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Big Hype Prospects: Letourneau, Lindstrom, Surin, Pulkkinen

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Welcome to PHR’s Big Hype Prospects series. Like the MLB Trade Rumors series of the same name, we’re taking a look at the performances of top prospects from across the hockey world. We’ll look at drafted prospects who are rising, others who are struggling, and prospects for the upcoming draft who are notable.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Dean Letourneau, C, Boston Bruins (Boston College, NCAA)
14 GP 6G 8A 14pts

When the Bruins selected Letourneau with the 25th pick at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the pick was widely classified as a significant gamble. On one hand, Letourneau offered a rare combination of size and skill, a combination that’s even more rare – and coveted – in a natural center. Letourneau stands 6’7″, 220 pounds, and managed to score 152 points in 70 games for St. Andrew’s College, at the Canadian U18 prep school level. That’s impressive production, even if it didn’t come against the highest level of competition for a draft-eligible prospect.

But with those attractive qualities came some serious risks. David St-Louis, lead scout at Elite Prospects, called Letourneau “the ultimate development pick,” highlighting his positive traits as well as the long development road required to bring those positive qualities to the NHL. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote that the Bruins’ pick of Letourneau was “a big swing,” and noted that his level of competition made it “hard to gauge” Letourneau’s hockey sense and compete level.

Those reactions to the Bruins’ pick are reflective of the risk most viewed as inherent in the Letourneau selection. Likely as a result of that risk, Letourneau was a divisive prospect in the public sphere. NHL Central Scouting ranked him No. 23 among North American skaters, and the public source highest on Letourneau appears to have been Pronman, who ranked him No. 28.

Other public-facing scouts were lower on Letourneau. He was ranked No. 69 by TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button, and Future Considerations, which has since shut down, ranked him No. 135. The Bruins ended up drafting Letourneau at a higher slot than he was ranked by any major public-facing scouting outlet, a clear show of faith by the organization both in Letourneau’s qualities as a player, and also the organization’s ability to properly oversee his development.

The early returns, unfortunately, were not positive for both the Bruins and Letourneau. San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith’s departure from Boston College to sign an entry-level deal prompted Letourneau to start his NCAA career in the fall after he was drafted. Letourneau’s original plan was to spend the year in the USHL, but with Smith’s departure, he took the opportunity to begin his development in college.

Letourneau only scored three points across 36 games in his freshman season, and by the end of the year, Bruins management admitted to the media (including NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin) that Letourneau’s choice to bypass the USHL for the NCAA may not have been the best choice for his development.

But 14 games into Letourneau’s sophomore season, many of those concerns appear to be fading away. Letourneau now ranks second on the Eagles in scoring with 14 points in 14 games, behind only fellow Bruins prospect James Hagens. Elite Prospects scout Whittaker Heart noted in an October game report that Letourneau “had a noticeable jump in his skating” and now is “starting to look like an NHLer.”

If Letourneau can continue to build on his apparent developmental leap over the course of the full season, it appears his projection as a future NHL scoring center would be significantly strengthened. Letourneau’s development is crucial for the Bruins, who don’t currently have any young centers on their roster who project as long-term top-six fixtures.

Hagens, Letourneau’s teammate, most readily projects as the Bruins’ future No. 1 center, but if Letourneau can continue his steep developmental climb, he could very well end up slotting in behind Hagens at the professional level, the same way he’s slotted in at Chestnut Hill.

Cayden Lindstrom, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (Michigan State, NCAA)
9 GP 1G 1A 2pts

In their entire history as a franchise in the NHL, the Blue Jackets have lacked one key asset: a high-scoring true number-one center. They’ve had some quality centers, but most Blue Jackets pivots have been more of the high-end middle-six variety. So when the club spent the No. 4 overall pick at the 2024 draft on Lindstrom, the selection made sense: Columbus was looking to acquire a center who offered a rare blend of size, strength and high-end offensive ability.

Players who fit that mold to the extent Lindstrom did are typically contenders to be selected No. 1 overall. But clouding Lindstrom’s projection, significantly, was a lingering back injury. The Blue Jackets felt confident enough in Lindstrom’s health to draft him at such a high position, but their investment instantly hit a roadblock as Lindstrom’s back injury cost him most of the 2024-25 season. He ended up playing in only four games – four playoff contests during the playoff run of the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Lindstrom entered 2025-26 with a cleaner bill of health, and the hope was that he’d enter one of the top programs in college hockey (Michigan State), get to center some high-end talent (perhaps 2025 No. 7 pick Porter Martone) and put his lost 2024-25 campaign behind him. So far, that hasn’t happened. Not only has Lindstrom missed time due to injury, his production and role have fallen below expectations for someone of his draft slot. He missed five games due to injury before returning for the team’s Nov. 28 game against Colgate, and slotted in as the Spartans’ third-line center, behind 2025 second-rounder Eric Nilson and 2023 first-rounder Charlie Stramel on the depth chart.

