Snapshots: D’Astous, Varlamov, Posch, Malinoski
Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous exited tonight’s game against Montreal and did not return, relays team reporter Benjamin Pierce (Twitter link). The 27-year-old took a hit from Josh Anderson and Jake Evans simultaneously; Anderson was called for a charging minor on the play. D’Astous has been a bright spot on Tampa Bay’s back end this season. Signed out of Sweden, he has played exclusively with Tampa aside from a brief stint in the minors to start the year. He had 29 points and 110 penalty minutes in 70 games during the regular season, a nice find for an undrafted free agent.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Islanders have recalled Semyon Varlamov from his LTIR conditioning stint, per the AHL’s transactions log. He got into two games with AHL Bridgeport, winning both while stopping 46 of 49 shots in his first game action since November 2024. While Varlamov would normally be eligible for a two-game extension, that’s not the case here as he is not eligible to play in the AHL playoffs. Varlamov has one year left on his contract and the team will now have to decide if they think he’s going to be good to go as their backup in 2026-27 or if they’ll want to add extra depth in case he’s not able to get through a full year.
- The Avalanche have recalled Isak Posch to serve as their emergency third goaltender, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 24-year-old spent most of the year with AHL Colorado, posting a 2.78 GAA with a .891 SV% in 28 games in his first full professional season. Posch, who signed as an undrafted free agent last spring, was briefly called up in January but didn’t see any action.
- Maple Leafs prospect Hudson Malinoski will have a new team for his final NCAA season. Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald reports that the center has transferred to the University of North Dakota for the upcoming season. A fifth-round pick by Toronto back in 2023 (153rd overall), the 21-year-old spent the last three years at Providence College. Malinoski’s output dropped this season, going from 23 points to 15 while he found himself in the bottom six as the year went on. He’ll look to play a bigger role for the Fighting Hawks in the hopes of landing an entry-level deal next spring.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Hagens, Ott
Team Canada has secured commitments from several big-name players for the country’s team at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships in Switzerland, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Per Dreger, some of the names include: Mark Scheifele, John Tavares, Robert Thomas, and Ryan O’Reilly, with more set to be named moving forward. This quartet of centers gives the country enviable depth at one of the game’s most important positions, and also means one or two of those names could end up playing on the wing. Canada last won an IIHF Men’s World Championship in 2023.
O’Reilly, who scored 74 points in 81 games for the Nashville Predators this season, has won gold at IIHF Worlds twice in his career, and has also won a silver medal at the tournament. He was also on last year’s Canadian entry into the tournament. Scheifele, 33, scored 103 points this season and won gold in 2016 and silver in 2017, scoring 21 points across 27 career games at IIHF World Championships. Thomas scored 64 points in 64 games for the St. Louis Blues this season but has not previously represented Canada on the country’s senior men’s side. Tavares, who scored 71 points for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year, captained Team Canada at the 2024 edition of the tournament, and also played at worlds in 2010, 2011, and 2012. He led the tournament in goals in 2010.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Boston Bruins star prospect James Hagens will most likely be in the lineup for the first game of the team’s upcoming series against the Buffalo Sabres, head coach Marco Sturm told the media today. Hagens, 19, has gotten into two career NHL games so far and has registered one assist, playing a third-line winger role alongside Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. Hagens scored four points in six games at the AHL level and managed 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games playing for Boston College this year. He’s been widely considered the Bruins’ top prospect since the team selected him No. 7 overall at the 2025 draft.
- The St. Louis Blues are expected to enter negotiations to retain Steve Ott as head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, beyond this season, per GM Doug Armstrong. Ott took over as Thunderbirds head coach in January, replacing Steve Konowalchuk, who began the season 13-18-6. Ott was able to deliver playoff hockey to Springfield, guiding the team to a 31-31-10 record as of writing, good for the final opening-round playoff spot in the league’s Atlantic Division. Ott was formerly an assistant on the Blues’ NHL staff and also had an 848-game NHL career as a player.
Snapshots: Mammoth, Avalanche, Omark
Ahead of tonight’s game against St. Louis, the Utah Mammoth shared that both Dylan Guenther and Sean Durzi wouldn’t play. Guenther has been held out for undisclosed reasons, while Durzi was categorized as having an upper-body injury.
Locked in for their first round matchup against Vegas, the first in their team’s history, Utah has no reason to take any chances in an inconsequential game 82 tonight. The dynamic young team will present a real challenge against the Golden Knights, who’ve found their stride under new head coach John Tortorella.
