Canucks Sign Linus Karlsson To One-Year Extension
The Canucks have signed winger/center Linus Karlsson to a one-year, one-way extension carrying the league-minimum $775K salary, per a team announcement. He was set to be a Group VI unrestricted free agent if not re-signed by July 1.
A third-round pick by the Sharks in the 2018 draft, the Canucks picked up his signing rights the following year in exchange for Jonathan Dahlén. The 6’1″ forward was in the Karlskrona HK organization in his native Sweden at the time, and after slowly climbing up the European ladder to top-flight minutes with the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK in 2021-22, he inked his entry-level deal with Vancouver the following summer and arrived in North America for the 2022-23 campaign.
While Karlsson was a decent top-six AHL piece in his first season for Vancouver’s affiliate in Abbotsford, he’s exploded for over a point per game since the beginning of 2023-24. After posting 23-37–60 in 60 AHL contests last year, he’s topped that pace with 19-13–32 in 28 showings this year. Injuries have limited his availability at the minor-league level, but so have a few NHL call-ups. He’s skated in nine games for Vancouver in the regular season, scoring his first NHL goal in the process back on Jan. 29 against the Predators.
That remains his only career NHL point across 13 regular-season games dating back to his debut last season, also going without a point in two postseason appearances for the Canucks last year. The one-way structure of his extension is intriguing – perhaps signaling the Canucks plan on the 25-year-old cracking the opening night roster next fall. That would make sense, considering he’s in his last season of waiver-exempt status and would need to clear them on his way down to the minors in 2025-26.
If Karlsson doesn’t reach the 80-game mark for his career by the end of 2025-26, he’ll be eligible for Group VI UFA status again. If not, the Canucks will retain team control for one more summer before he’s eligible for standard UFA status in 2027. Vancouver still has just 27 of 50 contract slots filled for next season, per PuckPedia.
Devils Sign Xavier Parent To Entry-Level Contract
The Devils have signed undrafted free agent forward Xavier Parent to an entry-level contract for the 2025-26 season, the team announced.
Parent, 24 later this month, has played in the Devils’ system for AHL Utica and ECHL Adirondack for the past three seasons on minor-league contracts. After sitting out the first few weeks of the campaign with an injury, he’s enjoyed a productive 2024-25 campaign with 11 goals, 15 assists, 29 points, and 39 PIMs across 44 outings with a minus-one rating.
The diminutive yet feisty 5’8″ forward can play both center and left wing, although he’s more comfortable on the latter. He spent his pre-professional years in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, earning a QMJHL Second All-Star nod in his final season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix in 2021-22 after he exploded for 51-55–106 in 65 games.
Initially eligible for the 2019 NHL draft but continuously passed over, he landed an AHL deal with Utica coming out of juniors and has since compiled 29-48–77 in 129 games for the Devils’ top development affiliate, also posting 51 points in 50 ECHL games in 2022-23.
He’ll now be eligible for an NHL call-up next year. New Jersey has used up 32 of their 50 contract slots for 2025-26.
Flames’ Mikael Backlund Out Week-To-Week
Flames captain Mikael Backlund sustained an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s shootout loss to the Canucks, the team confirmed. He’s listed as week-to-week.
Backlund left the game midway through the first period and didn’t return after laying a hit on Vancouver defenseman Victor Mancini. The centerman skated off under his own power, but appeared to slightly twist his left shoulder/upper arm area while making the check.
With just over a month remaining in the regular season, it’s likely not a campaign-ender for Backlund – at least, the Flames hope so. They also lost forward Connor Zary to a two-game suspension after the loss. Hence, they’re now down a pair of top-nine fixtures for their next two games, both against playoff-bound teams in the Avalanche and Maple Leafs, as they look to outlast the Canucks, Blues, and Utah for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Backlund, who turns 36 next week, hasn’t missed a game since the 2020-21 campaign. His offensive totals have continued to decline over the past few years, producing just 11-13–24 through 64 games this year, but remains a top-tier defensive forward. He’s averaged nearly 19 minutes per game for the Flames this year while controlling 51.8% of shot attempts despite seeing only 37.7% of his even-strength zone starts in the offensive end.
