Minor Transactions: 4/16/2026
The wave of minor-league assignments is continuing with the NHL regular season nearly completed. Pro Hockey Rumors will continue to track the movement around the AHL in the latest minor transactions tracker:
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled goalie prospect Carson Bjarnason in preperation for their first round matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bjarnason will serve as a black ace with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms eliminated from playoff contention. Bjarnason recorded 14 wins and a .887 save percentage in 32 AHL games this season. He also split results, and recorded a .881 save percentage, in two ECHL games. This was Bjarnason’s first year of professional hockey after four seasons with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. The 20 year old recorded a .903 save percentage across 156 career games in the WHL.
- The Colorado Avalanche are also padding their room of black aces, recalling forwards Alex Barre-Boulet and Jason Polin. Both players spent the bulk of their year in the AHL. Barre-Boulet led the Colorado Eagles with 26 goals and 70 points in 69 games – and added one assist in the only NHL game of his season. Polin was slightly less productive, with 21 points in 45 AHL games and no scoring in three NHL games. The duo will offer forward depth behind an Avalanche squad that has rotated through injuries this season.
- Forward Cole O’Hara could make his NHL debut in the Nashville Predators’ season finale. The 23 year old has been called up after leading the Milwaukee Admirals in goals (19) and ranking fourth in points (44) through 65 games this season. This was also O’Hara’s first pro season after three years at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He had a breakout season last year, netting 22 goals and 51 points in 40 games – 33 more points than he managed in 37 games of the 2023-24 season. O’Hara kept that scoring up through his rookie season in the AHL and could now get a chance to score against NHL talent.
- Headed back to the minors is goaltender Brandon Halverson, who recently helped the Tampa Bay Lightning respond to Jonas Johansson‘s short-term injury. Halverson recorded one loss and a .810 save percentage in 57 minutes – and two games – of NHL action this season. He started for the Syracuse Crunch for much of the year and recorded 24 wins and a .906 save percentage in 42 AHL games. He’ll now return to his post to help Syracuse keep up their strong play into the Calder Cup Playoffs.
- The Calgar Flames have also called up a goaltender. Prospect Arsenii Sergeev is on the NHL roster under emergency conditions with Devin Cooley set to miss Calgary’s season finale due to illness. Sergeev will make his NHL debut in game 82. The 24 year old recorded five wins and a .898 save percentage in 28 AHL games this season. He also split results, and recorded a .922 save percentage, in 12 ECHL games. Sergeev was a strong starter in college, recording save percentages north of .910 in two seasons with the University of Connecticut and one season at Pennsylvania State University. Thursday could be the bright side to a quiet season for the first-year pro.
- Top Edmonton Oilers prospect Isaac Howard has been loaned to the AHL. He will support the Bakersfield Condors’ push in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Howard scored 22 goals and 47 points in 45 AHL games this season. He ranked second in goals on Bakersfield and was the only Condor to score above a point-per-game pace this season. Howard also scored five points in the first 29 games of his NHL career this season. The 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner is also a first-year pro and should fill a substantial role in the AHL postseason.
- The Washington Capitals have assigned 2025 second-round pick Milton Gastrin to the AHL following the end of his season in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan. Gastrin racked up 10 goals and 24 points in 39 games in Sweden’s second-tier pro league and added four more points in 13 playoff games. He scored 42 points in 40 games in Sweden’s U20 league in the 2024-25 season. The bulky Gastrin should bring a boost of forechecking pressure and playmaking ability to the Hershey Bears lineup just in time for their perennial run into the postseason.
- A cohort of top prospects is headed to the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Detroit Red Wings have assigned Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Carter Mazur, Axel Sandin Pellikka, and Dominik Shine to the minor leagues. Brandsegg-Nygard finished the year third on the Griffins in scoring with 44 points in 58 games. He added one assist in 14 NHL games. Shine finished the year with 37 points in 38 AHL games and three points in 18 NHL games. Mazur was also a point-per-game player in the minors, with 15 points in 14 AHL games – but no scoring in eight NHL appearances. Of the bunch, Sandin-Pellikka was the only to play the bulk of his year in the NHL. He scored 21 points in 68 games of his first season in North America. The quartet should each assume top-end roles on a Griffins lineup that has added a substantial amount of talent late in the season.
