Minor Transactions: 3/7/25
Similarly to the NHL, AHL playoff rosters are also due today before the trade deadline. Any player currently rostered in the AHL is eligible for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, regardless of a future call-up. Today’s list will continue to grow until the 3 p.m. deadline.
- According to a team announcement, the Dallas Stars have reassigned defenseman Lian Bichsel to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Although the reassignment came with a formal announcement from the team, it should only serve as a paper transaction for Bichsel to ensure he’s eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. The rookie defenseman has scored two goals and three assists in 20 games for the Stars this season, averaging 14:54 of ice time per night. He’s made his presence known by averaging over four hits a game, but he’s been on the wrong end of some highlight videos early in his NHL career. Dallas confirmed it as a paper transaction later, recalling Bichsel quickly after the deadline.
- As alluded to yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed the reassignment of netminder Aleksei Kolosov to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Given that he’s been Philadelphia’s third-string option for much of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kolosov’s reassignment extend beyond the trade deadline. The second-year netminder has a 4-8-1 record in 15 games with the Flyers this season with a .870 SV% and 3.45 GAA. His performance hasn’t been any better with AHL Lehigh Valley as he’s recorded a 2-4-1 record in seven AHL contests with a .874 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
- The Calgary Flames are making Adam Klapka available to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, per a team report. Similarly to Kolosov, this reassignment may extend through the deadline. Klapka has spent much of the year in AHL Calgary, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 31 contests. He’s been far less utilized by the Flames, registering one goal in 13 contests and averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
- According to Andy Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey, the San Jose Sharks are expected to reassign defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Thompson to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. As a minor contextual update, Max Miller of The Hockey News believes Thompson’s reassignment is a paper transaction to make him eligible for the AHL postseason. Despite low scoring output, Thompson has been an effective defenseman for the Sharks this season, averaging a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength, the best on the team among defensemen with more than 20 games played.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they’ve reassigned forward Joseph Labate to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. As one of the most feel-good stories of the 2024-25 campaign, Labate took the ice in the NHL for the first time in eight years this season. The 31-year-old winger had spent the last several years bouncing around on AHL contracts with a one-year pitstop in the KHL. He scored six goals and 13 points in 33 games with AHL Cleveland before being elevated to an NHL contract with the Blue Jackets.
- After announcing that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss the next six weeks due to a knee injury, the St. Louis Blues were expected to make a recall on defense. The team announced that recall this morning, sharing that they’ve brought up Matthew Kessel from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Phoenix, AZ native has already spent time as a seventh defenseman for the Blues this season, tallying three assists in 27 games while averaging 13:05 of ice time per game.
- Strictly as a paper move, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Colton Dach and defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Both players will remain in the Blackhawks’ lineup for the rest of the season before they are returned to AHL Rockford at the end of the season, should they qualify for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Dach has scored two goals and six points in 18 games with Chicago, while Del Mastro has registered two goals and three points in 12 contests.
- As expected, the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Carter Mazur on injured reserve one day after his debut. Mazur suffered a dislocated elbow approximately one minute into his NHL career, and he’s likely done for the regular season. In a corresponding transaction, the Red Wings have recalled forward Dominik Shine from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Shine is only a couple of weeks removed from signing the first NHL contract of his career, tallying one assist in four games for Detroit in late January.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they’ve reassigned forward Owen Beck and goaltender Jakub Dobes to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for eligibility in the Calder Cup playoffs. Beck has been an extremely effective forward for the Rocket this year, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games. Meanwhile, Dobes has made a name for himself in Montreal, managing a 6-2-1 record in 10 games with a .909 SV% and 2.63 GAA, including one shutout.
- The Los Angeles Kings aren’t entirely sold on Brandt Clarke‘s future with the team. A report from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN this morning indicated the Kings were shopping Clarke on the trade market, and they’ve now reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, along with Samuel Helenius (Twitter Link). Both players should be back on the NHL roster tomorrow, with the move signifying they’ll be eligible for the AHL postseason. Still, it’s a notable development as it indicates Los Angeles may want Clarke in the AHL for the Reign’s postseason run rather than their own.
