Islanders, Blues Swap Matt Luff, Julien Gauthier
The Islanders announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired forward Matt Luff from the Blues in exchange for Julien Gauthier. Both players were on AHL assignments at the time of the deal and will report to their new affiliates without needing to re-clear waivers.
Luff, 28, has held a very limited role as a call-up in St. Louis this season. He’s only appeared in five games, during which he’s scored once with a -2 rating. Head coach Jim Montgomery used Luff in the fourth-line slot he’s held for most of his career whenever he’s gotten a chance at the top level, averaging a career-low 9:08 of ice time per game. His lone call-up that led to playing time, back in December, marked his first NHL action since the 2022-23 campaign with the Red Wings.
In the interim, the 6’3″ Luff has been an exceptional minor-league producer. He’s appeared in 321 AHL games over the last 10 seasons, split between the Kings, Predators, Red Wings, Panthers, and Blues organizations, recording 0.78 points per game. The both-sides winger has clicked closer to a point per game over the last few seasons, though, and has 14 goals and 39 points in 42 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season. While the Isles do pick up Luff’s 111 games of NHL experience, he immediately becomes Bridgeport’s leading point-getter and will essentially operate as an AHL rental and call-up insurance before becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Gauthier can be a similarly impactful AHL producer when healthy, but that’s been a rarity since he first signed with the Islanders in 2023. The former first-round pick last appeared in the NHL in October 2024 and has only made 25 AHL appearances since then, recording an 8-7–15 scoring line in that timeframe. The Isles were reportedly looking to find a fresh start for him, according to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, even though he was set to become a UFA this summer anyway.
The 28-year-old Gauthier will now make the Blues his fifth NHL organization. Selected 21st overall by the Hurricanes in 2016, the 6’4″ power forward was involved in a change-of-scenery swap with the Rangers four years later before being leveraged as bait to land Tyler Motte from the Senators at the 2023 trade deadline. He then landed with the Isles as a non-tendered RFA, and he ends his time there with nine points in 28 NHL games as well as 25 points in 40 games for Bridgeport, giving him just 68 total appearances over the last three years.
Blues Activate Pius Suter, Assign Matt Luff To AHL
It appears that the Blues will welcome back a veteran center to the lineup tonight against Columbus. The team announced that they have activated Pius Suter off injured reserve. In a corresponding move, winger Matt Luff has been assigned to AHL Springfield.
Suter is in his first season in St. Louis after signing a two-year, $8.25MM contract last summer on the heels on a breakout year in Vancouver. Last season, he had career highs in goals (25) and points (46) while holding down a top-six role for most of the year.
He hasn’t been called on to play as high in the lineup as often this season and his offensive numbers have suffered as a result. Through 37 games, Suter has seven goals and seven assists while averaging a little over 16 minutes per night. He had been sidelined for a little more than a month due to a right ankle injury.
As for Luff, his time on the roster was short-lived as he was recalled on an emergency basis just yesterday. He has been shuffled back and forth a few times this season and has gotten into five games with St. Louis where he has one goal and eight hits in a little over nine minutes per night of playing time. With the Thunderbirds, he has been quite productive, notching 13 goals and 20 assists in 33 games, meaning he’ll likely get another chance with the Blues before too long.
Blues Activate Oskar Sundqvist From Injured Reserve, Recall Matt Luff
1/30/26: The Blues once again recalled Luff from AHL Springfield under emergency conditions, restoring the recall they made, and then reversed, yesterday. The move fills the roster spot they opened when they reassigned Luff as part of the series of transactions they made that activated Sundqvist off of IR.
Luff has had a strong season so far, scoring 33 points in 33 games at the AHL level. That’s earned him the chance to dress for five NHL games, where he’s scored one goal and averaged 9:08 time on ice per game.
1/29/26: The Blues announced Thursday that they’ve activated center Oskar Sundqvist from injured reserve. As previously reported, St. Louis assigned wingers Matt Luff and Hugh McGing to AHL Springfield in the corresponding moves after recalling them under emergency conditions just this morning, leaving them with an open roster spot.
Whether or not Sundqvist enters the lineup tonight against the Panthers remains to be seen. He was labeled as a game-time decision this morning by head coach Jim Montgomery alongside top-six wingers Jordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours (via NHL.com’s Lou Korac). Returning Luff and McGing to Springfield indicates the Blues have certainty that at least two of those names will be available. Considering Sundqvist has been a healthy scratch on a few occasions this season, though, he may still be outside of the lineup if all three are healthy.
