Washington Capitals Sign Theodor Niederbach
According to a team announcement, the Washington Capitals have signed forward prospect Theodor Niederbach to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. Washington shared that Niederbach will be paid a $1.025MM salary in the NHL and an $85K salary in the AHL.
Niederbach, 24, was drafted 51st overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He was generally regarded as a solid playmaking prospect at the time, recording 15 goals and 48 points in 40 games with the J20 SuperElit’s Frölunda HC’s program.
Since then, it’s been all SHL for the Bjästa, Sweden native. Bouncing between Frölunda, Rögle BK, and MoDo Hockey. It was during his second year with MoDo during the 2024-25 campaign that Niedberbach broke out as a prominent two-way center overseas, scoring 10 goals and 33 points in 51 games with a +5 rating. After MoDo was relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan, Niederbach returned to Frölunda on a two-year deal that included an NHL opt-out clause.
It was much of the same for him this past season. He finished the 2025-26 campaign with 13 goals and 32 points in 52 games with a +10 rating. Given his back-to-back quality seasons in the SHL, relative youth, and the fact that the Red Wings let his signing rights expire two summers ago, Niederbach became a relatively prominent name on the international market. In late February, although the Boston Bruins were specifically mentioned, reports indicated that nearly half of the NHL teams had contacted Niederbach.
For his development, the Capitals organization is one of the best. Washington has a pair of bottom-six forwards that are scheduled for unrestricted free agency this offseason, giving Niederbach a path if he can earn a spot on the roster through training camp. Even if he doesn’t make the opening night roster, the AHL’s Hershey Bears are competitive nearly every season and will provide Niederbach with a great chance to transition to professional hockey in North America.
Transaction Notes: Smith, Carrick, Posch
Anaheim Ducks prospect Tarin Smith has announced his commitment to the University of Minnesota for the 2026-27 season, he announced via his Instagram page. “I’m excited to announce my commitment to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the 2026–27 season,” Smith stated in his announcement. “I want to thank everyone in Everett—my teammates, coaches, staff, and fans—for four incredible seasons and for helping me grow both on and off the ice. I’m grateful for everything along the way and can’t wait to get started on this next chapter.” The former third-round pick has spent the last three seasons with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, where he served as the captain during the 2025-26 season. During his time in Everett, Smith has begun to round out his game, seeing a steady increase in production from the back-end. He finished the 2025 season with 16 goals and 71 points in 65 games. Everett, who is set to face the Prince Albert Raiders in Game 1 of the WHL Championship this Friday, has been without the services of their captain for the last two rounds of the playoffs. He has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
Additional Notes:
- Out of the NHL this evening, Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Carrick remains out with a left arm injury, via Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.ca. Carrick sustained the injury in a fight against New York Islanders forward Anders Lee back on March 31st. This morning, Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff said Carrick “could be a possibility’ for their game one matchup against Montreal, but Sabres fans will have to wait until game two to see if the 34-year-old center is ready to get back in the lineup. Carrick had five goals and six points in 13 games for the Sabres after coming over from the New York Rangers at the deadline.
- There was also some news out of Colorado today as goaltender Isak Posch has returned to the Colorado Eagles on loan from the Avalanche, per the AHL’s transaction log. This comes as no surprise, as Colorado and Minnesota will have three full days in between their game two and three matchups. Posch played 28 games for the Eagles this season, posting a 2.78 GAA and a .891 SV%. Game 3 in Minnesota is set for 8:00 p.m. CST on Saturday.
Seattle Kraken Assign Jake O’Brien To AHL
The Seattle Kraken are continuing the trend of moving prospects in the Canadian major junior system to the American Hockey League for the Calder Cup playoffs. According to the AHL transaction log, the Kraken have reassigned forward Jake O’Brien to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
O’Brien, 18, is only a year removed from being selected with the eighth overall pick by Seattle. He was coming off an exceptional year with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, scoring 32 goals and 98 points in 66 games with a -2 rating. Although he was nearly 40 points shy of the league’s leading scorer, O’Brien’s final scoring line placed him in the top 10 of scorers in the OHL and was an impressive season by all accounts.
