending a year away from the game, the Oilers quickly signed Philp to a one-year, $775K contract on the opening day of free agency.

Florida Panthers Injury Updates

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It’s challenging to think of a team that has dealt with more injuries over the last few weeks than the Florida Panthers. Two weeks ago, the Panthers were the top team in the Atlantic Division. Unfortunately, injuries have limited Florida to a 1-4-1 record in their last six games, watching the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning pass them in the standings.

However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. Speaking to reporters this morning, head coach Paul Maurice commented on the status of nearly every injured member of the typical roster. First, Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post reports that captain Aleksander Barkov will return to the lineup for Florida’s important matchup against Toronto tomorrow night. He had missed the Panthers’ past three contests with an upper-body injury.

Barkov’s importance in Florida’s lineup can’t be understated. As one of the premier two-way forwards of this era, Barkov helps the Panthers keep the puck out of their net just as much as he helps them put pucks in their opponent’s net. Since beginning his career during the 2013-14 season, Florida has a 60-63-16 record during the regular season when Barkov isn’t in the lineup.

Guy later reported that trade deadline acquisition Nico Sturm should also return on Wednesday, with defenseman Dmitry Kulikov expected back toward the end of the week. Shortly thereafter, TSN’s Mark Masters shared that Sam Reinhart and Gustav Forsling are also expected back in the lineup on Wednesday.

By the end of the week, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, and Aaron Ekblad will be the only regular players who haven’t returned to the lineup. It appears that Bennett will not play in another regular season game for the Panthers.

Senior digital content manager for the team Jameson Olive shared that Bennett’s next game for Florida will be Game One of their Round One matchup, primarily for precautionary reasons. The physical middleman is dealing with an upper-body injury, and the Panthers want him to be as close to 100% as possible for what is bound to be a hotly contested opening round of the playoffs.

Florida has five games left in their regular season schedule, and it will be a challenge to overcome the difficulties they have faced in recent weeks. Currently, they are four points behind the Lightning and six points behind the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. They risk losing home-ice advantage for their Stanley Cup defense. Still, with one game against Toronto and one game against Tampa Bay sandwiched between relatively easier matchups against the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres, the Panthers could control their destiny for their opening-round matchup.

Penguins Recall Matthew Nieto Under Emergency Conditions

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Matthew Nieto from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. Pittsburgh continues to face injuries to forwards Tommy Novak, Philip Tomasino, and Bokondji Imama; as well as defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Nieto will rejoin the NHL ranks to help push the team through their final four games of the season.

Nieto’s season began a month late as he recovered from a pair of knee surgeries last season. He initially returned with a pair of AHL games, but earned a call-up in mid November that glued him to the NHL roster. Serving as Pittsburgh’s extra forward, Nieto stepped into 31 games through the return of the 4-Natiosn Face-Off Break, but only managed a measly three points. That low production earned Nieto a waiver placement and assignment to the minors in late February. The move has proven to be a helpful spark. Intercut with routine call-ups to the top flight, Nieto has managed three goals and seven points in 15 AHL games – productive scoring in his first games since the 2013-14 season.

Nieto will likely serve as Pittsburgh’s extra man in Tuesday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Penguins could also opt to push him into the lineup over a player like Joona Koppanen, who has just one goal in seven games this season, or Connor Dewar, who has one point in his last seven games.

Red Wings Recall Austin Watson Under Emergency Conditions

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The Detroit Red wings have recalled forward Austin Watson under emergency conditions. He will support the Wings as they approach a stretch of must-win games to keep their playoff hopes alive. Watson was on the Detroit roster through early-April, but was returned to the minors for two games this weekend. He recorded three goals, five points, and six shots on goal in the pair of games.

Watson’s hot weekend brought his AHL scoring up to 19 goals and 42 points in 58 games this season. Those marks place Watson second on the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in total points, and third on the team in goals. He also leads the team with 96 penalty minutes – 45 more than anyone else on the squad. Watson’s high-event style has translated in bits-and-pieces to the Red Wings’ roster, where he has two points and 17 penalty minutes in eight games this season. He scored his pair of goals on his last NHL recall – netting them in back-to-back games on March 24th and 25th.

Watson spent the last five seasons entirely in the NHL – serving in the role of fourth-line enforcer over stretches with the Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Minor league games this season mark Watson’s first since he was with Nashville in 2018-19. He’s filled a minimal-usage role everywhere he’s gone, with teams leaning on him to generate tons of hits and take fights – while offering the occasional boost of shooting luck. Those will be the traits that Detroit looks to add in as they prepare to face their Wild Card opposition, the Montreal Canadiens, on Tuesday night.