The 31-year-old’s stay on IR was brief. He landed there last Friday and ended up missing four games with an ankle laceration that he sustained on Jan. 18 against the Oilers. With that, the healthy scratches and a lower-body injury that kept him on the shelf for the first couple of weeks of the season, Sundqvist has been limited to 39 out of 53 possible contests in 2025-26.
Now in his 11th NHL season and second stint with the Blues, Sundqvist remains an all-situations pivot who’s anchored the fourth line between Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker for a decent portion of the campaign. He’s flexed into both the Blues’ second penalty-killing and power-play units when needed and is averaging 13:20 of ice time per game, right in line with his career average.
While he hasn’t been in the Blues’ lineup every night, he’s still been reasonably productive in his depth role for a St. Louis squad that struggles to score. He’s managed three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 39 games, a pace of 0.33 per game that outmatches what he’s done in either of his last two seasons in Missouri. That’s despite him shooting at 9.4%, more than a full point below his career average.
Sundqvist’s -13 rating is uninspiring but not unexplainable. He starts 71.5% of his shifts at 5-on-5 in the defensive zone, one of the highest rates in the league among forwards.
Blues Place Dylan Holloway On Injured Reserve
3:00 p.m.: According to regional reporter Lou Korac, the Blues have already returned Luff and McGing to AHL Springfield from their emergency call-ups. Korac hinted that this likely means either Jordan Kyrou or Jake Neighbours would return to the lineup tonight.
10:30 a.m.: Dylan Holloway‘s return from a high ankle sprain will be short-lived. According to a team announcement, the St. Louis Blues have placed Holloway back on the injured reserve and recalled Matt Luff and Hugh McGing under emergency conditions.
After suffering a high ankle sprain in his right foot against the Chicago Blackhawks on December 12th, Holloway missed a month of action. He returned against the Edmonton Oilers on January 18th, but has missed the Blues’ last four games. Combined, since mid-December, Holloway has missed 19 games, and that absence is expected to grow.
Technically speaking, Holloway is eligible to return this upcoming Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, given his injury struggles of late, it’s far likelier that St. Louis will hold him out through the Olympic break, giving him ample time to recover fully.
Regardless, it’s been a difficult follow-up campaign for Holloway’s breakout last season. In his first year with the Blues during the 2024-25 season, Holloway scored 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games, helping the team qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Due to the multiple injuries, Holloway has been limited to 34 appearances this year, registering eight goals and 17 points.
Meanwhile, St. Louis has recalled a pair of relatively older options from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds to fill out the rest of their forward core as they conclude their four-game homestand. The pair have combined for eight games with the Blues this season, scoring two goals and three points.
In Springfield, however, the difference between the two is clear. Luff is leading the team in scoring by a healthy margin, putting up 13 goals and 33 points in 33 games. McGing, on the other hand, has provided more tertiary scoring, providing four goals and 12 points in 35 games.
St. Louis Blues Reassign Matt Luff
The St. Louis Blues announced that they’ve assigned depth forward Matt Luff to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. The Blues are down to 21 players on the active roster.
St. Louis likely felt comfortable reassigning Luff given yesterday’s injury updates. According to Lou Korac of The Hockey News, all three of Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Nathan Walker were skating yesterday morning. The expectation is that Kyrou will return to play against the Florida Panthers tomorrow.
Today’s reassignment concludes Luff’s first playing time in the NHL since the 2022-23 campaign. He skated in five games for the Blues, registering one goal with a -2 rating while averaging 9:08 of ice time in a fourth-line role.
He’ll return to a Thunderbirds where he’s joined the best stretch of his professional career, at least in the AHL. Throughout the past two years in Springfield, Luff has scored 25 goals and 59 points in 67 games with a -14 rating. Despite spending the last two weeks with the Blues, Luff remains third on the Thunderbirds in scoring this season.
It may not be his last pit stop in St. Louis this season. Given their current trajectory, the Blues are expected to sell off a few pieces leading up to the trade deadline, especially at the forward position. Should that come to fruition, Luff may find his way back to the NHL for the last stretch of the regular season.
St. Louis Blues Recall Matt Luff
The St. Louis Blues have recalled a stopgap as the team navigates multiple injuries to their forward core. According to a team announcement, the Blues have recalled veteran depth forward Matt Luff from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.
It’s been several years since Luff last played in the NHL. Dating back to the 2022-23 season, Luff played 19 games for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring two goals and four points with a -4 rating, while averaging less than 10 minutes of ice time per game.
He actually spent one additional year within the Red Wings organization, although he played exclusively for their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. Before that season with Detroit, and a one-year stint with the Nashville Predators, Luff had spent three years as a depth forward for the Los Angeles Kings, registering 10 goals and 17 points in 64 games.
