Sharks Recall Laurent Brossoit
The San Jose Sharks have recalled depth goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the AHL. He will help shore up the depth chart after starter Yaroslav Askarov was injured in the second period of Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues per Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group. Askarov was injured after Blues winger Nathan Walker was knocked into the crease by Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais. The Sharks haven’t yet designated the nature of Askarov’s injury.
Thursday marked Askarov’s return from a previous injury that held him out of 16 days and seven games. He has served as San Jose’s go-to goaltender when healthy. Playing through his first season in a full-time NHL role, Askarov has recorded 19 wins, an .887 save percentage, and a 3.52 goals-against-average through 41 games.
Brossoit made his own return from injury in early December. He played his first games of the season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, after missing the entirety of the 2024-25 season with multiple lower-body injuries. The Sharks traded for Brossoit in early January. He quickly took over the starting role for the San Jose Barracuda, where he has posted an impressive 11 wins and .915 save percentage in 15 appearances. On the long haul back from injury, the former William M. Jennings Trophy-winner received his first call up to the Sharks roster on March 13th. He played in his first NHL game since April, 2024 two days later and allowed six goals on 23 shots in a 4-7 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Brossoit moved to the backup role for the remainder of Askarov’s absence, then returned to the AHL with a 31-save performance on Wednesday. Now, another injury to Askarov will pull Brossoit back into the NHL, where he’ll continue to backup Alex Nedeljkovic. It is unclear if he’ll have a chance at returning to the starter’s crease, though another NHL appearance will mean a chance to get back on track after a rough return to the league.
Maple Leafs Reassign Bo Groulx
The Maple Leafs have assigned center Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the team’s media relations department announced Friday.
Groulx, 26, was recalled following the trade deadline earlier this month to serve as a fill-in down the middle after Scott Laughton was dealt to the Kings and captain Auston Matthews suffered a season-ending MCL injury. In his first NHL action in nearly two years, the 6’2″ middleman scored three goals and two assists for five points in nine games.
The Rouen, France, native is signed through next season after inking a two-year, $1.625MM contract last summer following a non-tender by the Rangers, with whom he spent the entire 2024-25 campaign in the minors. His efficient scoring performance, plus a +5 rating while averaging north of 15 minutes per game in heavy defensive usage, might very well make him a favorite to land a bottom-six center job in training camp next fall.
Groulx was a second-round pick by the Ducks in 2018. While he only scored a goal and five points in 65 games with them before they cut him loose with a non-tender in 2024, he’s demonstrated improved offensive acumen in the minors since getting a fresh start in the New York and Toronto organizations.
This season, Groulx is the Marlies’ scoring leader with a 27-23–50 line in 54 games. He “wanted to go down and help them and play,” head coach Craig Berube told reporters Friday (including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun), offering some insight into why he was flexed back down despite his strong performance in a middle-six role over the past few weeks.
With Matthews out, the Leafs no longer have an extra healthy forward on the active roster. If there’s an injury, they’ll need to make an emergency recall from the Marlies to ice 12 forwards.
Canadiens, Owen Protz Agree To Entry-Level Deal
The Canadiens announced they’ve agreed to terms with defense prospect Owen Protz on a three-year, entry-level contract. It’ll kick in next season. PuckPedia reports it carries a $1.004MM cap hit with the following breakdown:
| Year | NHL salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $102K | $68K | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $900K | $105K | $45K | $85K |
| 2028-29 | $950K | $105K | none | $85K |
Protz, 20, was a fourth-round pick in 2024 out of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, where he’s remained ever since to wrap up his junior career. Montreal would have lost his signing rights if they waited until after June 1 to get a deal done.
On a Montreal defense corps dominated by offensive-minded threats like Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson, Protz hopes to develop into a depth piece who can serve as a much more physically involved complement. The 6’2″, 207-lb lefty does have some two-way juice in his game that should help him avoid becoming a complete offensive liability if he reaches the top level, but he’s a brutal, intelligent checker first and foremost, who’s quite skilled at keeping play to the perimeter.
