Mammoth Recall Maksymilian Szuber, Assign Scott Perunovich
The Utah Mammoth have joined many teams in rotating around their roster days before the NHL returns from the Olympic break. Defenseman Maksymilian Szuber has been recalled to the NHL club while Scott Perunovich has been assigned to the minor leagues, per a team announcement.
It is unclear if Szuber will stick with the NHL club through their return to game action but the young prospect has had a strong start to the year. Szuber has recorded 10 goals, 24 points, 38 penalty minutes, and a plus-five in 44 games with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He has been involved all over the ice, using his big frame to dominate play up-and-down the ice. That presence has established Szuber as Tucson’s second-best defenseman behind Utah top prospect Dmitry Simashev – though Szuber is the only blue-liner on the team with double-digit goals.
Narrowly above both Szuber and Simashev in scoring is the veteran Perunovich, who has three goals and 30 points in 43 AHL games this season. The 27 year old has landed in Utah’s AHL system after failing to stick in the NHL lineup for the St. Louis Blues or New York Islanders. He has racked up 32 points in 108 NHL games dating back to 2021 but hasn’t yet debuted with the Utah Mammoth.
With this move, Perunovich seems set to continue filling his top-four role with the Roadrunners, while Szuber could earn his second NHL game. The German defender will compete with Ian Cole, Olli Maatta, and Kevin Connauton for time in the lineup. He made his debut with the Mammoth last season and recorded one penalty and a minus-one.
Blackhawks Sign, Reassign Olivier Rodrigue
2/22: Chicago has officially assigned Rodrigue to the AHL after he cleared NHL waivers.
2/21: The Blackhawks have added some extra goaltending depth for the stretch run. The team announced that they’ve signed goaltender Olivier Rodrigue to a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the season. The deal will carry a $775K cap charge at the NHL level while the two-way salary was not disclosed.
The 25-year-old was a second-round pick of Edmonton back in 2018, going 62nd overall. However, he wasn’t able to make much of a push for NHL playing time over his five seasons in their system. Aside from a two-game stint with the Oilers last season, Rodrigue played exclusively in their minor league system between AHL Bakersfield and ECHL Wichita. Last season, Rodrigue posted a 3.12 GAA with a .897 SV% in 42 games with the Condors and became a Group Six unrestricted free agent back in the summer.
It took until mid-August for Rodrigue to find a team as he wound up signing a one-year deal with Barys Astana of the KHL. However, he suffered an injury less than a month later, leading to his release before he had even played a game for them. Since then, Rodrigue hasn’t played but this contract suggests that he’s now cleared to return to game action.
Presumably, Rodrigue’s signing comes in response to prospect goalie Stanislav Berezhnoy, who received a 20-game suspension from the AHL earlier this week for violating the terms of the AHL/PHPA Performance Enhancing Substance Program. Chicago’s intent is likely to have Rodrigue serve as the backup to Drew Commesso for the stretch run while evaluating his possibility as a fit for next season as well. With 131 career AHL regular season appearances under his belt where he has a 2.92 GAA and a .905 SV%, Rodrigue should be well-suited to fill that role.
To do so, Chicago will first have to successfully run Rodrigue through waivers before he can be assigned to the IceHogs. While the NHL is in a trade freeze at the moment, waivers are still allowable during this period and PuckPedia reports that he is indeed on waivers. Assuming he clears, he’ll be sent down on Sunday and will be eligible to play then.
Mammoth Recall Scott Perunovich And Kevin Connauton
With Olli Maatta still taking part in the Olympics, the Mammoth have brought up some extra defensive depth for practice. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defensemen Scott Perunovich and Kevin Connauton from AHL Tucson.
Perunovich is in his first season with Utah after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them back in free agency. A veteran of 108 career NHL appearances, he has yet to make one this season as he has played exclusively with the Roadrunners, his first extended AHL run since 2022-23. The 27-year-old has been quite productive in Tucson, notching three goals and 27 assists in 43 games to lead all team blueliners in scoring.
