Blackhawks Recall Kevin Korchinski, Sam Rinzel
The Blackhawks announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled defense prospects Kevin Korchinski and Sam Rinzel from AHL Rockford. Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 4 in the corresponding move.
Chicago doesn’t have any defensemen in Italy suiting up at the Olympics, so it’s likely these recalls will result in actual playing time for the two youngsters. Korchinski, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft, especially stands to benefit as a lefty, more directly replacing Kaiser’s slot on the depth chart. Since recording 15 points in 76 games for the Hawks as a rookie in 2023-24, Chicago has been much more restrictive with his development, leaving him mostly in the AHL to work on developing his all-around game.
His minor-league stats indicate the Hawks are still working to undo any damage they may have done by rushing him into the NHL lineup as a 19-year-old two years ago. He’s posted a respectable 5-45–50 scoring line in 101 games for Rockford over the last two years but that’s come with a -39 rating, including a team-worst -22 mark this year. He nonetheless leads Rockford in scoring from the blue line with 23 points in 45 games. For a Chicago blue line that’s struggled to get offense from anyone not named Artyom Levshunov this year, he could be of benefit to their 26th-ranked offense until Kaiser is ready to get back into the fold.
Rinzel, taken several spots after Korchinski in the first round in 2022, broke camp with the Hawks after a strong finish last season that saw him record five assists in his first nine NHL games after wrapping up his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota. Ice time was harder to latch onto as a full-timer, though, averaging 17:09 per game through the first two months of this year after getting top-pairing deployment down the stretch in 2024-25.
After Rinzel had an even rating and nine points in 31 games, Chicago opted to send Rinzel to Rockford in early December for additional development. The well-rounded righty has looked solid there, rattling off 14 points in 23 games with a -8 rating on a team with an ugly -30 goal differential.
He’s now one of four righties on the Hawks’ active roster, so the path to playing time is murkier than what Korchinski has at the moment. Head coach Jeff Blashill has opted to dress seven defensemen frequently this season, though, so he should have a decent shot at getting in the lineup, even if his ice time isn’t extensive.
Kaiser sustained a lower-body injury in Chicago’s final game before the Olympic break. Head coach Jeff Blashill said yesterday that he’ll miss a couple of games on the other side but will be back at some point down the stretch.
Maple Leafs Recall William Villeneuve
The Maple Leafs announced they’ve recalled defenseman William Villeneuve from AHL Toronto. He’ll give the Leafs an extra defenseman at practices for the time being while they await Oliver Ekman-Larsson‘s return from representing Sweden at the Olympics.
Villeneuve hasn’t gotten a recall yet this season. Some have questioned that decision given the lack of puck-moving ability on Toronto’s blue line outside of Ekman-Larsson and Morgan Rielly. The 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2020 and is now in his fourth pro season.
Last year marked a breakout for the 6’2″ righty. After a pair of decent showings lower in the Marlies’ lineup, he had his minutes elevated and exploded for 36 assists and 40 points in 55 games, leading the team’s defense in scoring along with a team-high +17 rating. His stock has tanked in 2025-26, though. With 18 points in 40 games, he’s on pace for the worst offensive performance of his professional career and has flipped to a team-worst -8 rating. His drop-off is part of a larger decline from the Marlies’ roster, though – he still leads their blue line in scoring.
His NHL-ready size and longer body of two-way success in the AHL still has him ranked as Toronto’s No. 5 prospect and No. 2-ranked defenseman, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun opined earlier this month. A pending restricted free agent, he’s a clear bet to receive a qualifying offer for the second year in a row and could be in line for his NHL debut down the stretch if Toronto sells off a defender or two ahead of the trade deadline.
Canucks Recall Aku Koskenvuo
With several teams summoning players from their AHL affiliates today to practice during remainder of the Olympics, the Vancouver Canucks got in on the action, announcing that goaltender Aku Koskenvuo has been recalled under emergency conditions. The 22-year-old will practice with the team while Kevin Lankinen remains with Team Finland, representing both his and Koskenvuo’s home country.
Chosen in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Koskenvuo developed at Harvard prior to turning pro in 2025-26. So far this year he’s played nine games for Abbotsford of the AHL, also making six appearances in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings, indicative that the 22-year-old is at least fifth on the goaltending depth chart for now. The 6’4″ left catcher has a 2-5 record so far in the AHL with a .895 save percentage and 3.20 goals-against-average.
Still in the beginning stages of his career, the 22-year-old will enjoy getting to practice with the big club before returning to the minors. Koskenvuo’s entry level contract expires after 2026-27, as he’ll work to move up the organizational depth chart until then.