- According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Stillman filled in for Dmitry Orlov in last night’s contest but didn’t make it through the full game due to getting his face cut by a skate. He finished last night’s contest against the Boston Bruins with zero points after skating in 18 seconds of the game’s action.
- In addition to Schuldt and Thompson, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shares that the Sharks have reassigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and forward Collin Graf to AHL San Jose. They’re both expected back on the Sharks’ roster later today or tomorrow, but the roster move will make them eligible for the AHL postseason. Mukhamadullin and Graf have both spent much of the year with the Barracuda. In short order, Pashelka reports the Sharks have recalled both players back to the NHL roster.
- Due to another injury to netminder John Gibson on Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks were expected to recall another goaltender. Anaheim announced they’ve recalled Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, to fill the void left by Gibson. It’s Husso’s first call-up with the Ducks since being acquired from the Red Wings on February 24th. He posted a 1-5-2 record in nine games in Detroit this season with a .866 SV% and 3.69 GAA.
- For the fifth time this year, the New York Rangers have assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Ruhwedel has primarily played for AHL Hartford this season in his first extended stay in the AHL since 2016-17. The veteran defenseman has recorded three goals and 12 points in 36 contests with a +8 rating.
- After a flurry of trade activity over the last couple of days, the Seattle Kraken are making a small roster move for the benefit of their AHL roster. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and have recalled John Hayden in a corresponding transaction. The former debuted in the NHL last night, notching four hits and one takeaway in 9:53 of ice time.
- In a major boost to their playoff chances, the AHL’s Providence Bruins will have several players available for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports the Boston Bruins have papered down Marat Khusnutdinov, Vinni Lettieri, Patrick Brown, Ian Mitchell, Riley Tufte, and Matthew Poitras to the AHL for their postseason eligibility. All six players are expected back on the Bruins roster by this evening or tomorrow morning.
- As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have papered down forward Jiří Kulich to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Kulich has been an impressive player for AHL Rochester over the last few seasons and should continue to be in the postseason. He’s scored 53 goals and 94 points in 123 games on the Americans’ roster. Later in the day, the Americans announced that forwards Isak Rosen and Joshua Dunne were recalled on an emergency basis so they won’t count toward the post-deadline limit.
- According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have returned defenseman Cam Dineen to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, from his emergency recall. Unlike many of the roster moves on today’s list, Dineen has a solid chance of playing the remainder of the year with AHL Bakersfield. The 26-year-old defenseman has scored five goals and 29 points in 45 games for the Condors this season while only registering one game with the Oilers.
- In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
- The Vancouver Canucks have joined in on the mix of teams ensuring their top prospects are eligible for the AHL playoffs. They have assigned defenseman Victor Mancini, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and goaltender Arturs Silovs to the AHL. Lekkerimaki has three points in 12 NHL games this season, while Mancini didn’t manage any scoring in his sole appearance with the Canucks so far. Silovs has operated as the team’s third-string goalie and has a 1-6-1 record and .858 save percentage on the year. All three players were subsequently recalled soon after the deadline.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Jack St. Ivany from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis. The 25-year-old has played in 19 games with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist while averaging 16:22 of playing time per game.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Flyers Reassign Aleksei Kolosov, Olle Lycksell; Recall Anthony Richard
The Philadelphia Flyers will no longer carry three goaltenders on their roster. The team announced that they have reassigned goaltender Aleksei Kolosov and forward Olle Lycksell to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In a corresponding move, they recalled forward Anthony Richard.
Goaltending has been an issue for the Flyers this year. The team is currently in last place in the NHL, with a save percentage of only .874, and has had difficulty maintaining consistency in net for much of the season.
Since the start of 2025, the narrative has shifted. Samuel Ersson has emerged as the primary goaltender, boasting a 5-1-0 record in six starts and a .920 save percentage since New Year’s. Meanwhile, Kolosov, who hasn’t played for the Flyers since January 2nd, has become the odd man out, especially since he is exempt from waivers.
The demotion appears to be a prudent move for the young netminder. Since finally joining the Flyers organization last season, Kolosov has earned a 2-3-1 record in six AHL games with a .878 SV% and 3.20 goals-against average. Given his similar production in the NHL, it might be time for Kolosov to get more consistent starts to build up his confidence.