As for Connauton, he has 360 career NHL outings under his belt but none since the 2021-22 campaign. The 35-year-old is in the second and final season of his two-way deal and has suited up in 23 games with the Roadrunners this season where he has two assists. At this point, it seems likely that both he and Perunovich’s time with the big club will be short-lived with Utah’s back end fully healthy coming out of the break.
With the recalls, Utah’s active roster now sits at 22 players, one shy of the maximum. It’s worth noting that the team has moved Maatta and winger Clayton Keller to non-roster status, so it’s possible that another player will be brought up for practice purposes over the next couple of days.
Flames Activate Blake Coleman And John Beecher Off IR
The Flames will welcome back a pair of forwards when their schedule resumes on Thursday against San Jose. Per the NHL’s Media Site, Calgary has activated Blake Coleman and John Beecher off injured reserve.
Coleman has been out of the lineup since early January when he suffered an upper-body injury against Boston. The 34-year-old has played in 44 games this season, picking up 13 goals and eight assists while averaging 17 minutes per night of playing time.
Of course, Coleman is known more for his physicality and two-way game. He’s averaging 2.5 hits per game, his highest mark since the 2019-20 season while he’s averaging more than two minutes per night of shorthanded playing time, second among Calgary forwards.
As a result, Coleman has been a highly speculated trade candidate in recent months, especially since he’s not a pure rental. He has one season left after this one on a contract that carries a cap hit of $4.9MM. Being able to get back in the lineup and show that he’s healthy will only bolster his value before the March 6th trade deadline.
Beecher, meanwhile, is also returning from an upper-body injury from more than a month ago, sustained against Nashville. Claimed off waivers from Boston back in mid-November, the 24-year-old has two assists in 19 games with the Flames in 9:38 per contest of playing time. He’ll likely return to his fourth-line spot coming out of the break.
For the time being, Calgary is now at the maximum of 23 players on its active roster. However, winger Jonathan Huberdeau is currently on that active roster but won’t return this season due to hip surgery. Accordingly, he’s a safe bet to move to injured reserve whenever the Flames need to open up a roster spot.
Jordan Weal Signs Two-Year Extension In KHL
Former Philadelphia Flyers center Jordan Weal won’t be leaving Russia any time soon. He has signed a two-year extension with the KHL’s Moscow Dynamo per a league announcement. Weal moved to the KHL for the 2021-22 season and joined Dynamo the year after.
Weal’s international move has proven fruitful. His tenure in Moscow started with 14 goals and 43 points scored in 62 games of the 2022-23 season. That performance was a strong step up from Weal’s 30 points in 36 games with Kazan Ak-Bars in his first season in Russia – but it was no match for what would come. Weal broke out with 30 goals and 77 points in 66 games of the 2023-24 season. He finished fourth in the KHL in scoring behind fellow former-NHL players Nikita Gusev, Reid Boucher, and Nikolay Goldobin.
Weal’s scoring has followed the flow of the KHL – dipping over the last few seasons after a year of explosive offense. He followed his breakout year with 51 points in 66 games last year. He is on pace to beat that mark so far this season, with 12 goals and a team-leading 46 points in 57 games so far. Those marks have kept Weal locked into a top-six role on a nightly basis, even as his scoring totals have fallen back to Earth.
Dynamo will now lock Weal into that spot through the next two seasons. The 33-year-old will serve as reliable, veteran depth as Moscow looks to promote rising prospects Mikhail Melikov, Artyom Bondar, and Maxim Ilyin to the pro flight. The club currently ranks sixth in the KHL’s Western Conference, four points ahead of playoff contention.
Rangers’ Matt Rempe Will Undergo Thumb Procedure, Placed On IR
New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan will have to make some lineup changes when he returns from Team USA’s run at the Winter Olympics. The Rangers announced that enforcer Matt Rempe will undergo another procedure to fix the thumb injury that held him out of 24 games earlier in the season, per the New York Post’s Mollie Walker. Rempe has been placed on injured reserve while he recovers from the procedure. He will be eligible to return on February 27th, the day after New York’s first game back from the Olympic break.
