Evening Notes: Doan, Pascall, Kostin
Last week, reports emerged that the Toronto Maple Leafs had granted permission to the Vancouver Canucks to interview Shane Doan for an unknown role. However, even if a deal between Doan and the Canucks doesn’t come to fruition, he may leave Toronto anyway.
John Chayka, the former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is widely considered to be one of the finalists for the Maple Leafs’ GM vacancy. On yesterday’s edition of DFO Rundown, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period shared that if Toronto hires Chayka as the organization’s next General Manager, Doan has little interest in staying around.
Much of the turmoil between the two likely stems from Doan’s exit from the Coyotes after the 2016-17 season. It was Chayka’s first as Arizona’s General Manager, and the team abruptly decided to let him leave via free agency, although Doan would ultimately retire. Though there were certainly arguments from an on-ice perspective that the Coyotes had little use for a soon-to-be 41-year-old forward who was struggling to produce, it was the cause of consternation for many fans who felt the franchise’s greatest player had been given the cold shoulder to end his professional career.
Additional evening notes:
- While the Maple Leafs may be nearing the conclusion of their GM search, the Canucks are not. Still in the interview process with several candidates, another has joined the fray today, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Vancouver has interviewed Brad Pascall, the Assistant General Manager of the Calgary Flames. If the Canucks were to offer him the position, it would be a major milestone in Pascall’s career, since he’s been the Flames’ Assistant General Manager since the 2014-15 season and has never worked for another NHL organization.
- A former up-and-coming prospect with the St. Louis Blues is staying in the KHL for a few more seasons. According to William Espy of The Hockey News, forward Klim Kostin has signed a three-year extension with the KHL’s CSKA Moskva. It’s somewhat surprising, given Kostin’s return performance in the KHL this season, scoring two goals and five points in 31 games between CSKA and Avangard Omsk.
Golden Knights Reassign Braeden Bowman, Trevor Connelly
The Vegas Golden Knights are giving their AHL affiliate some reinforcements for the Calder Cup playoffs. According to a team announcement, the Golden Knights have reassigned forwards Braeden Bowman and Trevor Connelly to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Never believed to be a top prospect in Vegas’ pipeline, Bowman joined the organization ahead of last season as an OHL free agent. He performed quite well during his rookie season, scoring 14 goals and accumulating 36 points in 68 games with a -5 rating, while exclusively playing with AHL Henderson.
After a tremendous start with the Silver Knights and due to some injury concerns at the NHL level, Bowman was able to debut with the Golden Knights this season. He spent much of the year in Vegas, scoring eight goals and 26 points in 54 games with a -16 rating.
Although his production was well above-average for a young undrafted free agent, it’s important to remember that Bowman was relatively sheltered throughout his rookie campaign. Much of his time with Vegas was spent on a line with Jack Eichel, and he began more than 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Meanwhile, unlike Bowman, Connelly is a very recognizable prospect in the Golden Knights system. Being the only first-round pick that the team has retained (up to this point), Connelly is arguably the top prospect in the Golden Knights organization by a country mile.
The 20-year-old spent the entire season with AHL Henderson and was only recently recalled to serve as injury depth for the postseason. Connelly had a more than respectable rookie season, scoring 14 goals and 49 points in 46 games with a +2 rating.
Both Bowman and Connelly have played for the Silver Knights so far this postseason, playing integral roles in their series sweep over the San Jose Barracuda. Since they weren’t being used in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the pair of forwards will now help AHL Henderson take on the Colorado Eagles in the Division Semifinal.
Marcus Hogberg Signs With SHL’s Linköping HC
Netminder Marcus Högberg is leaving professional hockey in North America for the second time in his career. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Högberg has signed a three-year deal with the SHL’s Linköping HC.
His first stint in North America began in the mid-2010s. Högberg was selected by the Ottawa Senators with the 78th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. It took him several years to make the jump, waiting until the 2017-18 season to join the AHL’s Belleville Senators on a full-time basis.
