AHL Assignments: 3/6/25
Today’s trade deadline also has minor-league implications. Players must be on an AHL roster at 2:00 p.m. Central in order to be eligible to play in the Calder Cup Playoffs. As such, teams will be ferrying a large number of waiver-exempt players to the minors this morning and afternoon before recalling them before the end of the league day for cap counting at 4:00 p.m. That allows them to bypass the new rule that players must play at least one game in the minors after being reassigned before they’re eligible for a recall again.
Here’s the rundown of today’s reassignments that will be announced during the blizzard of other moves today:
- The Flames will ferry winger Matvei Gridin to the Calgary Wranglers, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation reports. The 2024 #28 overall pick is in his first professional season and is already beginning to look like a natural fit in the Flames’ top nine, posting seven points through his first 18 NHL games while averaging 14:18 of ice time per night. Gridin’s 4.17 shot attempts per game are fourth on the team after Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar were traded away. He’s also got 10 goals and 29 points in 36 games for the Wranglers, but with the Flames’ roster thinning out as they sell pieces off, he’ll be up in the NHL for the stretch run before returning to the playoff-bound Wranglers after the regular season ends.
- The Jets announced they’ve sent winger Walker Duehr and defender Isaak Phillips to AHL Manitoba. Both may find their way back down to Manitoba on a full-time basis before the end of the season as Winnipeg gets some of its IR-bound players back in the lineup, but for now, they’ll serve as depth pieces for the Jets as they potentially subtract more talents from their roster today.
- The Mammoth sent defenseman Dmitriy Simashev to Tucson, per PuckPedia. The 2023 sixth overall pick got into the Utah lineup for the first time since December last night. The rookie has been exceptional in the minors but has just one assist with a -9 rating through his first 25 career NHL outings.
- The Blackhawks assigned defender Ethan Del Mastro to Rockford, per PuckPedia. He’ll be back up after being recalled earlier in the week to replace Connor Murphy on the roster after he was dealt to the Oilers.
- The Penguins have sent down winger Avery Hayes to make him post-season eligible, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The 23-year-old rookie has two goals through his first six NHL contests over the past several weeks, both of which came in his debut.
- The Avalanche have demoted winger Gavin Brindley to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Brindley is in his first full NHL season after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last year, scoring six goals and 12 points in 47 games, averaging 9:51 of ice time per game.
- The Rangers are making sure that AHL Hartford has reinforcements for the playoffs. New York has reassigned forwards Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Pärssinen. The former scored the first goal of his NHL career in a lopsided victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have reassigned netminder Nikita Tolopilo and defenseman Cole Clayton to AHL Abbotsford. Tolopilo has been a mainstay between the pipes for Vancouver over the last little while, managing a 3-5-2 record in nine starts this season with a .901 SV% and 3.27 GAA.
- Unlikely to make the playoffs this season, the Panthers are making sure the cupboards are stocked for the Charlotte Checkers’ playoff run. The Panthers have reassigned Tobias Björnfot and Sandis Vilmanis, allowing them to remain eligible for the postseason.
- The Kraken have reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ryan Winterton to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. The pair have combined for four goals and 19 points in 82 games for Seattle this season.
- According to Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, the Buffalo Sabres have assigned Zach Metsa to the AHL’s Rochester Americans in a paper transaction. Metsa, 27, is in his first full NHL season, scoring two goals and four points in 31 games, averaging 9:45 of ice time per game.
- The best team in the AHL may be even better during the playoffs. To maintain their eligibility for the postseason, the Grand Rapids Griffins announced that captain Dominik Shine and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka have been reassigned in a paper transaction.
- According to Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports, the Flyers have reassigned Denver Barkey and Adam Ginning to AHL Lehigh Valley. Barkey has been an encouraging story of late, scoring two goals and 10 points in his first 26 games of NHL action.
- Murat Ates of The Athletic confirmed that the Winnipeg Jets reassigned defenseman Elias Salomonsson to retain his postseason eligibility. Salomonsson has been relatively disappointing for AHL Manitoba this season, registering one goal and nine points in 29 contests.
- Pushing back on the earlier report today indicating that the Canucks had recalled Ty Mueller, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet shared that he won’t be joining the Canucks. Vancouver will run with a bare-bones roster tonight against the Blackhawks.
- Missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Maple Leafs are making sure AHL Toronto has additional firepower for their postseason run. According to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, the Maple Leafs have reassigned Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan in a paper transaction. Despite being a higher-regarded prospect, Cowan only has two games of AHL experience.
- As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have reassigned forward Josh Samanski to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to ensure his postseason eligibility. Samanski has been exceptional for AHL Bakersfield this year, registering eight goals and 31 points in 43 games with a +6 rating.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
West Injury Notes: Avalanche, Klingberg, Mukhamadullin
Much like he did a few days ago ahead of their road trip through the southeast, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar provided a few more injury updates this afternoon. Provided by Corey Misiak of The Denver Post, Bednar said that the team is expecting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood and forward Joel Kiviranta to return after the trip.
Additionally, on the positive side of the update, Bedar indicated that although he won’t play tonight, forward Gavin Brindley may return as early as tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. Both Kiviranta and Brindley are dealing with lower-body injuries, though neither is expected to miss too much time.
The news is also good regarding Blackwood. The Avalanche did not initially provide a timeline for his recovery, so a few days missed should not significantly impact their chances on the three-game road trip. Bednar mentioned to Misiak that Blackwood’s injury was discovered at the team’s practice on Thursday.
Other injury notes from the Western Conference:
- The San Jose Sharks were missing blueliner John Klingberg in their blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning today. Before the game, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now shared that Klingberg is dealing with a lower-body issue. The Sharks could have used Klingberg’s offensive capabilities today, as he’s scored nine goals and 16 points in his first 31 games with the club.
- Outside of Klingberg, the Sharks are dealing with another injured defenseman from today’s game. Shortly before the start of the third period, San Jose shared that Shakir Mukhamadullin has exited the game due to injury, without specifying if it was a lower or upper-body issue. The 23-year-old defenseman skated in 5:33 of today’s contest, earning a -3 rating with one blocked shot.
Evening Notes: Horvat, Miller, Avalanche, Anderson
The New York Islanders are dealing with some additional concerns from their difficult loss to the Utah Mammoth earlier today. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, center Bo Horvat was apparently doubled over in pain on the bench and left the game in the third period.
The Islanders didn’t offer any updates to Horvat’s status after the game. Still, Andrew Gross of Newsday relayed a note from head coach Patrick Roy that Horvat is expected to meet with the team’s medical staff tomorrow.
Any more missed time by Horvat would obviously hurt New York’s competitive chances leading up to the Olympic Break in February. Tonight was Horvat’s third game back since returning from a separate injury, when he missed five games in mid-December. The team went 2-2-1 in his absence.
Other evening updates:
- After sharing that Matthew Tkachuk wouldn’t be available for the Winter Classic tomorrow, the visiting team will also be without one of their better forwards. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller won’t be able to return from his upper-body injury for tomorrow’s game. Miller, who hasn’t played since December 20th, was given a week-to-week recovery timeline, which would have made a potential return tomorrow relatively early.
- The Colorado Avalanche may be without a few depth forwards for their upcoming road trip through the Southeastern United States. Earlier today, Corey Misiak of the Denver Post passed along an update from head coach Jared Bednar, who shared that Gavin Brindley and Joel Kiviranta are each dealing with lower-body injuries. Neither injury is considered long-term, though Bednar admitted that the team may need to recall an extra forward for the three-game trip.
- In tonight’s chaotic matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, the latter is dealing with some injury concerns up front. The Canadiens announced that Josh Anderson had exited the game due to injury. The veteran winger scored one goal on his only shot of the game, skating in 9:36 of the action.
Colorado Avalanche Activate Gavin Brindley
The Colorado Avalanche announced today that forward Gavin Brindley has been activated off of injured reserve.
On Dec. 3, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the media that Brindley was ahead of schedule in his injury recovery process, and was likely to return before the conclusion of the club’s road trip. Tonight is the last game of the team’s road trip before they head home to play the Florida Panthers on Thursday, so Brindley’s activation today lines up directly with Bednar’s expectation.
Brindley last played in Colorado’s Nov. 20 contest against the New York Rangers. He sustained a lower-body injury and was designated week-to-week. Brindley’s injury ended up costing him nine games in total.