Rempe sustained his injury in a fight with San Jose Sharks winger Ryan Reaves in late October. He stayed out of the lineup until mid-December, then rotated into games through the start of the Olympic break. Rempe has totaled one goal, a minus-four, and 11 penalty minutes in 26 games this season. He has also thrown 86 hits, giving him the highest per-game average on the team.
The NHL’s tallest player has stuck to his fourth-line role in the Rangers lineup this season – though with a bit more poise than normal. Rempe went 12 games without a penalty after returning from his injury in December. He followed that with back-to-back games with a penalty but avoided the penalty box in his last three games. A part of that discipline is surely Rempe’s inability to fight while he nurses an injured thumb. He has only two fights this season, after recording six last season. His health will continue to be assessed as New York kicks back into gear for the season’s final sprint.
Maple Leafs Reassign Bo Groulx, William Villeneuve
Feb. 20: Groulx is headed back to the AHL today along with defenseman William Villeneuve, who was summoned two days ago, per a team announcement.
Feb. 19: The Maple Leafs announced they’ve recalled center Benoit-Olivier Groulx from AHL Toronto. He’ll join the team for today’s practice with forward Max Domi absent due to personal reasons, in addition to Auston Matthews remaining unavailable as he looks to captain Team USA to a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
Groulx, 26, was a second-round pick by the Ducks in 2018. He has 65 NHL games to his name, all coming with Anaheim from 2021-24. After making a career-high 45 appearances in the 2023-24 campaign, the Ducks non-tendered him. He’s spent the last two seasons exclusively in the AHL on NHL. deals, first on a two-way pact with the Rangers in 2024-25 before signing a two-year, one-way, league-minimum deal with Toronto last summer.
The 6’2″, 205-lb pivot has only demonstrated limited offensive upside in the NHL but has been one of the best two-way forwards in the minors over the last two seasons. Once named the QMJHL’s best defensive forward during his junior days, he’s racked up 22 goals and 42 points in 47 games to lead the Marlies in scoring, along with a +9 rating.
He’ll now look to make a strong impression in whatever practice deployment he gets to boost his chances of a call-up heading into next season. Since he signed a two-year deal, his $812,500 cap hit next season will actually be less than the new league minimum of $850,000.
Mammoth Recall Several Players From AHL
Feb. 20: All these players were returned to Tucson on Friday morning aside from McCartney, the team announced.
Feb. 17: Earlier this afternoon, the Utah Mammoth announced that Daniil But, Ben McCartney, Dmitri Simashev, Matt Villalta, and Maveric Lamoureux have been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. As NHL teams return to practice today, several clubs have added players to have the opportunity to skate with the big club this week while the Olympics come to a conclusion.
All bring NHL experience to the table, with But, Simashev, and Lamoureux standing out as top prospects chosen in the first round.
But is in his first North American season, coming over from the KHL. At just 21, he was reassigned prior to the Olympic Break in order to get more ice time. But appeared in just one game, not finding the score sheet, but otherwise, he’s been quite productive in the AHL with 17 points in 20 games. In the NHL, the Russian forward has played a variety of roles, recording a respectable seven points in 28 games. It’s all solid production for the former 12th overall selection in 2023. At 6’5″ with a wicked shot, But is still coming along, but he has intriguing upside.
Simashev, a defenseman, stands out as the highest drafted of the bunch, sixth overall in 2023. Similar to But, he came from Russia, as the two were teammates with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, taking home the KHL title last season. Simashev has had a great start to his North American career, with 23 points in 25 games for Tucson. That strong performance has earned 24 games with Utah this season, but the 21-year-old has just one assist. Still, he has serious top-four potential.
Lamoureux also has a striking frame at 6’6″. The former 29th overall selection by the Arizona Coyotes in 2022 has 20 NHL games so far. Not surprisingly, given his stature, the righty has a simple game which may lead to a more high-floor, low-ceiling outlook. Lamoureux has dealt with various injuries in his young career, but when healthy, he has looked the part in Tucson.