Darren Raddysh Is Going To Get Paid This Summer
Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh had been a consistent point producer for a couple of seasons, but what he’s done in Tampa Bay this year is out of this world. Raddysh entered the season with last year’s 37 points (six goals and 31 assists) in 73 games as the high-water mark in his NHL career, but he has obliterated those numbers with 22 goals and 48 assists in 73 games at season’s end. Those kinds of numbers are certain to attract attention in the free-agent market, as Raddysh is a pending unrestricted free agent and couldn’t have picked a better time to have a career year.
At the start of this season, the 30-year-old Raddysh seemed poised to secure something in the range of a three-year, $9MM contract that would give him a solid raise and some stability. However, Raddysh went on to make this the most interesting free agency period of the offseason. It’s not often that a defenseman is the top-scoring free agent available, especially a right-handed one. Raddysh is a special case, and the bidding for his services could get wacky if he hits the open market.
The longer Raddysh remains unsigned, the more likely it becomes that he will test the market. Even though he would probably appreciate the security of a long-term deal with Tampa Bay during the season, the idea of free agency has to be on his mind. Raddysh has earned NHL money for only a few seasons and has never carried a cap hit over $1MM, even though he made $1.114MM in actual salary in the first year of his current two-year, $1.95MM deal.
There is danger in waiting too long to sign, and that danger is that Raddysh’s luck runs out. While Raddysh and his defense partner, J.J. Moser, have had terrific puck luck, with Raddysh carrying a goal share above 80% and a PDO of 101.6, their streak of good fortune won’t last forever. For Raddysh, that could mean a swing of millions of dollars if it runs out in the playoffs. But his success hasn’t been built solely on luck; he’s also been incredibly effective in Tampa Bay, as the team has largely controlled the play when he is on the ice.
So, what kind of contract could Raddysh be looking at this summer? AFP Analytics projects him to receive a four-year deal worth just over $5.3MM per season, which feels a bit light given how thin the free-agent market is, particularly for right-shot defensemen. For Raddysh, the term is also likely shorter than he would like, given how little security he’s had to this point in his career.
There will never be a better time for the 30-year-old to cash in, with the market set up for him to pursue a maximum-term contract. There are many teams with ample cap space to get involved, and right-shot defenders always command a premium. $6MM-$7MM might seem like a wild number for a player with such a small sample size of high-level play, but the rising salary cap has created a new economic climate that NHL teams and players have never encountered before.
Will Tampa Bay step up and give Raddysh an extension? To this point, they’ve been hesitant, and for good reason. There aren’t many players with the career progression Raddysh has shown, so the Lightning are rightfully cautious.
With so many high-ticket, long-term deals already on the books, and another to be signed when Nikita Kucherov becomes a UFA in the summer of 2027, getting a Raddysh deal wrong could be a real issue for the team as it moves toward the end of its contention window. But Tampa Bay might be forced to get it wrong if they want to keep Raddysh, because not only is he the best defenseman available, but he might also be the best free agent available at all.
If Tampa doesn’t sign Raddysh, which teams could be interested? The Maple Leafs will likely be mentioned as a potential suitor. The Ducks will surely be in on him with their entire right side set for UFA status this summer. The list could be 10-15 teams long, given that 23 teams have more than $15MM available this summer and nine have more than $30MM in cap space.
The Sharks and Penguins have the most cap space, but it’s hard to imagine Raddysh getting attention from Pittsburgh, as they already have Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson on the right side, with prospect Harrison Brunicke on the way as well. However, the Sharks could be interested, as they are set to enter their contention window and could look to add offense to their back end.
