Red Wings’ Trey Augustine Remaining With Michigan State For 2025-26
The Red Wings will need to wait to see goaltending prospect Trey Augustine suit up for them in the professional ranks. The 2023 second-round pick informed the team he intends to return to Michigan State for his junior season of college play, per Mike McMahon of College Hockey News.
Augustine, 20, would be many teams’ top goalie in their system. He’s not in Detroit, which also has 2021 first-rounder Sebastian Cossa on the way. The latter is the No. 5 prospect in the Wings’ pool, while Augustine ranks sixth, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. The Wings aren’t at risk of losing his signing rights until August 2027, so today’s news should be viewed more as Augustine’s desired development path rather than kicking the can down the road to free agency.
The 6’1″, 194-lb netminder has become a household name in the junior hockey world. He’s backstopped the United States in the last three World Junior Championships, winning a bronze and a pair of golds along the way. In their 2024 win, he led the tournament in GAA (1.75) and SV% (.936).
Mixed with a sparkling collegiate resume, it’s easy to see why optimism abounds about Augustine’s chances of being an NHL starter in a few years. As a freshman with the Spartans in 2023-24, he logged a 2.96 GAA, .915 SV%, three shutouts, and a 23-9-2 record in 35 games en route to winning both the Big Ten regular-season title and tournament championship while being named MVP of the latter. He also took home conference All-Rookie and Second All-Star Team honors.
Here in 2024-25, Augustine’s put up a repeat performance with even better stats. He led Michigan State back to a tournament championship and tied for the regular-season crown, putting up an improved 2.08 GAA and .924 SV% along the way. He made 30 appearances with a 19-7-4 record, although his Spartans were upset by Cornell in the regional semifinals of the national tournament.
Augustine remaining in school isn’t a huge concern for the Red Wings’ plans between the pipes in 2025-26. They have Petr Mrázek and Cam Talbot signed through next season to form their NHL tandem, with Cossa waiting in the wings as a high-end No. 3 option in case one of the veterans falters. 23-year-old Carter Gylander is their fourth goalie already signed for 2025-26. He’s having a good rookie season in the ECHL with Toledo and could be in line to serve as Cossa’s full-time backup in AHL Grand Rapids next season. They’ll likely be on the hunt for a cheap veteran name on the free agent market to stash in the minors, but there isn’t a gaping hole in the depth chart that Augustine would fill if he signed now.
Poll: Which College Signing Will Make The Biggest Impact In 2024-25?
A contract signing frenzy has broken out across the NHL as the NCAA season draws to a close. Teams are in a mad dash to lock up their star prospects, or sign impactful free agents who slipped through the cracks of the draft. The range of outcomes for these fresh pro recruits will stretch across the hockey world. Some will finish their seasons on amateur try-out contracts in the minor leagues, while others have earned a proud AHL shot, and even more find themselves suddenly thrust into the NHL lineup. The group of signees is headlined by prospects with years of anticipation behind them, joining teams with important games left on the docket. Those big additions lead to the natural next question – which college signing will make the biggest impact through the remainder of the year?
University of Minnesota star Jimmy Snuggerud may be an easy top guess. The
20-year-old right-wing has joined a St. Louis Blues team in the midst of a nine-game win-streak that’s propelled them into a confident playoff spot. St. Louis’ success has come in no small part thanks to rookie Zachary Bolduc, who has 16 goals and 31 points in 65 games this season. He’s been backed by other thriving young forwards, like Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours. The Blues have leaned into their youth movement by promoting top AHL scorer Dalibor Dvorsky to the top flight, after he potted 20 goals and 43 points in 57 minor league games. Now, St. Louis also adds the snappy shot of Snuggerud after he managed a dazzling 24 goals and 51 points in 40 games of his junior season. Snuggerud doesn’t shy away from physicality and plays a cool, calm, and collected game that should blend well with a Blues offense that’s firing on all cylinders since the calendar turned over.