McCartney, 24, is not a prospect at this point, but the Manitoba native has carved out a nice career with the organization. Chosen in the seventh round by the Coyotes in 2020, he leads Tucson with 46 points in 47 games in 2025-26. McCartney managed to get into two NHL games as a ‘Yote in 2021-22, and is now vying to make his debut as a Mammoth at some point. As is important for any such player trying to break through into the NHL, McCartney is a relentless forechecker not afraid to get under opponents’ skin.
Villalta, a goaltender, was drafted by the Kings in 2017 before catching on with the Mammoth organization. The 26-year-old has three NHL games under his belt between the Coyotes and Mammoth, otherwise playing in the AHL. This season, Villalta has split duty with Jaxson Stauber, where he has held the edge with a better record and statistics. Standing at 6’4″, he is a free agent this summer, but until then, he will serve as an extra body in practice this week as #1 netminder Karel Vejmelka is representing Team Czechia.
Utah currently has one open roster spot, so in theory, one of the five could stay aboard post-Milan, before the next game on February 25 against Colorado. Most likely, though, the prospects, AHL top scorer, and respectable netminder will be evaluated and return to the 17th-ranked Roadrunners after the Olympics.
Flyers Reassign Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald, Carson Bjarnason
Feb. 19: The Flyers announced they’ve returned Bonk, McDonald, and goaltender Carson Bjarnason to Lehigh Valley today. They’ll get into AHL game action over the weekend after getting a day’s worth of NHL practice time.
Feb. 18: The Flyers have recalled defensemen Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald from AHL Lehigh Valley as expected, per a team announcement. They’ll get some practice reps in while Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen are still representing their countries at the Olympics.
While Bonk likely won’t be sticking around past the next week, it’s still a nice reward for Philly’s top-ranked defense prospect. Viewed as the only future top-four piece in their pipeline, the 21-year-old has had a trying first professional season. An upper-body injury sustained during rookie camp kept him out of the lineup until December. Since returning, he’s had two goals and six points with a -5 rating in 22 games for Lehigh Valley.
Bonk was the 22nd overall selection in 2023. He’s a two-time OHL champion with the London Knights and recorded 150 points in 189 career junior games with a +88 rating across four seasons. The early lack of offensive production in the AHL likely isn’t too concerning for the Flyers, who drafted the right-shot Bonk as more of a defensive-oriented two-way piece, but they’ll look to continue to grow his defensive game in the minors until likely giving him a more extended look on the roster in either 2026-27 or 2027-28.
McDonald, also a shutdown-type piece, got a brief recall in January while Rasmus Ristolainen was sidelined, but was scratched in three games before being returned to Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old 6’4″ lefty has five assists and a +9 rating in 40 games for the Phantoms this year.
Kings Recall Pheonix Copley, Place Kevin Fiala On IR
Earlier today, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they’ve recalled netminder Pheonix Copley from the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Additionally, the Kings have placed forward Kevin Fiala on the injured reserve, as expected.
Copley has likely been brought on as a practice player before Los Angeles returns to action next week. Darcy Kuemper, the Kings’ typical starter, is rostered on Team Canada for the Olympics, and they’ve already clinched a spot in the Bronze Medal game at the very least.
Despite a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Copley has been with Los Angeles for the past four years. Still, he’s spent much of the past two years with AHL Ontario. In 24 games for the Reign this season, Copley has managed a 13-11-0 record with a .890 SV% and 2.95 GAA.
Meanwhile, Fiala’s placement on the injured reserve was a formality. Playing on Team Switzerland in the Olympics, Fiala infamously suffered multiple leg fractures in a game against Canada.
The fractures required nearly immediate surgery, which has prematurely ended Fiala’s 2025-26 campaign. Los Angeles could have placed Fiala on long-term injured reserve, but their sufficient cap space made that unnecessary.
Fiala’s absence from the Kings’ lineup the rest of the way should undoubtedly alter Los Angeles’ approach leading up to the trade deadline. Yes, the team already acquired high-scoring winger Artemi Panarin before the Olympics, though that was with Fiala healthy. Given the drastic need for goal-scoring help in Los Angeles, it’s likely they’ll seek to acquire some additional reinforcements.