Oilers Recall Josh Samanski Under Emergency Conditions
The Edmonton Oilers have recalled forward Josh Samanski under emergency conditions. This call-up will not count against Edmonton’s remaining regular season recalls. Samanski was moved to the AHL ahead of the Trade Deadline to ensure his eligibility for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Oilers could face a hole in their fourth-line center spot if Adam Henrique is ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Henrique is a game-time decision due to an undisclosed injury per head coach Kris Knoblauch. The Oilers are already relying on trade acquisitions Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach to fill roles in their bottom-six and could now lean on another rookie to shore up their depth.
Samanski filled a fourth-line role in Edmonton’s March 3rd win over the Ottawa Senators but hasn’t had an extended tenure in the NHL since early-February. He played the first five games of his NHL career after a late-January call-up and scored two assists. Samanski has made a much bigger impact in a top-six center role with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, where he’s racked up 31 points in 45 games this season. He also represented Team Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, scoring two points in five games.
Samanski is in his first professional season in North America after spending the last four seasons in Germany’s DEL. He totaled 40 goals and 93 points in 193 games at Germany’s top-level. That set a club record for U23 scoring with the Straubing Tigers, exceeding the previous record by 29 points. Samanski is still searching for his spark in the NHL but should still provide solid depth if Edmonton needs to call on him.
Flames Recall Matvei Gridin, Hunter Brzustewicz
Two top prospects will bolster the Calgary Flames roster after shaking up their lineup at the Trade Deadline. Winger Matvei Gridin and defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz have both been recalled per a team announcement. The duo will support the Flames as they embark on a five-game road trip beginning on Monday.
Gridin was returned to the minor leagues after a five-game stint in the NHL that stretched from late February to the NHL Trade Deadline. His assignment ensures that Gridin will be eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs, though the Calgary Wranglers currently sit second-to-last in the AHL’s Pacific Division. Gridin has been a major part of their offense any time he is in the minor leagues. He has 29 points in 37 games this season, good for the sixth-highest points-per-game average on the Wranglers.
The dynamic scorer has has ups-and-downs in his trek to bring that scoring to the top flight. Gridin has a stout seven points in the first 18 games of his NHL career. More than half of those points – five – came during a nine-game stretch from mid-January to early-February, before he was returned to the AHL. It took four games for Gridin to get back onto an NHL scoresheet after he was called back up in late-February. That has been the hot-and-cold streak that Calgary’s top wing prospect has ridden through his first pro season.
It was Brzustewicz who stepped up in the Wranglers’ latest action, netting an assist on Saturday night to snap a nine-game scoring drought. That streak began one game after Brzustewicz was reassigned to the minor leagues, after he recorded an assist in his first game back. He too has ridden an up-and-down year, marked by two points in 18 NHL games and 14 points in 34 AHL games. The puck-moving defenseman has honed his ability to make plays in either end of the ice, while spotlighting his ability to move pucks through the neutral zone – the bread-and-butter of Brzustewicz’s game.
Brzustewicz could have the easier path to a lineup role after Zach Whitecloud left Saturday’s win over the Carolina Hurricanes in the first period. That injury should bump Zayne Parekh and Brayden Pachal up a lineup spot, opening room for Brzustewicz to play in his first NHL game since January from the bottom pair. Gridin will have to compete with newcomers Ryan Strome and Victor Olofsson for minutes in Calgary’s bottom-six. The rookie could be the odd-man-out as the Flames look to shore up their center depth. If he sits, Gridin will offer a nice bit of offensive upside from the press box, and could potentially replace bruisers Adam Klapka or Ryan Lomberg on the fourth-line.
Stars Recall Arttu Hyry
The Stars announced they’ve recalled forward Arttu Hyry from AHL Texas. He was sent down last week to make room for Michael Bunting on the active roster after his acquisition from the Predators. With the roster limit no longer in effect, he can come back up as Dallas still has $1.96MM of cap space left in their LTIR pool.
Unless there’s another forward who’s questionable for tonight’s game against the Blackhawks, Hyry’s recall doesn’t fall under emergency conditions and will take up the first of five allotted post-deadline recalls in Dallas. The Stars do have 13 forwards on the active roster, but only 12 are available after news that top center Roope Hintz is week-to-week with the lower-body injury he sustained Friday night against the Avalanche. Now, Dallas has an extra one on hand to rotate in at will.
Hyry, 24, had spent the entire season in the AHL until being recalled at the end of February, also due to a period of unavailability from Hintz (that time due to illness). The undrafted free agent is in his second year in the organization, which signed him to an entry-level contract out of Kärpät in Finland’s top division, Liiga, in 2024.
The 6’3″, 211-lb forward can play both center and right wing and has appeared in nine games for Dallas over the past two seasons, recording an assist and a +1 rating in 10:17 of average ice time. He’s been exceptional on draws as a stopgap fourth-line piece, winning 65.5% of his faceoffs – including going 25-for-39 in a larger sample this year.