But St. Louis’ Central Division rivals have a pair of new faces who could find their way to a big splash. The Chicago Blackhawks may be well outside of postseason contention, but they’ve received their own injection of young potential by signing Snuggerud’s UMN teammates, centerman Oliver Moore and defenseman Sam Rinzel. Both players filled top-end roles for the Gophers this season, to dazzling results. Rinzel took home the Big Ten’s ‘Defenseman of the Year’ honors this year, after recording 10 goals and 32 points in 40 games of his sophomore season. Moore just narrowly outscored him, potting 12 goals and 33 points in 38 games of his own. The pair have already made their NHL debuts – and while neither scored, they were both instantly noticeable amid a Blackhawks offense that’s slowed down as of late. Chicago is looking towards the future as the season draws to a close, and strong performances out of Moore or Rinzel could go a long way towards cementing their top-of-the-lineup role through next season. It seems Rinzel’s spot may already be locked up – after he recorded over 20 minutes of ice time and four shots on net in his debut.
There’s even more to watch from Gopher alums in the Central Division – with Matthew Wood inking a deal with the Nashville Predators after completing his junior year at UMN. Wood ranked second on the Gophers in scoring behind Snuggerud, with 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games this season. It was an impressive performance for the fresh-transfer – but perhaps even more impressive, it was Wood’s first time not leading his team in scoring since he made his junior hockey debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s a fierce shooter, with the heft and skating to push his way into space, even against top competition. He could quickly find a role on a Predators team that lost Mark Jankowski at the Trade Deadline – and one that’s in desperate need of a booming top prospect to spark hopes.
While the Gophers look to take control of the Central Division, the Metropolitan Division could soon be controlled by Eagles. Boston College stars Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault have inked their first pro deals, signing with the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers respectively. The duo are absolute top prospects who have spent the vast majority of the last four seasons playing on the same line. Leonard is a beefy sniper capable of driving down the boards with speed and getting the puck on net quick. Perreault is a bit more nimble – and uses a strong drive to overwhelm opponents on the forecheck and quick hands to beat them in his paths to the net. Both have done nothing but sparkle with their individual efforts, and seem fully capable of translating at least some of their upside to the NHL right away. Leonard will join the best team in the league, while Perreault will join a squad currently in tight contention for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card. Both roles should lead to major roles that could lead the top names to quick scoring.
Plenty of other signings across the hockey world could pay off sooner rather than later. Even if they don’t, the chance to watch top prospects finally donning their NHL jerseys is hard no to be excited over. Who do you think will make the biggest impact? Vote below:
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Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Rangers Sign Callum Tung
4/1: The New York Rangers have officially signed Tung to a three-year, entry-level contract. Tung will turn pro after just one season in college. Tung will report to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack for the remainder of the season, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic.
3/31: Earlier today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Flames were interested in undrafted goaltender Callum Tung. It turns out they weren’t the only team seeking his services as Friedman reports (Twitter links) that the Rangers are closing in on signing the netminder with an official announcement expected on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old took over as the starting goalie at UConn down the stretch, playing in their first ever tournament games in school history in recent days where he beat Quinnipiac and lost to Penn State. On the season, he only suited up in 15 games, posting a 2.01 GAA and a .933 SV%. That earned him a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.
That’s Tung’s only NCAA experience as he spent last season with Alberni Valley of the BCHL where he put up a 2.80 GAA and a .917 SV% in 38 regular season games while recording a 2.11 GAA and a .940 SV% in 18 postseason contests. He seemed to be positioned to apprentice behind Florida prospect Tyler Muszelic for a year or two and then take over as the starter but Tung played his way into that role quicker than expected.
It’s rare for a goalie to make the jump after one college campaign, particularly one who played in fewer than half the games in that lone season. Knowing that, there’s a bit more risk-reward at play for New York. If this was just a late-season hot streak, New York will be committing three years largely based on that short stretch of games. On the other hand, if Tung is a later bloomer, they could have an intriguing prospect on their hands.
While Igor Shesterkin is entrenched as the starter for the long haul after signing an eight-year extension earlier this season, New York’s future second-string option is more up for grabs. Dylan Garand is the current favorite for that spot should the Rangers eventually promote from within once Jonathan Quick calls it a career. They also have Hugo Ollas and Talyn Boyko under contract but they’re more long shots to contend for an NHL spot. That should give Tung a chance to work his way up their depth chart over the next few seasons although that was the plan at the college level and he wound up beating that timeline well in advance.
Blackhawks Prospect Sacha Boisvert Enters Transfer Portal
It has been a busy few days for some of Chicago’s first-round picks. Over the weekend, the Blackhawks signed defenseman Sam Rinzel (a 2022 first-round pick) center Oliver Moore (a 2023 first-rounder) to entry-level contracts and gave them their NHL debuts on Sunday. One of their first-round picks from 2024 will have a new team as well, just not at the professional level.
Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that center Sacha Boisvert has entered the NCAA transfer portal. After spending his freshman year at the University of North Dakota, he’ll be on the lookout for a new school to play for next season.
Boisvert was the 18th-overall selection last June following a solid second year with USHL Muskegon. The 19-year-old recorded 36 goals and 32 assists in 61 games with the Lumberjacks last season which had him ranked in the 20s by most scouting services. Clearly, Chicago felt a little stronger about his upside, selecting him with one of the top post-lottery picks.
On the surface, Boisvert’s decision to play elsewhere is a bit surprising. He had a solid freshman year for the Fighting Hawks, tallying 18 goals and 14 assists in 37 games. His 32 points led the team which is particularly notable among a group of skaters that featured 14 NHL draft picks. Already getting a prominent role, he’ll look to find a better fit somewhere else in the coming weeks.
When he was drafted, Boisvert was viewed as a bit of a project selection who would need several years of college hockey before being ready to turn pro. This news doesn’t accelerate that timeline, instead likely cementing it. But after a strong first season of college, Boisvert seems to be on the right track development-wise, even if he’s setting out to chart a new path.
Minor Transactions: 3/31/25
It has been quite a busy day on the transaction front, with plenty of college players signing their entry-level contracts. Meanwhile, there have been some other moves involving NHL players and prospects. We’ll quickly run through those here.
- The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Jaret Anderson-Dolan and goaltender Chris Driedger from AHL Manitoba. Anderson-Dolan is up after Rasmus Kupari suffered a setback in his recovery from a concussion, while Driedger will cover for Eric Comrie, whose wife went into labor over the weekend. This is Anderson-Dolan’s second recall of the season but he didn’t play in the first one. He has 19 points in 51 games with the Moose this season. Meanwhile, Driedger was acquired from Florida near the trade deadline, combining to make 25 appearances between their farm team and Manitoba, playing to a 3.03 GAA and a .877 SV%.
- The Golden Knights have recalled goaltender Akira Schmid from AHL Henderson, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). He’ll be covering for Ilya Samsonov for the time being who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Schmid is in his first season with Vegas after being acquired at the draft but has played almost exclusively with the Silver Knights, posting a 3.58 GAA and a .886 SV% in 30 outings.
- The Predators announced that they’ve reassigned wingers Hiroki Gojsic and Kalan Lind to AHL Milwaukee. Gojsic was a late third-round pick in June and has already signed his entry-level deal. The 18-year-old had 20 goals and 17 assists in 61 games this season with WHL Kelowna but with the Rockets missing the playoffs, he’s eligible to be sent to the minors. As for Lind, he wrapped up his major junior career with WHL Red Deer, tallying 12 goals and 15 assists in 37 games with the Rebels. A 2023 second-round selection, Lind has also already signed his entry-level deal and since he’s 20, he’ll be turning pro full-time next season, an option that won’t be available to Gojsic.
NHL, Rogers Communications Nearing 12-Year TV Deal
The NHL has reportedly agreed to a new, 12-year contract worth $7.7B USD, or $11B CAD, with Rogers Communication to maintain Canadian TV rights, per Sportico’s Scott Soshnick. The total and per-year evaluations of the deal are more than double the total value of the NHL and Rogers’ current contract. NHL owners will reportedly vote on approving the new contract later this week. Should it be approved, the deal would go into effect for the 2026-27 season.
The NHL and Rogers’ last agreement was signed in 2013 and carried a total evaluation, at the time, of $4.9B USD – or $3.64B based on current exchange rates. Sportico points out how the drop in value of the current deal, and boost in value on this new deal, highlights the importance of USD-CAD exchange rates as the NHL negotiates new deals.
This move would maintain Sportsnet as the NHL’s national cable rightsholder in Canada. They’ll presumably maintain national TV rights through 2039, including rights over all playoff games and regional rights for the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Toronto Maple Leafs – though Leafs streaming rights are currently split with TSN. Rogers owns a 37.5 percent stake in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment and, per Sportico, is in the process of doubling their stake in the company.
