Joel Kiviranta Out Indefinitely; Avalanche Assign Jack Ahcan To AHL
The Avalanche will be without a veteran winger as they take on Boston tonight. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Joel Kiviranta is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. In a separate move, the club also announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Jack Ahcan has been reassigned to AHL Colorado.
Kiviranta is coming off a career showing in 2024-25. After only reaching the double-digit plateau once before (an 11-point effort in 2020-21), the 29-year-old potted 16 goals last season along with seven assists while also averaging a career-high 12:31 per game of ice time. That helped him eventually earn a new contract with a small raise as he re-signed a one-year, $1.25MM deal back in August.
However, he has been quieter in the early going so far this season. Through five games, Kiviranta has been held off the scoresheet and has managed just three shots on goal while his playing time has dipped by nearly two minutes a night despite still taking a regular turn on their penalty kill. Now, he’ll be waiting a while to put up his first point on the season as head coach Jared Bednar clarified to reporters including Aarif Dean of Colorado Hockey Now that Kiviranta will be out several weeks at a minimum.
As for Ahcan, he was recalled from the Eagles on Sunday following a strong start that saw him put up four points in his first two AHL appearances. However, he didn’t see any action during this recall, keeping his career NHL total at 11.
With these moves, the Avs have just a dozen healthy forwards and six healthy blueliners. While that’s optical from the perspective of accruing as much cap space as possible, it’s a strategy that certainly carries some risk as well when it comes to injury exposure. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the team make at least one recall from the minors before too long.
Avalanche Recall Jack Ahcan
The Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Jack Ahcan from the Colorado Eagles. Ahcan is currently the AHL scoring leader after racking up one goal and four points in the Eagles’ first two games of the season. Colorado had an extra roster spot available after placing Samuel Girard on injured reserve, and now use it to reward Ahcan’s hot start.
Ahcan has taken a step forward in scoring in each of his six years in the AHL. His career began as an undrafted college free agent, following 103 points in 144 games at St. Cloud State. He signed with the Boston Bruins, and potted 10 points in his first 19 AHL games in the 2020-21 season. He grew to 23 points in 46 games in the next season, then 36 points in 68 games in 2022-23. A depth chart logjam pushed Ahcan out of the Bruins organization in the summer of 2023, but his momentum didn’t slow down in a move to the Eagles. He rose to 38 points in 70 games in the 2023-24, and 41 points in 69 games last season.
Ahcan is a sharp offensive-defenseman who creates dangerous chances on fastbreaks and shots from the point. He will be in direct competition with Ilya Solovyov for a role on the team’s bottom pair. Solovyov made his debut with the Avalanche on Saturday, and recorded a minus-one. He played 15 games, and scored for points, with the Calgary Flames over the last two seasons. He has also totaled 33 points in 110 AHL games since 2023.
Avalanche Reassign Jack Ahcan
The Avalanche assigned defenseman Jack Ahcan outright to AHL Colorado, according to a team announcement. Ahcan had cleared waivers on Monday but was not immediately reassigned, remaining with the club as a healthy scratch for their opening night win over the Kings on Tuesday. His demotion indicates that defenseman Ilya Solovyov, whom Colorado plucked off the wire from the Flames last week, has resolved his work visa issues and is ready to come off the non-roster list.
Ahcan, 28, is entering his third season in the Colorado organization. He was very briefly an unrestricted free agent on July 1 before opting to return to Colorado on a one-year, two-way deal that guarantees him at least $450K. He initially joined the Avs on a two-year, two-way deal as a Group VI UFA back in 2023.
Before that, Ahcan was in the Bruins’ pipeline. They signed him as an undrafted free agent out of St. Cloud State in 2020. He saw brief NHL looks with Boston in his first two professional seasons, making nine appearances for the club from 2020-22. He was given a somewhat long leash, averaging 17:34 per game, but only scored one goal with a -6 rating with middling possession numbers. After that, Ahcan didn’t appear in an NHL game again until last season, skating in a pair of late-season games as Colorado rested its NHL regulars. He averaged 15:48 over that pair of games while recording a shot, block, and three hits.
The 5’9″ lefty has created enough offense at the minor-league level to stay afloat. He’s coming off a career-best effort with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Eagles, posting a 5-36–41 line in 69 appearances. In 272 career AHL appearances, he has 23 goals and 125 assists for 148 points with a +22 rating.
Colorado will keep Ahcan in the organization for the balance of the season as one of their primary recall options should they need a fill-in on the NHL roster, particularly if there’s a need for a puck-mover.
Two-Way Deals: 7/1/25
As major signings come in around the NHL today with the 2025-26 league year beginning, teams are shoring up their minor-league depth as well by signing players to two-way contracts. We’re keeping track of those signings today in this article, which will be continuously updated. Deals are one year unless otherwise noted.
