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John Leonard

Red Wings Recall John Leonard, Assign Erik Gustafsson To AHL

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The Detroit Red Wings shared tonight that forward John Leonard has been recalled from AHL Grand Rapids, and former NHL standout defenseman Erik Gustafsson is going back down in a corresponding transaction. 

Leonard, 27, was inked to a one-year, two-way deal with Detroit over the summer. It was unlikely such was a signing to directly benefit the Red Wings, as the forward is more known as an AHL star at this point, however, his production with Grand Rapids has become too hard to ignore. The former UMass Minuteman native ranks third in league scoring, with 29 points in 20 games, and his 19 goals, just shy of one-per-game, ranks first in the AHL. The Griffins have an insane 22-1-1 record this season, boasting a team full of accomplished veterans, but they will certainly miss their leading scorer for as long as he stays with the big club. 

Such a name as Leonard being called up may not excite Detroit fans as much as that of a top prospect, but Leonard’s goal scoring prowess in the AHL is seriously impressive, and well deserving of a chance at the highest level.

A sixth-round selection of San Jose in 2018, Leonard has mostly been an AHL “hired gun” of sorts, bouncing between various organizations in the last three seasons, including a standout 36 goals for the Charlotte Checkers last year, leading them to the Calder Cup finals. With 17 points in 70 career NHL games between San Jose, Nashville, and Arizona, Leonard’s NHL forecast is limited. However, he could earn an opportunity with Detroit, as Mason Appleton landed on IR late last week. 

On the other hand, Gustafsson has bounced between Detroit and Grand Rapids throughout the season. The once highly productive offensive defenseman remains a skilled power-play specialist, but his defensive metrics have become too large at age 33. Gustafsson has appeared in just one game with Detroit, in late November, and otherwise is an extra depth option. With an expiring contract, the hope is that the veteran can find a change of scenery and end his NHL tenure on a higher note, but until then, he returns to be an elite AHL producer for the top ranked Griffins.

It is not often that a player sustains a near goal-per-game pace in the AHL, and Leonard could bring a spark to the Wings lineup, depending on his role. Considering his elite AHL production, perhaps the older brother of Capitals’ forward Ryan Leonard could finally earn his way into a legitimate NHL role after years of working to earn it. 

Waivers: 10/1/25

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With less than a week to go until the regular season, waiver season is in full swing. According to PuckPedia, the largest waiver placement of the preseason has taken place:

Boston Bruins

D Billy Sweezey

Colorado Avalanche

D Wyatt Aamodt
F Daniil Gushchin

Detroit Red Wings

F Sheldon Dries
D William Lagesson
F John Leonard
D Ian Mitchell
F Dominik Shine
F Austin Watson

Florida Panthers

F MacKenzie Entwistle
F Nolan Foote
F Wilmer Skoog

Los Angeles Kings

D Samuel Bolduc
F Logan Brown
F Martin Chromiak
G Pheonix Copley
F Glenn Gawdin
F Cole Guttman
D Joe Hicketts
F Andre Lee
F Akil Thomas
F Taylor Ward

Nashville Predators

D Andreas Englund

Philadelphia Flyers

F Lane Pederson

San Jose Sharks

F Patrick Giles

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Nicholas Abruzzese
F Boris Katchouk
F Jakob Pelletier

Utah Mammoth

G Jaxson Stauber

Washington Capitals

D Louis Belpedio
F Graeme Clarke
F Henrik Rybinski
F Bogdan Trineyev

Winnipeg Jets

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan
D Kale Clague
F Samuel Fagemo

East Notes: Primeau, Lettieri, Leonard

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Hurricanes RFA goaltender Cayden Primeau signed a one-year, league minimum deal yesterday, according to a team release.

Primeau saw his signing rights transferred from Montreal to Carolina on Monday in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick. The 25-year-old bounced between the NHL and AHL for his first four professional seasons coming out of Northeastern University, but won a full-time roster spot with the Habs in 2023-24, in part due to their unwillingness to expose him to waivers.

He looked good in a three-goalie rotation with Sam Montembeault and Jake Allen that year but struggled mightily as Montembeault’s full-time No. 2 to begin last season. He posted an .836 SV% and sky-high 4.70 GAA with a 2-3-1 record in seven starts and four relief appearances before being waived in December, clearing and heading to AHL Laval.

Primeau got things back on track with a .926 SV% and 2.00 GAA in 25 games with Laval. The Canes hope he can carry that momentum into 2025-26 as he serves as the No. 3 behind the returning NHL tandem of Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov, assuming he clears waivers again in the fall.

Here are a couple of other league minimum signings from yesterday:

  • The Maple Leafs brought in veteran depth center Vinni Lettieri, per PuckPedia. While a one-way deal, that’s presumably to guarantee him more compensation. They’re hoping he clears waivers and can be an impact player for AHL Toronto after they lost some important pieces like Nicholas Abruzzese and Alex Steeves yesterday. The 30-year-old spent last year with the Bruins organization, recording five points in 26 NHL games and 48 points in 46 AHL games.
  • The Red Wings announced a one-year, one-way league minimum deal for winger John Leonard yesterday. He joins their July 1 haul that also included James van Riemsdyk, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Ian Mitchell. It’s the 26-year-old’s first NHL contract in a year – he spent last season on an AHL deal with Charlotte, leading the Calder Cup runner-ups in scoring with 36 goals, 25 assists, and 61 points in 72 games.