This contract will land as groundbreaking news if and when it becomes official. The NHL agreed to a seven-year contract with Disney’s ESPN and Turner Sports in 2021 that split United States streaming rights between the two partners. That deal paid roughly $600MM annually, or $4.2B over the course of the two deals. Rogers’ new deal has set a far higher bar for the cost of NHL streaming rights – which could prove lucrative for the NHL when their United States rights come up for bid in 2028. More money could mean a higher chance of looming expansion, with the NHL entertaining the thought of teams in Atlanta, Phoneix, and Houston. That sentiment was echoed by NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes, a longtime proponent of further NHL expansion.
Sharks Recall Jack Thompson
The San Jose Sharks have made their corresponding recall after reassigning two skaters earlier this morning. The team has called up rookie defenseman Jack Thompson from the AHL. Thompson is in the midst of a hot streak in the minors, having recorded five points, a plus-two, and 11 shots on goal over his last four games. He will now return to the NHL for the first time since being reassigned to the minors on March 6th.
Thompson’s playing time this season has been nearly perfectly split between the major and minor league rosters. He made the Sharks lineup out of training camp and recorded three points in his first three games of the season. That was enough to hold onto San Jose’s extra defender role through mid-December, but Thompson was reassigned to the minors after netting just five total points through his first 14 games of the NHL season. He quickly adjusted to the minors and scored nine points across 16 games.
With San Jose’s blue-line in flux around the turn of the year, Thompson’s hot scoring quickly made him the Sharks’ de facto call-up. he bounced between the NHL and AHL lineups through January, February, and March. The frequent movements coincided with Thompson netting just one point – an NHL goal – through 18 combined games between January 27th and March 19th. His recent scoring streak has marked a resurgence from that slump, and the Sharks will now reward Thompson’s resilience with a return to the top flight.
Thompson should step directly into the lineup after Cagnoni was reassigned. He could be in store for an immediate top-four role ahead of left-shot defender Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who has spent the last few games playing on his off-hand. Those minutes could soon sap up, though, as more fellow blue-liners Henry Thrun, Vincent Desharnais, and Jimmy Schuldt work their way back from injuries of varying severity.
Rangers Sign Gabe Perreault
4:00 PM: The Rangers have made this signing official. They’ve added their top prospect with eight games left on the schedule.
11:30 AM: Boston College star winger and top Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault will join teammate Ryan Leonard in turning pro. After reporting earlier Monday that the latter will sign his entry-level deal with the Capitals, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period adds Perreault is also expected to sign his ELC with New York and make his NHL debut this week. PuckPedia reports his deal will carry a $942K cap hit with the following terms:
2024-25 (prorated): $830K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $25K games played bonus
2025-26: $855K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $350K Schedule ‘A’ performance bonus
2026-27: $855K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $500K Schedule ‘A’ performance bonus
Perreault, the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, has formed one of the most formidable duos in the NCAA with Leonard over the last two years. A product of the U.S. National Development Team Program, the 5’11” Perreault has thrived as one of the best playmaking wingers in college as a teenager. He’s the younger of the duo, still 19 years old. He’ll turn 20 in May.
Like Leonard, Perreault’s sophomore season was a tad quieter than his freshman campaign. He still finished second on the team in scoring behind his now-divisional rival, posting 16-32–48 in 37 games to tie for 11th in the country in scoring. Nonetheless, his 73 assists over the last two years are still tied for second in the NCAA behind star Denver defenseman and Wild prospect Zeev Buium‘s 74.
Perreault is the top jewel in a slightly below-average Rangers prospect pool and sits as the No. 9 prospect in the NHL, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic – one spot behind Leonard. The son of ex-NHLer Yanic Perreault and brother of Oilers minor-leaguer Jacob Perreault has won back-to-back gold medals with the United States at the World Juniors, posting 6-14–20 in 14 tournament games in 2024 and 2025.
He joins a Rangers team that’s still in a very legitimate playoff hunt. Despite going 4-5-1 in their last 10, no other team in the race for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference has won more than four out of their last 10. That means their playoff odds still remain at 32.8%, second behind the Canadiens’ 38.6%, per MoneyPuck. However, the Blueshirts have the second most difficult remaining schedule in the league behind the Red Wings, including four games against the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Panthers. They sit tied with Montreal at 77 points and would win a tiebreaker with any other team in the race with 32 regulation wins, but have one less game to play than the Habs.