A 2023 high second-round pick, Brindley has made the most of his start to the 2025-26 season. He struggled to adjust to professional hockey last year (his first campaign as a pro since leaving the University of Michigan), scoring just six goals and 17 points in 52 AHL games. The Columbus Blue Jackets ended up trading Brindley over the summer as part of a package of assets that landed them Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle.
Still exempt from waivers, most likely expected Brindley to require some more time in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer. Brindley’s lackluster production in his rookie AHL campaign was seen as a sign that he might need some more time to grow his game before making an impact in the world’s top league.
Brindley beat those expectations by making the Avalanche’s NHL team out of training camp, and he has made the most of limited ice time this season. Despite averaging just 9:17 time on ice per game, including very little special teams usage, Brindley has managed a healthy eight points in 18 games. That’s a 32-point 82-game scoring pace, a decent output for a rookie, and especially a rookie in such a limited role.
Brindley has always been credited with an exemplary compete level and work ethic, and he’s effectively leveraged those traits into concrete production so far in Colorado. While his injury may have slowed his momentum, his re-addition to the Avalanche’s healthy roster strengthens what is already one of, if not the best lineups in the NHL.
Central Injury Notes: Brindley, O’Connor, Hellebuyck, McCarron
Speaking on Denver’s Altitude Sports Radio (via Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette), head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, Jared Bednar, provided a few injury updates to forwards Gavin Brindley and Logan O’Connor. In a positive development, Bednar indicated that Brindley is ahead of schedule and is expected to return by the end of the team’s current road trip.
Brindley, 21, has been a valuable depth scorer for the Avalanche this season, registering four goals and seven points in 18 games, averaging 9:17 of ice time per night. That production in so few minutes garnered a two-year, $1.75MM extension from Colorado earlier in the season. Despite offering quality production in the team’s bottom-six, it’s difficult to say if the scorching Avalanche even noticed Brindley’s absence, as they’ve managed a 5-0-1 record in the six games without him so far while outscoring opponents 22-6.
Meanwhile, Bednar was more neutral when speaking on O’Connor. The seven-year veteran hasn’t played since Colorado’s Game Seven loss to the Dallas Stars last postseason due to a hip injury, and the team is still waiting for a clearer picture of his return.
Other injury updates from the Central Division:
- According to Mitchell Clinton of the Winnipeg Jets, the team is expected to have netminder Connor Hellebuyck resume skating relatively soon. Although he won’t be returning early, it’s a positive update that Hellebuyck is staying on his original recovery timeline at the very least and has not suffered a setback. In the report, head coach Scott Arniel jokingly said, “I’m going to make sure he has four yellow (non-contact) jerseys on.” Winnipeg is 2-5-0 without Hellebuyck, allowing 25 goals against on 204 shots (.877 SV%).
- It doesn’t appear that Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron will miss any more time with a lower-body injury. Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports that McCarron fully participated in practice today after missing the team’s most recent contest against the Calgary Flames. The bottom-six center has scored one goal and five points in 25 games for the Predators this season, with a 53.8% success rate in the faceoff dot.
Avalanche’s Gavin Brindley Out Week-To-Week
The Colorado Avalanche will be without one of their most recent signings for at least a few weeks. Rookie Gavin Brindley sustained a lower-body injury and has been designated as out week-to-week, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post. Brindley didn’t travel with the club on a two-game road-trip that begins against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
This is a tough blow for Colorado’s most promising rookie in a few years. Brindley seemed to be finally finding his step at the NHL level, after a quiet start and a day-to-day injury earlier in the year. He scored six points, split evenly, in his last seven games before sustaining an injury two minutes into Thursday night’s game against the New York Rangers. That scoring brought Brindley up to seven points in 18 games this season – a mark that would have put him on pace for 32 points across the full season.
That’s an admirable scoring pace for the 5-foot-8 rookie. Even more, the comfort he showed throughout November was going far in solidifying his role as a reliable addition to a Colorado bottom-six that carries a high standard. He emphasized that impact with 19 hits and 22 shots on goal this season. But a hot streak will come to a close with this news, and put Brindley into the tough position of trying to rediscover his stride when the holiday season rolls around.