Guenther, 23, broke out this year with a team-leading 40 goals. Tonight marks just the third game he’s missed all year, and he should be all set for the postseason in his spot as a top winger, which will be his postseason debut.
On the other hand, Durzi left against Winnipeg last Tuesday after playing 9:46. Losing time back in the fall from an IR stint stemming from an upper-body issue, he’s played in 60 games this year, averaging 19:16 a night, a dip from previous years. It’s unknown what his status will be for Game 1, but the 27-year-old will be eager to return to the playoffs for the first time since his time as a Los Angeles King three years ago.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters, including Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports, that he expects the team to be fully healthy for the playoffs. It’s great news for the soon-to-be Presidents’ Trophy winners. A number of notable players have been banged up lately; Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, Josh Manson with various injuries. However, the group is expected to be at full strength as they take the ice for Game 1, with their opponent and dates still to be officially determined.
- Former NHL forward Linus Omark has retired at age 39, confirmed in an interview posted by Expressen, a news outlet in his native Sweden. Selected in the fourth round by Edmonton in the 2007 draft, Omark debuted with the club in the 2010-11 season, and last played with the Buffalo Sabres in February 2014. The winger’s NHL career was limited, 32 points in 79 games, but he’s still a memorable name, with his highlights making the rounds across the internet years ago and still worth a watch. Omark emerged as an electric prospect for the Oilers, and quickly caught the attention of the league with a one-of-a-kind shootout winning goal, in his NHL debut no less, which went viral and can still be seen on the NHL’s Youtube. Despite his incredible skills, Omark offered not enough defensive capabilities, nor strength, to solidify himself as an NHLer. Playing in a middle-ground era of the NHL also did no favors. Even though it didn’t work in North America, he went on to have a tremendous career overseas, as a top scorer in the KHL with Ufa Salavat Yulayev from 2015-2020. The veteran won a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championships, and recorded seven assists in four games at the 2018 Olympic Games. In 2025 he helped his hometown club Luleå HF take home their first Swedish Hockey League title in 29 years. Omark wrapped up his final season with Luleå putting up 16 points in 29 games.
Snapshots: Kadri, Chatfield, Predators
The Colorado Avalanche shared that Nazem Kadri wouldn’t return against St. Louis as a result of an upper-body injury. It was not immediately evident where the ailment occurred.
Since returning to the Avs at the trade deadline, Kadri has served a middle six role, few teams offering a player of his caliber at third line center. In 15 games so far he’s recorded nine points, clearly no longer the elite scorer at age 35, but a strong player nonetheless.
Kadri’s corsi for at five-on-five expectedly jumped to 55%, although his 52% mark in Calgary was already admirable on a struggling team as opposed to the league’s best. Fully evident of his role change, he’s starting just under 52% of shifts in the defensive zone under head coach Jared Bednar, a drastic flip from his nearly 67% on the attack as a Flame.
With this in mind, Kadri plays a crucial role with match-ups, should the Avalanche go on a deep run this spring. Postgame updates will be watched closely, with the hope that he’ll be good to go for the club’s next game, Thursday, as they host his former team of the Flames.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour had no postgame update on Jalen Chatfield, noted by Cory Lavalette of The North State Journal. The defenseman left in the third period, bothered with a lower-body injury, and didn’t return. Carolina clinched their Metropolitan Division crown with a back-and-forth overtime win over Boston, but it would be costly if they lost Chatfield for any extended period. At age 29, the shutdown man is averaging over 20 minutes for the first time in his career, continuing to show outstanding possession metrics in a real second pairing role. The Canes will hope Chatfield is back for one of their four remaining regular season games, as soon as Thursday in Chicago.
- Insider Frank Seravalli of Frankly Hockey believes the Nashville Predators will explore former Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald as a candidate, as noted in the April 7 edition of the podcast. Fired by New Jersey just yesterday, Seravalli suspects that the timing was with this in mind. The 57-year-old is a natural fit with the Predators, having served as their inaugural captain, playing alongside current head coach Andrew Brunette, under the departing general manager Barry Trotz, no less. Fitzgerald stands out as a candidate with over five years of general manager experience at the NHL level, a trait favorable compared to other options. The Predators are thought to be seeking an entirely new voice, but at the very least, Fitzgerald will garner consideration.