Without a pathway back to the NHL, Luff settled on a PTO with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season before ultimately signing a one-year AHL deal with Springfield. It turned out beneficial for both sides as Luff enjoyed the best season of his professional career, tallying 18 goals and 45 points in 50 games. That extra offense was enough to earn the Thunderbirds a spot in the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, though they were eliminated in the First Round by the Providence Bruins.
Regardless, there’s no guarantee Luff will suit up in another NHL contest during this recall. The Blues are reportedly leaning toward giving Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who was recalled yesterday, his NHL debut. Additionally, Pius Suter is expected to return to the lineup after missing St. Louis’ previous two games.
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
Panthers Release Matt Luff From PTO
The Panthers have released forward Matt Luff from his professional tryout, head coach Paul Maurice told Pucks and Palms’ Colby Guy on Monday. Luff wasn’t announced as part of a group of Florida roster cuts earlier today but is nonetheless off the training camp roster.
Luff was offered a tryout with the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, which Maurice “believed” he accepted. That means his days within the Panthers organization may not be done yet if he can land an AHL contract.
The 27-year-old has 106 NHL games under his belt but didn’t see the majors last season. He spent an injury-plagued 2023-24 on assignment to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins while on a two-way deal with the Red Wings, recording 10 goals and eight assists in 26 games.
Luff has been a serviceable fourth-liner when given chances in the NHL, but he’s never established himself as a full-timer. He’s suited up for the Kings and Predators in addition to his time in Detroit, posting 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 career NHL points with a -12 rating while averaging 10:19 per game. The Ontario native was an undrafted free agent signing by Los Angeles out of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2016.
He was in contention to earn a two-way deal with the Panthers and serve as a potential mid-season call-up option, but for now, he’ll have to prove he’s still got game on a potential AHL deal. The fact he doesn’t have a guaranteed contract yet is surprising – he’s consistently hovered around a point per game in the minors over the past few years and would be a legitimately impactful addition to the Checkers roster.
Panthers To Sign Matt Luff To PTO
The Florida Panthers have entered the market for PTOs as they try to rebuild their forward depth from a season ago. David Dwork of The Hockey News is reporting that the Panthers have agreed to a professional tryout agreement with forward Matt Luff and he will be with the team next week.
Luff began his career with the Los Angeles Kings organization in 2016 after the team signed him out of the Ontario Hockey League. He was coming off a season with the Hamilton Bulldogs where he scored 25 goals and 49 points in 45 games. One of the major questions at the time of his signing was the limited usage of his larger frame. He was physically one of the bigger players in the OHL at the time but rarely played to his size which made him an interesting addition for a hard-nosed Kings playstyle at the time.
Most of his tenure in the Kings organization had him with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He nevertheless managed to skate in 64 games for Los Angeles from 2018-21 where he added 10 goals and 17 points overall. After a one-year stint with the Nashville Predators organization in 2021-22 Luff eventually signed on with the Detroit Red Wings where he has been ever since.
His two separate one-year deals with the Red Wings have allowed for 19 appearances at the NHL level with two goals and four points. His real fruitfulness with the Red Wings organization has been his time with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, although he’s been mired by injuries. He’s appeared in 54 games for the Griffins over the last two years while posting 18 goals and 43 points.
It will be challenging for Luff to crack a re-worked Panthers’ bottom-six but his recent success at the AHL level has at least garnered him an opportunity. Florida does not have a deep crop of forwards at the AHL level as they struggled to score last year in Charlotte. Luff will have to assume a next-man-up mentality heading into the season but at least it will be in pursuit of joining the roster of the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Detroit Red Wings Place Matt Luff On Waivers
2/19: TSN’s Chris Johnston is reporting that Luff has successfully cleared waivers, and is now finally able to start his season with the Griffins.
2/18: The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Matt Luff on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Red Wings this past offseason, Luff has yet to play in any games for the organization this season, suffering an injury back in training camp.
Considering the injury history for much of the regular season, it is more than likely that Luff will pass through waivers unscathed, and make his way to Grand Rapids in short order. Although he managed nearly 20 games for Detroit last season, it will be much more difficult for Luff to crack this version of the Red Wings roster.
In those 19 games last season, Luff was a depth player for Detroit, averaging just under 10 minutes of ice time per game, scoring two goals and four points overall. In the AHL, Luff did manage 28 games for the Griffins last year, tying for sixth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 25 points.
Having one of their better seasons over the last several years, Grand Rapids is in the midst of a hotly contested playoff race in the Central Division. Sitting 24th in the league in goals for, Luff’s offensive capabilities in the AHL should help the Griffins improve in one area of weakness for the club.