Boston Bruins
F Riley Tufte ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
D Jonathan Aspirot ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
G Luke Cavallin ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
Buffalo Sabres
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz ($865K NHL/$90K SB/$35K PB/$85K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years, entry-level
F Carson Meyer ($775K NHL/$350K AHL Y1 – $375K AHL Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
D Mason Geertsen ($775K NHL/$425K AHL) – Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet // two years
D Zachary Jones ($900K NHL/$550K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Zach Metsa ($775K NHL/$250K AHL/$325K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Calgary Flames
D Nick Cicek ($775K NHL) – team release
Carolina Hurricanes
G Amir Miftakhov ($775K NHL/$100K AHL/$240K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Chicago Blackhawks
F Dominic Toninato ($850K NHL) – team release // two years
Colorado Avalanche
F T.J. Tynan (unknown) – team release
D Jack Ahcan (unknown) – team release
D Ronald Attard ($775K NHL/$450K AHL/$500K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Owen Sillinger (unknown) – team release
D Christian Jaros (unknown) – team release
Dallas Stars
D Niilopekka Muhonen (unknown) – team release // three years, entry-level
Edmonton Oilers
D Riley Stillman ($775K NHL/$475K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
G Matt Tomkins ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$450 Y2 gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years
Florida Panthers
F Nolan Foote ($775K NHL/$150K AHL/$250K gt’d) – PuckPedia
F Jack Studnicka ($775K NHL/$450K AHL) – Chris Johnston of TSN/The Athletic
G Brandon Bussi ($775K NHL/$400K AHL) – PuckPedia
G Kirill Gerasimyuk (unknown) – team release // two years, entry-level
Los Angeles Kings
F Cole Guttman ($775K NHL/$450K Y1 – $475K Y2 AHL/$475K gt’d Y1 – $500K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Pitlick ($775K NHL/$300K Y1 – $350K Y2 AHL/$325K gt’d Y1 – $375K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
D Ben Gleason ($800K NHL/$475K AHL) – PuckPedia
Montreal Canadiens
F Alex Belzile (unknown) – team release
D Nathan Clurman ($775K NHL/$125K AHL/$140K gt’d) – PuckPedia
New Jersey Devils
D Calen Addison ($775K NHL/$325K AHL/$400K gt’d) – PuckPedia
F Angus Crookshank ($775K NHL/$425K AHL/$475K gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years, one-way in 2026-27
New York Islanders
F Matthew Highmore (unknown) – team release
D Ethan Bear ($775K NHL/$325K AHL/$425K gt’d) – PuckPedia
D Cole McWard (unknown) – team release
New York Rangers
D Derrick Pouliot ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$425K gt’d Y1 – $450K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
Ottawa Senators
F Wyatt Bongiovanni ($775K NHL/$160K AHL) – PuckPedia
F Olle Lycksell ($775K NHL/$450K AHL/$500K gt’d) – Darren Dreger of TSN
Philadelphia Flyers
F Lane Pederson ($775K NHL/$525K AHL) – PuckPedia
San Jose Sharks
F Jimmy Huntington (unknown) – team release
F Samuel Laberge (unknown) – team release
F Colin White ($775K NHL/$425K AHL/$475K gt’d) – PuckPedia
D Cole Clayton (unknown) – team release
St. Louis Blues
F Matt Luff ($775K NHL/$400K AHL) – PuckPedia
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Nicholas Abruzzese (unknown) – team release
F Tristan Allard (unknown) – team release // two years, entry-level
F Boris Katchouk (unknown) – team release
D Simon Lundmark ($775K NHL/$250K AHL/$350K gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years
G Ryan Fanti ($775K NHL/$80K AHL) – PuckPedia
Utah Mammoth
F Kailer Yamamoto ($775K NHL/$500K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Scott Perunovich ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$500K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Vancouver Canucks
F Joseph LaBate ($775K NHL/$350K AHL) – PuckPedia
F Mackenzie MacEachern ($775K NHL/$575K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
D Jimmy Schuldt ($775K NHL/$500K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
Winnipeg Jets
F Phillip Di Giuseppe ($775K NHL/$450K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Kale Clague (unknown) – Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet
Snapshots: Avalanche, Squires, Ziemmer
The Avalanche announced some heavy roster trimming after playing their final regular season game last night. Forwards Jere Innala, T.J. Tynan, Chris Wagner, and defensemen Wyatt Aamodt and Jack Ahcan were reassigned back to AHL Colorado after being called up recently to allow some lineup staples to rest. All the players listed saw limited action down the stretch, and all five appeared in last night’s win over the Ducks to give Colorado its fourth straight season with over 100 points. The Avs finished with a 49-29-4 record and will face the Stars in the first round as the lower seed. The group of five will now suit up for the Eagles in the Calder Cup Playoffs, with more experienced names like Wagner likely to be among the first added to the Avalanche’s postseason roster if injuries necessitate a recall.
