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New Jersey Devils Recall Akira Schmid

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The New Jersey Devils have recalled netminder Akira Schmid from the Utica Comets of the AHL. Schmid last dressed for New Jersey on March 5th and has lost four of his last five decisions.

A playoff hero a year ago for the Devils, Schmid looked like a possible extension candidate last summer but entered this year without a new deal and in the final year of his entry-level contract. Schmid struggled to start the season losing five of his first six starts and was never able to return to the form he displayed last season.

The Devils opted to demote Schmid at the end of 2023 hoping that he could regain his confidence and form, before recalling him in February. Schmid had two good relief appearances for the Devils, but they were unfortunately sandwiched between two underwhelming starts. Schmid was then assigned back to Utica where he has played 20 games this season, going 8-8-4 with a 3.12 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. In the NHL this season, Schmid is 5-9-1 in 19 appearances and has a 3.15 goals-against average with a .895 save percentage.

The recall is not all that surprising given the comments Devils head coach Travis Green had about the Devils goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen on Sunday, saying that the netminder isn’t doing great after his lower-body injury.

Evening Notes: Sergachev, Pitlick, Wood, Rantanen

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporter Chris Krenn tweeted that Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev skated today in a non-contact jersey but added that head coach Jon Cooper cautioned people to not expect him to return for the first round of the playoffs. Cooper said that if the Lightning were to make it deep in the playoffs, he could return to the lineup, but he was happy to have him skating with the group.

The 25-year-old has played just once since December 19th and has been out of the lineup since fracturing his tibia and fibula back on February 7th in his first game back after suffering a foot injury that kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months.

In 34 games this season, Sergachev has recorded two goals and 17 assists but is a -16.

In other evening notes:

  • Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times tweeted that the conditional 2026 seventh-round pick that the Chicago Blackhawks sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for depth forward Rem Pitlick carried the condition of Pitlick playing 30 NHL games and will not be sent to the Penguins. Pitlick has only dressed in nine games for Chicago, meaning the Blackhawks will keep their pick for the 2026 draft. The Penguins were likely okay with losing Pitlick for nothing as he was collecting a $1.1MM salary while playing for their AHL affiliate.
  • Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche will be without forwards Miles Wood and Mikko Rantanen for tomorrow night’s game against Minnesota. Wood will miss his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury and is mired in a 23-game goalless drought. In his first season with Colorado the 28-year-old has nine goals and 15 assists in 72 games. Rantanen on the other hand may skate with the team in the morning but will not play. He is reportedly feeling better after being in concussion protocol and missing last night’s game as well. Rantanen has topped 100 points for the second consecutive season as he has 40 goals and 62 assists in 77 games this season.

Central Notes: Niederreiter, Goligoski, Stramel

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TSN’s John Lu is reporting that Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter will join the team on their upcoming road trip to Nashville, Dallas, and Denver but there is no decision yet on whether or not the 31-year-old will skate with the team.

Niederreiter hasn’t played since April 1st against the Los Angeles Kings and reportedly suffered a laceration to the back of his left leg after Kings forward Adrian Kempe fell to the ice and had his blade come up on Niederreiter. The Jets were originally hoping to lose the forward for just a week, but it appears it could be longer depending on how things heal up. Niederreiter has 18 goals and 15 assists this season in 75 games but was ice-cold before the injury with no points in his last 13 games.

In other Central Division notes:

  • Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic spoke with Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski about possible plans after this season as the 38-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. It has been a struggle this season for the former Stanley Cup champion as Goligoski was a healthy scratch for almost two straight months. Russo and Smith did ask Goligoski if he’s considering retirement, but the native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota said he hadn’t thought about it and would decide his future after the season. Goligoski was once a solid offensive contributor from the back end but has struggled the last two seasons and has just nine assists this year in 32 games.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic has confirmed that Minnesota Wild prospect Charlie Stramel will indeed be transferring from Wisconsin to Michigan State next season after entering the transfer portal last week. The Wild selected Stamel with the 21st pick in last June’s NHL entry draft, and he will now be leaving the University of Wisconsin after two seasons with the team. The 19-year-old sophomore struggled this season with Wisconsin scoring just three goals and adding five assists in 35 games.