Brindley has averaged fewer than 10 minutes a night this season, making his lineup vacancy fairly easy to fill. The Avalanche recalled Jason Polin and could promote Tristen Nielsen into the lineup to address the hole in the short-term. Nielsen didn’t manage any scoring in the first two NHL games of his career earlier this season, though he does have 14 points in 16 AHL games. Polin hasn’t appeared in the NHL this season, but scored one goal in nine games with the Avalanche over the last two seasons combined. The duo will fight for a spot on Colorado’s fourth-line wing. If they can’t last, the Avalanche could recall Taylor Makar or Daniil Gushchin to fill a more routine role than they’ve received so far.
Avalanche Recall Jason Polin
The Avalanche announced they’ve recalled forward Jason Polin from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. They have an open roster spot and thus don’t need to make a corresponding transaction.
Polin’s inclusion on the roster ensures the Avs will have 12 forwards available when they take on the Predators on Saturday. They could be without winger Gavin Brindley, who left Thursday’s win over the Rangers after taking a heavy hit in the first period and didn’t return.
It’s a tough break for Brindley if he’s set to miss any time. The 21-year-old rookie is fresh off signing a two-year extension and has been recently elevated into a top-six role alongside Brock Nelson in place of Valeri Nichushkin, who’s out week-to-week. Brindley’s first game in second-line duties resulted in a two-point performance against the Sabres last week, although he didn’t record a point against the Islanders last Sunday, nor did he get one in less than three minutes of ice time against the Rangers before sustaining the injury.
Injuries to Colorado’s forward group have been commonplace in recent years. That trend is starting to resurface with Nichushkin, Logan O’Connor, and Joel Kiviranta already being unavailable. If Polin’s services are needed this weekend, it likely won’t be as a direct replacement for Brindley on the depth chart. It’s fair to assume a brief elevation to top-six duties could be in order for Victor Olofsson, who saw over 18 minutes of ice time against the Rangers and has a 6-9–15 scoring line in 20 games this year, would be in order.
Polin, 26, has nine NHL games to his name with one goal. He was an undrafted free agent signing out of Western Michigan in 2023 and is now on his third consecutive one-year deal with the Avs. The 6’0″ sniper was an elite goal-scorer in his latter years in college – tickling the twine 30 times in 39 games in his senior season with the Broncos – but hasn’t found that gear since turning pro. He’s still put up a respectable three goals and six points in 16 AHL games this season and has an 18-18–36 scoring line in 104 career minor-league games, but those numbers aren’t seeing him make a serious push for a big-league job outside of a short-term injury replacement.
Avalanche Sign Gavin Brindley To Two-Year Extension
The Avalanche announced they’ve signed winger Gavin Brindley to a two-year extension through the 2027-28 season. The cap hit of the deal is $875,000, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. He’ll earn an $850,000 NHL salary in a two-way structure in 2026-27 before it converts to a one-way deal worth $900,000 in 2028-29. He was set to become a restricted free agent next summer following the expiration of his entry-level contract.
It’s hard to imagine a better start to the season for Brindley. The 21-year-old winger was an early second-round pick by the Blue Jackets in 2023. He was one of the more offensively explosive prospects in their system with an extremely strong collegiate and international track record. While his 5’8″, 172-lb frame was always going to limit his stock, he had a spectacular post-draft season that saw him record 25 goals and 53 points in 40 games for the University of Michigan. He was the Big 10’s scoring leader in conference play in addition to racking up six goals and 10 points in seven games for the United States en route to a gold medal at the World Juniors.
That was enough for Columbus to offer Brindley his entry-level contract at the end of his sophomore season with the Wolverines. He accepted and turned pro, making his NHL debut in the Jackets’ final game of the 2023-24 season. That was the only game he’d play in a Blue Jackets sweater. Brindley didn’t crack the opening night roster the following season due to a finger fracture that delayed his season debut until November. When he got around to playing with AHL Cleveland, the adjustment to the pro game hit him like a truck. In 56 regular-season and playoff appearances for Cleveland, Brindley had just six goals and 11 assists for 17 points with a -10 rating.
With the Jackets already carrying one of the league’s brighter young forward groups, they were comfortable using Brindley as trade bait. So, after just one full pro season in the organization, they sent him to the Avs over the offseason in the deal that landed them veterans Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood.