Flyers Recall Carson Bjarnason
The Flyers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Carson Bjarnason from AHL Lehigh Valley. He’ll complement Samuel Ersson in practice for the next few days until Team Czechia’s time at the Winter Olympics is over, allowing Daniel Vladař to return to Philadelphia.
Bjarnason, 20, is viewed by many as the Flyers’ goalie of the future alongside fellow 2023 draftee Yegor Zavragin. Zavragin is viewed by prospect evaluators as the higher-ceiling netminder, but most of his development in Russia will be inaccessible to stateside fans. Bjarnason, a more liquid asset, was tabbed as the No. 12 prospect in Philadelphia’s system last summer by Corey Pronman of The Athletic. Perhaps his performance this season has dampened expectations, though.
A first-year pro, Bjarnason has struggled to the tune of a .889 SV% and a 3.08 GAA in 22 games with Lehigh Valley. It’s worth noting that jumping from juniors straight to the AHL is a far rarer path for goalies than it is for skaters, though. Most netminders will get at least one year of full-time seasoning in the ECHL – even first-round picks like the Red Wings’ Sebastian Cossa, for a recent example – before making the jump to the AHL, so it’s wise to take Bjarnason’s numbers with a grain of salt.
That said, the 6’4″, 207-lb netminder has still managed a winning record in Lehigh Valley at 11-7-5. He won’t be getting any recalls resulting in game action anytime soon, but next year will be a pivotal one to see if he can take the next step up the ladder into being a viable AHL starter.
Avalanche Place Jacob MacDonald On Waivers
The Avalanche placed defenseman Jacob MacDonald on waivers today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He has been sidelined for the entire season due to hip surgery. If he clears tomorrow, he’ll head to AHL Colorado to get his shortened campaign underway.
MacDonald, 33 later this month, played in the NHL each season from 2020-24 and totaled 133 NHL appearances in that time. Including a previous two-game stint with the Panthers in 2018-19, he’s put up 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 135 career outings with Florida, Colorado, and San Jose. He’s largely had good possession numbers in sheltered minutes, averaging 12:38 of ice time per game while controlling 52.6% of shot attempts at even strength.
After the Avs traded him to the Sharks midway through the 2022-23 campaign, MacDonald returned for a second stint in Colorado in 2024 by signing a two-year, two-way deal in free agency. He’s yet to make an NHL appearance on that deal, spending all of last season in the minors. The Oregon native has spent some time up on the wing in his career, and that offensive ability was evidenced by a dominant campaign that saw him set the AHL single-season record for goals by a defenseman with 31. He added 24 assists for 55 points and a +24 rating in 63 games, making him a three-time AHL All-Star while also taking home the Eddie Shore Award for the league’s best defenseman for the first time.
The Avalanche already has strong minor-league defensive depth. Jack Ahcan has stepped in seamlessly for MacDonald as the Eagles’ top rearguard, posting 33 points and a +20 rating in 36 games. Three other defenders have a +10 rating or better on the year in what’s tracking to be the franchise’s best season since being promoted from the ECHL in 2018.
Given the strength of that group, it’s likely MacDonald won’t be relied upon as a recall option down the stretch. He’ll be able to focus on getting back into game shape and doing what he can to extend his career following a significant procedure.
Sharks, Jeff Skinner Terminate Contract
Feb. 17: Skinner cleared unconditional waivers and has had his contract terminated, per Friedman. He is now an unrestricted free agent.
Feb. 16: The Sharks have placed winger Jeff Skinner on unconditional waivers for purposes of contract termination, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow if no one claims the remainder of his existing $3MM cap hit for this season.
The timing of the maneuver suggests Skinner has tangible interest from at least one other NHL team, but they weren’t interested in acquiring him from the Sharks – even for future considerations – at his current cap hit. With San Jose only carrying one salary retention slot until the end of next season, they’ll be picky about how they use it and likely aren’t willing to retain money on the veteran winger to complete a trade.
As such, he’ll need to walk away from the remainder of his guaranteed $3MM salary for this season and sign on elsewhere for close to, if not at, the league minimum for the stretch run. He signed with the Sharks nearly two weeks into free agency last summer to give them some additional top-nine scoring help, but the fit just hasn’t been there. He’s been limited to six goals and 13 points in 32 appearances and was relegated to the press box for 10 straight games heading into the Olympic break, last suiting up on Jan. 11.
With Michael Misa being thrust into top-six duties on the other side of the World Juniors and their pickup of Kiefer Sherwood from the Canucks pushing Skinner down the depth chart, there was no longer a home or need for him in a depth scoring role. He finishes his Sharks tenure averaging 12:21 of ice time per game with a -8 rating.