Coyotes Notes: Szuber, Dermott, Scottsdale

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The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Maksymilian Szuber on an emergency basis from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Szuber was the Coyotes sixth-round pick (163rd overall) in the 2022 NHL entry draft and has been solid in his first season of North American hockey.

In 67 AHL games, Szuber is +11 and has registered six goals and 18 assists as well as 48 PIMs. The native of Opole, Poland is unlikely to play in his recall and will likely serve as a depth option, but if he does, he will make his NHL debut. It’s safe to say that Szuber is ahead of schedule at this point in his career as very few sixth-round picks ever make it to the NHL and almost none of them get a recall just two years after being drafted.

In other Coyotes notes:

Szuber’s recall likely signifies that Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott could be questionable to play tomorrow night when Arizona takes on the Seattle Kraken. Dermott left yesterday’s game against San Jose with what is being called an upper-body injury and did not return, the team did not provide an update on the 27-year-old since then. Dermott has dressed in 50 games this season for Arizona, posting two goals and five assists along with a -14 plus/minus rating.

Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega has publicly stated that the Coyotes new proposed arena would not be feasible on the land that the team is looking at and he went on to issue a warning of sorts to the franchise saying that the team should stay away from that area because he would not support the endeavor. The Coyotes have been looking at a 95-acre parcel of land that would fall within Phoenix city limits, but Ortega believes that the lack of infrastructure would be a problem and also asserts that Scottsdale has no available water assets to spare.

Pacific Notes: Kylington, Lindholm, McCann, Dunn

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The Calgary Flames have confirmed that defenseman Oliver Kylington is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Kylington left Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers after a collision with teammate Nazem Kadri. The 26-year-old didn’t practice with the team today and could miss the rest of the season depending on the severity of the injury. The Flames have just six games left in the season and will miss this year’s playoffs.

Kylington returned to the Flames in late January after taking a year and a half away from the team and dressed in 28 games since then, posting two goals and three assists to go along with 18 hits and 44 blocked shots. He appeared to get more comfortable as the season went on before this past weekend’s unfortunate injury.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Vancouver Canucks play-by-play voice Brendan Batchelor tweeted that forward Elias Lindholm re-joined the team today for the morning skate after an extended absence. The 29-year-old last played on March 23rd and missed six games due to an undisclosed injury. The Canucks high-priced acquisition has not fit in with Vancouver the way they expected as he has a disappointing five goals and four assists in 22 games. The Canucks have struggled without Lindholm, going 2-4 in his absence, and their penalty kill has fallen off without him going 68.2% in the six games he missed.
  • Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times Sports tweeted that Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann and defenseman Vince Dunn are unlikely to dress tomorrow night when the team takes on the Arizona Coyotes. Both players missed practice today and were labelled doubtful for tomorrow by Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol. McCann has had another strong season with 28 goals and 32 assists in 75 games, while Dunn has also been terrific with 11 goals and 35 assists in 59 games. The Kraken have just two home games left in a disappointing season that will see them miss the playoffs.

Metro Notes: Oshie, Shea, Lucius

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Tom Gulitti of NHL.com is reporting that veteran Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie told reporters today that he felt good and will be joining the club on their upcoming road trip. Oshie has been dealing with an upper-body injury and hasn’t played since March 30th. The six-time 20-goal scorer has been limited to just 47 games this season as he has dealt with injury concerns for nearly half the year.

The 37-year-old Oshie has been dealing with back issues through much of the season and has used the service of a chiropractor on several occasions to relieve some of the pain and allow him to play. When he has played, he’s been limited offensively as he has just 11 goals and 11 assists this season.