He played relatively well, topping out in the 2018-19 campaign when he earned a 21-11-10 record in 39 games with a .917 SV% and 2.32 GAA. That performance afforded him an extended look in the NHL as Ottawa’s backup goalie during the 2019-20 season, registering a 5-8-8 record in 21 starts with a .904 SV% and 3.12 GAA.
Unfortunately, that was essentially the end of his tenure with the Senators. After a disastrous year in the 2020-21 season, Högberg left Ottawa as a free agent, joining Linköping HC.
After spending three years in Sweden, Högberg activated his NHL opt-out clause and signed a two-year contract with the New York Islanders. Due to Semyon Varlamov‘s injury last season, Högberg earned an extended look with the Islanders, backing up Ilya Sorokin, finishing with a 2-6-3 record in 15 games with a .878 SV% and 3.38 GAA.
New York pursued superior options last summer, landing David Rittich on a one-year deal, which pushed Högberg to the third-string role. He almost exclusively played for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, managing a 12-13-10 record in 31 games with a .890 SV% and 2.92 GAA.
Being that this will be his third stint with Linköping HC, Högberg is clearly comfortable with the SHL organization. Throughout his professional career in Sweden, Högberg has a 110-102-0 record in 219 games with a .915 SV% and 2.40 GAA, including 20 shutouts.
Nashville Predators Sign Vitali Pinchuk
Earlier today, agent Dan Milstein shared that his client, Vitali Pinchuk, had agreed to a one-year, entry-level contract with a mystery team. A few hours later, Milstein announced that the Nashville Predators had won the sweepstakes. The Predators confirmed the signing, though they didn’t release any financial details of the one-year pact. According to PuckPedia, the entry-level contract carries a $922,500 base salary, $102,500 signing bonus, $85K AHL salary, and $1MM in potential performance bonuses.
Pinchuk, 24, has been the topic of much speculation over the last two years. Despite going undrafted through his years of eligibility, the Belarusian has made quite a name for himself with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk. Last month, reports indicated that nearly every team, 29 in fact, had contacted Pinchuk’s representation about bringing him to North America.
His production speaks for itself. Over the last two years, Pinchuk has scored 56 goals and 109 points in 131 games, with an additional seven goals and 18 points in 19 postseason contests. It wasn’t enough to lead the league in scoring, but Pinchuk was the only under-25 player to finish top-10 in KHL scoring this past season.
Pinchuk stands at 6’3″, 203 lbs. He is overtly physical, but uses his larger frame to protect the puck. Still, he largely utilizes his offensive skill, which he has plenty of, to make the most impact.
Unless something unexpected happens, Pinchuk should begin the 2026-27 season on the Predators’ opening night roster. Still, depending on training camp and preseason play, he could use a month of seasoning with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, though the expectation is that he spends most of the year in Nashville.
Given his frame, he won’t be out of place starting on the third line. He has the offensive firepower to offer Nashville tertiary scoring immediately, and the team could easily move him up the lineup if he performs well. Still, the Predators will want to make some room for him, as they already have 14 forwards signed for next season (including Pinchuk) with others looking to crack the roster.
Montreal Canadiens Reassign David Reinbacher
After last night’s Game 4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they’ve reassigned defenseman David Reinbacher to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. The Rocket will begin the Division Semifinals against the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday.
Reinbacher, 21, was recalled with only a few games remaining in the regular season. The former fifth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft debuted over that time, registering one assist in two games while averaging 13:09 of ice time. The Canadiens sheltered him quite a bit, as Reinbacher began 75.0% of his shifts in the offensive zone.
In the postseason, Montreal has expectedly relied on more veteran options. Even if the team experienced an injury or two, it was unlikely that they would have relied on Reinbacher in any meaningful capacity. The Canadiens are already without Noah Dobson for the time being, but have used depth defensemen Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj instead. Furthermore, Montreal still has youngster Adam Engstrom on the roster, who likely would have been the next man up.