He’s also been nearly an All-Star-level threat in the AHL. Some injuries and his stints on the NHL roster have limited him to 27 appearances this season, but he’s scored nine goals and 19 points with a -1 rating in 27 games when in the lineup. That’s on the heels of a 24-goal, 49-point showing as a rookie in 67 games last year. A pending restricted free agent, he’s been a highly valuable depth piece so far and is almost guaranteed to receive a qualifying offer.
Red Wings Recall John Leonard
The Red Wings announced today that they’ve recalled winger John Leonard from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. That stipulation means Detroit retains all five of its post-trade deadline standard recalls. With fellow wingman Michael Brandsegg-Nygard already up on an emergency recall in connection with Dylan Larkin‘s injury, this means the Wings are anticipating that another forward could be unavailable for the start of their four-game road trip tonight in New Jersey.
Leonard, 27, began his professional career as an undrafted free agent signed by the Sharks out of UMass in 2020 and was essentially a full-time NHL piece in the following COVID-shortened season, playing 44 out of 56 games. That was the last time he’s seen anywhere near that kind of deployment. He made just 14 appearances in 2021-22 and was then traded to the Predators, kicking off a span of four teams in four seasons (Nashville, Arizona, AHL Charlotte, Detroit) that culminated in him signing a one-way, league minimum pact with the Wings last summer.
The 5’11” lefty’s standout performance on a minor-league contract in the Panthers organization last year, tying for second in the league in goals (36) and 10th in points (61), meant he bypassed a two-way deal entirely and was expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp in Detroit. While that didn’t hold true, he’s having the best season of his minor-league career and has logged his most NHL time in four years thanks to some call-ups along the way.
Today marks Leonard’s third recall of the season after coming up for over two weeks in December and a five-day stint on the roster in January. In nine spot starts across the pair of call-ups, he’s been quite efficient with four points (two goals, two assists) and 26 shot attempts while averaging 12:01 per game, finishing at a 22.2% clip along the way. That’s come amid Leonard starring for Grand Rapids in the minor-league club’s historic season, set to march to an AHL title with a 43-9-4 record. With a 27-14–41 scoring line in 34 games there, his 1.21 points per game currently sit second in the league (min. 15 games played).
Utah Mammoth Reassign Dmitriy Simashev
The Utah Mammoth no longer needs an extra defenseman on the roster. According to a team announcement, the Mammoth have reassigned Dmitriy Simashev after recalling him earlier today, and activated newcomer MacKenzie Weegar from the non-roster list.
Simashev was reassigned yesterday to ensure his playoff eligibility in the AHL. He was subsequently recalled this morning in case Weegar couldn’t resolve his visa issues before tonight’s contest. As it turns out, Weegar is good to go and will make his Mammoth debut tonight.
It appears that Simashev will get an extended stay with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, unless Utah runs into injury trouble. The Mammoth have plenty of cap space for Simashev on the NHL roster, but there’s little need for him since they already have seven healthy defensemen.
He’ll return to a Roadrunners club where he has had a phenomenal season. In 30 games, Simashev has scored eight goals and 28 points with a +2 rating. His performance this season has likely alleviated concerns about his offensive game, as the former sixth overall pick registered only one goal and six points in 56 games for the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl last season.
Most importantly, Simashev will help Tucson with its mission to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs. The team is currently in eighth place in the AHL’s Pacific Division, but only three points separate them from fifth place.
Meanwhile, the Mammoth will see their big deadline acquisition in the lineup for the first time. Weegar is in his 10th professional season this year, split between the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames. He’s scored three goals and 21 points in 60 games with a -35 rating, averaging 23:07 of ice time. Additionally, he’s registered 143 blocked shots and 130 hits.
Los Angeles Kings Recall Jared Wright
According to a team announcement, the Los Angeles Kings have recalled depth forward Jared Wright from the AHL’s Ontario Reign. The Kings reassigned Kenny Connors and Wright yesterday to ensure that both remained eligible for the 2026 Calder Cup playoffs.
Until then, it appears that Wright will remain on the NHL roster for the next little while. Wright, 23, was drafted 169th overall by Los Angeles in the 2022 NHL Draft and is in his first full season actively playing for the organization.
Before his time in professional hockey, Wright spent three years at the University of Denver. He was a decent secondary scorer throughout his tenure with the Pioneers, scoring 32 goals and 54 points in 122 games with a +35 rating. He helped the program win the National Championship in 2024.
As expected, he has spent much of the year with AHL Ontario, with promising results. He’s currently sixth on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 30 points in 54 games with a +27 rating. Compared to the rest of the league, he ranks 12th in scoring among all rookies.
Los Angeles doesn’t have much to lose by seeing what Wright can do in the NHL for the rest of the season. The team had a mixed deadline, shipping Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning, acquiring Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and signing Mathieu Joseph. Of course, the Kings made their big move before the Olympics, acquiring Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers.
