Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Kraken Sign Victor Ostman To Entry-Level Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Kraken have signed goaltender Victor Östman to a two-year, entry-level contract, per a team announcement Wednesday. It’s the maximum allowable ELC with a cap hit of $950K.

Östman, 23, was one of the top goaltenders on the college free-agent market. Undrafted out of the Swedish junior circuit in 2019, Östman came over to North America for his age-19 season and suited up in major junior play for the USHL’s Chicago Steel behind a stacked roster that included multiple current NHLers, namely Sabres defenseman Owen Power, Flames winger Matthew Coronato, and Golden Knights forward Brendan Brisson. He jumped to the collegiate ranks during the COVID pandemic, locking down the starters’ net during a shortened season at the University of Maine and never looking back. He’s been their go-to option in the crease ever since, posting a .905 SV%, 2.82 GAA, five shutouts, and a 35-38-7 record in 86 appearances.

Curiously, while the team in front of Östman vastly improved this season, his senior campaign was the worst of his collegiate tenure. Maine made the NCAA tournament for the first time in 12 years on the backs of brothers Bradly Nadeau (a Hurricanes first-round pick) and Josh Nadeau, but Östman struggled to the tune of a .892 SV%, his first season under .900 at any level in five years. He essentially split starts this season with countryman and freshman Albin Boija, who vastly outperformed him with a .916 SV%, 2.01 GAA, and two shutouts in 18 appearances.

The Swedish big man (6’4″, 205 lbs) will begin next season under contract with Seattle but could finish out 2023-24 on an ATO with AHL Coachella Valley. Both Kraken-contracted netminders in minors, Chris Driedger and Ales Stezka, are pending UFAs, while 2022 second-round pick Niklas Kokko is under contract and could come to North America after an exceptional campaign in the Finnish Liiga split between Kärpät and Pelicans. Östman’s step back this season suggests full-time AHL work may be a bit too much to ask out of the gate, and he could begin the season on assignment to ECHL Kansas City if one of Driedger or Stezka is brought back and Kokko is brought over from Finland.

Östman will be an RFA when his ELC expires in 2026.

Central Notes: Dadonov, Hakanpaa, Niederreiter, Toffoli, Hayes

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Injured Stars skaters Evgenii Dadonov and Jani Hakanpää haven’t yet returned to full team practices, but head coach Peter DeBoer is optimistic they’ll be options when the playoffs kick off on April 20, Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports. Both are sidelined with lower-body injuries, although only Dadonov is on long-term injured reserve. His role has been filled expertly by rookie Logan Stankoven, who’s mustered six goals and 12 points in 17 games since making his NHL debut in late February. The 35-year-old is only a season removed from being one of Dallas’ more important secondary scorers in last year’s run to the Western Conference Final, potting four goals and 10 points in 16 playoff games. However, he’s been limited to 23 points in 50 games this season after inking a two-year, $4.5MM extension to remain in Dallas over the summer. As such, there’s no guarantee he enters the playoff lineup ahead of Stankoven even if healthy, and the skill winger isn’t the best fit for a fourth-line role.

Hakanpää’s absence hasn’t been as lengthy, not suiting up since March 16 against the Kings. The 32-year-old Finn had been pushed down the depth chart anyway, thanks to the emergence of Thomas Harley in a top-pairing role and the acquisition of Chris Tanev from the Flames, taking him out of his usual second-pairing role alongside countryman Esa Lindell. When he returns to health, it’ll be in battle with Nils Lundkvist for bottom-pairing minutes alongside veteran anchor Ryan Suter. Still an incredibly competent shutdown blue-liner, Hakanpää has two goals and 12 points in 64 games this season, his third in the Lone Star State. His possession metrics remain below average but are still in an excusable range given his extreme defensive-zone usage at even strength, although his short-handed metrics have taken a tumble. He’s one of their most relied-upon penalty-killers when healthy, averaging 3:16 per game.