This season, O’Brien took a step forward in nearly every metric. As the new captain of the Bulldogs, O’Brien finished his age-19 season with 28 goals and 93 points in 55 games with a +34 rating. In the postseason, despite falling short in the OHL Conference Final, O’Brien was exceptional, scoring six goals and 23 points in 15 games.
Obviously, the Kraken feel that his offensive game is at the point where he won’t look out of place in professional hockey. He may not play for the Firebirds in the postseason, but being around the team and participating in practice will make his transition easier.
If his progress continues positively, becoming a top scorer at all levels would be the best outcome for Seattle. Partially due to coaching schematics and the team on the ice, the Kraken have desperately needed a high-production forward. This season, Jordan Eberle finished as the team’s highest scorer with 26 goals and 55 points in 80 games. Additionally, the team finished 28th in the league in total scoring.
As O’Brien progresses through his professional career, it’ll be important to pair him with a pure goal scorer. His vision on the ice is his greatest strength, as he can easily pass through defenders to find open teammates. Fellow prospect Jani Nyman has shown flashes of elite goal-scoring at the AHL level, though the Kraken may want to find someone with a higher ceiling to pair with their top prospect.
Blues Assign Justin Carbonneau To AHL
The St. Louis Blues have reassigned top forward prospect Justin Carbonneau from the QMJHL’s Blainville‑Boisbriand Armada to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, the club announced today. The move comes just days after Carbonneau’s junior season ended in a heartbreaking Game 7 loss, but the 19‑year‑old now joins Springfield as the Thunderbirds look to close out their first‑round series against the Providence Bruins.
Carbonneau will join the AHL on the heels of one of the most dominant seasons by any junior forward in 2025–26. The Blues’ 2025 first‑round pick was a force in the QMJHL, leading the league with 51 goals and earning the Mario Lemieux Trophy as the Q’s top goal scorer. He finished his regular season with 80 points and a +31 rating in 60 games, cementing himself as one of the most productive and polished young forwards outside the NHL.
In the postseason, Carbonneau posted 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists) in 17 playoff games, finishing tied for fourth in goals and fifth in points across the entire league. He was consistently Blainville‑Boisbriand’s most dangerous forward, driving offense through pace, touch volume, and a heavy shot that translated seamlessly against tighter playoff checking. Even in the series loss, he looked every bit like a player ready for the next step.
Whether that next step includes immediate AHL action remains unclear. Springfield holds a 2–1 series lead over Providence heading into Thursday’s potential clinching Game 4, and the Thunderbirds have not yet indicated whether Carbonneau will dress. It’s not uncommon for junior call‑ups to spend time practicing before entering the lineup, especially after a deep playoff run that ends with a quick turnaround. Still, Carbonneau’s scoring touch and ability to tilt the ice at even strength give Springfield an intriguing option should they choose to use him.
The assignment also gives the Blues’ development staff a valuable window to evaluate Carbonneau against pro competition before next fall’s training camp. His blend of goal‑scoring instincts, competitiveness, and two‑way detail has already made him one of the organization’s most closely watched prospects, and a late‑season AHL cameo would offer a meaningful benchmark for where he stands in the pipeline.
Carbonneau isn’t the only Blues prospect joining Springfield this week. Defenseman Adam Jiricek, whose OHL season also ended in a Game 7 loss, has been promoted as well. Like Carbonneau, his availability for Game 4 remains uncertain.
Blues Assign Adam Jiricek To AHL
A Blues prospect appears set to make his professional debut in the near future. Per the AHL’s transactions log, the team has assigned defenseman Adam Jiricek from OHL Brantford to AHL Springfield.
The 19-year-old was highly touted heading into the 2024 draft but an injury-riddled pre-draft campaign saw him fall a bit more than expected. St. Louis was certainly content to scoop him up with the 16th selection that year, hoping he could be a mid-round gem.
Last season, the injury bug was an issue for Jiricek once again and he was limited to just 27 regular season games for the Bulldogs and even missed a couple of playoff games. However, things went a lot smoother in 2025-26. On top of putting up six points in seven appearances for the Czechs at the World Juniors, Jiricek recorded 19 goals and 40 assists in 55 games during the season for Brantford. He then produced at a higher clip in the playoffs, notching seven goals and 15 assists in 15 games. However, they were eliminated by Barrie last night, paving the way for him to be reassigned to the Thunderbirds.
