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Rangers Recall Dylan Garand

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The New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Dylan Garand (Twitter link). The move is reportedly precautionary, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, who shares that emergency third-string goalie Louis Domingue is “a little banged up” (Twitter link). The Rangers will otherwise stick with their usual tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick in Game 6.

Garand likely won’t be on the NHL roster for very long, but this move could still have major implications on the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who kick off the AHL’s Atlantic Division Finals against the Hershey Bears on Thursday. They’ll now have to do it without their starter, Garand, who’s been an important piece of their postseason success. The 21-year-old has posted five wins and a .931 save percentage in seven postseason games – a big step up from his 16 wins and .898 in 39 regular season games.

In Garand’s absence, Hartford will likely turn towards Olof Lindbom. Lindbom spent much of his season in the ECHL, posting 10 wins and an .884 save percentage in 29 games. He was a bit more effective in his six AHL appearances, recording a .916 save percentage, though he only managed one win. Hartford also has Hugo Ollas and Talyn Boyko on their roster – the former playing in his first pro games after starting for Merrimack College this season, and the latter Linbom’s backup in the ECHL.

Kings Mutually Part Ways With Assistant Coach Trent Yawney

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The Los Angeles Kings have announced they’ve mutually parted ways with assistant coach Trent Yawney, adding that a replacement will be sought after the team hires their next head coach (Twitter link). The news brings an end to Yawney’s five-year tenure in Los Angeles.

Yawney has a storied career in the NHL, beginning with his third-round selection in the 1984 NHL Draft. He’d go on to play 12 seasons in the league – spending half with the Chicago Blackhawks – and total 129 points and 783 penalty minutes in 593 career games. He even served as Team Canada’s captain during the 1988 Winter Olympics. Yawney retired during the 1998-99 season, only to return to the Blackhawks as an assistant coach in the 1999-00 season. He’s been closely tied to the NHL ever since, serving as either an AHL head coach or an NHL assistant coach in each of the last 25 seasons. He even earned a brief stint as the Blackhawks head coach in 2005-06, though he was replaced by Denis Savard midway through the following season.

This move is a backward step for the Kings, who face a head coach vacancy after parting ways with Todd McLellan in February. He was replaced by Jim Hiller, who remains a top candidate for the permanent role. Hiller led the Kings to an impressive 21-12-1 record, even earning a playoff appearance. The Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Kings in just five games, though their success showed their playoff potential. And while it’s hard to replace the near-40 years of experience Yawney has in the league, the space for one more hire offers enticing flexibility as the Kings look to maintain a staff capable of a postseason push.

Stars’ Roope Hintz Questionable, Tyler Seguin Cleared For Game 6

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The Dallas Stars are continuing to sort through injuries, with star Tyler Seguin reportedly okay after leaving Game 5 early with a lower-body injury, while fellow top forward Roope Hintz is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, head coach Pete DeBoer shared with Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News (Twitter link). DeBoer wouldn’t reveal whether Hintz would travel with the team for Game 6 in Colorado, leaving his status up in the air.

Hintz was hurt while blocking a shot in the first period of Game 4, sustaining an injury that ultimately forced him out of the Game 5 lineup. His absence made way for Radek Faksa to step back in, though the Stars felt the weight of missing Hintz, falling 5-3 to Colorado in a game where they lacked their usual top-end cohesiveness. Hintz has continued to perform well this postseason, posting six points through 11 games and ranked fourth among the team’s forwards in xGA/60 (expected goals-against per-60) per Evolving Hockey. His shot suppression ranks only behind Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson, and Evgenii Dadonov.

Seguin will be one of the many carrying a bigger load should Hintz continue to miss time. The veteran Stars forward has seven points through 12 playoff games so far, forming an impressive trio with Dadonov and Matt Duchene. Dallas has won every game Seguin has scored in this postseason, with Game 5’s loss also marking an end to Seguin’s three-game scoring streak. He’ll look to return to the scoresheet, and return his team to the win column, as the Stars aim to cap off the series on Friday.