Other updates out of the Central:

  • Jets winger Nino Niederreiter will be out at least one week after sustaining a laceration on the back of his leg from a skate cut against the Kings on Monday, head coach Rick Bowness said today (via John Lu of TSN). Bowness called the injury “a pretty bad gash” and said it would have been more severe had Niederreiter not been wearing Kevlar socks. Niederreiter’s return timeline will keep him out of the next three games, but he could re-enter the lineup in a key battle for playoff positioning against the Stars next Thursday. The 31-year-old has once again excelled as a remarkably consistent two-way middle-six winger, potting 18 goals and 33 points in 75 games this year in spite of slightly reduced minutes. He potted four points in five games in Winnipeg’s first-round loss to the Golden Knights last year and will be a secondary X-factor if Winnipeg wants to escape a likely showdown with the Avalanche in a few weeks. Niederreiter will be replaced in tomorrow’s lineup against the Flames by trade-deadline pickup Tyler Toffoli, Bowness confirmed. He’d missed Winnipeg’s tilt against Los Angeles with an illness. Toffoli has been a solid pickup for Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, scoring four goals and two assists for six points in 11 games. He’s now reached the 30-goal plateau in back-to-back seasons for the first time.
  • Blues center Kevin Hayes has the flu and is questionable for a practically do-or-die game against the Predators tomorrow, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports. He’s expected to travel with the club as they embark on a three-game road trip, though, and could return soon after if he misses the Nashville contest. Their already slim postseason chances would drop to around 1% with a regulation loss and 2% with an overtime loss, per MoneyPuck. They’re three points back of the Kings for the final wild-card spot in the West with one more game played, although L.A. is on a three-game losing streak. Hayes has disappointed after coming over in an offseason trade from the Flyers, notching 13 goals and 29 points in 75 games in a bottom-six role. It’s the worst offensive output of his 10-year career by a significant margin. If he’s unable to suit up against the Preds, Nikita Alexandrov and Zachary Bolduc are both extras on hand and available to enter the lineup.

East Notes: Couturier, Rasmussen, Danforth, Kuraly

at CDT | by 3 Comments

A difficult season for Flyers captain Sean Couturier continues. The 31-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury in Monday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders, and head coach John Tortorella is “not sure when he’ll be back,” he told reporters today (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia). He carries a day-to-day designation, though, and hasn’t specifically been ruled out of Friday’s contest against the Sabres. He’s without a point and has a -4 rating in six games since returning from back-to-back healthy scratches in mid-March, not the response he or Tortorella was looking for. Couturier’s recent struggles have been a significant reason why the Flyers’ playoff chances have dropped by about 25% in the past few weeks, as they now find themselves in a nearly neck-and-neck race with the Capitals and Red Wings for two playoff spots. He’s logged over 15 minutes in a game just twice since the beginning of March and has played mostly fourth-line minutes since his healthy scratches. The 2011 eighth-overall pick has at least managed to remain mostly healthy after missing most of the last two seasons due to back injuries, but his offensive impact has been greatly diminished with 11 goals and 36 points in 70 games, his worst point-per-game pace in nine years.

Elsewhere out East:

  • Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen won’t play against the Rangers on Friday due to an undisclosed injury and has been awarded a day-to-day designation, head coach Derek Lalonde said today. The 2017 ninth-overall pick has a career-high 33 points and was one of four Red Wings to play all 75 games this season. He’s unlikely to reach the offensive ceiling expected of a top-10 pick, but the 24-year-old sits among one of Lalonde’s most trusted shutdown forwards and has averaged 15:11 per game, also a career-high, while shifting from center to wing for most of the campaign. 60.3% of his even-strength zone starts have come in the defensive end, leading all qualified Red Wings forwards and trailing only Moritz Seider among skaters. Robby Fabbri is expected to slide into a top-nine role with Rasmussen out, while Daniel Sprong returns to the lineup as the fourth-line right wing.
  • Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth is dealing with an illness and is questionable for tomorrow’s clash against the Islanders, head coach Pascal Vincent told Jeff Svoboda of the team’s official site. If he’s ruled out, they’ll need to make an emergency recall from AHL Cleveland, as they aren’t carrying any healthy extras on the roster. Saddled with short-term injuries, Columbus has cycled through a multitude of youngsters as of late that they’d certainly rather have playing important developmental minutes in the minors down the stretch. One player nearing a return is Sean Kuraly, who Vincent said practiced today and is close to returning but won’t be ready tomorrow. He carried a week-to-week designation after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Canadiens on March 12. Danforth has played only once since returning from a concussion that sidelined him for nearly a month, posting zeros across the board in 9:31 of ice time in a 4-1 win over the Avalanche on Monday.