If a playoff contender is looking for a third-line boost with boatloads of NHL experience, they’ll have a perfect pickup in Skinner. The 2010 seventh overall pick crossed the 1,100-game threshold earlier this season and has averaged 28 goals and 53 points per 82 games for his career, although he’s produced closer to a 30-point pace since the beginning of last season.
One thing the 5’11” winger is light on is postseason experience. He didn’t have any until signing a one-year deal with the Oilers in free agency in 2024, and even then, he appeared in only five games during their run to last year’s Stanley Cup Final, having slipped to a No. 13/14 forward by the time the playoffs rolled around.
As for the Sharks, they’ll clear up a bit of cap space heading into the deadline, but more importantly, they’ll shed a contract. They were at the 50-contract limit until Vincent Iorio got claimed off waivers by the Rangers last month, so that’s been a concern for them from the jump this year. They’ll now have a bit more breathing room with two open slots heading into the deadline.
Rangers Recall Brett Berard, Brendan Brisson
The Rangers announced they’ve recalled forwards Brett Berard and Brendan Brisson from AHL Hartford. With multiple Blueshirts still overseas at the Winter Olympics, Berard and Brisson will serve as practice supplements before likely returning to Hartford in a few days’ time.
Berard was in contention for a full-time NHL role this year, but it didn’t pan out that way for the 23-year-old. A fifth-round pick in 2020, he got a long look last season as a second-year pro. He spent a good chunk of time in a third-line role and ended up with six goals and 10 points in 35 appearances, shooting at 10.2% while averaging 10:43 of ice time per game.
He didn’t land a roster spot out of camp, though, and has been passed over for more experienced names like Conor Sheary or higher-ceiling options like Brennan Othmann and Gabriel Perreault for call-ups and playing time. He’s seen a handful of recalls throughout the year but has struggled to make an impact, going pointless in 13 outings with a -1 rating and 17 hits.
That coincided with Berard’s production in Hartford taking a small step back as well. After a 25-goal rookie year and racking up 0.77 points per game in 2024-25, Berard’s been limited to a 6-12–18 scoring line in 34 games with the Wolf Pack with a -13 rating. At 5’9″ and 174 lbs, if he’s not producing offensively, he’s not likely to get many more NHL looks.
Brisson is in his first full season with the Rangers organization after being acquired from the Golden Knights in last year’s Reilly Smith trade deadline deal. The 24-year-old was the No. 29 overall pick in 2020 and once looked like a future top-six fixture in Vegas after an impressive collegiate performance, but his AHL production took a turn for the worse over the last couple of years.
After being limited to seven goals in 61 AHL games between Henderson and Hartford last year, though, he seems to have found more footing. Two-way play remains a concern with a team-worst -21 rating, but he’s rattled off 13 goals and 23 points in 46 games. He’s three goals and five points shy of Trey Fix-Wolansky for the team lead, and considering how much trouble the Rangers have had getting depth scoring this season, there might be another recall opportunity or two for him down the stretch.
Blues Recall Georgi Romanov
The Blues announced they’ve recalled goaltender Georgi Romanov from AHL Springfield. With teams allowed to resume practice activities this afternoon, he will serve as a second goaltender behind Joel Hofer until Jordan Binnington returns from his stint representing Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Romanov has 10 NHL games to his name, all with the Sharks between 2023-25. The 26-year-old made a pair of relief appearances two years ago and another pair last season in addition to his first six big-league starts, in which he compiled a 0-6-0 record. In under 500 minutes of total ice time in San Jose, the Russian netminder had a .888 SV%, 3.53 GAA, and -3.5 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
San Jose inked Romanov to a two-year entry-level contract as a free agent from the KHL’s Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg in 2023, but opted not to issue him a qualifying offer when the deal ran out last summer. He ended up going unsigned until training camp, landing a PTO with the Devils. The tryout agreement turned into a contract, just not in New Jersey. St. Louis signed him to a two-way deal on Oct. 8, and he cleared waivers the following day.
The pending Group VI unrestricted free agent was brought in to replace Colten Ellis as the organization’s third-stringer after Ellis was claimed off waivers by the Sabres in training camp. He’s essentially split Springfield’s crease with countryman Vadim Zherenko. Neither have particularly excelled, with Romanov posting a .893 SV%, 3.37 GAA, 7-11-4 record, and one shutout in 24 games. He’ll be on his way back to the minors as soon as Binnington rejoins the club.