Now in his 17th year with the Flames, Backlund is in the first season of the two-year, $9MM extension he signed in training camp in 2023. He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2026.
With Backlund confirmed out, Calgary’s recall of winger Dryden Hunt today qualifies as an emergency. They still have three of their four post-deadline recalls remaining after summoning Adam Klapka from the minors earlier this week. Hunt, 29, ranks second on the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in scoring with 15-33–48 in 48 games. The 6’0″ depth forward will presumably draw into a bottom-six role for his first NHL game since Feb. 8, which marked his only NHL appearance of the season so far.
Golden Knights Sign Adin Hill To Six-Year Extension
11:35 a.m.: Hill’s extension in Vegas is official, the team announced.
8:50 a.m.: The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Adin Hill to a six-year extension worth $37.5MM (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). The new deal will carry an AAV of $6.25MM which is just a shade above the $5.85MM that Washington Capitals netminder and former Golden Knights teammate Logan Thompson signed for just a few weeks ago.
Hill could have tested unrestricted free agency this summer, but opted for the comfort of a familiar setting and the security of a long-term extension. Hill is in the final season of a two-year deal he signed in the summer of 2023 and is currently carrying a $4.9MM AAV, but is making $4.2MM in actual salary.
Hill became somewhat of a folk hero in 2023 as he led the Golden Knights to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history after several goaltenders went down to injury. The 28-year-old had been acquired by Vegas late in the summer of 2022 for a fourth-round pick and was expected to serve as depth. He took the reins and guided the Golden Knights to a title by posting an 11-4 record with a .932 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against average. He bet on himself in the following summer, taking a two-year deal instead of a long-term contract, and the gamble has paid off as he will now be paid like a top-10 NHL goaltender.
On the surface, Hill’s numbers for the last two seasons look rather pedestrian. He has posted save percentages of .909 and .906, respectively, but a deeper dive into the data shows that Hill has been incredibly valuable to Vegas. He posted goals saved above expected of 6.4 in 2023-24 and 13.8 this season (as per Money Puck), and more importantly, he’s been a steady presence for a Golden Knights team that still has Stanley Cup aspirations. This season Hill has dressed in a career high 39 games, and has gone 24-11-4 with a 2.53 goals-against average and four shutouts.
With Hill signed long-term, Vegas is now projected to have just over $10.49MM in available cap space this summer (as per PuckPedia). While they are unlikely to make a big splash with limited funds, the Golden Knights don’t have any major extensions to worry about other than veteran depth players.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Chris Tanev
According to a team announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs have activated defenseman Chris Tanev from their injured reserve. Tanev’s activation was alluded to in an earlier report from David Alter of The Hockey News.
Tanev’s activation before tonight’s contest against the Florida Panthers will limit his games missed to six. His last contest came against the Boston Bruins on February 25th, when Tanev left the game after two shifts following a hit along the boards from John Beecher. The rugged blueliner was seen donning a sling after the contest.
Since he only missed a handful of games, and Toronto was already well-within playoff positioning, Tanev’s absence wasn’t crippling to the Maple Leafs but it was noticeable. PHR’s Josh Erickson summed up the areas lacking in Toronto’s game throughout Tanev’s absence, writing, “They’ve struggled to control play at 5-on-5 with a 43.7 CF%, a number Tanev’s return will undoubtedly help boost. While his raw 47.4 CF% at even strength on the year isn’t particularly impressive, he dominates shot quality over quantity and leads the team with a +8.8 expected rating and +26 actual rating.”