While there isn’t one simple explanation as to why, Lindstrom’s start, in terms of production, has been below the expectation of someone selected at his draft slot. While 2024 No. 3 pick Beckett Sennecke and No. 5 pick Ivan Demidov are battling for the rookie scoring lead in the NHL, Lindstrom is still searching for his third NCAA point. Lindstrom scored a goal and an assist in an Oct. 18 victory over Boston University, but hasn’t found his way onto the scoresheet at any other point.

For comparison, Sascha Boisvert, who is another 2024-drafted NCAA center (No. 18 overall to Chicago) has scored nine points through nine games. Of course, it isn’t exactly a fair comparison. Boisvert gets to play a steadier diet of minutes and centers higher-scoring linemates. And perhaps most importantly, Boisvert didn’t have to spend most of the past calendar year recovering from a back injury.

But while Lindstrom has certainly had circumstances out of his control working against him, the bottom-line production, through nine games, simply hasn’t been where most would expect from such a talented offensive creator and a top draft pick.

That’s not to say, of course, that the Blue Jackets erred in selecting Lindstrom fourth overall. It’s still far too early to pass final judgement on the pick. If Lindstrom puts his injuries behind him and becomes a dynamic top-six center to pair with Adam Fantilli, the Blue Jackets will likely look back on the pick more than happy taking Lindstrom over the other available options. But he has to get there first, and so far, Lindstrom’s developmental road has been a bumpy one.

Yegor Surin, C, Nashville Predators (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)
34 GP 13G 12A 25pts

Other than the Columbus Blue Jackets, another NHL franchise that has long been searching for a true play-driving number-one center is the Nashville Predators. Historically speaking, the Predators have been able to develop defensemen and goaltenders at an impressive rate, but generating quality scoring centers has been more of a challenge.

Looking towards the future, the Predators do have a few prospects who could end up breaking that trend and becoming homegrown top-six centers in Nashville. The big name in the Predators’ system is undoubtedly 2025 No. 5 overall pick Brady Martin, but a name that likely isn’t receiving as much attention as it deserves is Surin, Nashville’s 2024 first-round pick.

While there are some who were likely disappointed that the Montreal Canadiens selected USHL standout Michael Hage with the pick directly before Surin, all Surin has done since he was drafted was continue to develop his game and impress coaches and scouts alike. He spent most of his draft campaign in the MHL (Russia’s top junior league), but broke into the KHL as a full-time player in 2024-25, at the age of 18.

The KHL is notorious for being an extremely difficult league for young players, especially teenagers, to find a way to contribute in. But despite those historical headwinds, Surin was able to stick with Lokomotiv for all of 2024-25, scoring 14 points in 41 regular-season games. He added on seven points in 19 playoff games, helping his club win the Gagarin Cup championship.

Surin’s standout competitiveness allowed him to stick in the KHL, and entering the season, most public-facing scouts were confident in his projection as a future NHLer, although most classified him as a potential future middle-six center rather than a top-six talent. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote in August that Surin “has the traits to be an NHL third-line center,” while Scott Wheeler, also of The Athletic, wrote in February that Surin will “be a top-nine forward someday.” Elite Prospects Russia scout Dylan Griffing succinctly classified where Surin was in his development, writing before the season that Surin needed to “round out his offensive game to grow beyond a checking-line projection.”

So far, through 34 KHL games in 2025-26, Surin’s offensive production has taken a major step forward: his points-per-game scoring rate is up from 0.34 to 0.74. Surin is one of just two teenage players in the KHL with double-digit points production, and ranks second in scoring among all KHL players aged 22 and under, behind only Blackhawks prospect Roman Kantserov, who is 21.

Put simply: Surin’s offensive step forward, if sustained over the course of this KHL season, has the potential to materially alter his NHL projection in a positive direction. Most public-facing scouts saw a future NHL middle-sixer when watching Surin in the KHL last season. Watching how impressive he’s been this season, it’s likely that many of those same scouts now see a potential future NHL top-six talent.

Surin’s breakout also has the potential to alter how Nashville plans for its future. With 2021 first-rounder Fedor Svechkov already in the NHL and Martin on the way, Surin’s development gives the Predators three young potential NHL pivots to build around.

Development is not linear, and it’s no guarantee any player of the trio ends up reaching their potential. But in what has been a disappointing 2025-26 season for Nashville so far, Surin’s breakout is a much-needed positive development and one that could pay serious dividends for the organization at some point down the line. Surin’s KHL contract runs through the 2026-27 season.

Jesse Pulkkinen, LHD, New York Islanders (Bridgeport Islanders, AHL)
9 GP 0G 1A 1pt

Pulkkinen, a Finnish blueliner, has quite a few traits that scouts covet in defensive prospects. He’s big (6’6″, 215 pounds), he has high-level professional experience (29 games in the Finnish Liiga in his draft year) and he’s shown flashes of real value on both ends of the ice. But despite being an overage player when the Islanders selected him in the second round (No. 54 overall) at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, he hasn’t yet looked like a real contender to make a push for an NHL call-up.