His lack of dynamacity means he doesn’t stick out too much in the Habs’ still-deep pool, but it’s worth noting they only have two non-roster left-shot options signed through next season – Adam Engstrom and Luke Mittelstadt. He should be able to jump into a bottom-pairing role with AHL Laval, get some reps on the penalty kill, and begin to work his way up the depth chart. He has until 2029 before the Habs must make their first decision on whether to tender him a qualifying offer and keep him around.
The Ottawa native wraps up his time in the OHL with a 13-61–74 scoring line in 198 games with 190 penalty minutes and a +60 rating. That includes 23 points and a career-best +45 mark in 60 games for the Bulldogs this year.
Avalanche Reassign Gavin Brindley
The Avalanche announced following Thursday night’s win over the Jets that they’ve reassigned right-winger Gavin Brindley to AHL Colorado.
Brindley, 21, has not yet played in the AHL this season but was sent to the Eagles for a few hours at the trade deadline to make him eligible for reassignment down the stretch. He had played in every game for the Avs since Jan. 3 before exiting the lineup for this week’s games against Pittsburgh and Winnipeg, falling victim to a roster crunch created by the returns of Logan O’Connor, Ross Colton, and Artturi Lehkonen from injuries.
The undersized but high-energy winger impressed early in a depth role in Colorado this season after being acquired from the Blue Jackets last summer in the deal that sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus. An early second-round selection in 2023 (34th overall), Brindley has a 6-7–13 scoring line in 56 games but only has two points and a -6 rating over his last 25 outings, so he’s hit a tough stretch in the second half of the year.
Colorado saw enough out of Brindley to sign him to a cost-effective two-year, $1.75MM extension back in November. He still has another season of waiver-exempt status after this one, so, especially considering they structured the first year of that extension as a two-way deal, he may still see some AHL time in 2026-27 before ideally transitioning to a full-time role in a couple of years.
The Florida native was a star offensive producer at the University of Michigan but struggled as a first-year pro in the Columbus organization last season, limited to a 6-11–17 scoring line in 52 AHL games. Given how he’s fared in his NHL minutes this season, Brindley should be in line for an expanded role with the Eagles with a corresponding increase in production.
The Avs have carried a thin roster through much of the season, so the fact they only have 13 healthy forwards without Brindley on the roster isn’t anything new. His demotion is less about resolving a roster crunch and more about getting the still-developing winger some playing time.
Oilers Sign Tomas Cibulka To Entry-Level Deal
The Oilers announced Friday that they’ve signed undrafted free agent defenseman Tomas Cibulka to a two-year entry-level deal beginning next season. Per PuckPedia, the deal carries a $955K cap hit that breaks down to $930K in 2026-27 and $980K in 2027-28, $80K of which will be paid via signing bonus. His minor league salary each season is $85K.
Cibulka, 22 next week, makes the jump back across the Atlantic after spending the last two years in Czechia’s top division, Extraliga, with HC Motor Ceske Budejovice, his hometown team. Before that, he played through most of his junior career in Eastern Canada, suiting up for the Val-d’Or Foreurs and the Cape Breton Eagles of the QMJHL from 2021-24.
The lefty checks in at 6’0″ and 170 lbs. There were some defensive flaws in his game dating back to junior that haven’t really gone away, but Edmonton hopes his puck-moving ability is enough to help him challenge for a depth role in the NHL.
Over the past two seasons in Ceske Budejovice, he racked up a 13-29–42 scoring line in 90 games with a -10 rating. He was part of the Czechs’ bronze-medal-winning effort at the 2024 World Juniors, posting a pair of goals in seven games.
There’s no path toward a regular NHL role for Cibulka next season. Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, and Jake Walman are all signed for several more seasons and will make up the Oilers’ left side for now.
They have three non-roster lefties signed through next year – Damian Carfagna, Atro Leppanen, and Riley Stillman. All of them have put up good numbers in AHL Bakersfield this season, so for Cibulka to land regular playing time, it’s looking like he or someone else will need to shift to their offside.
Cibulka’s deal will make him a restricted free agent in 2028. The Oilers have now used up 31 of their 50 contract slots for next season.