Capitals Reassign Matthew Phillips

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Capitals have loaned right-winger Matthew Phillips to AHL Hershey, GM Brian MacLellan announced today. His roster spot goes to Tom Wilson, who is eligible to return tomorrow against the Penguins after serving a six-game suspension for high-sticking Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor.

Phillips, 25, has actually been recalled multiple times over the past two weeks, appearing on Washington’s roster on three separate emergency loans since Wilson’s suspension. He only entered the lineup in the first game of Wilson’s absence, skating just over four minutes in a 7-6 shootout win over the Hurricanes on March 22. Barring further injuries or suspensions, this transaction is likely Phillips’ last of the regular season.

It’s been a tumultuous campaign for the top minor-league producer, who landed his first one-way contract in free agency with the Caps last summer. However, he hasn’t spent the entire season in the Washington organization – he was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh when the Capitals attempted to assign him to the minors in mid-Februrary. After a three-game stint in the ’Burgh, he landed on waivers again in early March, upon which Washington reclaimed him and sent him directly to Hershey.

Unfortunately for the 5’8″ winger, his strong recent history at the AHL level hasn’t translated to the majors. He’s been rendered ineffective in 31 NHL games with the Caps and Pens this season, limited to one goal and four assists with poor possession impacts. It’s quickly becoming clear the 2016 sixth-round pick is best suited for the minor-league level, where he has a goal and two assists in limited action (five games) with league-leading Hershey.

He should play a key role in Washington’s affiliate’s quest to win back-to-back Calder Cup championships. The Alberta native was electric over his previous two seasons in the Flames organization, scoring 67 goals and 144 points in 131 regular-season games for AHL Stockton/Calgary. Upon expiry of his one-year, $775K contract, he’s set to remain under team control this summer as an RFA.

The Caps managed a 3-2-1 record in their last six contests without Wilson, keeping pace in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. They hold the second wild-card spot ahead of Wednesday’s action with 82 points, one back of the Flyers, who occupy third place in the Metropolitan Division, although they’ve played two fewer games. Events are transpiring toward a three-team coin flip for the final two spots, with odds slowly evening out between Philadelphia (61.9%), Washington (54.8%) and Detroit (42.8%), per MoneyPuck. A crucial overtime win over the Flyers earlier this week has the Islanders back in the playoff conversation too, although they can likely only afford one loss in their seven remaining games with only a 22.7% chance at postseason play.

Injury Notes: Nichushkin, Rielly, Edmundson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin will join the team on their road trip and could return Friday against the Oilers, head coach Jared Bednar said today on Altitude Sports Radio (via Altitude’s Conor McGahey). The 29-year-old has carried a day-to-day designation since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Canadiens on March 26. Bednar said Nichushkin will meet the team in Minnesota ahead of tomorrow’s matchup against the Wild, which will mark his fourth straight absence.

It’s been a successful season in limited action for Nichushkin, who returned to the club in early March after spending nearly two months in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Back in his usual top-six role, Nichushkin had four goals and four assists for eight points in eight games since re-entering the lineup after the trade deadline, again averaging over 20 minutes per game. The two-way force has 26 goals and 50 points in 48 games on the season and is on pace to finish above the point-per-game mark for the first time in his nine-year career. His return will allow grinder Brandon Duhaime, who’s jumped up to a second-line role alongside Artturi Lehkonen and Casey Mittelstadt at times since being acquired from Minnesota nearly a month ago, to slot into a more comfortable fourth-line role for his offensive abilities.