Meanwhile, Faksa should remain in the lineup in Hintz’s absence, after returning from a three-game absence due to an undisclosed injury. He recorded one shot and two hits in Game 6, appearing in 12:24 worth of ice time. Faksa will likely hang onto the role of third-line centerman, with Seguin and Johnston commanding the team’s top-six – though Dallas also has reigning AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque recalled to the NHL lineup. Borque has only played in one career NHL game, failing to score, but he led the minors in scoring this year, with a dazzling 77 points in 71 games. He could be a tantalizing X-factor as Dallas tries to find an edge over a stout Avalanche lineup.

Lightning Sign Mitchell Chaffee To Two-Year Extension

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The Lightning have re-signed winger Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year contract, per a team announcement Thursday. The deal, his first one-way pact, carries a cap hit of $800K and a total value of $1.6MM.

Chaffee, 26, landed with the Lightning last summer on a one-year, two-way contract with a $350K guarantee after reaching Group 6 unrestricted free agency. An undrafted free agent signing by the Wild in 2020, Chaffee made his NHL debut in Minnesota in 2021-22 but played just two games with the club, instead spending most of his time on assignment to AHL Iowa.

The Michigan native had set himself up as a top-six minor-league contributor early on, totaling 23 goals and 39 points in 49 games by his second professional season. But a torn ACL in his right knee ended his 2022-23 campaign after seven points in 10 games, after which the Wild opted not to bring him back and let him walk to free agency.

Healthy once again, Chaffee began the season on assignment to AHL Syracuse after clearing waivers and was solid on a middling offensive club, recording 12 goals and 26 points in 36 contests. He was recalled twice on brief stints in December and January but remained on the NHL roster for the rest of the regular season and playoffs after a Feb. 5 recall. In 30 games with the Bolts, primarily stepping in for the injured Tanner Jeannot, the 6’1″ winger had four goals in seven points while averaging 11:17 per contest. He struggled to get the puck on net, averaging less than one shot on goal per game but was a skilled finisher and shot nearly 15%.

Possession numbers weren’t particularly kind to Chaffee, who posted a below-average 47.4 CF% and 41.1 xGF% at even strength, per Hockey Reference. He did manage to stay out of the box, though, taking just two minor penalties

He’ll be in consideration for an opening-night roster spot next season, but ideally, he serves as their 12th or 13th forward option. He didn’t display enough offensive talent to elevate into a top-nine role long-term, and his poor relative possession numbers, despite seeing even offensive and defensive usage at even strength, don’t paint the best picture of him as a third-line checking threat.

After re-upping Chaffee, the Lightning have $11.79MM in projected cap space next season with a roster size of 17, per CapFriendly. A good chunk of that will go toward attempting to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos and avoiding losing him after 16 years and nearly 1,100 games with the club. Chaffee was set to become a Group 6 UFA yet again this summer if not extended.

Snapshots: NCAA Rule Changes, Marchessault, Pettersen

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The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Committee wants to give on-ice officials more discretion in disciplining checking from behind and head contact penalties and has put forth an official proposal for a rules adjustment, per an announcement from the organization Thursday. The proposed changes must still be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which meets next on June 6.

Regarding examples of “clear violations” of the anti-head contact rule, officials would be required to supplement a five-minute major penalty with either a game misconduct or disqualification. Under previous rules, officials may have assessed a standalone five-minute major for head contact, but that option will disappear. Instances of head contact that officials deem to be inadvertent or otherwise legal may still be assessed as minor penalties.

Officials will also now have all penalty options available for checking from behind infractions, opening up a more extended use of minor penalties in response to collisions where the player on the receiving end of the hit turns or changes position just prior to contact. Other proposed rule changes include modifying the NCAA’s definition of playing the puck with a high stick to match NHL rules (above shoulder height as compared to the NCAA’s current 4 feet rule) and mandated shootouts after five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime for regular-season play across all conferences.