While his time in North America’s pro circuit has been relatively brief (comprised entirely of his late-season move to AHL Bridgeport at the end of 2024-25 and the start of 2025-26), his time on this side of the Atlantic has been a bit of a challenge.

On Oct. 30, Pulkkinen was reassigned to the Islanders’ ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers. That came after Pulkkinen played in just two games at the AHL level. Pulkkinen has been one of Bridgeport’s most sparingly deployed defensemen so far this season, with limited third-pairing usage and short-handed usage that ranks fifth among Bridgeport blueliners.

Given Pulkkinen’s experience in Finland, his draft pedigree, and his impressive set of traits, it’s somewhat surprising to see him struggle to earn the trust of his AHL coaches, and it was certainly surprising to see him sent down to the ECHL.

There have been some factors outside of his control that have complicated his development. He suffered a knee injury that cost him quite a bit of time, and also necessitated that he devote time he could have otherwise spent developing his game further on recovering from that injury. But while some things have been out of Pulkkinen’s control, the reality is he just hasn’t played up to the standard he set earlier in his career.

The Islanders have other promising defensive prospects in their system, so the organization is under no great pressure to fast-track Pulkkinen’s development. He was always seen as more of a long-term project, and his performances in North America only underline that fact. He’s still just 20 years old, and could have a bright future ahead. But as of right now, his start to his North American pro career has been an uphill battle.

San Jose Sharks Reassign Pavol Regenda, Set To Activate Jeff Skinner

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The San Jose Sharks announced today that forward Pavol Regenda has been reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky told the media, including San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng, that veteran forward Jeff Skinner will be activated off of injured reserve and dressed for the Sharks’ game Friday in Dallas against the Stars.

Regenda was recalled on Monday when the Sharks placed Vincent Desharnais on injured reserve. He ended up playing in both of the Sharks’ games during his time on their NHL roster, and he found a way to make his mark in each.

Regenda scored a power play goal early in the Sharks’ Monday win over the Utah Mammoth. Regenda scored a similar goal late in the Sharks’ 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Regenda averaged 12:43 time on ice per game in this two-game recall, although just 8:56 of that average came at even strength. Regenda averaged nearly four minutes per game on the power play.

While Regenda would surely have liked for his recall to extend a little bit longer, it’s hard to classify his most recent stay on the NHL roster as anything other than a success due to his goal-scoring. The 25-year-old has been a productive AHL player since crossing the Atlantic to sign with the Anaheim Ducks in 2022.

The former Slovak Extraliga star has scored 107 points in 195 career AHL games, a 40-point 72-game scoring pace. Standing 6’3″, 219 pounds, Regenda offers size and some scoring touch in a depth role, which is likely why he was counted on as a sporadic call-up option during his time with the Ducks.

Regenda signed with San Jose this past summer as a Group Six unrestricted free agent, and got a hefty $400K guarantee on his contract. While he’ll now return to making his $350K AHL salary, this recall not only provided Regenda with a brief pay bump, but it also helped him pave the way for more extensive (and lucrative) stays on the NHL roster down the line.

What appears to have cost Regenda his spot on San Jose’s NHL roster is the return of Skinner from IR. Skinner, 33, is playing out a one-year, $3MM deal with the Sharks. He scored 16 goals and 29 points in 72 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season, and currently has seven points in 17 games this season.

Skinner has been out since Nov. 13 with a lower-body injury, an injury that cost him the chance to play in 10 games. When he returns to the lineup, he’ll play on the third line alongside Collin Graf and Ty Dellandrea, and should likely step into Regenda’s vacated power play role as well.

Photos courtesy of David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Lightning Sign Ryan McDonagh To Three-Year Extension

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3:20 p.m.: PuckPedia have reported some new details regarding the specific financial terms of McDonagh’s three-year extension. The structure of the contract remains the same in all three years of its duration: $3.1MM base salary, $1MM signing bonus, and a full no-movement clause.

PuckPedia also noted that because this deal includes signing bonuses beyond its first year, it is considered a 35+ contract. As a result, the Lightning are eligible to buy out this contract, but doing so would not provide them with any cap relief.

7:35 a.m.:The Lightning announced they’ve signed defenseman Ryan McDonagh to a three-year extension. The deal, which keeps him in Tampa through the 2028-29 season, is worth $12.3MM for an average annual value of $4.1MM. Instead of testing the unrestricted free agent market next summer, he’ll stay with the club where he won championships in 2020 and 2021.