Perreault should enter a Rangers top-nine, potentially even top-six, that’s been pedestrian offensively in 2024-25. He could very well get a trial on the top line opposite Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. Their current right-winger, 2021 first-rounder Brennan Othmann, has just two assists in 16 NHL appearances this season. Barring a prohibitively difficult showing down the stretch, Perreault is an overwhelmingly likely inclusion on their opening night roster for 2025-26.
Image courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images.
Bruins Patrick Brown, Vinni Lettieri Clear Waivers
3/31: Both Bruins forwards have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. They will now be eligible to be assigned to the minor leagues.
3/30: The Boston Bruins have placed forwards Patrick Brown and Vinni Lettieri on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Both players have been up and down between the major and minor rosters this season, after each successfully clearing waivers in October.
Lettieri has been the slightly more utilized forward between the pair. He’s appeared in 19 games this season and scored two goals and three points, while tacking on four penalty minutes and a minus-eight. It’s another season of low-scoring for Lettieri, after he entered the season with just 27 points in 128 career NHL games. He’s been far more exciting in the minors this season – with 20 goals and 48 points in 46 games ranking him second on the Providence Bruins in scoring. Lettieri is one of just 15 AHL skaters still scoring above a point-per-game pace through 20-or-more games. While his NHL scoring has stayed consistently low, he’s been a routine force in the minors. Lettieri has rivaled point-per-game scoring in every AHL season since 2020-21 – including netting a career-high 49 points in 48 games of the 2022-23 campaign. With a succesful pass through waivers, Lettieri could be in a great spot to break that career-high in his age-30 season.
Brown has performed a slight step behind Lettieri all year long. He has just one assist in 13 NHL games, and 44 points in 52 AHL games, on the season. He too entered the year with little NHL momentum behind him – entering 2024-25 with just 25 points in 149 career games. But his minor-league scoring does mark a small breakout after Brown managed just 32 points in 42 AHL games last season, and 21 points in 60 games of his last full AHL season in 2019-20. He spent the gap between the AHL stints playing routine minutes with the Philadelphia Flyers, and filling an extra forward role with the Vegas Golden Knights and Ottawa Senators. The journeyman Brown is now settled with the Bruins, and could soon head to support Providence’s Calder Cup Playoffs push after they clinched a spot last weekend.
Of note, neither player will be able to return to the NHL this season should they be claimed off of waivers. They’ll instead have to be assigned to their new team’s minor league program and potentially support a different Calder Cup race.
Wild Brendan Gaunce, Devin Shore Clear Waivers
3/31: Both Wild forwards have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. They will now be eligible to be assigned to the minor leagues.
3/30: The Minnesota Wild have placed depth forwards Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Both players have bounced between rosters all season long. Shore was placed on, and cleared, waivers in each of September, December, January, and February – while Gaunce was successfully waived in September.
While he’s often been the first cut when Minnesota needs roster flexibility, Shore has spent the large majority of his season on the NHL roster. He’s stepped into 51 games on the year and recorded five points, six penalty minutes, and a minus-six from Minnesota’s fourth line. Shore has also been returned to the minors for 14 games on the year. He has a productive 10 points, six penalty minutes, and minus-11 in those appearances. While he hasn’t found much scoring at either level, this year has marked the most Shore has played in one NHL season since 2016-17 and 2017-18 – when he played through two full seasons with the Dallas Stars. Those were career years for Shore, giving him the platform to score a career-high 33 and 32 points respectively. He’s fallen into the role of journeyman depth forward in the years since, playing through tenures with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, and Seattle Kraken.
While Shore has provided Minnesota with a veteran presence in their extra forward slot, Gaunce has found his footing at the top of the AHL Iowa Wild lineup. He has 15 goals and 29 points in 35 AHL games this season, good for fifth on the roster in scoring. Those appearances have been intercut with 12 games in the NHL lineup, though Gaunce has only tallied one assist, four penalty minutes, and a minus-four at the top flight. He’s bounced between the NHL and AHL over the last three years, after a quick pit stop in Sweden’s SHL in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. He scored a career-high 39 points in 46 AHL games last season and has 29 points in 189 career NHL games.
Of note, neither player will be able to rejoin the NHL should they be claimed off waivers due to the post-Deadline roster rules . They will instead need to be assigned to their new club’s minor-league program.