In any event, Raddyish is going to have a ton of suitors, and he will have full control of his own destiny, provided he reaches free agency on July 1. Tampa Bay remains a premium destination for players thanks to the nice weather, favorable tax situation, and a premier NHL franchise with a long track record of recent success. Raddyish is going to have a difficult decision to make, but one that almost every NHL player would love to have one day.
Lightning Activate Maxwell Crozier From LTIR, Place Steven Santini On Waivers
Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier told reporters this morning that he’s stepping back into the lineup for tonight’s regular-season finale against the Rangers (including the team’s Benjamin Pierce). He had been on long-term injured reserve since mid-February after undergoing core muscle surgery. They’ve placed defender Steven Santini on waivers in a corresponding move with the intent to send him back to AHL Syracuse tomorrow, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. They’ve also recalled forwards Jakob Pelletier and Mitchell Chaffee from Syracuse to allow some forwards to get some extra rest tonight, according to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider.
Crozier’s return gives the Bolts another option on defense for the first round that they weren’t expecting to have several weeks ago. When he underwent the procedure in February, the team gave him a 10-week timeline that appeared to rule him out for the regular season and at least a good chunk of the first round. Instead, he’ll come back in a little under two months’ time to essentially get a conditioning stint in a meaningless game tonight before potentially dressing for Game 1 against the Canadiens this weekend, likely contingent on the statuses of Victor Hedman (personal leave, indefinite) and Darren Raddysh (undisclosed, day-to-day).
Crozier, a 2019 fourth-round pick, also missed several games earlier in the year with an undisclosed issue. Between absences, he was well on his way to establishing himself as an everyday depth option. Turning 26 next weekend, Crozier put up a 1-9–10 scoring line in 34 games after making just 18 appearances over the previous two seasons combined. He averaged 16 minutes per night, and Tampa won his minutes handily, controlling 53.0% of shot attempts and 52.8% of expected goals at 5-on-5.
A smooth-skating option, he’ll be a natural fit as the #3 righty heading into training camp in the fall behind Raddysh and Erik Černák – if Tampa can work out an extension with the former. If not, given the dearth of high-impact options on this summer’s free agent market, Crozier might be tasked with a higher-leverage role than anticipated next season.
As for Santini, the 31-year-old has been called up as an injury replacement several times throughout the season. He hadn’t needed to clear waivers since training camp, but after playing his 10th game of the season on his most recent recall, he needs them now to head back down. In 11 appearances, his highest NHL workload since 2018-19, Santini has produced an assist and a +1 rating. He’d been a healthy scratch since March 28 and will now return to Syracuse, where he serves as team captain in his second season with the organization, to aid in their chase for a Calder Cup championship.
Pelletier and Chaffee have both been up with the Bolts relatively recently as they’ve opted to get their injury-plagued roster as much rest as possible before the postseason. Pelletier appeared in a pair of games last week before heading back to Syracuse over the weekend, while Chaffee skated in a trio of contests earlier this month. Neither recorded a point on their most recent recalls and have gone pointless across 14 combined NHL games this year.
For Pelletier, it’s one final reward for an electric minor-league performance before the former Flames first-rounder ideally snatches an NHL roster spot out of camp next fall. The 25-year-old leads the AHL with 77 points (28 goals, 49 assists) in 63 games, while Chaffee has also put up over a point per game with a 24-33–57 line in 54 outings. But while Pelletier is signed through 2027-28, Chaffee is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Lightning Recall Brandon Halverson
The Lightning announced today that they’ve recalled goaltender Brandon Halverson from AHL Syracuse. It’s likely he’ll back up Andrei Vasilevskiy for tonight’s regular-season finale against the Rangers, per Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider.
Tampa Bay was forced to dress emergency backup Kyle Konin for Monday’s overtime win over the Red Wings. Jonas Johansson was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury. He’s yet to practice since and isn’t on the ice this morning, so he’ll be missing a second straight game tonight. It’s not yet clear if his availability to back up Vasilevskiy for Game 1 of the first round against the Canadiens this weekend is in question.