While it’s not overly common for players to jump from the junior ranks right into the middle of an AHL playoff series, a prospect of Jiricek’s caliber will often get the opportunity to play. Even if he doesn’t suit up (he wasn’t in the lineup tonight against Providence), he’ll at least have a bit of time to get acclimated to the team, one he’ll likely be playing for on a regular basis next season.
Korbinian Holzer Announces Retirement
According to an announcement from the ICEHL’s Graz99ers, former NHL defenseman Korbinian Holzer has officially hung up his skates. He spent nine years in the NHL playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators.
Holzer’s professional career in North America began nearly two decades ago, being selected with the 111th overall pick (fourth round) of the Maple Leafs in the 2006 NHL Draft. Before joining North American ice, Holzer played several seasons with the DEL’s DEG Metro Stars, finishing the 2009-10 season with six goals and 22 points.
Finally making the jump, Holzer spent most of the 2010-11 campaign with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, registering three goals and 13 points in 73 games with a +10 rating. Still, he managed to debut with the Maple Leafs, earning a -1 rating in two contests.
After spending the 2011-12 season exclusively with the Marlies, Holzer became a more consistent precense on the Maple Leafs’ blue line. Between 2012 and 2015, Holzer appeared in 56 games for Toronto, scoring two goals and nine points, averaging 17:39 of ice time.
Unfortunately, the team that drafted him wasn’t convinced of his staying power. Toronto passed Holzer through waivers ahead of the 2014-15 season, and eventually traded him to the Ducks the following season.
Orange County is where Holzer enjoyed the best seasons of his NHL career. Remaining a seventh defenseman with Anaheim, Holzer spent five years with the Ducks organization, scoring four goals and 18 points in 145 games with a -2 rating, averaging 14:48 of ice time per game. Failing to provide much offense, Holzer was a responsible player in the defensive zone, earning a 92.5% on-ice SV% at even strength while beginning 53.6% of his shifts in the defensive zone.
After a trade to the Predators toward the 2020 trade deadline, Holzer’s career in North America concluded. He has had multiple pit stops since then, playing for the KHL’s Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the DEL’s Adler Mannheim, before finally concluding his professional career with the Graz99ers.
Over eight years, Holzer scored six goals and 27 points in 206 NHL contests, with another 12 goals and 79 points in 297 AHL appearances. We at PHR congratulate Holzer on his career and wish him the best in his next chapter.
Flames Sign Theo Stockselius To Entry-Level Contract
The Calgary Flames have put pen to paper with their 2025 second-round pick. Forward Theo Stockselius has signed a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $1.016MM per the Flames press release.
Stockselius had a red-hot start to the 2025-26 season. After beginning the year with four points in three exhibitions with Sweden’s U20 lineup, he kicked off the regular season with seven points in six games. That earned him the first SHL call-up of his career in early-October. He was returned to the junior league after one game with Djurgårdens IF and tacked on another two points in two U20 games, before he was cut by a skate and forced to miss the next three months of action.
That injury derailed Stockselius’ hopes of playing with Team Sweden at the 2026 World Junior Championships, a role he seemed to have locked-up after netting five points in seven games of the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. Luckily, the injury did not derail Stockselius’ scoring. He notched five points in his first two games back from injury in mid-January. It was clear that Stockselius was a core component of Djurgårdens’ U20 lineup, a role that earned him his first extended look in the SHL in February. The theme of his season continued through the end of the year – quiet performances and fourth-line deployment in the SHL coupled with dominant offense in the U20 league.
By the end of the season, Stockselius had racked up 16 points in 11 U20 games to go with just one assist in 16 SHL games. He also combined for 41 penalty minutes between the two leagues, though 29 of those came from one U20 game in January. His season was capped off by a four-point
Stockselius’ ability to stay hot through injury and adversity headlined his game – traits that have long stood out in his game. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 15 and underwent three procedures to address the concern. Stockselius told reporters at Calgary’s 2025 training camp that he used hockey as a positive through that moment of his life. The results shined through, as Stockselius’ point scoring in Sweden’s U16 league skyrocketed from 16 points to 60 points between his age-15 and age-16 season. He was quickly in the mix of future star NHL prospects like Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund, climbing up a high-value Djurgårdens program.