Some other modifications to players’ injury statuses this morning:

  • Line rushes indicate top Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly will return tonight against the Lightning after missing four games with an upper-body injury, David Alter of The Hockey News relays. The 30-year-old will return to a top-pairing role flanked by Ilya Lyubushkin, who have controlled 56% of expected goals in 92 minutes together since the latter was re-acquired from the Ducks on March 1, per MoneyPuck. Rielly is averaging 23:49 per game this season, the second-highest mark of his career, and has 51 points in 65 contests. He’s missed nine games on the whole this season, including a five-game suspension in February for cross-checking Senators forward Ridly Greig. 40-year-old Mark Giordano, who had one goal in three games since returning from a concussion, exits the lineup to accommodate Rielly.
  • Sticking with the Leafs, defenseman Joel Edmundson participated in an optional skate today but has been ruled out of Toronto’s next two games with his undisclosed injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today (via Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun). The trade-deadline pickup from the Capitals hasn’t played in a week and a half, last suiting up on March 24 against the Hurricanes. Edmundson, 30, had yet to get on the scoresheet in seven games with the Leafs but had seen a sharp improvement in his possession quality control, recording a 50.5 xG% in more strenuous defensive minutes compared to a 47.5% mark with the Caps. The 6’5″ bruiser is now five years removed from his Stanley Cup win with the Blues and is looking to get back there by excelling in a shutdown role in Toronto. He remains with a day-to-day designation and could return when the Leafs take on former GM Kyle Dubas and the Penguins next Monday.

Sabres Loan Devon Levi To The AHL

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Buffalo Sabres have loaned netminder Devon Levi to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec native has been with the Sabres since March 16th and dressed in three games for Buffalo during his recall, posting a 1.78 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage.

Despite strong numbers during his recent recall, the 22-year-old has had a tough season at the NHL level. In 23 NHL games, the former seventh-round pick has posted a 10-8-2 record to go along with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.

At the AHL level, Levi has been strong in 19 games registering an 11-5-3 record with a 2.52 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. He will now join the Americans to assist them with their playoff push. Rochester is currently in third place in the North Division and has been hot as of late with seven wins in their last ten games. Barring an unforeseen collapse, Levi should be able to get some valuable playoff experience with Rochester in the coming months.

The Sabres goaltending situation has been interesting throughout the season as they’ve carried three NHL goalies for long stretches. Levi and Eric Comrie have struggled at times and given that Levi likely needs more development in the AHL the Sabres could pursue a stopgap option this summer.

Morning Notes: Gustafsson, Hanley, Weal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

New York Rangers reporter Vince Z. Mercogliano writes that Rangers defenseman Erik Gustafsson could return to the lineup tonight when they take on the New Jersey Devils. The 32-year-old journeyman told reporters yesterday that he was 100% after he practiced with the team wearing a regular contact jersey.

Gustafsson has been out of the lineup since taking an elbow to the head from Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart on March 23rd. He missed four games since but took his usual spot on the Rangers third pairing alongside Braden Schneider. The native of Nynashamn, Sweden has six goals and 24 assists this season in 70 games while averaging 17:15 of ice time per game.

In other morning notes:

  • Ryan Pike of Flames Nation tweeted that the Calgary Flames didn’t have an update on defenseman Joel Hanley after last night’s 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Hanley started the game on the Flames top unit but played just six shifts for 3:44 in the first period and left the game without completing the period. The 32-year-old didn’t appear on the team’s bench for the second or third period and not much is known about what sort of issue kept him off of the ice. Hanley was acquired off waivers from the Dallas Stars on March 5th and has dressed in ten games for Calgary, tallying a goal and an assist.
  • Former Philadelphia Flyers forward Jordan Weal has signed a two-year extension to remain in the KHL with Dynamo Moskva. Weal just completed his third KHL season, and second with Dynamo and is now locked up through the 2025-26 season. Weal hasn’t dressed in an NHL game since the 2020 playoffs when he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Weal had a breakthrough offensive season this year, finishing fourth in KHL scoring with 30 goals and 47 assists in 66 games having the most successful season by a Canadian forward in KHL history

Pittsburgh Penguins Reassign Joel Blomqvist, Samuel Poulin

at CDT | by 3 Comments

April 3rd, 8:59 am: The Penguins have re-assigned goaltender Joel Blomqvist to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL after he served as the backup last night against the Devils.

April 2nd: Before the team’s game tonight against the New Jersey Devils, the Pittsburgh Penguins have made a move between the crease, recalling goaltender Joel Blomqvist to the active roster. In a corresponding roster move, the team has returned forward Samuel Poulin to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Given that Alex Nedeljkovic will retain the starting reins for a consecutive game, the Penguins needed to find a replacement for Tristan Jarry as he remains out with an illness. Blomqvist was previously recalled via an emergency loan in early November of this season while Jarry was out, but was unable to play any minutes.