Maple Leafs Sign Hayes Hundley To Entry-Level Deal
The Maple Leafs announced Friday that they’ve signed college free agent defenseman Hayes Hundley to a three-year, entry-level deal. Financial terms were not disclosed, but they did confirm the deal begins next season. He will finish out the current league year with AHL Toronto on a tryout.
Hundley, 21, turns pro after only one year in the NCAA with the University of St. Thomas. The 6’3″, 207-lb righty contributed a 6-6–12 scoring line and a +10 rating in 38 games for the Tommies, ranking fourth on the team’s blue line in scoring.
It’s a surprising development to see a previously unheralded, undrafted name go pro after only one year in the college circuit, but the Leafs were far from the only team to show interest in the shutdown rearguard, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff reports. He’s the third free agent signing the Leafs have made from the NCAA in this year’s cycle, joining Northeastern defenseman Vincent Borgesi and Union forward Brandon Buhr.
An Ohio native, Hundley played several years in the Blue Jackets’ youth program before jumping to Tier II juniors with the Johnstown Tomahawks of the NAHL in 2023-24, which would have been his post-draft season if he had been selected when he was initially eligible. He then moved up to high-level juniors with the USHL’s Fargo Force, again staying just one year before heading to St. Thomas. If Hundley plays for the Marlies down the stretch, that will mean he’s jumped up four development levels in less than three calendar years, a rapid ascension.
Hundley’s contract gives Toronto 32 deals on the books for next year, with 18 contract slots remaining. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2029.
Blackhawks Sign Jiri Felcman To Entry-Level Deal
The Blackhawks announced Friday that they’ve signed center prospect Jiri Felcman to a three-year, entry-level deal that begins next season. The contract carries a cap hit of $996.7K and will make him a restricted free agent in 2029.
Per PuckPedia, the deal includes a European assignment clause through 2027-28 if he’s assigned to the ECHL, allowing Felcman to trigger a loan back to the SCL Tigers of the Swiss National League, where he’s spent the last three years. The full breakdown of the contract, which carries a $1.045MM qualifying offer upon expiry, is as follows:
| Year | NHL salary | Signing bonus | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $95K | $82.5K |
| 2027-28 | $900K | $95K | $82.5K |
| 2028-29 | $950K | $95K | $82.5K |
Felcman had already signed a tryout with AHL Rockford earlier in the week, but landing him on an NHL deal now ensures they retain his signing rights past their June 2027 expiration. The 6’4″ pivot, who turns 21 next month, was a third-round choice in 2023.
Since then, he’s been grinding away to make his mark professionally in Switzerland, where the Czech forward has spent all of his development despite still representing his home country internationally. He’s suited up for the Tigers in Langnau over the past three years, but didn’t really have a significant presence on the club until this season.
Felcman, who could top out as a third-line checking center, broke out for a 3-17–20 scoring line with a -4 rating in 52 games to lead junior-aged NL players in scoring. He’s an afterthought in a loaded Chicago prospect pool – few would even consider him in a top-20 ranking there – but did take enough steps forward this season to help the Hawks determine he’s at least worth the initial investment of an ELC and the contract slot for the next few years to see if he can continue climbing up the ladder.
Red Wings Recall Michal Postava
The Red Wings announced Thursday that they’ve recalled goaltender Michal Postava from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. He is expected to back up John Gibson tomorrow against the Sabres after head coach Todd McLellan ruled Cam Talbot out earlier today due to a minor tweak (via Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press).
It will be Postava’s first time dressing for an NHL contest. The 24-year-old is in his first season in the organization, having signed an entry-level deal as an undrafted free agent last summer.
Before coming stateside, the 6’2″, 205-lb netminder spent several years climbing the ladder in his native Czechia. Only in 2024-25 did he emerge as a full-time option in the country’s top division, Extraliga, doing so with a bang.
In 42 showings for HC Kometa Brno, he erupted for a .921 SV%, 2.39 GAA, three shutouts, and a 23-18-0 record. He went on to author a Cinderella run for the mid-tier Brno all the way to an Extraliga championship, posting a league-leading .940 SV% in 17 playoff games.
Now in Grand Rapids, he’s played second fiddle to top prospect Sebastian Cossa. In most any other environment, he would have emerged as a clear-cut #3 by now. Through 21 games, he’s logged a .932 SV%, 1.86 GAA, two shutouts, and a 13-6-0 record.