While Stockselius’ scoresheet didn’t shine at the pro level this season, his growth was clear. He became much more poised in puck battles as the year went on and found better ways to use his strong stick and skating ability on defense. At 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds, Stockselius’ mobility can be overwhelming for opponents to deal with. Combined with an instinct for scoring chances and a strong shot, he stands clear as one of Calgary’s top prospects. The Flames will vindicate that standing by making him the first to sign from their 2025 draft class. Stockselius should carve out a role with the Calgary Wranglers next season.
Hurricanes Reassign Charles-Alexis Legault
5/4/26: The Hurricanes announced today that Legault has been reassigned back to Chicago. The Wolves have an extremely important game tomorrow – a game five against the Texas Stars. Win, and they advance to the Central Division Finals. Lose, and they are eliminated. With the stakes that high, the Hurricanes have elected to reassign Legault, a key penalty killer for the Wolves, back to the AHL.
Of course, if the Hurricanes still felt a pressing need for Legault as an NHL option, they’d keep him on their roster, regardless of the situation in Chicago. Their playoff run comes first, just as it does for any other NHL team as it deals with its AHL affiliate.
But as Alexander Nikishin gets closer to returning from his concussion, and Reilly proves himself as a capable fill-in, it appears increasingly unlikely Carolina will be in a position to dress Legault for playoff games. As a result, the most efficient move, the one the team has elected to take, is to reassign Legault and give the Wolves a boost.
4/27/26: The Carolina Hurricanes shared earlier today that Charles-Alexis Legault has been recalled from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
With Chicago currently in the Calder Cup playoffs, it’s an inopportune time. There’s a real need to add a defenseman to the team’s stock, although Legault’s chances to get into the playoff action are slim. The transaction is likely stemming from Alexander Nikishin‘s concussion, suffered in the fourth and deciding game of the opening round versus Ottawa.
Luckily for the Hurricanes, they made quick work of the Senators, and will have several days to rest up prior to Round Two. Still, if Nikishin will miss any time, Mike Reilly will be set to enter the lineup, needing an extra blueliner, leaving Legault to take duty. Reilly, 32, has 21 games of playoff experience, his last tenure coming as an Islander, where his club were sent packing in five games, interestingly against the Hurricanes themselves.
Legault, 22, broke into the NHL for the first time this season, his second campaign as a professional, skating in 12 games. After an eight game stint early in the year, the defender had to wait until mid-April for another look, making four more appearances to close out the regular season, benefiting from top players getting rest. Such circumstances resulted in an uptick in ice time, as he played 22:01 in game 82 against the Islanders, by far a career high.
Standing at 6’4″, the righty has made his mark physically across the NHL and AHL this year, 63 penalty minutes across both leagues. A strong penalty killer still working to put together a more complete offensive game, Legault was a steal in the fifth round of the 2023 draft out of Quinnipiac University, with real NHL third pairing upside. As a small note worth mentioning depending on his eventual development, the pick was acquired from Vancouver in the Ethan Bear trade.
The Wolves will hope he can return for their playoff matchup against the Texas Stars shortly. Yet with the puck dropping on game one tomorrow night, their series could very well be concluded by the time Nikishin’s fate is known, directly affecting the Wolves in a domino effect of sorts.
As for the big club, Carolina’s second round opponent could be finalized tonight, as they await the winner of the Flyers/Penguins series. Either way, they’ll get started on home ice, with Legault expectedly taking in the experience from the press box. As his teammate Reilly’s contract ends this summer, the Montreal native could be in for a bigger role next year, even if he doesn’t skate on the biggest stage this spring.
Bruins Reassign Lukas Reichel
5/3/26: The Bruins reassigned Reichel to Providence today, according to a team announcement.
5/2/26: While Boston’s playoff run is over, one of their players will still have some postseason action on the horizon. PuckPedia reports that the Bruins have placed winger Lukas Reichel on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Providence.
This is the second time that the 23-year-old has been on waivers this season. Vancouver acquired Reichel early in the season from Chicago for a fourth-round pick in the hopes that he could give a banged-up roster a bit of a lift. However, he struggled and some of their injured players returned, resulting in the Canucks waiving him in mid-December, where he passed through unclaimed.