In the less noteworthy part of the transaction — Lycksell returns to AHL Lehigh Valley after going scoreless in five straight games in Philadelphia. He’s understandably been much more productive with the Phantoms scoring nine goals and 24 points in 25 games this season.
The Flyers have decided to rely on Richard’s more readily available talent. Although he hasn’t played in Philadelphia since mid to late November, he was one of the team’s highest-scoring players during that stretch. In his previous call-up from November 7 to November 20, Richard scored two goals and recorded six points in seven games, with five coming at even strength.
Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell
Dec. 27: Lycksell has been recalled from Lehigh Valley again with the holiday break soon to be in the rearview mirror, the team announced. He’ll be on hand for the Flyers’ West Coast road swing over the next week. Philadelphia’s active roster is full again with $2.31MM in current cap space, per PuckPedia.
Dec. 22: Philadelphia announced they’ve reassigned Lycksell to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He skated in 10:58 of last night’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, registering three shots on net.
Dec. 21: The Flyers have added a bit of forward depth to their roster heading into tonight’s game against Columbus. Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia relays (Twitter link) that Philadelphia has recalled winger Olle Lycksell from AHL Lehigh Valley. They are now carrying the maximum of 23 players on the roster.
This move comes on the heels of center Sean Couturier not being at the morning skate today. It’s unknown if Lycksell’s recall is related to that or if someone else’s availability for tonight is in some question.
The 25-year-old has had plenty of offensive success in the minors but it hasn’t translated to much production with the Flyers. Last season, Lycksell had 19 goals and 20 assists in 38 games with the Phantoms which earned him 18 appearances in Philadelphia. However, he wasn’t able to muster up much with them, collecting just one goal and four helpers in those outings while logging just 9:57 per game. That lack of production contributed to Lycksell clearing waivers back in October.
This season, it has been more of the same for Lycksell in Lehigh Valley as he has nine goals and 15 assists in 25 appearances which has helped him earn his first promotion of the season, even if it’s likely to be a brief one with the holiday break fast approaching.
Waiver Wire: 10/4/24
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman all 17 players on waivers yesterday have cleared. There are again several players to hit the wire today as reported by Friedman:
Anaheim Ducks
Boston Bruins
G Michael DiPietro
F Vinni Lettieri
D Jordan Oesterle
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
New Jersey Devils
F Justin Dowling
F Mike Hardman
F Samuel Laberge
F Nathan Légaré
F Maxwell Willman
Philadelphia Flyers
F Olle Lycksell
F Anthony Richard
Pittsburgh Penguins
F Emil Bemström
D Nate Clurman
F Jonathan Gruden
F Joona Koppanen
D Filip Král
D John Ludvig
F Samuel Poulin
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Washington Capitals
Flyers Reassign Bobby Brink, Olle Lycksell, Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning
With their season coming to an end at the hands of the Washington Capitals last night, the Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned several waiver-exempt players to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In the transaction, the team will be sending forwards Bobby Brink and Olle Lycksell, as well as defensemen Ronald Attard and Adam Ginning north to Lehigh Valley.
Of the four, Brink spent the most time at the NHL level this season, suiting up in 57 games for the Flyers. Over that stretch, Brink scored 11 goals and 23 points in total, sitting 12th on the roster in scoring. While he did not manage to crack the 60-game mark this year, Brink should rather easily crack the opening night roster next season as a middle-six option.
Lycksell, on the other hand, likely has more offensive potential compared to Brink, based on his strong back-to-back seasons with the Phantom. Scoring only one goal and five points over 18 games for the Flyers this season, Lycksell was more than productive with Lehigh Valley earlier in the year, scoring 19 goals and 38 points in only 36 games.
On the blue line, Attard and Ginning are both remarkably similar in size and stature. Of the two, Attard has the upper hand on the offensive side of the puck, while Ginning excels more defensively. Even though Philadelphia has some openings in their defensive core this summer, both defensemen should expect similar roles next year.