If Laval is eliminated from the playoffs by the Marlies, or if the Canadiens suffer additional injuries on the blue line, then a case should be made for Reinbacher to return to the NHL as a Black Ace at the very least. He had a solid season in the AHL after recovering from injury, scoring five goals and 24 points in 57 games with a +18 rating.
Regardless, he’ll now help the Rocket defeat their North Division rivals. Since relocating to Laval ahead of the 2017-18 season, the Rocket have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final twice, losing to the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2022 and the Charlotte Checkers last year.
Evening Notes: Scott, Panarin, Foegele
According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, the Vancouver Canucks are interviewing Bill Scott, Assistant General Manager for the Edmonton Oilers, for their vacant General Manager position. As Shannon noted, Scott has already interviewed for the same position with the Nashville Predators.
Scott has been with the Oilers for a little over a decade. He began as the Assistant General Manager ahead of the 2014-15 season, before being promoted to the Director of Hockey Operations role two years later. He held that position for six seasons, specifically focusing on the Oilers’ salary cap.
There’s no word on whether any other candidate has an edge, but the organization must think somewhat highly of Scott if they’re willing to interview him. The Canucks have also been linked to former player Shane Doan, who is currently with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a special assistant to the General Manager. Additionally, Vancouver already has a capable in-house candidate in Ryan Johnson, who has received interest from other clubs.
Additional notes from this evening:
- There were ramifications to the Artemi Panarin trade now that the Los Angeles Kings have been eliminated from the postseason. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, since the Kings did not win a series, they will send their 2026 third-round pick to the New York Rangers. If they had miraculously ousted the Colorado Avalanche, the Rangers would have received Los Angeles’ second-round pick.
- The Rangers weren’t the only team affected by the Kings’ loss today. According to PuckPedia, since it is now confirmed that Los Angeles will finish lower than the Dallas Stars in the standings, the Senators will receive Dallas’ 2026 third-round pick in the Warren Foegele trade.
Golden Knights Recall Braeden Bowman, Trevor Connelly
The Golden Knights announced Sunday that they’ve recalled forward prospects Braeden Bowman and Trevor Connelly from AHL Henderson. Both will likely be available for Monday’s Game 4 against the Mammoth if necessary, but they’re likely just getting a few days of playoff practice with the big club before returning to Henderson for its Pacific Division Semifinal series against Colorado, which doesn’t begin until Friday.
Bowman, 22, has quickly become a great story for the Knights. Undrafted, he had to settle for a minor-league deal with Henderson in 2024 when his junior career ended.
The 6’1″, 205-lb right hit the ground running, finishing second on the Silver Knights in scoring last season with 36 points in 68 games en route to quickly earning an entry-level contract. He more than doubled his AHL points per game rate here in 2025-26 and actually spent most of the campaign on the NHL roster in a decently high-leverage role.
Recalled for the first time in November, Bowman spent a good chunk of the year as a top-line injury fill-in for captain Mark Stone. He was reasonably productive, churning out an 8-18–26 scoring line in 54 outings while averaging a shade over 14 minutes per game, seeing some power-play reps in the process. Bowman’s defensive impacts, though, left much to be desired. He finished with a -16 rating, only controlled 49.6% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 despite starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone, and barely throws the body given his stocky frame (he had just 19 hits).
All that contributed to Bowman being left on the outside of the playoff lineup, especially after the Knights moved to add Nic Dowd and Cole Smith at the trade deadline. After a four-game pointless stretch in March, Bowman was scratched on several occasions before eventually being returned to Henderson at the beginning of April.
Bowman finished the AHL regular season on an absolute tear with 14 points in eight games. He also had a goal and an assist in two games as Henderson made quick work of San Jose in a three-game first-round series. If he is plugged into the lineup, he’ll be doing so with plenty of offensive confidence.