Other minor moves from around the league this morning:
- The Devils announced today that they’ve reassigned right-wing prospect Cam Squires to AHL Utica after he finished his major junior season with the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Squires, fresh off his 20th birthday, led Cape Breton in scoring with 24-51–75 in 58 games this season and 15th overall in the QMJHL. A 2023 fourth-round pick, he signed his entry-level deal last summer and will kick off his first full professional campaign next season, presumably in Utica.
- The Kings are also giving one of their prospects a taste of pro hockey to end the season, reassigning right-winger Koehn Ziemmer to AHL Ontario. The 2023 third-rounder is coming off a 37-goal, 71-point campaign in 61 games with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, but he’s still failed to break the career-high 89 points he scored in his draft year with the Cougars. With his 20th birthday behind him, as well as four seasons of WHL play, he’s eligible for a full-time assignment to Ontario beginning next season.
Avalanche Recall Wyatt Aamodt, Jack Ahcan, Jere Innala
The Avalanche announced today they’ve recalled defensemen Wyatt Aamodt and Jack Ahcan, along with forward Jere Innala from AHL Colorado. The trio will presumably get into game action for the Avs’ season-ending back-to-back this weekend to allow some lineup fixtures extra rest ahead of the postseason.
Colorado is already without a laundry list of lineup fixtures for their final two games, namely superstar pivot Nathan MacKinnon. He’s dealing with a minor injury that wouldn’t hold him out of playoff action, but he’s expected to sit for both contests after missing last night’s game against the Canucks. Carrying more serious injury designations up front are Ross Colton (undisclosed) and Jonathan Drouin (lower body), both of whom are day-to-day and probable for their Game 1 lineup in over a week. On the back end, Ryan Lindgren and Josh Manson are unavailable with upper-body injuries.
On top of those absences, today’s recalls indicate they’ll allow multiple other players to rest. It would be Aamodt’s NHL debut if he plays. Colorado signed the 27-year-old as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in 2022, playing exclusively with their AHL club since. While he was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, he signed a two-year extension at the trade deadline. The lefty is amid a spectacular two-way season with the Eagles, posting 3-13–16 in 66 games while posting a league-leading +35 rating. The Minnesota native has 12-36–48 with 131 PIMs and a +48 rating in 181 career AHL games over the last four years.
Ahcan hasn’t seen NHL ice since suiting up nine times with the Bruins in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Now 27, the 5’9″ lefty is set to be a UFA this summer upon completing the two-year, two-way deal he signed with the Avs in 2023. The 2017 World Juniors gold medalist with Team USA has a career-high 5-36–41 scoring line in 67 games with the Eagles this year.
Innala is the most familiar of the trio. The 27-year-old Finn is in his first season in North America, signing an entry-level deal with the Avs last summer following a standout playoff performance with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League. He made 15 NHL appearances for Colorado earlier this season, going without a point and logging a minus-three rating while averaging just 6:55 per game. He hasn’t made an appearance for the Avs since January. The 5’9″ left-winger has been a decent complementary scorer in the minors, logging 16-11–27 in 42 games.
Waiver Wire: 10/2/24
Twelve new faces were placed on waivers Wednesday, per PuckPedia. All who were waived yesterday cleared, aside from goaltender Jiří Patera, who’s heading from Vancouver to Boston. Here’s the listing of today’s players who hit the wire:
Carolina Hurricanes
Colorado Avalanche
D Jack Ahcan
F Matthew Phillips
D Calle Rosén
Columbus Blue Jackets
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
D Mac Hollowell
F Jimmy Huntington
F Marc Johnstone
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose Sharks
Avalanche Recall Jack Ahcan
The Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Jack Ahcan to the NHL lineup, as the team is uncertain of whether Josh Manson will be able to travel with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. Head coach Jared Bednar shared that Ahcan provides an additional body in the event that Manson can’t go. Manson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The team returns to Colorado next Wednesday.
Ahcan has played in 14 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles to start the season, netting one goal and six points, 16 penalty mintues, and a -3. His scoring is tied for second among the team’s defensemen, with Caleb Jones also netting six points – all assists – through 12 games. Ahcan is in his first year in the Colorado organization, after spending the last three years in the Bruins’ depth charts. Boston signed the undrafted Ahcan following the close of St. Cloud State’s 2019-20 season. The defenseman would go on to play in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL in his first season as a pro: the shorted 2020-21 campaign. He went without a point in the three NHL games he received that season, recording a -3.
Boston would give Ahcan six more NHL games in the 2021-22 season. He scored his first NHL goal during that stretch but still found himself on the wrong side of the scoresheet, again recording a -3. He spent all of last season in the AHL, netting 36 points, 24 penalty minutes, and a +5 in 68 games. The performance was enough to earn a two-year, two-way contract carrying a total value of $1.6MM from the Avalanche this summer.