Looking for some extra winger depth at the trade deadline, the Bruins flipped a sixth-round pick to Vancouver to acquire Reichel and left him briefly in the minors. He eventually was recalled, getting into ten games down the stretch before returning to the AHL. Reichel was then brought up for the postseason and suited up once against the Sabres.
On the season, Reichel played in just 29 NHL games between Chicago, Vancouver, and Boston, notching three goals and five assists. He also picked up 19 points in 27 AHL contests and added three more in five games for Germany at the Olympics. For his career, Reichel has 23 goals and 39 assists in 198 career NHL contests.
A first-round pick back in 2020 (17th overall), Reichel is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer and will be owed a $1.3MM qualifying offer with salary arbitration rights. At this point, it seems unlikely he’ll receive that. That also makes it quite unlikely that he’ll be claimed by Sunday’s 1 PM CT deadline, paving the way for him to return to Providence as the league-leading Bruins look to have a long postseason run.
Blues Sign Dylan Holloway To Five-Year Extension
The Blues have agreed to terms with winger Dylan Holloway on a five-year extension, the team announced Friday. The contract carries an average annual value of $7.75MM for a total value of $38.75MM, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports. The deal will kick in next year and run through the 2030-31 season. Holloway was due to hit restricted free agency this summer and would have had arbitration rights.
Per PuckPedia, Holloway’s deal includes a 20-team no-trade clause in 2029-30 and a 15-team no-trade clause in 2030-31, the only two seasons of the deal in which he’s eligible for trade protection. The deal is paid entirely in base salary (no signing bonuses) and will earn him $10MM next season, $9MM in year two, $7.5MM in year three, $6.25MM in year four, and $6MM in its final season.
An article on the Blues’ site just yesterday expressed Holloway’s willingness to sign a long-term extension. His wish has come to fruition in short order. The contract buys up his remaining RFA years and takes him two seasons past when he would have initially been eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2029. He’ll be 29 years old upon expiry – likely at a point when his market value will never be higher – while joining a massive class of 2031 UFAs in St. Louis that includes Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas.
It was clear the Blues would be on the hook for a big payday as soon as he hit the ground running in the Show-Me State two years ago. Plucked from the Oilers alongside defenseman Philip Broberg on a two-year, $4.58MM offer sheet in August 2024, the 2020 first-round pick broke out to finish third on the Blues in scoring with 63 points in 77 games, posting a +21 rating while helping fuel the franchise to its first playoff experience in three years.
Things did not go nearly as smoothly for Holloway at the beginning of 2025-26. His offensive struggles were in line with those of the rest of his Blues teammates. By the time he sustained an ankle injury on Dec. 12, he had been limited to eight goals and 17 points in 33 games with a -11 rating. He would only play one more game before the Olympic break, re-aggravating his injury and virtually missing over two months.
The fully healthy version of Holloway that emerged, however, looked more like a perennial All-Star contender than the high-end middle-six piece he was drafted to be. He was easily St. Louis’ MVP down the stretch, but they ultimately failed to make a late push for a postseason berth. His 14 goals and 34 points through his final 25 games ranked t-12th and t-7th in the league, respectively, following the Olympic break, while no one had a better rating than his +26 mark in that span. Only Nikita Kucherov had more even-strength points (30) than Holloway’s 29. It was an absolutely dominant run of play for a new-look first line of himself, Thomas, and Jimmy Snuggerud that should be set to reprise itself in training camp next fall – assuming Thomas sheds the trade rumors that dogged him leading up to this year’s deadline.
That run brought Holloway’s season totals up to a 22-29–51 scoring line in 59 games – an even better points-per-game pace than last season despite his early struggles. He’s averaging 29 goals and 69 points per 82 games in a Blues uniform. The deal comes in a little north of AFP Analytics’ $7.2MM projection on a five-year deal, but as Dom Lusczyszyn of The Athletic relays, his superb 5-on-5 defensive impacts mean his deal should age quite well for the Blues, at least until he’s owed another sizable raise at the beginning of the next decade.
St. Louis doesn’t have much other roster management to do before the fall. Holloway’s extension already brings them up to 20 players on next season’s projected active roster with $15.85MM in cap space still available, per PuckPedia. The Blues’ list of notable remaining RFAs for this year starts and ends with Jonatan Berggren and Matthew Kessel.
Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.