Halverson has emerged as the Lightning’s clear-cut third-stringer over the past two seasons. The 30-year-old was once a fairly highly-touted prospect, going to the Rangers in the second round of the 2014 draft, but he only made one relief appearance for them in the 2017-18 campaign before being non-tendered a year later. After nearly retiring from hockey following the 2021 season and restarting his career the following season in Germany’s second division, he signed a series of minor-league deals in Tampa’s system that culminated in him receiving a two-year, two-way NHL contract midway through last season.
He hasn’t played a ton for the Bolts, though, and his numbers are poor when he has. He made one start last season, allowing five goals on 24 shots for a .792 SV%, and made one six-second relief appearance earlier this year while Johansson was dealing with an equipment issue against the Islanders back on Dec. 13.
For Syracuse, though, he’s been a good starting option. Since joining the organization in 2023-24, Halverson has amassed a .911 SV%, 2.29 GAA, 12 shutouts, and a 53-25-24 record in 99 games. That includes a .906 mark in 42 outings this season on the heels of an All-Star nod last year.
Halverson is a pending unrestricted free agent. His AHL backup, Ryan Fanti, is also under team control with the Bolts and has put up comparable numbers this season. 2024 seventh-round pick Harrison Meneghin is their other goalie under contract, a first-year pro who’s struggled in his ECHL minutes this year. There will still be a place for Halverson as a third-string option next season, so unless they’ve identified an open-market candidate they prefer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bolts extend Halverson before July.
Lightning To Use EBUG With Jonas Johansson Out
The Tampa Bay Lightning took the ice without backup goaltender Jonas Johansson in Monday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Johansson is out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. In his place, the Lightning will roster emergency backup goaltender Kyle Konin. This is Konin’s third time serving on an NHL bench as an EBUG. He filled in for the St. Louis Blues in 2021 and for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2024.
Konin has been the Tampa Bay-area EBUG since the 2020-21 season. He even wore a mask honoring Tampa Bay Lightning founder Phil Esposito in his 2024 game with the Flyers per Forbes’ Tom Layberger. Konin last took the ice with Grand Valley State University in Division III ACHA club hockey. He played one season in the NA3HL in 2017-18 and recorded a .897 save percentage in 34 games. Konin also played one game of high school hockey with Kimball Union Academy in 2016-17 with teammate and eventual Boston Bruins defenseman Jordan Harris.
While Konin will get to donn the Lightning jersey for the first time, Tampa Bay will hope he isn’t needed behind star starter Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning have two games left in their season, including Monday’s matchup. Johansson’s short-term designation should have him back in the lineup before the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has recorded 11 wins and a .884 save percentage in 25 games this season and should stick behind Vasilevskiy through the postseason.
Raddysh And Girgensons Day-To-Day
- While the Lightning welcomed back Brandon Hagel this afternoon versus Boston, they were without a pair of other regulars. Team reporter Benjamin Pierce relayed (Twitter link) that center Zemgus Girgensons and defenseman Darren Raddysh are out with day-to-day injuries. Girgensons was limited after blocking a shot on Thursday in Montreal while Raddysh’s injury is a little harder to pin down after he scored the game-tying goal late in that one. At this point, there doesn’t appear to be any concern about their playoff availability.
Lightning Assign Jakob Pelletier To AHL
The AHL’s top scorer is on his way back to the minors. The Lightning announced today that they’ve reassigned winger Jakob Pelletier to AHL Syracuse.
The 25-year-old was brought up earlier this week with Tampa Bay fighting the injury bug up front. He got into two games during this promotion, bringing his season total to four. The 2019 first-rounder is still looking for his first NHL point of the season, however, while he’s averaging a little under nine minutes per night of playing time.