Although the Maple Leafs would undoubtedly prefer Tanev to participate in every game this season, his return arguably couldn’t come at a better time. Toronto will share the top spot in the Atlantic Division should they best Florida tonight, although the Panthers have the first tiebreaker. Still, with two more games against Florida remaining on the schedule after tonight, Tanev and the Maple Leafs should be locked in a heated battle down the stretch for home-ice advantage through the first two postseason rounds.
Penguins Sign Avery Hayes To Entry-Level Deal
The Penguins have gotten another prospect signed to an entry-level deal. They announced they’ve signed undrafted free agent forward Avery Hayes to a two-year contract beginning next season, taking him through the 2026-27 campaign. Financial terms were not disclosed.
While Pittsburgh didn’t have Hayes’ exclusive signing rights, he’s not new to the organization. The 5’10” 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons on AHL contracts with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Last year was a tough adjustment to professional hockey coming out of the major junior ranks, limited to 6-3–9 in 29 games and had a brief demotion to ECHL Wheeling.
This season has been a breakout for Hayes, though. The Michigan native, who was initially eligible for the 2021 draft but was passed over multiple times, is tied for fifth on the Baby Pens in scoring with 17-18–35 in 44 games. He leads WBS forwards with a +17 rating. Among the top 100 U23 point-getters in the AHL, he was the only one not technically affiliated with an NHL team – until today.
His sophomore emergence gets rewarded with a two-year commitment from the organization, which now makes him eligible for an NHL recall starting next year. He becomes the 33rd player out of the maximum of 50 on the Pens’ books for 2025-26. He’ll be a restricted free agent when his ELC expires in 2027.
Hayes won two consecutive Ontario Hockey League championships in 2022 and 2023, albeit on two different teams – first the Hamilton Bulldogs, then the Peterborough Petes. The older brother of Blackhawks prospect Gavin Hayes is the third player to sign an ELC with Pittsburgh in the last four days, joining Chase Pietila and Daniel Laatsch.
Red Wings Sign Anton Johansson To Entry-Level Contract
The Red Wings announced they’ve signed defense prospect Anton Johansson to his entry-level deal. It’s a three-year pact that doesn’t begin until next season, but he’ll still finish out 2024-25 in the organization on a tryout with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Johansson isn’t related to fellow Detroit rearguard Albert Johansson. He is, however, the cousin of Sharks center Alexander Wennberg. A 6’4″ right-shot defender, he’s spent his entire professional career to date with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League. This season, the puck-moving blue-liner has 5-5–10 in 46 games with a minus-one rating and a team-high 50 PIMs.
The 20-year-old throws the body frequently, but at a shade under 200 lbs, he’ll likely need to put on a little more weight for his height before he gets a look in NHL minutes. Johansson was ranked as the No. 15 prospect in Detroit’s system by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler last month. He tabbed Johansson as a “high-floor, low-ceiling guy” who can likely serve as good organizational depth out of the gate, but likely doesn’t top out any higher than being a semi-regular third-pairing option.
Nonetheless, he’s another intriguing option in Detroit’s rather deep stable of prospects. They’re thinner at the position now with the graduation of Simon Edvinsson taking on full-time NHL minutes, but still have Shai Buium, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and William Wallinder on the way as higher-ceiling options than Johansson.
Johansson was signed with Leksand through the 2026-27 campaign. In the likely event he doesn’t crack the NHL roster out of camp in the fall, he must first be offered back to Leksands on loan first before being assigned to the AHL because he’s a non-first-round pick under the age of 24. He’ll be a restricted free agent when his NHL deal expires in the summer of 2028.
Minor Transactions: 3/12/25
While the NHL trade deadline has come and gone, the AHL trade deadline doesn’t hit until Friday. We’ve seen a couple of recent moves on that front; we’ll go through those here as part of a rundown of minor transactions.