Other news and notes from around hockey:

  • If Jonathan Marchessault is able to re-sign with the Golden Knights, don’t expect it to be on a huge discount. In a mailbag Thursday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal says Vegas is prepared to dole out a raise on his current $5MM cap hit to get him to stay. They’ll need to make some significant roster moves to accommodate him, though, as the Golden Knights have less than $1MM in projected cap space next season with a roster size of 20. Moving the final season of injured goaltender Robin Lehner’s $5MM cap hit to long-term injured reserve will give them some much-needed flexibility, but they’ll still likely need to move out one contract to keep their 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner around. Evolving Hockey projects a Marchessault extension in Vegas to come in at roughly $7.2MM per season for four years.
  • Norway has added Stars prospect Mathias Emilio Pettersen to its roster for the 2024 World Championship, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis reports. Pettersen, 24, was drafted by the Flames in the sixth round of the 2018 draft and spent parts of four seasons playing for their AHL affiliate before being dealt to Dallas in a minor-league swap just before this year’s trade deadline. The 5’11” forward closed out the season on a high note, notching eight points in 12 regular-season games for AHL Texas and adding five points in seven playoff games. This marks his second appearance at the Worlds and his first since 2021 when he had a goal and a -2 rating in six games. He’s a pending restricted free agent and is eligible for arbitration this summer.

Injury Notes: Marchand, Pesce, Kreider, Trenin

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Things are trending toward Bruins captain Brad Marchand returning to the lineup as they try and force a Game 7 against the Panthers on Friday night. He practiced with the team today and skated with the first power play unit, reports The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, indicating head coach Jim Montgomery is preparing for him to be available. Montgomery later told reporters that Marchand remains day-to-day, but his status could change tomorrow (via NBC Sports Boston’s Ty Anderson).

Marchand missed Games 4 and 5 after Panthers center Sam Bennett laid out a controversial hit in Game 3, causing him to sustain an upper-body injury. The 35-year-old has been Boston’s best skater in these playoffs, tying for the team lead with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games. He hasn’t taken a minor penalty in the Florida series, only being assessed a 10-minute misconduct for his role in a third-period Game 2 melee after Brandon Montour scored shorthanded to put the Cats up 6-1.

The B’s dropped Game 4 without their captain but managed to escape Florida with a 2-1 win in Game 5 to keep their season alive. The Bruins are now 2-2 in potential elimination games this postseason after dropping Games 5 and 6 against the Maple Leafs in the first round despite taking a 3-1 series lead.

Other injury updates as we rapidly near the Conference Finals:

  • The Hurricanes will be without defenseman Brett Pesce as they try and stave off elimination for a third straight game against the Rangers tonight, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed (via Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal). He’s ramped up practicing with the team as he tries to return from a lower-body injury, but he’ll miss his ninth straight contest. Pesce hasn’t played since sustaining the injury midway through Game 2 of Carolina’s first-round win over the Islanders. The pending unrestricted free agent averaged 20:17 per game in the regular season, his lowest usage since his rookie season in 2015-16 while posting three goals and 13 points in 70 games.
  • Rangers winger Chris Kreider was absent from practice yesterday due to maintenance, but it appears the team was underselling whatever’s going on. He confirmed to reporters he’ll play in Game 6, but likely isn’t 100 percent. Earlier this morning, he was downgraded to probable/uncertain for Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters (including USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano). Kreider did return to practice with the team at today’s morning skate, though, something Laviolette called “a real positive.” He had two goals and two assists in Games 1 through 3 against Carolina but has been held without a point in their Game 4 and 5 losses.
  • Avalanche checking forward Yakov Trenin is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after leaving last night’s Game 5 win over the Stars prematurely, Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal reported mid-game. Picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline, Trenin has one goal in 10 postseason games thus far and has played a smaller role than expected, averaging 10:36 per game. He’s also struggled in the faceoff dot while serving as their fourth-line pivot, winning only 43.6% of his draws. If he’s unable to play in Game 6 on Friday, expect veteran Chris Wagner to draw into the lineup. Wagner’s lone appearance came in their Game 1 overtime win over Dallas last week, logging 8:28 of ice time.

Devils Re-Sign Brian Halonen, Samuel Laberge

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The Devils re-signed depth winger Brian Halonen to a two-year, two-way deal on Thursday, per a team announcement. His extension will cost $775K against the cap when he’s on the NHL roster. New Jersey also inked forward Samuel Laberge to a one-year, two-way extension worth $775K in the NHL.