Capitals Sign Mitch Gibson To Two-Way Deal
The Capitals announced they’ve signed goaltender Mitch Gibson to a two-year, two-way contract that starts this season. He’ll be placed on waivers today for the purpose of returning him to AHL Hershey, where he’s spent a good portion of the season.
It’s the third straight contract Gibson has signed with the Caps, but it’s his first multi-year deal. The 26-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Washington in 2018 but didn’t sign until five years later after he’d wrapped up a four-year collegiate run with Harvard. He spent most of the last two seasons in the No. 5 spot on Washington’s depth chart, serving as the starter in ECHL South Carolina, before being non-tendered last summer.
While the Caps no longer wanted to use an NHL contract slot on Gibson, they still wanted to keep him in the organization. He agreed to a one-year AHL contract with Hershey in June, but started the year back on assignment to South Carolina. The Capitals have been dealing with injury troubles between the pipes as of late, though, with both Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson missing time before the Olympic break. That’s led to Gibson getting more AHL reps lately, with 12 appearances already a new career high.
The Pennsylvania native has impressed. His .918 SV% and 2.48 GAA outpace both of Washington’s NHL-contracted mainstays in Hershey, Garin Bjorklund and Clay Stevenson. With the former struggling to the tune of a .881 mark in the same amount of workload as Gibson, it’s fair to assume he’s worked his way up to fourth-string status behind Thompson, Lindgren, and Stevenson.
With Washington’s recent injury troubles, they were likely becoming uncomfortable with the prospect of only having two call-up options available if needed – especially if Stevenson needs to go through waivers at some point down the stretch for any reason. They still have three contract slots available after inking Gibson, so they’re not in a huge crunch in that regard.
It’s worth noting Bjorklund is a pending restricted free agent. Signing Gibson through next season could indicate they aren’t planning on qualifying Bjorklund.
Hurricanes Sign Brandon Bussi To Three-Year Extension
The Hurricanes announced they’ve signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a three-year extension. The deal is worth $1.9MM annually for a total value of $5.7MM. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the new deal will keep him under contract with Carolina through the 2028-29 campaign. He’ll earn a $850K salary and $150K signing bonus in 2026-27, a $1MM salary and $850K signing bonus in 2027-28, and a $1MM salary with a $1.85MM signing bonus in the last year, per PuckPedia. He’ll also carry a 10-team no-trade clause in 2028-29.
Bussi, 27, has had a dream start to his NHL career. Claimed off waivers from the Panthers at the beginning of the season to serve as the third-stringer behind Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov, the undrafted free agent has since emerged as the Canes’ clear starting option in what’s been a tumultuous season for the rest of their crease.
While the Western Michigan product had a strong AHL track record entering the year, he didn’t have a single NHL start to his name. He’s now made 27 of them with a raucous 23-3-1 record, putting up a .906 SV% and 2.16 GAA with two shutouts. Just before the break, he broke into the top 10 in the league in terms of goals saved above expected with 11.0, per MoneyPuck.
With the struggling Andersen set to ride off into the open market this summer and Kochetkov likely done for the year with a hip injury, Carolina has a ton invested in Bussi being able to keep up that level of play. With no blue-chip prospects ready to succeed Andersen as the starter and no high-end long-term options set to be available in free agency, the Canes needed some insurance past this season as well. Retaining Bussi at such a marginal cap hit gives them that insurance with virtually no risk, even if his numbers regress and he settles back in as more of a No. 2/3 option.
Bussi’s strong career minor-league numbers suggest he’s got a good chance of being able to keep this up, though. Signed by the Bruins as an undrafted free agent in 2022, he was an AHL All-Star as a rookie while putting up a .924 SV% and 22-5-4 record in 32 games for Providence. He remained in the Boston organization until reaching unrestricted free agent status last summer, landing a two-way deal with the Panthers before being lost on waivers in training camp. In four AHL seasons before hitting the open market, he made 111 appearances with a 2.61 GAA, .915 SV%, eight shutouts, and a 63-31-13 record.
His lack of NHL experience was always going to make it hard for him to land an eye-popping cap hit on his next deal, though. Reports emerged last month that the Canes were working to get him extended. The few reasonable comparables for Bussi’s camp in the last several years all topped out in the high $1MM range on a short-term multi-year deal, so this one doesn’t push the envelope by very much.
It’s nonetheless a shrewd signing by general manager Eric Tulsky, who’s essentially given Carolina a worst-case scenario of Bussi and Kochetkov as next season’s tandem if Andersen walks and they don’t pursue an external replacement via trade or free agency. Bussi will be 31 years old when his deal is up, joining a potential 2029 UFA goalie class of Thatcher Demko, Spencer Knight, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Linus Ullmark.