But things have gone much better for him in the minors. In his first season with AHL Syracuse since inking a three-year, one-way deal with the Lightning in free agency, Pelletier is in the middle of his best showing at that level by far, tallying 28 goals and 47 assists in 61 games. That gives him a seven-point lead in the points race despite missing seven games. He’ll now have a chance to add to those numbers as the Crunch continues to chase down the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Pelletier’s demotion signaled some good news on the injury front, at least, as Brandon Hagel returned to the lineup today against Boston. He had missed the last week and a half due to a lower-body injury. Hagel entered play today sitting third on the Lightning in scoring with 35 goals and 38 assists in 69 games.
Lightning Activate Declan Carlile
The Tampa Bay Lightning have activated defenseman Declan Carlile off of long-term injured reserve in advance of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, according to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider.
Carlile, 25, has been sidelined since March 12 with a lower-body injury. Before his injury, Carlile was in the midst of the strongest season of his career at the professional level. The former Merrimack College rearguard has flown past his prior career highs in terms of NHL games played, skating in 38 games for the Lightning this season.
Tampa Bay has developed Carlile into a valuable AHL player, and their work in growing his game has begun to bear fruit for their NHL squad. While he’s still a depth contributor for the Lightning, averaging under 15 minutes of ice time per game, he has shown some promise as a shutdown blueliner. Head coach Jon Cooper has even begun to give him some time on the penalty kill.
Set to hit restricted free agency this summer, Carlile has a big opportunity ahead of him in what remains of the season. If he can find a way to get into Cooper’s lineup in the games left in the regular season, or perhaps even crack the team’s playoff lineup, he could further increase his odds of landing a solid contract extension this summer.
This season, Carlile has played on a two-way contract with a $250K AHL salary and $350K guarantee. Given the steps forward Carlile has taken this year, it seems entirely possible, if not likely, that he’ll earn the first one-way NHL contract of his career this summer. Before he gets to that point, though, he’ll need to finish this season with the Lightning in a strong fashion.
Lightning Recall Conor Geekie, Jakob Pelletier, Dylan Duke
April 8th: According to a team announcement, the Lightning have sent Duke back to AHL Syracuse. He skated in 9:22 of action last night against the Senators, earning a -1 rating while going scoreless.
April 7th: The Lightning have added forwards Conor Geekie, Jakob Pelletier, and Dylan Duke on recall from AHL Syracuse ahead of tonight’s game against the Senators, Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider reports. They’ve reassigned winger Mitchell Chaffee to Syracuse in a corresponding move, Erlendsson adds.
All the roster shuffling comes on the heels of the Bolts’ banged-up forward corps sustaining another injury last night against the Sabres. Pontus Holmberg was checked into the penalty box door as the attendant was opening it for Buffalo’s Zach Benson to return to play in the third period after his roughing penalty had expired. He sustained an apparent left shoulder/upper arm injury on the play and was seen in a sling postgame, per John Wawrow of the Associated Press.
There’s no timeline for his return yet, although it stands to reason Holmberg will be unavailable tonight. With Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel already sidelined with short-term issues, the trio of recalls plus Chaffee’s demotion leaves them with an extra healthy forward.
Geekie sees his second recall of the season as Tampa looks to remain narrowly ahead of the Sabres and Canadiens for the Atlantic Division crown. The 2022 11th overall pick was acquired from Utah in the Mikhail Sergachev trade in 2024 and remains the Bolts’ top prospect. He’s still scratching the surface at the NHL level, but has been a dominant two-way piece throughout his junior and now minor-league career. This year, he’s lighting it up with a 17-42–59 scoring line in 56 AHL games, along with a +13 rating that ranks sixth on the team.
Geekie’s only other recall this season, aside from his brief stint on the roster after making it on opening night, came in early March when Dominic James went down with a leg injury that required surgery. He headed back to Syracuse 11 days later once Nick Paul was ready to come off injured reserve. He managed one assist in five games, bringing his season total up to two and 11, respectively. Even with so many mounting injuries, don’t expect head coach Jon Cooper to use Geekie in high-leverage situations. He hasn’t shown a willingness to recently, averaging only 12:20 of ice time per game last year and just 9:51 this season.