While the Phantoms still have three games left to play in the 2023-24 AHL season, they are likely headed for the same fate as last year, poised for sixth place in the Atlantic Division. If the season were to end today, Lehigh Valley would match up against their interstate rivals, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell, Adam Ginning
The Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell and defenseman Adam Ginning from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, per a team announcement Monday. The 24-year-old Swedes and longtime teammates will serve as reinforcements for their Tuesday home game against the Maple Leafs. CapFriendly reflects that both recalls are emergency loans, meaning the Flyers still have two of their four post-trade deadline standard recalls remaining. As such, injuries or illnesses likely have the status of multiple players in doubt ahead of tomorrow’s game.
Philadelphia last recalled Lycksell in late February, keeping him on the roster for a five-game stretch before returning him to the Phantoms the day before the trade deadline. A sixth-round Flyers pick in 2017, Lycksell has been recalled three times this season, his second playing pro hockey in North America. After slowly developing into a top-six producer over a half-decade in the Swedish Hockey League, Lycksell has been highly productive since arriving in Lehigh Valley last season, recording 83 points in 89 games.
Lycksell has been especially hot lately despite sporadic playing time. He has three goals and seven assists in his last three games for the Phantoms and is now over a point per game on the season, putting himself in “too good for the minors” territory. Despite playing 17 NHL games over the past two seasons, he’s still searching for his first NHL goal and has four assists with a -4 rating while averaging 10:09 per game. He’s been a volume shooter in his limited minutes, recording 13 shots in nine appearances this season. He also has decent possession metrics (51.7 CF%, 65.4 xGF% per Hockey Reference) after a disastrous showing with Philly in 2022-23 in that department.
Ginning has suited up for the Flyers more recently, making his lone appearance of the season on March 7 against the Panthers. The blue liner was recalled again under emergency conditions before last Tuesday’s game against the Sharks, but he was scratched and returned to the Phantoms the next day. The 2018 second-round pick had a rough showing against Florida in his second career NHL game, recording a -1 rating, 43.8 CF% and 16.2 xGF% (per MoneyPuck) in over 18 minutes of ice time while paired with Ronald Attard at even strength. A developing shutdown prospect with good size at 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, Ginning has 13 points, a -7 rating, and 82 PIMs in 56 games with the Phantoms this year.
Lycksell is in the first season of a two-year, two-way deal with a $787.5K cap hit. He’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights upon expiry in 2025. Ginning is still on his entry-level contract with a $883.75K cap hit, although the deal expires this summer, making him an RFA with arbitration rights if the Flyers issue him a qualifying offer.
The Flyers now have four extra skaters on the active roster, not including the forcibly reinstated Ryan Johansen. As CapFriendly notes, adding Ginning and Lycksell’s combined $1.67MM cap hit puts them over the $83.5MM Upper Limit, meaning they’ve likely transferred de facto retired blue-liner Ryan Ellis‘ $6.25MM cap hit to long-term injured reserve unless a corresponding transaction is pending.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, for the third time this season, per a team announcement. In his most recent call-up to Philadelphia, Lycksell skated in four games for the Flyers, tallying two assists.
Although he has been more of a depth forward for Philadelphia this season, Lycksell has been a premier player for the Phantoms in the AHL. Over 38 games in Lehigh Valley this year, Lycksell has been one of the best players on the roster, scoring 18 goals and 32 points, including a two-goal, four-point performance last evening. Currently sitting second on the team in points, Lycksell is still leading the way with the most goals on the team and the highest point-per-game average.
It’s been more of the same for Lycksell at the AHL level, who had a highly productive rookie season in the AHL as recently as last year. In 53 games during his first year in North America, Lycksell put together a 14-goal, 45-point performance. Being a former-sixth-round selection of the Flyers back in the 2017 NHL Draft, they could have found a potential diamond in the rough if Lycksell can keep up this offensive production at the NHL level.
Even though Lehigh Valley is not competing for the Calder Cup this season, it may still be advantageous for the Flyers to keep Lycksell down in the minor leagues for more exposure. Competing for their own hardware this year, Lycksell may not have much opportunity at the NHL level with Philadelphia opting to put forward a more rugged bottom-six.