It’s a nice gift for the veteran rearguard, who remains out with an undisclosed injury that’s kept him out of the lineup for over three weeks. While the deal takes him through his age-39 season, McDonagh has so far defied the aging curve. He was arguably the NHL’s top shutdown defenseman last season, posting a league-high +43 rating and controlling 51.9% of expected goals at 5-on-5 despite seeing 264 defensive zone starts compared to 160 offensive zone starts. On top of that, his 4-27–31 scoring line remained nearly in line with his career average and marked the eighth time in his 16-year career that he’s crossed the 30-point plateau.

That was McDonagh’s first season back in Tampa after a two-year absence. Following their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022, a loss to the Avalanche, he had completed the third year of the seven-year, $47.25MM extension he signed with the Bolts in 2019. He was still viewed as a high-end top-four piece at the time, but his offensive production had taken somewhat of a hit since signing the extension. He was coming off a career-best 46 points in 82 games and an eighth-place finish in Norris Trophy voting before the deal went into effect, but he averaged just four goals and 24 points per 82 games over the following three seasons. That led Tampa to make him and his $6.75MM cap hit a cap dump under a still relatively flat cap environment, asking him to waive his no-trade clause. He accepted a move to the Predators, who brought him in at full price in exchange for a pair of depth skaters.

McDonagh’s play in Nashville was more of the same steady, two-way hockey that the former Rangers captain has played from the start. Across two years with the Preds, he racked up 52 points and a +31 rating in 145 games, serving as their top penalty killer and averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game. In the 2024 offseason, the Lightning, armed with more cap flexibility, needed repair on the blue line after allowing 3.26 goals per game, their worst defensive performance in 12 years. The Predators were happy to return McDonagh to the Bolts, landing a second-round pick for their trouble after acquiring him for nothing of value.

The 36-year-old still looked like a natural fit in a top-four workload before sustaining his injury in a game against the Capitals on Nov. 8. Through 15 appearances, he was averaging 20:10 of ice time per game – a figure brought down by his early departure from the Washington outing – and had rattled off three goals and three assists for six points with a +1 rating. His usual even-strength pairing with Erik Černák also serves as the Bolts’ top shorthanded duo.

Under the hood, there’s very little cause for concern. McDonagh is perhaps the best case study in the league for quality over quantity on defense. He’s still receiving an extremely skewed workload toward the defensive zone at 5-on-5. Naturally, that means he’s getting shelled in shot attempts, only controlling 49.4% of them to rank fifth-worst among Bolts skaters with at least 10 appearances. The shot attempts they’re allowing with him on the ice, though, amount to a high volume of low-danger chances. McDonagh’s 58.0% share of expected goals at 5-on-5 ranks fifth-best on the Lightning. They also only allow 8.8 high-danger chances per 60 minutes with McDonagh on the ice at 5-on-5, which is also the fifth-best mark on the team.

With that type of value, the Lightning understandably wanted to make sure the steady McDonagh was retained behind an also-aging Victor Hedman as they squeeze what they can out of their championship contention window. At a significant discount that’s just a few ticks over the league-average salary, getting him locked in without submitting to a crushing contract length that takes him into his 40s is also a real win for Tampa GM Julien BriseBois.

Barring trades, the Bolts’ defense is virtually locked in for next season. Alongside McDonagh, Hedman, Černák, Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, and Maxwell Crozier are also signed through at least next year on one-way deals, while breakout defender J.J. Moser is a pending restricted free agent and will be back. They also boast one of the most advantageous cap situations in the league, particularly for a team in win-now mode. With a total cap commitment of $81.92MM on the books for 2026-27 to 20 roster players, that leaves them over $22MM in projected space to fill just three spots, per PuckPedia.

Image of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

Kings To Activate Drew Doughty From Injured Reserve

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3:15 p.m.: The Kings have now officially announced that they have activated Doughty off of injured reserve.

12:56 p.m.: Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty is going to be activated from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Blackhawks, according to Zach Dooley of NHL.com. Los Angeles has an open roster spot, so no corresponding transaction is required.

The contest will mark Doughty’s first performance since sustaining an apparent left leg/foot injury while blocking a shot against the Senators on Nov. 15. There was initial fear that his injury was related to the left ankle fracture that sidelined him for the first few months of the 2024-25 campaign. However, the team quickly confirmed there was no connection and that he only carried a week-to-week designation, unlike the month-to-month one his previous ankle injury carried.

Shortly thereafter, general manager Ken Holland told reporters he only expected Doughty to miss two to three weeks. Today’s game is the first in that return window, so his comeback is right on schedule.

Doughty returned to practice on Thanksgiving, so he’s been skating for at least a week. Doughty said his “cardio is where it needs to be,” according to Dooley, so the injury was minor enough not to significantly interrupt his conditioning. Doughty added he didn’t sustain any sort of fracture in his foot (via Eric Stephens of The Athletic).

The five-time All-Star and 2016 Norris Trophy winner wasn’t off to a great start before exiting the lineup. His 2-6–8 scoring line in 19 appearances worked out to 0.42 points per game, his lowest pace since his rookie season. His 22:33 average time on ice is also the lowest mark of his 18-year career, although that figure is dragged down somewhat by his early departure from the Ottawa game.