Pacific Notes: Nyman, Toffoli, George

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After a strong first stint in the NHL, the Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned winger Jani Nyman to AHL Coachella Valley.  The 20-year-old was recalled last month and got into a dozen games with Seattle where he put up three goals and three assists in just under 14 minutes of playing time.  Nyman is in his first full season in North America and had been doing quite well with the Firebirds prior to being recalled as he had 26 goals and 15 assists in 55 outings with them.  With the Kraken’s season ending next week, Nyman will focus up on finishing strong with a Coachella Valley squad that has already locked up a spot in the playoffs, allowing his season to continue for at least a little longer.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli won’t play tonight against Calgary due to a lower-body injury, relays Max Miller of The Hockey News (Twitter link). He’s listed as out day-to-day.  Toffoli has had a strong first year in San Jose, tallying 28 goals and 22 assists, good for third on the team in points while leading the way in goals.  He’s expected to accompany the club on their upcoming four-game road trip so unlike his teammate Shakir Mukhamadullin whose season is over, Toffoli should be back before the campaign comes to an end next week.
  • The Kings’ AHL affiliate in Ontario announced that Los Angeles has reassigned goaltender Carter George to the Reign. The 18-year-old was the third goalie taken at the draft last June, going late in the second round at 57th overall.  The 18-year-old played in 47 games with OHL Owen Sound this season, posting a 3.35 GAA and a .909 SV% before the Attack got eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.  George won’t be eligible to play full-time for Ontario next season so this will just be an opportunity for him to keep skating for a bit longer and perhaps get into his first taste of professional competition.

2025 College Free Agency Preview: Goaltenders And Defensemen

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As is always the case at this time of year, we’ve seen an influx of collegiate signings in recent weeks which is likely to continue over the next little while.  Generally speaking, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

We’re changing things up a bit in our annual preview this time around.  Last month, Gabriel Foley took a closer look at the most prominent players from this year’s class.  Meanwhile, we’re breaking down the rest of the class in two separate columns, one for forwards and one for the rest of the unsigned goaltenders and defensemen, the focus of this last piece.

As always, note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list have already signed or will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.

Goalies

Matt Davis (Denver)

He took over as the starting goaltender last season and led the Pioneers to the NCAA title.  This year, the 23-year-old put up even better numbers and Denver once again made it to the Frozen Four.  While he’s smaller than teams like goalies nowadays (he stands 6’1), the recent track record of success in big games should garner him some interest in free agency.

Cameron Rowe (Western Michigan)

A two-year starter for the Broncos heading into this season, he wound up having to split time this year with Los Angeles prospect Hampton Slukynsky which probably won’t help his value.  Still, the 23-year-old played quite well with a 2.00 GAA and a .924 SV% in his 17 outings while his 6’3 stature helps his appeal as well.

Alex Tracy (Minnesota State Mankato)

The lone goalie to land in the top ten in Hobey Baker voting, Tracy was the CCHA Goalie of the Year following a stellar performance that saw him put up a 1.42 GAA and a .946 SV% along with five shutouts in 38 games; his GAA and SV% led Division I.  However, at 6’0, he’s on the smaller side and we’ve seen smaller Hobey Baker contenders have to settle for AHL contracts before.  Tracy still has a year of eligibility left but his overall value hasn’t been this high before.

Defense

Boston Buckberger (Denver)

After an impressive freshman year, Buckberger showed that his output was no fluke as he landed in the top ten for scoring by a Division I blueliner.  Still just 21, there is still plenty of developmental runway left which should appeal to NHL teams.  However, at 5’11, he’s undersized but Buckberger has shown enough offensively while playing big minutes for a top team that he should be getting some inquiries about leaving with two years of eligibility left.

Frank Djurasevic (Maine)

The decision to transfer after his freshman year at Merrimack was a wise one as he went from a depth role there to a key one at Maine.  He’s a bit of a later bloomer as he played three USHL seasons before going to college but after showing offensive upside at that level, he was in the top 20 for NCAA Division I defenders this season.  A right-shot defender, he could get some interest now but staying in school for one more year might make more sense.

C.J. Foley (Dartmouth)

A lot of what was said about Buckberger could be said here.  He’s an undersized but still-young (21) defender who took a step forward offensively this season with 30 points in 33 games.  He’s only a year removed from being draft-eligible so it would be a bit surprising if he’s signed this spring but his play should have him on the radar after being a unanimous selection to the ECAC’s First-Team All-Conference.

Brandon Holt (Maine)

Holt was on the radar early in the year when he was averaging over a point per game through the first month of the season.  However, he wasn’t able to sustain that over the back half of the season.  That likely takes him off the NHL radar for now but with how strong his start was, you never know.

Jake Livanavage (North Dakota)

One of the youngest players on this list, Liavanage doesn’t turn 21 until next month and was draft-eligible last year.  He had a very impressive freshman year last season but a 5’10 stature likely didn’t help his case.  However, Liavanage flirted with the 30-point mark once again, showing that the strong start wasn’t the outlier.  Like Foley, it would be a bit surprising if he signed so soon after being draft eligible but he should be on more radars now if nothing else.

Michael Mastrodomenico (Notre Dame)

If there’s such a thing as an ‘old 20’, Mastrodomenico might qualify.  Turning 21 next weekend, he has already played three full college seasons and more than doubled his point total from a year ago.  A right-shot defender, the more prudent move for him might be to play his senior season and then test the open market but if nothing else, he’ll be one to keep an eye on next spring.

Ben Robertson (Cornell)

There’s a theme for several players on this list – young and undersized.  This is once again the case for Robertson who was passed up last year in the draft following a quality first NCAA season.  This season, Robertson – who doesn’t turn 21 until September – played at a similar level.  A quality playmaker in the USHL, he’d likely be better off staying in school for at least one more year and hope to take a step forward offensively before looking to sign.  To that end, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal suggests (Twitter link) that Notre Dame, Michigan, and Denver are among the schools interested in him.

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