Olle Lycksell Reassigned To AHL, Tyson Foerster Nearing Return
The Philadelphia Flyers announced this morning that they’ve reassigned forward Olle Lycksell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The 24-year-old has been a healthy scratch for the Flyers in six of their seven games since the All-Star break as he has been primarily serving as a depth forward. He has dressed in five games this season at the NHL level and has a single assist while averaging a tick under 10 minutes of ice time per game.
At the AHL level, Lycksell has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games with Lehigh Valley and has been nearly a point-a-game player the last few seasons. His demotion could signal that Tyson Foerster is healthy and nearing a return to the lineup.
Foerster is practicing in a regular jersey today and reportedly could play tomorrow for Philadelphia against the New York Rangers. He was hurt blocking a shot in a game against the Seattle Kraken back on February 10th and has missed the last four games. The former first-round pick is having a decent offensive season with 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games but came into the season with lofty expectations after posting seven points in eight NHL games last year.
Based on the line rushes in Flyers practice, it seems likely that Foerster will play alongside Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates on the Flyers’ third line.
Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell, Assign Bobby Brink To AHL
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and in a corresponding move loaned forward Bobby Brink to the Phantoms as well.
Lycksell is having a good season with Lehigh Valley as he has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games. He was held scoreless in his lone NHL game earlier in the season and does have nine career NHL games to his credit. Last season, the Oskarshamn, Sweden native dressed in eight games for the Flyers and had an assist. The 24-year-old is on the smaller side at just 5’11” but he has good offensive instincts and can make plays with the puck.
Brink has been a healthy scratch in the last three games and was loaned to the AHL to likely get back into some games. The 22-year-old is having a decent offensive season with seven goals and 11 assists in 38 games but has seen his ice time dramatically reduced over the last five games in which he has dressed. Brink had eight points in his first ten games of the season but has been held scoreless in the last seven games as his struggles have coincided with his reduction in ice time. Brink will likely have an opportunity to regain some of the confidence he showed earlier in the season and find his scoring touch once again.
The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season and currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They dropped two games on the weekend to the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators as they had their win streak snapped at five games.
Philadelphia Recalls Rhett Gardner and Cal Petersen, Send Olle Lycksell Down
4:00 PM: Carter Hart is slated to miss Tuesday night’s game with illness, despite optimism around his return. Samuel Ersson will start for the Flyers, with Cal Petersen backing him up.
3:00 PM: The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Rhett Gardner and goaltender Calvin Petersen, sending rookie Olle Lycksell down to the minors. These moves come in the wake of Carter Hart‘s expected return to the lineup, with the goaltender coming back from a string of illnesses that held him out of the team’s Thursday night matchup and two games last month.
Petersen is joining a crowded goalie room that’s already home to Hart and Samuel Ersson. This is likely in preparation for the NHL Holiday Roster Freeze, which goes into effect at 11:59 P.M. local time on December 19th. The Flyers play three games before rosters unfreeze on December 28th. Teams are able to exceed the 23-man roster limit during this freeze, so long as they have the cap space to do so. Philadelphia is cutting it close, with just $730K left in cap space after these recalls – thanks to Petersen’s hefty $5MM cap hit.
Petersen has served as the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms starting goaltender for much of the season, recording a 4-6-1 record and .898 save percentage in 11 appearances with the team. He’s also appeared in two NHL games this year, splitting the matchups and setting a .896 save percentage. The Flyers acquired Petersen as part of a six-player trade in June, acquiring Sean Walker, Helge Grans, and three draft picks in addition to the 29-year-old goaltender.
Lycksell is being sent to the minors after making one appearance with the Flyers this season. He failed to record a point in the matchup but did receive one penalty. Lycksell has already appeared in 21 AHL games this season, scoring 12 goals and 19 points. The Flyers are swapping him with Rhett Gardner, who has yet to make his debut with the Flyers after spending the last five seasons in the Dallas Stars organization. Gardner has appeared in 21 AHL games this season, scoring four points and receiving 39 penalty minutes. The 27-year-old centerman has totaled 40 career NHL games and scored a pair of points.