Snapshots: Bogosian, O’Rourke, Kvasnicka
Minnesota Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian left the team’s game yesterday with an undisclosed injury, and will miss today’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, per a team announcement. Bogosian played just over 14 minutes in the Wild’s win over the Ottawa Senators yesterday. He’s been the Wild’s No. 7 defenseman in terms of average time on ice per game this season, registering 14:02 per game, including about 45 seconds per game on the penalty kill.
The Wild have two options on their roster who could replace Bogosian in the lineup: veteran Jeff Petry and 23-year-old Daemon Hunt. Since Petry is a right-shot defenseman, he seems to be the more likely candidate to claim Bogosian’s spot on the right side of Minnesota’s third pairing. Petry was acquired from the Florida Panthers earlier in the season, and has played in three games for the Wild so far. He’s averaged just over 12 minutes per game in Minnesota so far. The stakes for the Wild remain high in their upcoming games, as they still possess a slim chance at overtaking the Dallas Stars and earning home-ice advantage for the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Other notes from around the world of hockey:
- Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on yesterday’s “Saturday Headlines” segment of Hockey Night in Canada that Texas-born Kade O’Rourke has applied for exceptional status to join the OHL next season. Friedman cited several conversations he had with people who believe there is “no question” O’Rourke is ready to play in the OHL next season. O’Rourke, a 6’1″ right-shot defenseman, scored four goals and 10 points in the OHL Cup, leading the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to the Final.
- While the New York Islanders have had a difficult week that has thrown their playoff odds into question, their organizational future remains one of the league’s brightest. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer has taken the league by storm, and The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked the team’s prospect pool No. 12 in the NHL, up a whopping 13 spots from where it ranked last season, at No. 25. According to Wheeler, of the biggest risers in the team’s prospect pool is WHL forward Jacob Kvasnicka. The Minnesota-born winger was drafted in the seventh round by the Islanders at the 2025 draft, 202nd overall. He’s led the expansion Penticton Vees in scoring with 35 goals and 85 points in 65 games this season.
Snapshots: Winterton, Buchnevich, Vaakanainen, Rangers Goaltending
Kraken winger Ryan Winterton has returned to the team, relays Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. He stepped away for a leave of absence following the death of his brother following a cancer battle. However, since he hadn’t been on the ice for two weeks before rejoining the team Thursday, he was a scratch against Utah and it’s unclear when he will ultimately return to Seattle’s lineup. Winterton is in his first full NHL season and has four goals and 14 assists in 62 games while logging 11:47 per night of playing time.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich was a surprise scratch as St. Louis made four lineup changes for tonight’s game against Anaheim. However, the team announced that Buchnevich’s absence was for maintenance reasons. The Blues play Colorado in their next two games and the team is prioritizing getting him as healthy as possible for those two contests. Buchnevich has seen his point total drop for the fourth straight season and has 17 goals and 27 assists through 74 games.
- Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen took part in practice today in a regular (contact) jersey, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post (Twitter link). That suggests that the 27-year-old is getting closer to returning from an upper-body injury that has kept him out for the past two weeks. Vaakanainen was ruled out week-to-week at the time. He has played in 33 games this season, picking up six assists and 26 blocks while averaging a little under 14 minutes per game of playing time.
- Still with the Rangers, goaltender Jonathan Quick returned to the lineup yesterday, serving as New York’s backup. He had missed the previous seven games due to an upper-body injury. In doing so, the team has converted Dylan Garand’s previous recall from an emergency one to a regular recall as emergency conditions no longer exist. That means he will be one of their five allowable post-deadline promotions. Garand has made two starts so far, turning aside 62 of 65 shots in his first taste of NHL action.
Snapshots: Ducks, Smith, Tracy
Shortly ahead of tonight’s game at San Jose, the Anaheim Ducks revealed that Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov wouldn’t play due to lower body injuries.
For Gudas, it more or less confirms the suspicion that the 35-year-old laced them up not yet healthy in order to answer the bell against the Maple Leafs. It’s a commendable act from the Ducks’ captain, especially as Gudas didn’t throw a punch in his scrap with Max Domi, stemming from the controversial hit which ended Auston Matthews’ season. Nonetheless, the Czech stay-at-home man will look to get healthy in time for the playoffs.