Part of that reduction has come via a decrease in shorthanded deployment. The team’s offseason signings of Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci pushed Doughty out of a spot on L.A.’s top two penalty kill units.

He’s also received a greater challenge for the No. 1 power play quarterback job from young righty Brandt Clarke, who leads the Kings’ defense in scoring with three goals, nine assists, and 12 points in 26 games. Doughty did not record a point on the man advantage before his injury, with seven of his eight points coming at even strength and the other coming shorthanded.

However, Doughty’s 5-on-5 game remains among the best the Kings have to offer on the back end. Among L.A.’s six regular defenders, he ranks second behind Clarke in Corsi share (55.7%), shot share (55.1%), and expected goal share (53.9%). He tops Clarke with a 53.5% control of high-danger chances. That’s with Doughty having only the third-highest rate of offensive zone starts among Kings defenders at 56.5%.

Doughty will presumably return to his regular top-pairing role on the right side along Mikey Anderson. Lefty Joel Edmundson had filled in there on his off side for the past several games, but will now return to a more comfortable job on the second or third pairing on the left side. Jacob Moverare, who only played once this season before Doughty’s injury, will return to a press-box role.

Bruins Place Michael Callahan On Injured Reserve, Recall Victor Soderstrom

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The Bruins announced they’ve placed defenseman Michael Callahan on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, defenseman Victor Söderström was recalled from AHL Providence under emergency conditions. Boston is still working with an open roster spot after the moves.

Callahan, 26, sustained a lower-body injury on Tuesday against the Red Wings and left the game in the first period. There was no visually apparent injury, but the Bruins quickly ruled him out of a return and head coach Marco Sturm said postgame they weren’t expecting him back in the lineup for at least a few days (via Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub).

The IR placement rules Callahan out of tonight’s contest against the Blues and will also hold him out of Saturday’s game against the Devils. He’ll be eligible for activation ahead of a rematch against St. Louis next Tuesday.

Callahan, a Massachusetts native, was an injury replacement himself. He’d been called up from Providence last weekend – his third stint on Boston’s roster this season – after Henri Jokiharju landed on IR with an undisclosed injury.

Initially a 2018 fifth-round pick by the Coyotes, Callahan has developed into a solid organizational depth piece for the Bruins. He’s a no-fuss stay-at-home defenseman who’s comfortable operating in the No. 8-10 range on an NHL depth chart and can handle the role of a frequent call-up option who doesn’t get extended stints in either the NHL or AHL well.

His five NHL appearances this season have brought his career total up to 22, with the other 17 all coming last season. He’s averaged 13:53 of ice time per game in bottom-pairing duties, recording one goal and a -6 rating.

The 6’2″ lefty doesn’t play a particularly physical game, with only 0.5 hits per contest. His possession metrics in his limited sample are promising, though. Boston has controlled 46.7% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 despite him starting only 30.5% of his shifts in the offensive zone.

Coming up to relieve Callahan and make his Bruins debut tonight is Söderström. He’s also a former Coyotes prospect but was a much more high-profile one, going No. 11 overall in the 2019 draft.

Söderström, now 24, had 11 points in 53 career NHL games with Arizona before he opted to spurn his qualifying offer from Utah in 2024 and return home to Sweden. He signed with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League and re-emerged as a star, posting a 9-28–37 scoring line and a league-leading +28 rating in 49 games and was named the Swedish Defenseman of the Year.

That piqued his interest in an NHL return, but he wasn’t interested in signing with the Blackhawks, who had acquired his rights from Utah at the 2025 trade deadline. In June, Chicago flipped his rights to Boston for a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft and depth defender Ryan Mast.

Söderström promptly signed a two-way deal with the Bruins, carrying a $400K guarantee. He was viewed as the primary competitor to offseason pickup Jordan Harris to win a roster spot as Boston’s extra defenseman, but lost the battle in training camp and ended up on waivers.

He was reassigned to Providence after clearing, and the 6’0″ righty has quietly gone about his business with a 1-8–9 scoring line and a +3 rating in 18 games. With Jokiharju and Charlie McAvoy both on IR, he suddenly slots in as Boston’s top puck-moving option on the right side, although he’s not expected to see power play deployment with Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei anchoring the first and second units, respectively.

Söderström is eligible for an emergency recall because the Bruins wouldn’t have six defensemen available without him. He’s eligible to remain with them under emergency conditions as long as that scenario persists. That distinction is essential for waiver-eligible players because their standard 10-game, 30-day clock on the roster until they require waivers again resets if those emergency conditions are removed.

Canucks Recall Nikita Tolopilo, Elias Pettersson

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Dec. 4: The demotion for both Pettersson and Tolopilo was brief and solely to get them into game action for Abbotsford last night. The Canucks have added both players back to the active roster today, with Patera being loaned back to the minors in a corresponding move.