Panthers Sign John Leonard To PTO

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After inking Matt Luff to a tryout last week, the Panthers aren’t done dipping their toes into the PTO market. They’ve also signed forward John Leonard to a tryout, per their training camp roster released Tuesday.

Leonard, 26, already has a contract for 2024-25 with Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. He’ll remain in the organization even if he doesn’t land an NHL deal from his PTO.

Leonard’s PTO allows the Panthers to get some early looks at him in training camp instead of waiting until after the AHL’s regular season starts to decide whether to rip up his minor-league pact for a two-way NHL deal. He’d settled on joining the Florida organization early in free agency, inking his deal with the Checkers on July 2 instead of holding out hope for a two-way offer from a different NHL team.

A sixth-round pick of the Sharks in 2018, Leonard has bounced around frequently in his brief professional career. He turned pro with San Jose in 2020 following his junior season at UMass, settling into a full-time NHL role in his first professional season.

Leonard didn’t earn any Calder Trophy consideration, but he was a serviceable depth winger for the Sharks, posting 13 points in 44 games with a -7 rating. He failed to lock down a full-time roster spot with the Sharks the following year, though, spending most of 2021-22 with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

Since then, he’s suited up with a different NHL organization every year. He split 2022-23 between the Predators and AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals before spending 2023-24 with the Coyotes and AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He’s logged just 26 NHL appearances total since his 44-game rookie season.

The likelihood of him landing a two-way deal with Florida is high, given they have four open contract slots and he’s seen NHL ice in each of the past four seasons. He’s been a serviceable top-six presence in the minors, posting 110 points in 177 career AHL contests. He also has six goals and 17 points in 70 NHL games.

Coyotes Recall Josh Doan

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10:48 a.m.: The Coyotes have also assigned Leonard to AHL Tucson, per a team statement. The move brings them to 11 healthy forwards on the active roster without Doan, meaning they can bring him up on an emergency loan and conserve a standard recall.

8:00 a.m.: The Coyotes have recalled winger Josh Doan from AHL Tucson, GM Bill Armstrong told Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports late Sunday night. It’s the first major league callup for the 22-year-old, who Morgan says will make his NHL debut Tuesday against the Blue Jackets.

Arizona has no apparent or suspected absences among their 12 healthy forwards for tomorrow’s game, so this recall is likely a standard one, not an emergency loan. If so, the Yotes have burned their second of four post-trade deadline recalls after papering defenseman Michael Kesselring between leagues on deadline day.

An early second-round pick by the Coyotes in 2021 after going undrafted in 2020, Doan spent the following two seasons at Arizona State University, where he averaged just over a point per game and was awarded the captaincy in his sophomore season. The son of longtime Coyotes captain Shane Doan then inked his entry-level contract in March 2023, joining AHL Tucson on a tryout for the last 14 games of the regular season and their first-round playoff loss to Coachella Valley.

Some viewed the 6’1″ forward as a reach when the Coyotes made him the first overage selection in 2021, but he’s quieted most doubts with a season that should earn him some rookie of the year consideration in the minors. Doan has posted 26 goals and 46 points, leading the Roadrunners in both categories. He is only one of two players to suit up in all 62 games this season, joining defenseman Maksymilian Szuber.

A truly homegrown talent, the Scottsdale-born Doan has only played outside the Phoenix area for two seasons. From 2019 to 2021, he played at the major junior level with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. He’s been a massive part of Tucson’s turnaround this year, as they sit second in the Pacific Division after finishing under .500 in each of the last three seasons.

It’s unclear where Doan will slot into the Yotes’ lineup or how long they plan on keeping him around. A cursory look at their depth chart suggests he may debut in a third-line role alongside Matias Maccelli and Jack McBain, replacing 25-year-old farmhand John Leonard. In a few weeks, though, he’ll play an essential part in helping Tucson win their first playoff series since their Pacific Division semifinal win over San Jose in 2018, which remains the franchise’s only series victory since relocating to Tucson from Springfield in 2016.

Coyotes Sign John Leonard

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Jul 3, 2:52 p.m.: Arizona has made the acquisition official, but did not confirm the terms of the contract.

Jul 2, 6:10 p.m.: The Coyotes are set to add some more forward depth as PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports (Twitter link) that Arizona has agreed to terms with free agent winger John Leonard on a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay $775K in the NHL and $80K in the minors while having a guaranteed salary of $150K.

The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick by San Jose back in 2018 and spent two years in their system before being moved to Nashville as part of the Luke Kunin trade last summer.  Last season, he spent the bulk of the year with the Preds’ affiliate in Milwaukee, putting up 17 goals and 27 assists in 67 regular season games while chipping in with an assist in six postseason contests.  However, they opted to non-tender him on Friday, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Leonard has seen NHL action in each of his three professional campaigns, including six with the Predators last season, scoring once.  All told, he has 64 career appearances at the top level, tallying five goals and 11 assists while logging an average of a little over 11 minutes per night.