Another defenseman, Mintyukov has dealt with his own lower body issue, keeping him out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. The 22-year-old has developed nicely in Anaheim, averaging 18:26 a contest and needing just one more game to make a career high 69 appearances in a season. Mintyukov still has untapped offensive upside, offering 20 points so far in 2025-26.
Neither Gudas or Mintyukov figure to have serious issues, but in the meantime, Ian Moore and Drew Helleson have stepped in.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Los Angeles will weigh their coaching options this summer, as insider David Pagnotta suspected that interim head coach D.J. Smith won’t be back, on Monday’s edition of Oilersnation Everyday. After firing Jim Hiller on March 1, Smith’s efforts to provide a spark have proved often ineffective, with a 5-5-4 record. The former Senators head man has a .465 career win percentage, not winning more than 39 games in a season. This summer will bring major change to the Kings with icon Anže Kopitar set to hang up his skates, but still offering a strong core in win-now mode, Los Angeles will seek a long-term solution behind the bench. Smith, 48, came to the Kings as an assistant in February 2024. If it’s indeed the beginning of the end of his tenure, it’s safe to assume another NHL club will come calling with a similiar job offer.
- The Henderson Silver Knights, aptly named affiliates of Vegas, inked goaltender Alexander Tracy to an AHL contract for 2026-27. The undrafted netminder enters the professional circuit after an impressive four year career at Minnesota State University – Mankato. A native of Chicago, Illinois, the 25-year-old got the bulk of starts for three of his four collegiate seasons. He put up an eye-popping .946 save percentage last season, followed by a .927% this year, winning over 20 games in each. Vegas has had three drafted goaltenders who have gotten significant playing time in the AHL, but behind Carl Lindbom, who has played well, neither Cameron Whitehead or Jesper Vikman have been able to stand out. Vikman was dealt to the Capitals organization as part of the Nic Dowd trade. As a result, the 5’11” Tracy will compete for a backup role in Henderson.
Snapshots: Carrick, Yakemchuk, Berube
Buffalo Sabres spring acquisition Sam Carrick appeared to suffer a serious arm injury after fighting Anders Lee of the Islanders tonight, seen in a clip shared by Bleacher Report Open Ice.
Carrick dropped the mitts with Lee in retaliation after the Islanders captain delivered a hard hit on Buffalo’s Josh Norris. As he went down at the end of the scrap, he was immediately in serious pain. The center did not return, and with just seven regular season games on the schedule for the team after tonight, there’s a real possibility Buffalo has lost a key veteran for the playoffs.
Acquired on March 6 from the Rangers in exchange for a third and sixth rounder, Carrick has been a great fit with the Sabres. He has five goals in 12 games, of course not sustainable with a shooting percentage just under 28%. Even when that inevitably cools off, he’s winning 58.2% of his face-offs and killing penalties as a solid fourth line center right as advertised.
Also evident considering his willingness to take on a larger player in Lee for the sake of a teammate, Carrick plays a role any team needs in the playoffs. Especially a younger group, who will end a 15-year-long drought and enter uncharted territory.
The hope is that Carrick has somehow not suffered a season-ender, but if so, Joshua Dunne might have to step back in at a crucial time. Buffalo is back at it Thursday as they aim to put the keep their foot on the gas rolling into a potential run.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Senators defenseman Carter Yakemchuk suffered a concerning injury tonight as observed by Julian McKenzie of The Athletic. He sustained a hard hit from Florida’s Noah Gregor which was concentrated in the head area, and had trouble getting back up, eventually requiring help to get off the ice. Gregor was assessed a game misconduct. It was a tough night for the Sens as they lost convincingly to the bottom-feeding Panthers while in desperate need of points. Ottawa’s top prospect, Yakemchuk made his NHL debut one week ago today, getting a look especially as Jake Sanderson remains out. The 20-year-old burst onto the scene with a goal and an assist in his first game. As a righty, he fits perfectly into a well-assembled core from the other side for years to come. Ottawa hopes their youngster will be back by Thursday against Buffalo.
- Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said on yesterday’s edition of The Leafs Nation that head coach Craig Berube was likely not anticipating yesterday’s firing of general manager Brad Treliving. Pagnotta suspects that he hasn’t been told anything as to his future with the club. The 60-year-old has a contract which runs through 2027-28, but his Leafs tenure could be winding down, about to finish only his second season with the team, where he’s had an 84 – 56 – 17 record. Toronto’s constant turnover behind the bench needs to change, but it only makes sense for the team to start fresh this summer. Any new GM typically prefers bringing in their own selection, especially with some strong candidates available, headlined by Bruce Cassidy. Berube, known for leading the Blues to a remarkable run to a Stanley Cup in 2019, could also benefit from a new challenge with the Leafs sputtering despite his efforts.