Dec. 3: According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have assigned netminder Nikita Tolopilo and defenseman Elias N. Pettersson to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. The transaction indirectly confirms that the Canucks had previously activated Tolopilo from the non-roster designation.

It’s been nearly 10 days since Tolopilo was initially recalled by the Canucks. Dealing with an injury to Thatcher Demko and a brief leave of absence from Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver had to rely on Tolopilo and Jiří Patera for a short period.

He played relatively well in his first NHL action of the 2025-26 campaign, securing a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on 41 shots. Unfortunately, that success didn’t translate to his next start against the San Jose Sharks, where he managed a .875 SV% on 24 shots.

Following the loss to San Jose, Tolopilo took his own leave of absence for the birth of his child and hadn’t played since. He’ll return to Abbotsford, where he’s managed a 1-3-1 record in five games with a .901 SV% while Vancouver moves forward with a combination of Lankinen and Patera for the time being.

Meanwhile, Pettersson will suit up in his first AHL appearance of the season. Cracking the Canucks roster out of training camp, the 21-year-old blueliner has tallied two assists in 24 games with a -6 rating, averaging 13:29 of ice time per night. It’s essentially the same production he provided last season, when he scored one goal and three points in 28 games with a -4 rating while finishing with an ATOI of 12:49.

Simply put, the former 80th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft hasn’t earned a spot on the NHL blue line, even on a disappointing Vancouver team. He’ll look to build confidence and develop in the AHL for the foreseeable future. Unless the Canucks unexpectedly activate Derek Forbort from the LTIR or make a separate call-up, they’ll play their next few contests with six defenseman on the active roster.

Which NHLer Is Most Likely To Seek A Contract Termination?

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The NHL has recently experienced an unusual trend: an increase in players choosing to forgo guaranteed contracts that still owe them millions to find a playing situation that better suits them. This process involves the player clearing standard waivers with the team anticipating they’ll refuse to report to their AHL affiliate, creating a breach of contract that allows the team to place the player on unconditional waivers, before ultimately finalizing the contract termination.

Last year, Brandon Saad did this by walking away from the remaining year and a half of his deal and over $3MM in salary. This summer, forward Conor Sheary followed suit, foregoing the final year of his contract and saving the Lightning $1.5MM. Just a few weeks ago, Maple Leafs forward David Kämpf also stepped back, forfeiting over $2MM in salary. More recently, Alexandre Texier left the Blues and signed with the Canadiens for roughly half his previous salary. In effect, all these players essentially halved their earnings to find situations better suited to them, raising the question: who might be the next player to break their current contract?

Dozens, if not hundreds, of players under NHL contracts could be described as unhappy with their playing time. However, most, if not all, would be satisfied with the current NHL paychecks they receive. Players such as Ryan Graves, Tristan Jarry, and Ville Husso will not be included for purposes of this article. While they are veterans who have earned good money in their NHL careers, they are still early in their lucrative new deals, and they have spent time in the AHL over the last calendar year. This piece will focus on players in a unique position regarding their contracts who might be willing to walk away from guaranteed money if they can’t be moved via trade or waivers.

Penguins forward Philip Tomasino is the top name on the list and has already been made available to every NHL team this month after he was placed on waivers by the Penguins and eventually assigned to the minors after passing through. Signed to a one-year, $1.75MM deal last offseason, many fans were surprised when the Penguins non-tendered him in the summer, only to re-sign him to that one-year pact.

The move kept his salary lower, but Tomasino has still failed to provide any value to Pittsburgh this season, with just one assist in nine NHL games. Tomasino also started slowly last year with Nashville, posting a single assist in his first 11 games before a midseason trade to Pittsburgh sparked a turnaround. Hence, a comeback isn’t out of the question.

Clearly, passing on waivers showed a complete lack of interest in Tomasino at his current price, but at league minimum, teams might be more willing to take a shot. However, the chances of that happening seem low, as the Penguins likely aren’t keen to use up a salary retention slot on him, and Tomasino likely doesn’t want to leave the highest salary he’s earned in his NHL career. There’s always a possibility that the Mississauga, Ontario native stays in the AHL for the rest of the season, but given his six points in three AHL games, he might find a way to work his way back to the NHL, just like teammates Graves and Jarry did over the past year.

Next up is a player who is nearly 10 years older than Tomasino: defenseman Erik Gustafsson of the Red Wings. Like Tomasino, Gustafsson is in the final year of his contract and trying to maintain his NHL career, but that is where many similarities end. Gustafsson is a ten-year NHL veteran nearing the end of his playing career, whereas Tomasino is just beginning his.

Not so long ago, Gustafsson was regarded as a capable third-pairing defenseman. Many praised the Red Wings for signing him to a two-year, $4MM contract in July 2024. That deal proved to be ill-fated. Gustafsson’s play declined last season, especially on the offensive side. His puck handling was sloppy, and he wasn’t the same contributor as in previous years.