Halonen, 25, was set to be a restricted free agent this summer after completing his entry-level contract. His new deal carries no signing bonuses and will pay him $175K at the AHL level in 2024-25 and $275K in 2025-26, a raise over the $80K minors salary he earned on his rookie pact. The extension walks him to unrestricted free agency in 2026.

Laberge, meanwhile, turned 27 last month and would have become a UFA this summer if he didn’t re-sign in Jersey. He’ll net $120K at the AHL level next season with a $135K guarantee, per the team.

In inking both to extensions, general manager Tom Fitzgerald will squeeze some more value out of a pair of undrafted free agent signings. Halonen joined the team back in March 2022 after a standout senior season at Michigan Tech, taking home CCHA First All-Star Team honors while leading the Huskies in scoring with 21 goals and 44 points in 37 games.

The Minnesota native took a while to get going last season while on assignment to AHL Utica, struggling to get on the scoresheet much before a brief demotion to ECHL Adirondack in December. He played just one game with Adirondack, posting an assist, before being recalled back to Utica and finishing the season on a tear. He finished 2022-23 with 17 goals and 30 points in 57 games, ranking eighth on the Comets in scoring.

The gifted sniper was limited to 35 games with Utica this season due to injuries, but he more than earned his extension after potting 20 goals to finish second on the team despite playing in less than half of their 72-game schedule. With injuries plaguing the Devils in the latter half of the season, he received his first two NHL recalls down the stretch, making a lone appearance each time. He was used sparingly, though, averaging 8:17 across the pair of games while managing two shots on goal and two hits.

Laberge had been on minor-league contracts with Utica since the 2021-22 campaign but didn’t land an NHL contract until signing with the Devils a couple of months into this season. The 6’2″, 205-lb forward can play center and both wings and has been a solid bottom-six checking forward for the Comets over the past few seasons, totaling 19 goals and 48 points in 155 games with 199 PIMs and a +10 rating. The former captain of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic is entering his eighth professional season.

Like Halonen, Laberge also made his NHL debut this season with a two-game trial. He recorded three hits in just 6:12 of total ice time across a pair of contests he played in November and December, shortly after landing a contract with New Jersey.

Both are likely destined to start 2024-25 in Utica. Halonen still has one season of professional service or 58 NHL games before he requires waivers, but Laberge will no longer be waiver-exempt and will need to hit the wire during the preseason to head to the minors. With the pair of signings, the Devils are now up to 33 out of the maximum 50 standard player contracts on the books next season.

NHL-Affiliated Prospects Playing In 2024 Memorial Cup

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The field for the 2024 Memorial Cup, the top club tournament in junior hockey, is set. The QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, the OHL’s London Knights and the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors all swept their respective league championship series within the last two days to advance to the CHL championship tournament, joining the host Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

This year marks the first Memorial Cup held in the United States since 1998, which was hosted by the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The Spirit will attempt to become the first U.S.-based team to win since the Chiefs in 2008, and they have a strong chance. They’re stronger than a typical host team, finishing second in the league in the regular season with a 50-16-2 record and trailing London by just two points. They were eliminated by London in six games in the Western Conference Final.

The Knights lead the way with 10 NHL-affiliated prospects on their roster, including two first-round picks in Flyers defenseman Oliver Bonk and Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan. The latter was named the OHL playoffs MVP after leading the Knights in scoring with 10 goals, 24 assists and 34 points in just 18 games. He had 15 points in four games in their championship sweep over the Oshawa Generals.

If you’re looking for some non-Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to watch, check to see if your favorite NHL team has prospects suiting up in the tournament, which begins May 24:

Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL champion)

D Mikaël Diotte (Devils, free agent signing)
RW Ethan Gauthier (Lightning, 2023, 37th overall)
RW Alexis Gendron (Flyers, 2022, 220th overall)
D Vsevolod Komarov (Sabres, 2022, 134th overall)

NHL Utah 2022 first-round pick D Maveric Lamoureux is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March.