The Capitals are in Detroit tomorrow night to take on the Red Wings and although Oshie is travelling with the team, Washington head coach Spencer Carbery wouldn’t commit to an answer regarding Oshie’s availability for tomorrow night’s game.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Post-Gazette Sports reporter Matt Vensel tweeted that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea is in Buffalo dealing with an immigration issue as the Penguins head north of the border to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening. Pittsburgh is hoping that Shea will be available by gametime as the Penguins look to continue their surge towards an Eastern Conference playoff berth. Shea has been playing his best hockey of the season as of late, finding a home on the Penguins’ bottom pairing. He scored his first NHL goal on Thursday night in a 4-1 win over Washington.
  • Mark Divver of NHL.com tweeted that Penguins prospect Cruz Lucius has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will likely land at Arizona State. The 20-year-old spent last season at the University of Wisconsin and led the Badgers in scoring with 13 goals and 21 assists in 36 games. Lucius becomes the fifth Badgers player to enter the transfer portal and it caps off an eventful few months as the former fourth-round pick was traded at the NHL trade deadline as part of the Carolina Hurricanes package to acquire forward Jake Guentzel from the Penguins.

Flyers Sign Oscar Eklind To Entry-Level Deal

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The Flyers have signed undrafted free agent winger Oskar Eklind to a one-year, entry-level contract for next season, GM Daniel Brière announced today. The deal carries an AAV and cap hit of $950K, the maximum allowable.

Eklind, 25, was under contract for next season with Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League, where he spent his 2023-24 campaign. However, the contract can be terminated for a fee as the NHL and SHL have a transfer agreement.

The 6’4″, 220-lb winger has spent his entire career in his home country. His rights have never been held by an NHL team, but career highs across the board this year, plus his appealing size, led to some recent interest.

A power forward, Eklind had 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 points in 48 games with Luleå last season, along with a +5 rating and 64 PIMs. His season ended late last month after they were swept in the quarterfinals of the SHL playoffs by Växjö Lakers HC.

He’s coming off his sixth full season playing in the professional ranks and his eighth overall with SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan (the Swedish second-tier pro league) experience. Luleå was his fifth organization in the Swedish tier system in the last seven years, also spending time with the Malmö Redhawks, IK Pantern, Mora IK, and Brynäs IF before landing with Luleå on a transfer last offseason.

Eklind pauses his SHL career for now with 30 goals, 28 assists and 58 points in 160 games, along with 125 PIMs. He didn’t fare much better in the HockeyAllsvenskan, posting 31 goals and 66 points in 183 games with 115 PIMs.

He’s a long shot to make the Flyers’ roster out of camp, and if he does ever crack an NHL roster, it’ll likely be exclusively in a fourth-line role. He has the shot necessary to stay afloat in the league, as he does physicality, but his overall play-driving ability and sluggish acceleration up the ice limit him from having much upward mobility.

Eklind will be 26 this summer, but since his birthday isn’t until after July 1, he should maintain RFA eligibility when his contract expires in 2025. He’ll have his NHL rights controlled by the Flyers indefinitely if the Flyers issue him a qualifying offer at the end of next season, even if he opts not to stick around and return to Sweden.

Landon DuPont Granted Exceptional Status By WHL

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14-year-old defenseman Landon DuPont has been granted exceptional status by the WHL and will enter major junior hockey a year early, the league confirmed today. He’s the first defenseman to be granted exceptional status in WHL history and only the second player ever, joining Blackhawks rookie and current Calder Trophy favorite Connor Bedard.

DuPont, the son of Calgary native and former Flame Micki DuPont, is the (very) early consensus first-overall pick for the 2027 NHL Draft. Granting him exceptional status allows him to have three full seasons of major junior play under his belt before having his rights picked up by an NHL club.

Playing on the U-18 squad for the Edge School, a Calgary-based prep academy in the CSSHL, DuPont had a record-breaking season, leading the team with 19 goals, 43 assists and 62 points in only 30 games. He’s the only 14-year-old defenseman ever to play a full season at the top level of the Canadian prep circuit, and his point production has only ever been surpassed by Bedard, projected 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna, and Sabres first-round pick Matthew Savoie among U-15 players at the U-18 level.

DuPont, already at 5’11” and 170 lbs, has been praised by WHL GMs for his play-driving ability, skating, and shot power – essentially a complete package for a top-pairing, first-power-play defender. His Edge School coach called out Avalanche star Cale Makar as a comparable.