This poor performance led to a demotion this season, with the 33-year-old playing most of his games in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Credit to Gustafsson for stepping up and performing well in the AHL, but it does raise questions about whether he will finish the year in Detroit. The Wings might consider trading him or putting him on waivers (again), but given his recent play and salary, that seems unlikely.

Another factor in Gustafsson’s situation is the fact that he’s made $2MM or more in just three NHL seasons. One of these was the shortened 2020-21 season, which had a 56-game schedule, meaning Gustafsson’s $3MM AAV effectively amounted to a $2MM salary that year. This income would have been subject to deferrals, escrow, agent fees, and taxes, so Gustafsson actually received less than half of it. Aside from that, Gustafsson is nearing the end of his career and has earned somewhere in the range of $10MM-$12MM (gross income), so he probably isn’t willing to walk away from $1.5MM without at least the promise of another contract elsewhere.

Another Detroit defenseman who might seem like a contender is Justin Holl, who is also 33 years old and in the final year of his contract. Holl signed a three-year, $10.4MM deal with the Red Wings in July 2023, but that contract has proven to be poor value for Detroit. Like Gustafsson, Holl was a turnover machine last season and has ended up in the AHL this year. The signing never made much sense from the start, as Holl has always been a fairly average defenseman, and not the type you rush to overpay on July 1, which is precisely what Detroit did.

Holl is probably still an NHL defenseman and could likely find a role if he didn’t have a $3.4MM price tag attached. However, to move him, Detroit would probably need to include an asset and retain salary. Since he’s a pending UFA, they won’t go through the trouble. Considering he has earned over $15MM in his career, you would think Holl might be inclined to leave his contract early if given the chance. Still, it seems unlikely because this is probably his last big NHL payday, and he can wait until summer to sign a two-way deal for league minimum.

Another player to consider is Oilers winger Max Jones. Jones was acquired last season from the Bruins and played 19 games down the stretch, but didn’t contribute much with just a goal and an assist. Jones can skate and hit; beyond that, his abilities are pretty limited. He is in the second year of a two-year, $2MM deal, and since he’s earning one-way money, it’s unlikely he would walk away from it to pursue another job. Jones has spent the entire season in the AHL after passing through waivers in October, and he’s probably best served to ride out his current contract and hope for a promotion to the NHL. The 27-year-old is lucky to have time on his side and can look for a two-way contract in the off-season, but if he chooses to opt out, he’ll likely find a two-way league minimum deal that puts him in the same position he’s in now, just wearing a different jersey.

Other players who might consider terminating their contracts soon include Jets forward Tanner Pearson. Pearson has been receiving fourth-line minutes in Winnipeg and has faced challenging assignments in that role. He’s got just three goals and an assist in 23 games this season. However, with a $1MM salary, he might choose to stay the course and play the hand he’s been dealt. It’s unlikely that Pearson would find a team willing to give him a top-nine role at this stage of his career, so he’s probably best advised to stay in Winnipeg under contract.

Another possibility could be Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram, but his play in the AHL this season has been atrocious, with a 3-3-2 record and a .873 SV%. Ingram is making $1.95MM in the final year of his deal and is probably best served continuing to cash his cheques and trying to improve his game to get back to the NHL. Ingram is also in a position with the Oilers where it might be his best route back to an NHL lineup, given the issues Edmonton’s goaltending has faced this year.

A few final names of players who could be contenders to terminate their current contracts mutually include defensemen Daniil Miromanov of the Flames and Kyle Burroughs of the Kings, as well as forward Carl Grundström of the Flyers. These three players are in the final years of their deals, earning over $1MM this season, and are currently playing in the AHL.

Blue Jackets Reassign Luca Pinelli

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The Blue Jackets announced they’ve ended center Luca Pinelli’s emergency recall and reassigned him to AHL Cleveland. The team now has an open roster spot, which will likely go to captain Boone Jenner in the coming days. He’s on injured reserve with an upper-body issue and has been out since Nov. 11, but head coach Dean Evason said last weekend that Jenner is close to a return. That won’t come tonight against the Red Wings, per Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com, but could come before Saturday’s tilt against the Panthers.

Because of injuries to Jenner, Kirill Marchenko, and Mathieu Olivier, the 20-year-old Pinelli had suited up in Columbus’ last three games. With Marchenko returning to the lineup tonight after a four-game absence, though, Pinelli’s presence on the active roster was no longer required to ensure the Blue Jackets had 12 healthy forwards. Since he was recalled under emergency conditions, the Jackets either had to return him to Cleveland today or convert the recall to a standard one.

Pinelli, a 5’9″ sniper, is in his first professional season. Columbus drafted him in the fourth round in 2023. He’s the fourth player from that round to make his NHL debut, following the Sharks’ Luca Cagnoni, the Canucks’ Ty Mueller, and the Canadiens’ Florian Xhekaj. The Ontario native has had a rather seamless transition to the professional ranks. With five goals in 13 games for Cleveland, he’s tied for the team lead. He’s added five assists for 10 points to rank third on the club behind more experienced call-up options Mikael Pyyhtia and Luca Del Bel Belluz.