Postava remains under contract through next season before becoming a restricted free agent. Given his play, it’s hard to see a universe in which he or Cossa aren’t the backup option to Gibson next season, replacing the pending UFA Talbot.
Sabres Reassign Zach Metsa
The Sabres announced Thursday that they’ve reassigned defenseman Zach Metsa to AHL Rochester.
Metsa, 27, has been on the NHL roster since early December, outside of two inconsequential minor-league assignments over the Olympic break and at the trade deadline to make him AHL-eligible for the rest of the season. He’s played in 18 of the Sabres’ last 21 games but was scratched in Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Bruins to make way for Conor Timmins, who was returning after being sidelined for three months with a broken leg.
Buffalo already has Michael Kesselring and trade-deadline pickup Luke Schenn available as extra right-shot options, so keeping Metsa up wasn’t a necessity for injury insurance. Instead, they’ll take advantage of his waiver-exempt status to make sure he keeps getting playing time in Rochester while they give the more veteran trio of Timmins, Kesselring, and Schenn more reps, keeping Metsa fresh in case they do decide to insert him into the lineup in the postseason.
Metsa returning and playing a regular role for Buffalo in the playoffs is still very much a possibility. The 5’9″ rookie righty likely takes home the award for the league’s luckiest results this season, but his impact has been impressive nonetheless. Through his first 38 NHL contests, the Quinnipiac product has managed a +20 rating, ranking second among Sabres defenders behind Mattias Samuelsson‘s +34.
That’s despite Metsa averaging just 10:19 of ice time per game. Despite only controlling 45.7% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, Metsa has only been on the ice for two goals against all season long. No defenseman in the league with at least 10 games played has been on the ice for fewer goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 than Metsa at just 0.31.
Considering his xGA/60 is way up at 2.66, per Natural Stat Trick, those results were never likely to hold. The Sabres likely took a significant amount of stock in that figure in today’s decision, realizing that Kesselring’s underlying defensive impacts as a #6/7 option this season (2.44 xGA/60) are preferable.
Still, Metsa’s run this season has been a great success story for a late bloomer who earned his first NHL contract just last summer. He captained Quinnipiac to a national championship in 2023 and had spent the last two seasons in Rochester on minor-league deals before the Sabres finally decided to ink him last July. He’s still under contract through next season but will lose his waiver exemption.
Red Wings Reassign Sheldon Dries
The Red Wings announced Thursday that they’ve reassigned center Sheldon Dries to AHL Grand Rapids. He was the odd man out when captain Dylan Larkin made his return to the lineup against the Senators on Tuesday, ending the emergency conditions he was summoned under earlier this month.
Dries’ demotion won’t be the only roster move coming from the Wings in the next several hours. Head coach Todd McLellan told reporters earlier today that goaltender Cam Talbot will be unavailable to back up John Gibson on Friday against the Sabres after tweaking something, so they’ll need to recall a goalie from Grand Rapids before tomorrow evening (via Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press).
Dries, 31, had been filling in as the Wings’ fourth-line center for the last five games due to the domino effect caused by injuries to Larkin, Andrew Copp, and Michael Rasmussen, among others. While he’d been recalled several times earlier in the year, none of those resulted in playing time.
As such, his time in the lineup this month marked his first NHL appearances since April 2023 with the Canucks. The Michigan native did not record a point but at least managed to not be on the ice for a goal against at 5-on-5, averaging just 6:58 of ice time per game while winning 42.9% of his faceoffs.
While Rasmussen and Emmitt Finnie remain out of the picture for Detroit’s forward group at present, that’s still the healthiest they’ve been in a while. That’s good news for their playoff push, especially seeing as their regulation loss to Ottawa on Tuesday has dropped their postseason odds to 42.4% entering play tonight, per MoneyPuck.
Grand Rapids will gladly take Dries back. The 5’10” pivot has never been more than a depth scoring touch in his NHL minutes but has been a major impact piece in a leadership role for the Griffins since signing a two-way deal with the Wings in 2024, racking up a 20-17–37 scoring line with a +22 rating in 48 AHL outings this season.