Thus far, Colorado is happy with its return. Brindley snagged a roster spot out of camp and has quickly established himself as a regular on the Avs’ fourth line, offering a more offensively inclined counterpart to his rotation of linemates in Zakhar Bardakov, Parker Kelly, and Joel Kiviranta. He’s yet to be a healthy scratch and only missed a pair of games earlier this month due to a concussion. In 14 appearances, he’s rattled off his first five NHL points – three goals and two assists – despite not receiving any special teams deployment and averaging just 8:58 of ice time per game. His possession metrics aren’t spectacular, controlling 47.9% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, but Colorado is nonetheless outscoring opponents 7-5 with him on the ice.
There’s still plenty of room for growth in Brindley’s game, though. He’s less than three years out from his draft day and was ranked as Colorado’s top forward prospect and No. 4 overall by Elite Prospects over the offseason. With Colorado’s top nine gelling well offensively, there isn’t a ton of upward mobility for him this year. Victor Olofsson is a pending unrestricted free agent, though, and Brindley could conceivably push for a third-line job next season if he’s not brought back.
The Avs will still have four years of team control left when Brindley’s extension expires in 2028 – he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2031-32 season.
Image courtesy of Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images.
Evening Notes: Nazar, Girard, Brindley, Cuylle
The Chicago Blackhawks will hold their breath through Friday night. Top forward Frank Nazar exited their game against the Calgary Flames in the first period, after a subtle cross-check from Flames forward Joel Farabee. Emerging Blackhawks bruiser Colton Dach stepped up to fight Farabee after the collision.
Nazar’s importance to the Blackhawks can’t be understated. He has recorded 11 points and a plus-three through 14 games this season, placing him second on the team in scoring behind Connor Bedard. The duo are growing into a true one-two punch for Chicago, something the organization bet on when they signed Nazar long-term this summer. The Blackhawks would face a difficult decision should Nazar need to miss gametime.
They would likely need to promote Ryan Greene in the lineup, and move Oliver Moore from left-wing to center. That would place even more stake on the rookies on a Blackhawks team currently ranked fifth in the Central Division.
Other notes from around the league:
- Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar issued updates on a pair of injuries, captured by Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now. Defenseman Samuel Girard won’t join the team on their two-game road-trip as he continues to recover from a week-to-week, upper-body injury. That could prompt the team to recall an extra forward, though rookie Gavin Brindley was a full participant at Friday’s practice. Brindley has missed two games with a concussion sustained last week. He would give the Avalanche 12 healthy forwards for their upcoming road-trip. Brindley has scored two points in 12 games this season. Should he remain out, Colorado would have to choose who to recall between minor-leaguers Tristen Nielsen, Jayson Megna, and Alex Barre-Boulet.
- The New York Rangers will also have a young forward to keep an eye on. Centerman William Cuylle left Friday’s game versus the Detroit Red Wings after blocking a shot with his knee in the third period, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. He appeared noticeably hurt, and needed help from teammates to get off the ice and down the tunnel. Somehow, Cuylle managed to return to the bench before the end of the game, per Baugh, prompting a sigh of relief among the Rangers’ faithful. Still, with the weight of the shot, Cuylle could still need a few days off once the bruise sets in. New York’s Saturday practice will bring a clearer picture of Cuylle’s prognosis. He managed a power-play goal prior to exiting on Friday, marking his seventh point in 15 games this season.
Avalanche Recall Taylor Makar
A pair of brothers could soon be getting a chance to play together in the NHL for the first time. The Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Taylor Makar from AHL Colorado. They had two open spots on their active roster, meaning no corresponding move needed to be made to bring him up.
It’s the first recall of Makar’s career. The 24-year-old, the younger brother of star defenseman Cale Makar, was selected by the Avs in the seventh round back in 2021, taking him 220th overall. Makar went on to spend four years in college, three with UMass before transferring to the University of Maine for his senior year, one that saw him record 18 goals and 12 assists. For context, he had a total of 22 points over his first three college campaigns.
That improvement was enough for Colorado to sign Makar to a one-year, entry-level deal for this season. He’s off to a decent start with the Eagles, picking up one goal and three assists in nine games so far this season.
Makar’s recall is likely tied to the fact that winger Gavin Brindley left today’s game against Vegas after taking a hit from Ivan Barbashev and didn’t return. With the Avs only carrying 12 forwards on their active roster before this move, it would appear that Makar would be in line to make his NHL debut if Brindley can’t suit up on Saturday against San Jose.