Leonard is likely to start the season with Arizona’s AHL affiliate in Tucson but should be among the early candidates for a recall.  If things go well for him in 2023-24, the Coyotes can retain his rights as an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent through the 2025-26 campaign.

Predators Place John Leonard On Waivers

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April 5: Leonard has cleared waivers and been assigned to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville announced today.

April 4: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Nashville Predators have placed forward John Leonard on waivers. Leonard was recalled by the Predators on an emergency loan yesterday. The forward was acquired by the Predators from the San Jose Sharks in the trade for Luke Kunin.

Leonard was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Sharks out of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. As he made his transition to the NHL, Leonard scored three goals and 10 assists in his first 44 games in the professional leagues.

During last year, Leonard primarily played for the Sharks’ AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda, scoring 17 goals and 15 assists in only 45 games played. Although he was scoring over a 0.5 PPG basis in the AHL last season, Leonard posted a dreadful -28 +/-, leading to serious questions about his play on the defensive side of the puck.

As he was acquired from Nashville over the summer, Leonard has once again played a majority of his year in the AHL, this time playing for the Predators’ AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals. Although he is still scoring over a 0.5 PPG basis, his offensive output is slightly down this season. Playing in 61 games for the Admirals, the forward has 14 goals and 24 assists. For the next 24 hours, Leonard will be sitting in roster limbo, as every team will have the opportunity to claim him, or the Predators will stow him back down in the AHL.

Nashville Predators Recall John Leonard

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The Nashville Predators disclosed Monday that the team has recalled forward John Leonard from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. With a road-home back-to-back upcoming over the next two days, recalling Leonard gives the team a 13th healthy forward on the roster should an unforeseen injury occur.

Leonard is the most experienced recall option among forwards still waiver exempt. The 24-year-old winger has accumulated 62 games of NHL experience over the past three seasons, with four coming in Nashville this season. He has one point, his first goal as a Predator, coming in a March 2 game against the Florida Panthers.

This is Leonard’s third recall of the season after he was recalled twice in three days on an emergency basis in the first week of March. Acquired along with a third-round pick from the San Jose Sharks last summer in exchange for the rights to Luke Kunin, Leonard has 14 goals and 38 points in 61 games in the AHL this year.

A pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights, Leonard could be a candidate to not receive a qualifying offer and head to unrestricted free agency in July. The 2018 sixth-round pick has seen a step back from last season’s offensive production in the minors, and with his NHL opportunities diminished, the Predators may opt not to retain his services.

Nashville Predators Reassign John Leonard

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The Nashville Predators have reassigned forward John Leonard to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

The brother of top 2023 NHL Draft prospect Ryan Leonard, John has been playing in Nashville since February 2nd, when he made his season debut in a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Leonard scored his first goal of the year in that game, and finishes with just that goal and no assists in his four-game run at the NHL level.

A 2018 sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, Leonard was sent to Nashville in the Luke Kunin trade over the summer. He made a name for himself playing college hockey at UMass Amherst, scoring around a point-per-game rate each year. He potted 27 goals in his final season of college, and scored 13 points in 44 NHL games with the Sharks the following year.

This season, he’s spent most of the year in Milwaukee, where he’s been a solid contributor. He has 32 points in 52 games at the AHL level, and heads back giving the Admirals a boost as they battle for position in the AHL’s Central Division.

AHL Shuffle: 3/4/23

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While there were plenty of recalls yesterday following paper demotions to the minors to maintain AHL eligibility, some of those moves will come today instead.  We’ll keep track of those transactions here while non-paper recalls will be covered separately.

  • The Lightning announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Darren Raddysh from AHL Syracuse. The 27-year-old played for Tampa Bay in Thursday’s loss to Pittsburgh but has spent most of the year with the Crunch, picking up 50 points in 50 games to put him second among all AHL rearguards in scoring.
  • The Penguins announced (Twitter link) the recall of forward Drew O’Connor from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 24-year-old last played in the AHL three months ago and since then, he has been a regular most nights with Pittsburgh, recording five goals and three assists in 27 games.
  • The Flames have recalled wingers Walker Duehr and Jakob Pelletier from AHL Calgary, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Both players were papered down on Friday.  Duehr has four points in 17 games with the Flames so far this season while Pelletier has seven points in 16 contests, five of which have come in Calgary’s last five outings.
  • Nashville has recalled forwards John Leonard and Luke Evangelista from Milwaukee after sending them down yesterday, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Leonard scored in his first game of the season with the Predators on Thursday while Evangelista has an assist over his first two NHL appearances.
  • The Kings have recalled centers Rasmus Kupari and Quinton Byfield, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Kupari has spent most of the year with Los Angeles, getting into 47 games with them compared to 11 with the Reign while Byfield has suited up 34 times for the Kings compared to 16 in Ontario.  These quick demotions will keep them eligible to play in the AHL postseason.
  • The Avalanche announced (Twitter link) they have sent down Ben Meyers to the Colorado Eagles. Meyers has played 34 games in the NHL this season with the Avalanche, scoring one goal and zero assists.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

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