As for Connelly, Vegas’ 2024 first-round pick has yet to make his NHL debut. Still viewed as their clear-cut #1 prospect, he made an exceptional transition to pro hockey this year after an underwhelming and injury-plagued one-and-done freshman season at Providence College.
Connelly didn’t play a full season this year, either, only suiting up in 46 out of a possible 72 AHL games. He nonetheless was one of four Silver Knights to exceed the point per game mark in an offensively surging season for the oft-struggling affiliate. He ended up with a 14-35–49 scoring line and had five points in their two-game series in over San Jose last week.
If Connelly dresses, he would be the first player in Golden Knights history to make their NHL debut in the postseason.
Ian Mitchell Signs With NL’s SC Bern
Lightning pending unrestricted free agent Ian Mitchell has agreed to terms with SC Bern of Switzerland’s National League on a two-year contract beginning next season, the team announced earlier this week. The move had been in place for months, as we relayed back in February.
Mitchell, 27, did not see NHL ice this season after appearing in five straight campaigns with the Blackhawks and Bruins from 2020-25. Non-tendered by Boston last summer, he landed a one-way league minimum deal from the Red Wings in free agency but cleared waivers to begin training camp. After going all year without a call-up, Detroit dealt him to Tampa Bay in mid-March – after the NHL trade deadline but before the AHL one – so he could serve as added defensive depth for the Bolts’ farm team in Syracuse down the stretch.
Mitchell’s contractual obligations with Tampa are still ongoing. In fact, he suited up for Syracuse just last night – after the announcement that he was headed to Bern – in Game 1 of their North Division Semifinal series against Cleveland. However, since he was acquired after the trade deadline, he’s not eligible for recall to the Lightning as long as they’re still in the postseason.
The 6’0″, right-shot Mitchell is a skilled puck-mover. He’s shown as much in the minors, where he had seven assists in 15 games to close out the regular season with Syracuse. His lack of physical acumen in one-on-one defending and battles, plus underwhelming shot power, has prevented him from locking down any sort of notable NHL role, though.
A second-round pick by the Blackhawks back in 2017, Mitchell won an NCHC championship with the University of Denver before ultimately turning pro three years later. He suited up in 39 of Chicago’s 56 games in the COVID-shortened 2021 season, but that mark still stands as a career high. He’s now passed through waivers unclaimed in each of the last three seasons, so it’s clear interest in his services hasn’t been wide-spanning for quite some time.
Mitchell’s NHL resume stands with a 4-15–19 scoring line, a -17 rating, and an underwhelming 42.6% Corsi share at even strength through 110 appearances. His minor-league body of work is strong – tallying 120 points and a +55 rating in 216 career AHL games – but it hasn’t been enough for him to earn serious bottom-pair consideration.
He’s now officially off to Switzerland, potentially putting a bookend on his NHL career. He could easily step in as Bern’s #1 from the drop on a roster that also boasts former NHLers Emil Bemström and Anton Lindholm.
Snapshots: Kuzmenko, Hintz, Dach, Charron, Hayes
Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko is set to draw into the postseason lineup for the first time for tonight’s Game 3 of the Avalanche, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports. He took line rushes at morning skate on the left wing on the third line with Scott Laughton and Joel Armia. Rookie Jared Wright had occupied that slot for the first two games of the series but was bumped down to fourth-line duties this morning. Trade deadline pickup Mathieu Joseph was the odd man out and projects to head to the press box after playing in six straight. Kuzmenko hasn’t played since undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus on Feb. 28, but was activated from injured reserve at the beginning of the playoffs. After flourishing with 17 points in 22 games last season following his acquisition from the Flyers at the trade deadline, the Russian offensive weapon posted a more conservative 13-12–25 scoring line in 52 games this season and has been bumped off the top line thanks to Artemi Panarin‘s injection into the roster.