London Knights (OHL champion)

C Denver Barkey (Flyers, 2023, 95th overall)
D Oliver Bonk (Flyers, 2023, 22nd overall)
C Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs, 2023, 28th overall)
D Jackson Edward (Bruins, 2022, 200th overall)
D Isaiah George (Islanders, 2022, 98th overall)
RW Kasper Halttunen (Sharks, 2023, 36th overall)
C Jacob Julien (Jets, 2023, 146th overall)
C Kaleb Lawrence (Kings, 2022, 215th overall)
C Max McCue (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Landon Sim (Blues, 2022, 184th overall)

Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL champion)

RW Jagger Firkus (Kraken, 2022, 35th overall)
D Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets, 2022, 12th overall)
D Kalem Parker (Wild, 2023, 181st overall)
D Vojtech Port (Ducks, 2023, 161st overall)
LW Martin Rysavy (Blue Jackets, 2021, 197th overall)
C Matthew Savoie (Sabres, 2022, 9th overall)
C Brayden Yager (Penguins, 2023, 14th overall)

Saginaw Spirit (host)

C Owen Beck (Canadiens, 2022, 33rd overall)
LW Josh Bloom (Canucks, acquired from Sabres in 2023 trade for Riley Stillman)
D Rodwin Dionicio (Ducks, 2023, 129th overall)
D Jorian Donovan (Senators, 2022, 136th overall)
C Hunter Haight (Wild, 2022, 47th overall)
C Ethan Hay (Lightning, 2023, 211th overall)
G Nolan Lalonde (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Matyas Sapovaliv (Golden Knights, 2022, 48th overall)
C Joseph Willis (Predators, 2023, 111th overall)

Snapshots: Demko, Nelson, Pesce

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The Canucks have managed a split through the first four games of their series against Edmonton despite being without their starting goalie.  However, it appears that there’s a chance that Thatcher Demko will hit the ice at some point this round.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), head coach Rick Tocchet stated that his netminder has “improved immensely the last 72 hours” although he didn’t go as far as confirming that Demko would suit up in the coming days.  However, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that a return in Game Six or Seven is a possibility for Demko.  The 28-year-old posted a career-best .918 SV% in 51 starts during the regular season and was expected to be a big part of their playoff run before suffering a knee injury in the first game of the first round versus Nashville.

More from around the NHL:

  • The Jets are among the teams looking for a new head coach following the retirement of Rick Bowness. In the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that some believe Todd Nelson could be a viable candidate to take over behind the bench in Winnipeg.  Nelson doesn’t have much experience as a head coach in the NHL (just 51 games with Edmonton in 2014-15) but is a very experienced coach.  He has been an assistant at the top level with Atlanta and Dallas (spanning six years combined) and is in his tenth season as an AHL head coach; he currently is with Hershey who led the league with 111 points during the regular season.
  • Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce returned to practice today as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, notes team reporter Walt Ruff. The 29-year-old has been out since being injured in the second game of the playoffs and consistently logs big minutes for Carolina while helping to anchor their penalty kill.  While Pesce skated today, head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated that they’re still operating under the expectation that he won’t be back this round but would consider putting him in if he was cleared to return in this series.

Lightning Sign Niko Huuhtanen

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The Lightning have signed one of their prospects as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed forward Niko Huuhtanen to a three-year, entry-level contract.  The deal carries an AAV of $925K and breaks down as follows:

2024-25: $775K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5K games played bonus
2025-26: $775K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5K games played bonus
2026-27: $775K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5K games played bonus

The 20-year-old was a seventh-round pick back in 2021, being taken with the 224th and final selection of that draft class.  Since then, his stock has gone up considerably.  Huuhtanen spent his post-draft season in junior with WHL Everett, collecting 37 goals and 40 assists in 65 games.

However, Huuhtanen decided to go back home and play professionally over staying in junior.  He has spent the last two seasons with Jukurit in Finland’s Liiga.  After putting up a respectable 30 points in 48 games in his rookie season, Huuhtanen was even better this year, collecting 19 goals and 27 assists in 52 contests to lead his team in scoring while finishing inside the top 20 league-wide.

While his season in Finland is over, Huuhtanen’s campaign hasn’t ended just yet.  He’s currently with AHL Syracuse on a tryout agreement as their playoff run continues (they begin the North Division Finals tonight) and is likely heading for a longer stay with them next season.

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