- Earlier this week, Pittsburgh’s farm team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton announced the trade of defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov to Grand Rapids for future considerations. The 26-year-old had his contract terminated by San Jose last offseason but he wasn’t able to secure a guaranteed deal right away. Instead, he played on a PTO in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for nearly three months before being converted to an AHL contract. Knyzhov has seven points in 14 games this season and has 81 career NHL appearances under his belt.
- The Red Wings have recalled goaltender Gage Alexander to their AHL affiliate, per an announcement from ECHL Reading. The 22-year-old hasn’t played in the AHL this season and was loaned to Reading, Philadelphia’s affiliate, in mid-January to get some playing time where he posted a 2.81 GAA and a .913 SV% in five games. Acquired to match contracts in the Robby Fabbri trade last year, Alexander is a pending restricted free agent but is unlikely to be tendered a qualifying offer this summer.
- Another former NHL player is on the move in the AHL, as San Diego announced that they’ve acquired Carsen Twarynski from Abbotsford in exchange for future considerations. The 27-year-old has played in 26 games in the minors this season, notching two goals and five assists. Twarynski has 22 career NHL appearances to his name back with Philadelphia in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
Flames Recall Adam Klapka
Adam Klapka has been added back to the Flames’ roster, per a team announcement. He’s now been recalled from AHL Calgary for the fifth time this season and marks the first of the Flames’ four allotted post-deadline recalls.
Last week, Calgary reassigned the hulking 24-year-old on deadline day to make him eligible to suit up for the Wranglers in the Calder Cup Playoffs. They waited a few days to bring him back to the NHL, but he’s once again available to dress after spending most of the post-4 Nations schedule so far up with the big club. He’s scored once in 13 NHL games this year, averaging 8:10 per game.
The 6’8″ forward arrived in the Flames organization in 2022, when they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Czechia’s Bili Tygri Liberec. In addition to his 236-lb frame, he’s proven an effective scorer in the minors as well. He has 48-49–97 in 158 games with the Wranglers over the past three years, including 14-12–26 in 33 games this year with 50 PIMs and a minus-one rating.
The Flames now have 22 players on their active roster, including 13 forwards. Klapka will likely be an extra forward for tonight’s huge game against the Canucks, their chief competitor for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but is theoretically available to draw in.
Klapka, a pending restricted free agent, will need a new deal this summer and is eligible for salary arbitration. If he re-signs and doesn’t make the team out of camp in the fall, he’ll need to clear waivers on his way down to the AHL.
Lightning Recall Cam Atkinson
The Lightning have recalled winger Cam Atkinson from AHL Syracuse, according to NHL.com’s Benjamin Pierce. While they don’t need to make a corresponding move, he is the first of their four allotted post-deadline standard recalls.
Atkinson, a 13-year NHL veteran, has only suited up twice for the Bolts since the 4 Nations Face-Off. He was a healthy scratch in four out of six games before landing on standard waivers for the first time in his career and heading to Syracuse before the deadline, freeing up cap space for Tampa to acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde from the Kraken.
The 35-year-old signed a one-year, $900K deal with the Lightning last summer after the Flyers bought out the final season of his seven-year, $41.1MM contract. He was coming off an underwhelming year in Philadelphia, managing 13-15–28 in 70 games after missing all of the 2022-23 season due to neck surgery. Unfortunately, this year hasn’t been any better. The seven-time 20-goal scorer has averaged just 8:50 across 37 games for the Bolts, scoring 3-5–8 with a minus-three rating.
The Bolts had to run 11 forwards and seven defensemen in last night’s loss to the Hurricanes after Mitchell Chaffee was a late scratch. While he’s not expected to miss any more action, recalling Atkinson gives them another option to insert into the fourth line with Zemgus Girgensons and Luke Glendening instead of having to dress a seventh defender and put their forward lines in a blender.
Atkinson did not play for Syracuse in his brief demotion. If he did, it would have marked his first AHL appearance since the 2011-12 campaign. The former Columbus sixth-round pick has 252-236–488 in 807 career games with the Blue Jackets, Flyers and Lightning and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.