Snapshots: Mantha, Granato, Rasmussen
Penguins winger Anthony Mantha has been a pleasant surprise this season, having a resurgent campaign. However, that’s now on hold for the time being as the team announced (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old missed most of last year due to injury, allowing him to sign a one-year deal with incentives this season. He has made the most of it, tallying 26 goals and 27 assists in 71 games, setting new career highs across the board offensively. He has reached the first seven levels of his various games-played bonuses (totaling $1.75MM) but will need to play in nine of Pittsburgh’s 11 remaining games in order to receive an additional $250K, giving him some extra incentive to return quickly beyond their battle for a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Former Sabres head coach Don Granato is set to run a bench once again. USA Hockey announced that Granato has been named as their head coach for the upcoming World Championship. The 58-year-old led Buffalo to a 122-125-27 record over parts of four seasons before being dismissed following the 2023-24 campaign. This will be his first coaching opportunity since then. The tournament is set to run from May 15-31 in Switzerland.
- Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen has yet to resume skating as he continues to work his way back from an undisclosed injury, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link). At this point, he’s still in treatment mode according to head coach Todd McLellan, who noted that he’s still probably at least a week away from returning. While Rasmussen hasn’t been particularly productive this season – just 14 points in 61 games – he’s still an important part of Detroit’s bottom six and penalty kill; getting him back would certainly help in their late-season playoff push.
Snapshots: Elick, Wutzke, Larsen
Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Charlie Elick will join the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters this week and embark on his professional career, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
A second-round selection in 2024 by the Jackets, Elick inked his entry-level contract last March. Since then, he wrapped up his final WHL chapter with 63 games for the Tri-City Americans, recording 20 points and 46 penalty minutes.
Standing at 6’3” and a right-handed shot, Elick came in at 10th in the Blue Jackets system last summer according to Steven Ellis of The Daily Faceoff. The Calgary native has solid mobility for a physical shutdown defender, and his ranking is more indicative of a well stocked Columbus system, as he’d come in higher in many other team’s pools. It won’t be immediate considering their wide age gap, but he naturally lines up as a long term replacement for veteran Erik Gudbranson‘s on-ice role, whose contract expires this summer.
Even if his ceiling is limited to a middle-pairing role, Elick’s reliable game has the chance to pan out nicely at the highest level, with physical tools sought after by general managers everywhere in today’s game. He’ll join the 12th-ranked Monsters who have had a nice season thanks to a strong defensive core well split between prospects and veterans.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Minnesota Wild goaltending prospect Chase Wutzke has been assigned to the Iowa Wild, per the team. The 19-year-old enters the professional circuit having concluded play with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, where he posted a .906 save percentage and a 3.47 goals-against-average on the struggling junior club this year. Wutzke signed his ELC last September. Iowa ranks second-to-last in the AHL, so there’s good reason for him to get an audition, slotting into a goalie group led by former NHL standout Cal Petersen. With a Minnesota goaltending pipeline full, the 6’2” Saskatoon native is a long term project for any sustainable NHL role, but he could become a contributor for Iowa in the coming seasons.
- Former NHL defenseman Philip Larsen has retired at age 36, he announced in an interview shared by DirekteSport on Instagram. Larsen was drafted in the fifth round by Dallas in 2008, debuting in 2009-10, and eventually being dealt to Edmonton in exchange for Shawn Horcoff in the 2013 offseason. After not panning out in Edmonton at age 24, he left for the KHL, with rights being traded to Vancouver. It became a notable trade tree, as the pick the Oilers acquired for Larsen was eventually involved in another trade which allowed them to select Stuart Skinner in 2017. Larsen’s strong play in Russia brought him to the Canucks in 2016-17, his 26 games proving to be the last in the NHL. From there, the 5’11” righty spent the next several years with Ufa Salavat Yulayev of the KHL as a star blueliner. In 2022 he returned to his native Denmark with Esbjerg EfB Ishockey, where he spent the last four years of his career. With a strong two-way acumen, Larsen hangs it up after 151 NHL games, 361 in the KHL, and 136 representing his home country.