Through his first three NHL games, Pinelli got a longer leash than expected, averaging 13:48 of ice time per game. He got top-six deployment at even strength, skating on Sean Monahan’s right wing. That’s a clear indication of where the organization views his ceiling, and given his small frame and lack of physical habits, he’ll likely need to produce enough to warrant a top-six job if he’s going to carve out an NHL career. He didn’t record a point in those minutes but was active with the puck, recording 10 shot attempts – six of which got on goal. Columbus outshot opponents 20-18 and outchanced them 25-17 with Pinelli on the ice at 5-on-5.

Pinelli’s usage for the remainder of the season at the NHL level will likely be sparse, if it even exists at all. A full season of adapting to the pro game in the AHL is a virtual necessity for a mid-to-late-round pick. Nonetheless, he’s done enough in the early going in 2025-26 to put himself on the long list for a roster spot next season.

Senators Recall Stephen Halliday

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The Senators announced they’ve elevated center Stephen Halliday from AHL Belleville ahead of tonight’s game against the Rangers. He’s expected to be in the lineup centering the fourth line between Ridly Greig and Nick Cousins, Claire Hanna of TSN reports. Lars Eller wasn’t present after taking just three shifts in the third period of Tuesday’s win over the Canadiens and could be unavailable. Ottawa opened a roster spot earlier in the week by reassigning winger Hayden Hodgson to Belleville.

Even if Halliday is only in tonight’s lineup as an injury replacement for Belleville, the Hodgson demotion suggests he could be in for a lengthier stint on the active roster than his first time around. Ottawa brought the 23-year-old rookie up for a 10-day stretch in November in which he made the first four appearances of his NHL career. Halliday, a 2022 fourth-round pick who spent two years at Ohio State before turning pro in 2024, notched his first assist in the process and logged a -1 rating while averaging 6:27 of ice time per game. His under-the-hood numbers left much to be desired. He went 4-for-11 (36.4%) on faceoffs, and the Sens were outchanced 14-3 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 despite Halliday not receiving a single defensive zone start.

They’re hoping for more offensive juice from Halliday this time around to offset his still-developing defensive game. Considering his minor-league production, that’s a reasonable expectation. The 6’4″ pivot burst onto the scene last year with 19 goals and 51 points in 71 games for the B-Sens, leading the team in scoring, but also posted a team-worst -20 rating. This season has brought more of the same. He’s only lit the lamp once through 17 appearances, but is registering over an assist per game for 19 points with a -10 rating.

Halliday is in the final season of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights. He will remain waiver-exempt through the 2026-27 season unless he reaches 70 career appearances by then.

Lightning Recall Brandon Halverson

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The Lightning announced they’ve recalled goaltender Brandon Halverson from AHL Syracuse. They had an open roster spot after reassigning Maxim Groshev yesterday. They’ve also shifted center Brayden Point to injured reserve, according to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider, leaving them with an open spot even after Halverson’s addition.

Halverson’s presence indicates there’s a risk that Andrei Vasilevskiy won’t be available for tonight’s game against the Penguins. The team’s Gabby Shirley reports he’s not present at morning skate. He’s not yet carrying an injury designation. Vasilevskiy has started four out of the Bolts’ last five games and looked no worse for wear in his latest start against the Islanders on Tuesday, allowing two goals on 23 shots in a loss.

The 29-year-old Halverson is in his third season in the Tampa organization. He began at the bottom of the ladder as an ECHL signing by the Orlando Solar Bears late in the 2023 offseason before being loaned up to Syracuse and landing a deal with them a few months later. Halverson remained on a minor-league deal through last season, in which the 2014 second-round pick of the Rangers made a career-high 45 appearances with a 2.22 GAA, .915 SV%, five shutouts, and a 22-11-11 record. That delayed breakout earned him an NHL deal from the Bolts in February, essentially serving as a call-up in place of an injured Johansson. It was a two-year, two-way deal, keeping him under contract through this season.

That signing led to Halverson’s first career NHL start late last season, a 6-4 loss to Utah on March 22. It was his second-ever NHL appearance and first in over seven years. While in the Rangers organization, he entered a February 2018 game in relief of Henrik Lundqvist.

While Halverson’s brief NHL resume has seen him post an underwhelming .800 SV% and 5.11 GAA in 71 minutes of action, he’s got a career .901 mark in the AHL over seven seasons. That matches his work for Syracuse this year, along with a 2.58 GAA, two shutouts, and a 9-4-0 record in 13 games.

Point hasn’t played since Nov. 22, so his IR placement is solely for roster management purposes and doesn’t offer any meaningful update to his timeline. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury and doesn’t yet have a date for his return to the lineup.

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