His rights currently aren’t held by a WHL club, but today’s announcement makes him eligible for selection in this year’s bantam draft. He’ll be the first-overall pick and will be headed to the Everett Silvertips. Everett finished second in the U.S. Division this season but won the draft lottery with a selection originally owned by the Kamloops Blazers, who parted with the pick to add top Ducks defense prospect Olen Zellweger last season.

Capitals Recall Lucas Johansen

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The Capitals have recalled defenseman Lucas Johansen from AHL Hershey, GM Brian MacLellan announced today. His recall comes after Rasmus Sandin sustained an upper-body injury yesterday against the Senators – he’s now been ruled out for their upcoming two-game road trip, head coach Spencer Carbery said (via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com). Carbery added that Sandin isn’t guaranteed to return by the end of the regular season.

Johansen, 26, remains in the Caps organization eight years after they selected him in the first round of the 2016 draft. He’s spent nearly all that time in the minors, only skating in nine NHL games.

A career-high six of them came earlier this season when he recorded an assist and a +1 rating while blocking seven shots and averaging 14:16 per game. The younger brother of injured Flyers center Ryan Johansen is still looking for his first NHL goal, a chance he could get if he draws into the lineup down the stretch and plays for the first time since November.

Johansen’s possession metrics when given NHL minutes have been quite poor, however, and have prevented him from having any chance of sticking in the lineup. He’s logged a 35.4 CF% and a 32.3 xGF%, the worst of any Caps skater to suit up this season. Injuries have taken him out of a solid chunk of action with Hershey this year, too, but he’s managed 12 points and a sky-high +18 rating in just 22 games when healthy.

He could draw into the lineup tomorrow in an essentially do-or-die game against the Red Wings. Without Johansen, the Caps would only have two left-shot defenders in the lineup, so he could dress if Carbery doesn’t want to play Trevor van Riemsdyk or rookie Vincent Iorio on their off-side. Washington’s playoff odds would drop to just 10% with a regulation loss to Detroit tomorrow after sitting third in the Metropolitan Division not too long ago, per MoneyPuck.

Losing Sandin at such a crucial point in the season is a tough break for Washington, losers of seven of their last 10 games. He’s the only other Caps defender to average over 20 minutes per game outside of John Carlson this season and has 23 points in 68 games with a -13 rating.

Islanders Linked To Andrea Glauser

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The Islanders have been heavily scouting Swiss free agent defenseman Andrea Glauser and are expected to pursue him aggressively this offseason, reports Emmanuel Favre Montreal of LeMatin.ch. Albeit via translation, Montreal reports both GM Lou Lamoriello and head coach Patrick Roy have personally scouted Glauser this season, and a source told him the Isles could offer a contract as rich as $1.5MM on a one-year deal, unusually high for an undrafted free agent that hasn’t had much other documented NHL interest.

Glauser, who turned 28 last week, is a transition-minded defender with a rather physical game. He’s spent the entirety of his professional career in the Swiss National League, playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron and SCL Tigers before landing with Lausanne HC in 2021. He’s served as an alternate captain there for all three years of his tenure, and his 2023-24 campaign is still ongoing as they’re alive in the semifinals of the NL playoffs.

His point totals have never jumped off the page. He posted four goals and 16 points in 47 regular-season games this season, in line with his 0.31 career point-per-game average in the NL. He’s become somewhat of a mainstay on the Swiss national team in his prime, though, appearing for the country in back-to-back World Championships. The 6’0″ right-shot blue-liner has never taken home any major pieces of hardware at home or internationally.

Glauser is too old for an entry-level contract, so the Isles would need to offer him a standard deal, eliminating the potential for performance bonuses and meaning all his money is guaranteed. The willingness to offer him $1.5MM on a contract suggests it would be a one-way agreement, too, offering them no cash discount if he’s assigned to the minors. That cap hit is above the buried threshold of $1.15MM, too, meaning he’d still cost the Islanders $350K against the cap if sent to the AHL.

The Isles’ transition game from their defensemen has suffered with the slight declines of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, although Noah Dobson’s emergence as a top-15 defender has quieted some of those worries. Glauser would likely replace veteran Robert Bortuzzo, a pending UFA, as the fourth right-shot defenseman on their depth chart behind Dobson, Pulock and Scott Mayfield.

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