As for Pelletier, the 25-year-old signed one of the more unusual contracts of the 2025 offseason. He agreed to a three-year, league-minimum deal with Tampa after being non-tendered by the Flyers, who had acquired him just months earlier from the Flames in the Morgan Frost/Joel Farabee deal. The 2019 first-round pick is technically on a two-way deal this year before converting to a one-way pact for 2026-27 and 2027-28, but he still has enough pro experience to require waivers.
Pelletier cleared without incident in the preseason, and a handful of teams are likely regretting not putting in a claim. With 28 goals and 75 points in 61 games for Syracuse, he’s well set up to take home the AHL’s scoring crown. It’ll be the second time he’s hit over a point per game in the AHL and has brought his career average there up to 1.03.
Perhaps the most quintessential example of a ‘AAAA’ player in hockey, he still hasn’t managed to latch onto a full-time NHL job. Over the past four seasons, he has a respectable 11 goals and 29 points in 88 games while averaging a shade under 12 minutes per night. His 5’10”, 172-lb frame doesn’t lend him toward being a bottom-six checking threat, though, and his 1.26 career shots on goal per game are low for a player who’s made such a living putting up points in the AHL.
He may get another look tonight as the Bolts face a decision on whether or not to expose him to waivers again in the fall. He could be a natural low-cost replacement for pending UFA Oliver Bjorkstrand, who has essentially transitioned into a power-play specialist for Tampa this season.
Not to be overlooked is Duke, the Bolts’ fourth-round pick in 2021. The former Michigan standout has now had a pair of productive seasons to begin his pro career in Syracuse, upping his production to 31 goals and 55 points in 67 outings this season. This is his first recall of the year, but he did score a goal across a pair of games in his NHL debut late last season.
Given his lack of experience, though, he’s the likeliest candidate to sit in the press box tonight if the Bolts end up having a healthy extra to spare. Their clash with the Senators has a 31-point swing on their chances of finishing first in the division, while it’s got a 29% swing on Ottawa’s playoff hopes. A win for Tampa would move their Atlantic title chances up to 73%, a win for the Senators boosts their playoff odds to 85%, per MoneyPuck.
Lightning Place Victor Hedman On LTIR
April 2nd: According to PuckPedia, the Lightning have placed Hedman on long-term injured reserve. Per the requirements for activation, Hedman must miss 10 games and 24 days before he’s eligible to return. That means that Hedman won’t be able to play until their penultimate regular-season matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on April 13th.
March 25th: The Lightning announced Wednesday that captain Victor Hedman will be out for at least one additional game as he takes a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons.
Hedman has already missed Tampa Bay’s last three contests. He left their game against the Canucks last Thursday after less than five minutes of ice time and didn’t return due to what the team labeled an illness.
That, plus a whole host of other injuries, has limited the usually durable Hedman to under half of the Bolts’ games this season. He has only managed 33 appearances, currently tracking for a career low, including lockout and COVID-shortened seasons.
Hedman, who finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting just last year, hasn’t had nearly the same effect when dressed, either. At 18:52 of ice time per game, he’s averaging under 20 minutes for the first time in his 17-year career, and his 0.52 points per game is his worst output since his early 20s.
The Bolts have maintained a 27-7-3 record without Hedman dressed this season, including a 2-0-1 stretch in their last three without him. They certainly miss his presence, even lower in the lineup, with depth options Declan Carlile and Maxwell Crozier sidelined, but they’ve been able to keep their system rolling and intact this season amid a bevy of other injuries on defense.
At this point in the season, the Lightning have essentially locked up home ice in the first round with a 89.5% chance of finishing in the top two in the Atlantic Division, per MoneyPuck. A playoff spot is all but clinched, but the race with the Sabres for the division title is still wide open.