More from around the league Thursday:
- The Stars have now officially ruled center Roope Hintz out for Game 4 against the Wild, head coach Glen Gulutzan said (via Dan Rosen of NHL.com). He had initially left the door open for Hintz to join the team in Minnesota, depending on how he felt earlier in the week, but that won’t happen. Hintz did skate for the first time yesterday since sustaining a lower-body injury back on March 7, so while he’s still considered doubtful for Game 5 and questionable for the rest of the first round, there’s tangible progress toward his return. Dallas has eked out a 2-1 series lead without him, thanks to Wyatt Johnston‘s double-overtime heroics last night and an exceptional performance from their defense and penalty kill in Game 3, holding Minnesota to zero inner-slot shots the entire night despite the Wild having seven power plays.
- The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signed a trio of Pittsburgh unsigned draft picks to amateur tryouts ahead of their Atlantic Division Semifinal series kicking off soon, per a team announcement. Most intriguing among them is center Kale Dach, who, despite being drafted last out of the three in last year’s draft (seventh round, 201st overall), had the most impactful post-draft season. Some had viewed Dach as more of a mid-round pick, and they were proven right to some degree by him having a 34-goal, 75-point campaign in 63 games for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen after spending last season with the junior ‘A’ Sherwood Park Crusaders of the BCHL. He’ll be off to Penn State in the fall but maintains his collegiate eligibility by not signing an NHL contract. Also joining the Baby Pens for the postseason are right-winger Jordan Charron, a 2025 fifth-round pick and St. Lawrence commit who scored 25 goals and 47 points in 66 games this season for the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, and Travis Hayes, selected in the fourth round last year. Hayes is the brother of now-teammate Avery Hayes and suited up alongside Charron in Sault Ste. Marie this season, posting a 16-24–40 scoring line in 63 games with a team-high +27 rating.
Kings Reassign Pheonix Copley, Recall Carter George
The Kings loaned goaltender Pheonix Copley to AHL Ontario on Thursday, per a team announcement. In his place, the team summoned goalie prospect Carter George from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds to serve as their emergency backup goaltender for the balance of the postseason.
Copley heads down to Ontario to serve as their veteran starting option for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Ontario had finished high enough in their division to earn a bye through the first round, but since their Pacific Semifinal series will get underway soon, the Kings have opted to return Copley there to make sure their minor-league club can field the best roster possible, similar to the Lightning’s demotion of Brandon Halverson earlier Thursday.
Copley’s stint as L.A.’s EBUG for Games 1 and 2 against the Avalanche marked his first time on the NHL roster since the calendar flipped to 2026. The 34-year-old vet made one start back in December, allowing three goals on 28 shots for a .893 SV% in a loss to the Kraken. It was his first NHL start since undergoing ACL surgery in December 2023, although he did make one relief appearance for the Kings last season.
A pending unrestricted free agent, it’s unclear if L.A. plans to retain Copley for what would be his fifth season in the organization (aside from a brief stint with the Lightning at the beginning of this year after being lost on waivers). They have George, their #1 prospect, plus serviceable 25-year-old Erik Portillo under contract through next year, leaving their AHL duo likely set in stone.
If Copley still wants a high AHL workload and expanded call-up opportunities, he’ll likely need to look elsewhere on the open market. In 33 regular-season games for Ontario this season, he managed a .901 SV%, 2.59 GAA, a 21-11-1 record, and one shutout.
George, who doesn’t turn 20 until next month, just wrapped up his fourth and final junior season. A midseason pickup from the struggling Owen Sound Attack, George’s .910 SV% in 10 postseason games fueled the Greyhounds to a major upset over the London Knights in the first round, although they were dispatched just as quickly by Kitchener in five games in round two last week.
A second-rounder in 2024, George already has several accolades in his trophy case. He won a bronze medal as Canada’s starter at this year’s World Juniors, and he was one of the best goalies in the tournament last year as well, despite an early upset by the Czechs in the quarterfinals. Goalies rarely, if ever, make the jump straight from juniors to the NHL, so he’s ticketed for time in Ontario next season. Already having signed his entry-level contract, he is prohibited from taking the college route.