Sharks Recall Nolan Allan
Earlier this season, the Sharks added some extra depth on the back end when they added Nolan Allan from Chicago as part of the trade that saw them take on Laurent Brossoit’s contract. Now, they’ll get a chance to see what Allan can do as the team announced (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been recalled from AHL San Jose.
The 22-year-old was a first-round pick by the Blackhawks back in 2021, being taken with the 32nd and final pick of the opening round. However, he hasn’t had a ton of success professionally just yet. Allan got into 43 games with Chicago last season and did okay in a limited role, picking up eight points, 48 blocks, and 61 hits in a little over 15 minutes per night.
However, he was assigned to the AHL in training camp and has been there ever since, aside from a brief stint playing for Canada at the Spengler Cup back in December. With Chicago having strong defensive depth, they were okay with including him in the deal that offloaded Brossoit’s contract.
Before the swap, Allan had two goals and four assists in 29 games with Rockford. However, he has been more productive since then, notching two goals and eight helpers in 20 appearances with the Barracuda to earn this promotion. Now, he’ll look to boost his value with his entry-level contract set to expire this summer.
Allan will take the place of Timothy Liljegren on San Jose’s roster after the Sharks moved him to Washington yesterday at the trade deadline. With now seven healthy defenders on their active roster, it’s unclear when he’ll get a chance to make his Sharks debut while his recall will count against their post-deadline regular recall limit of five.
Blackhawks Recall Nick Lardis And Drew Commesso
The Blackhawks have made a pair of roster moves before tomorrow’s game in Dallas. The team announced that winger Nick Lardis and goaltender Drew Commesso have been recalled from AHL Rockford.
It’s the second recall of the season for Lardis, whose first stint with Chicago lasted nearly six weeks. During that stretch, he got into 21 games, his first taste of NHL action. The 20-year-old certainly made a strong first impression, collecting five goals and two assists in those appearances while logging 12:39 per game of ice time. He has been considerably more productive with Rockford, however, tallying 18 goals and 14 assists in 35 games with the IceHogs in his first season with them.
As for Commesso, it’s also his second stint with Chicago of the season, although his first look was much shorter, lasting all of three days. However, he did make a pair of starts in that stretch, turning aside 55 of 60 shots while winning one of those two contests. The 23-year-old has played in 28 games with Rockford, putting up a 3.07 GAA with a .899 SV%. With Spencer Knight unavailable due to illness for a second straight game, Commesso will likely dress as the backup to Arvid Soderblom.
Because of Knight’s absence, Commesso’s recall will qualify as an emergency one and thus will not count against Chicago’s post-deadline regular recall limit which is up to five this season. Unless there is another injury or illness up front, however, the promotion of Lardis will count against their recall limit.
Flyers Recall Alex Bump, Assign Adam Ginning To AHL
After moving Bobby Brink to Minnesota on Friday, it was expected that the Flyers would be giving an NHL look to Alex Bump. That is indeed the case, as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley.
The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the Flyers back in 2022, going 133rd overall. At the time, he was playing in the USHL but a year later, he went to Western Michigan University where his offensive production started to take off. Over two seasons with the Broncos, Bump tallied 37 goals and 46 assists in 80 games which was enough to convince Philadelphia to turn him pro.
Bump got a pair of games in with Lehigh Valley late last season and had played exclusively with the Phantoms until now. Through 36 games this season, he has 11 goals and 15 assists, good for a tie for fourth in team scoring.
The Flyers enter play today six points out of the final Wild Card spot in the East, close enough to not entirely be out of the race just yet even after acting as a small seller on Friday. With that in mind, it’s unclear if Bump will get the chance to make his NHL debut this afternoon against Pittsburgh or if that opportunity will have to wait a little while longer.
The team also confirmed yesterday’s reported reassignment of defenseman Adam Ginning to the Phantoms. Instead of using one of their five non-emergency recalls to immediately bring him back up, they’ll keep him playing regularly in the minors for the time being.
Panthers Recall Luke Kunin
Luke Kunin’s time in the minors was short-lived. With the roster limit in the NHL now lifted, the Panthers have recalled the veteran, according to the AHL’s transactions log.
The 28-year-old has spent most of the season in Florida but passed through waivers unclaimed less than a week ago, resulting in an assignment to AHL Charlotte. That had him set to see his first action at that level since the 2018-19 campaign, when he was still a prospect in Minnesota’s system. However, that playing time will be capped at one game, as Kunin recorded two assists last night and is now back up with the big club.
Kunin has played in 44 games with Florida this season, his first year with the club. However, he has been fairly quiet offensively, notching just two goals and two assists, by far his lowest full-season output. Unsurprisingly, his playing time has been rather limited as well, as he’s logging just 8:36 per contest, well below his career average of 14:18 per game.
Despite being out of a playoff spot, Florida was a light buyer, so to speak, at the trade deadline. They picked up Vinnie Hinostroza from Minnesota and claimed Cole Reinhardt off waivers from Vegas. Now, with Kunin back up, the Panthers have some extra forward depth to hedge against injuries or if they decide to shut some players down to help get them ready for next season.