In his first full season in North America, Blomqvist has been more than solid for the WBS Penguins this year. With 40 games played up to this point in the season, Blomqvist has produced a 22-10-6 record, coupled with a .919 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average.

Rising up the ranks as the top goalie prospect in the Penguins’ farm system, Blomqvist could feature into Pittsburgh’s lineup more regularly next season. With two goaltenders within the system headed for unrestricted free agency this summer, the Penguins may look to fill in the holes on the roster internally.

On the opposite side of the transaction, Poulin has been sparingly used at the NHL level once again this season. Registering only 36 games for the WBS Penguins this year, Poulin has scored 13 goals and 27 points overall.

Pacific Notes: Pohlkamp, Mangiapane, Andersson, Fleury

at CDT | by 13 Comments

In an update from Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, San Jose Sharks’ prospect Eric Pohlkamp has entered the transfer portal after only one season at Bemidji State University. The Sharks originally drafted Pohlkamp with the 132nd overall selection of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Despite being a late-round pick, Pohlkamp has turned into something of a diamond in the rough for the Sharks organization. Scoring 11 goals and 24 points in 32 games for Bemidji State this season, Pohlkamp also registered one goal and three points for Team USA en route to a gold medal in this year’s IIHF U20 World Junior Championships.

As for his potential landing spot, Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that Pohlkamp will be deciding between two different options. North Dakota University, who recently had their season ended by the University of Michigan this past weekend, and Denver University, who are about to play Boston University in the Frozen Four, are both vying for Pohlkamp’s services.

Other Pacific notes:

  • In some positive news on the injury front for the Calgary Flames, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet reports that forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Rasmus Andersson returned to practice for the team earlier this morning. Earlier this week, Andersson had originally missed practice due to taking a maintenance day, while Mangiapane has missed the team’s last two games due to an undisclosed injury.
  • For the fourth time this season, defenseman Cale Fleury has been reassigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as the Seattle Kraken announced the transaction earlier today. Unfortunately, Fleury has still not been able to register a game for the Kraken this season but has managed to score six goals and 32 points over 50 games for the Firebirds across the year.

Central Notes: Wood, Snuggerud, Tanev, Makar

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In recent days, reports indicated that Nashville Predators’ prospect, Matthew Wood, would be entering the transfer portal to move on from the University of Connecticut. Having now made his decision, we can independently confirm that Wood is expected to choose the University of Minnesota as his new destination.

Over two years in Connecticut, Wood appeared in a total of 70 games, scoring 27 goals and 62 points overall, leading to his selection as the 15th overall pick of the Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, outside of some personal success, Connecticut has failed to compete with other schools within the Hockey East Conference, likely leading to Wood’s decision to move on.

Moving to Minnesota, Wood will be joining a better program, and arguably joining a stronger Conference too in the Big Ten. This year, the Gophers finished with a 23-11-5 record, losing to Boston University in the Regional Finals of the Frozen Four Tournament.

Other Central notes:

  • Staying at the University of Minnesota, the team will carry a familiar face on the roster next season, with the St. Louis Blues announcing that Jimmy Snuggerud would spend another year with the program. After being selected 23rd overall by the Blues back in the 2022 NHL Draft, Snuggerud has been on the Gophers roster ever since. This past season, Snuggerud was once again one of the best players in the NCAA, scoring 21 goals and 34 points in 39 games.
  • Moving back to the NHL, Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports that Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev was a full participant at practice today making his return imminent. Although Tanev did not miss any time, there was some cause for concern as Tanev left the team’s most recent game against the Seattle Kraken early due to an arm injury. Luckily, now that Tanev was a full participant in today’s practice, he should be able to play in the team’s game tomorrow night against the Edmonton Oilers.
  • In more movement at the NCAA level, Taylor Makar, brother of Colorado Avalanche phenom Cale Makar, will be transferring away from the University of Massachusetts (X Link). Being the 220th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, Taylor has not lived up to the standard set by his brother. In 36 games for Massachusetts this past season, Taylor scored four goals and nine points in total.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top