Canucks Reassign Aku Koskenvuo, Recall Nikita Tolopilo
The Canucks announced Monday that they’ve reassigned goaltender Aku Koskenvuo to AHL Abbotsford and recalled fellow netminder Nikita Tolopilo in his place. They continue to carry three goaltenders on the active roster, with Kevin Lankinen still working his way back into the mix after representing Finland at the Winter Olympics.
Koskenvuo, 22, wraps up a brief look in practice amid his first professional season. A fifth-round pick in 2021, he played three years at Harvard before signing his entry-level contract with Vancouver last March.
He’s spent the year bouncing between Abbotsford and ECHL Kalamazoo, receiving relatively equal workload in both leagues, although he’s been rostered with Abbotsford since mid-January thanks to the organizational ripple effect of Thatcher Demko‘s season-ending hip surgery. He hasn’t jumped off the page at either level. He has a 3.20 GAA, .895 SV%, and one shutout with a 2-5-0 record in nine appearances with Abbotsford, and a .898 SV% and 2-4-0 record in six games with Kalamazoo.
Tolopilo, 25, continues to jockey for position with Jiří Patera to serve as the third goalie on the depth chart behind Demko and Lankinen, a spot that will earn someone the backup job for the stretch run due to Demko’s absence. Tolopilo’s numbers lag behind Patera’s in the AHL, but the Belarusian has been the far superior option when given NHL spot starts this season.
In seven starts and nine appearances, he’s put up a 3-3-1 record with a .910 SV% and 3.04 GAA – excellent numbers, especially considering the porous defense Vancouver’s exhibited this year. He leads Canucks netminders with 3.5 goals saved above expected this season, per MoneyPuck. It wouldn’t be all too surprising to see the 6’6″ netminder usurp Patera quickly if given the chance and help relieve Lankinen’s workload down the stretch.
Mammoth Reassign Ben McCartney, Kevin Connauton, Maksymilian Szuber
The Mammoth announced Monday they’ve reassigned forward Ben McCartney and defensemen Kevin Connauton and Maksymilian Szuber to AHL Tucson. That wipes their active roster of all the players they’ve summoned for practice purposes over the Olympic break, signaling they expect both of their Olympian skaters who advanced to the medal games, Clayton Keller and Olli Määttä, to be available Wednesday night against the Avalanche.
McCartney, 24, is in his fifth pro season, all in the Utah and Arizona organizations. He was a seventh-round pick by the Coyotes in 2020 and has panned out nicely for them and now the Mammoth as an impact winger for Tucson. He only has two NHL games to his name, coming with Arizona back in 2021-22, but has been a consistent scoring piece for Tucson in the interim and has been an alternate captain for the club since 2023.
This season, the physical winger’s game has assumed new heights. He’s already set new career highs with 21 goals and 46 points in 47 games and leads Tucson in scoring. Along with 2023 first-rounder Daniil But, who Utah returned to Tucson last week, he’ll be among the Mammoth’s top forward recall options down the stretch.
While McCartney had been practicing with the Mammoth for the better part of a week, Connauton and Szuber were both just summoned over the weekend. The two defenders are at polar opposite stages in their careers and have had wildly different campaigns in Tucson. Connauton, who turns 36 today, is a veteran of 360 NHL games but hasn’t played at the top level since 2022. He likely won’t be adding to that total as he’s had a nightmarish season in the AHL, recording just two assists and a -11 rating in 23 games.
Szuber, meanwhile, continues to build his way toward competing for an NHL roster spot. The 23-year-old has far outpaced the development the Coyotes expected of him when using a sixth-round pick on him in 2022. The Polish-born German ranks sixth on Tucson in scoring this season with a 10-14–24 line in 44 games, along with a +5 rating. That’s promising production for someone touted as a potential third-pairing shutdown piece on the left side.
Predators Sign Jake Lucchini To Two-Way Extension
The Predators announced they’ve signed forward Jake Lucchini to a two-way contract extension for the 2026-27 campaign. It will be worth the new league minimum of $850K at the NHL level, Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean reports. Defenseman Kevin Gravel, a pending unrestricted free agent, also agreed to a two-year contract extension that will take him off Nashville’s books but keep him with AHL Milwaukee, the team announced.
Lucchini, 30, is solely a veteran top-six AHL option at this stage of his career, but can serve as an experienced call-up option when needed. He inked a two-year, two-way deal with Nashville as a free agent in 2024. He’s yet to see a recall for them this season, but suited up three times for the Predators last year, going without a point.
The British Columbia native has now spent time in the Penguins, Canadiens, Senators, Wild, and Predators systems since turning pro out of Michigan Tech in 2019. He’s been on two-way NHL contracts for most of that time, managing three goals and six points in 54 games with Ottawa, Minnesota, and Nashville across the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 campaigns.
Lucchini established himself as an AHL impact piece with a 20-goal, 51-point breakout for the Belleville Senators in 2021-22 and hasn’t looked back. He’s kept up similar point paces in every season since and currently ranks second on Milwaukee in scoring with 13 goals, 25 assists, and 38 points in 48 games.
He’ll now gain even more stability with a one-year extension. It’s rare enough for a journeyman AHL type to suit up for the same franchise in back-to-back seasons, let alone three in a row. Lucchini should be a contender to serve in a leadership capacity for Milwaukee next season as well, as he looks to continue anchoring a Nashville prospect pool that includes Joakim Kemell, David Edstrom, and Ryan Ufko, among others.
Jets Recall Four Players
Feb. 23: DiVincentiis is back up today to practice with the Jets, the team announced. As the team waits to see if Hellebuyck will arrive in time to join the team in Vancouver for their first game back against the Canucks on Wednesday, DiVincentiis might need to stick around to back up Eric Comrie for that game if Hellebuyck isn’t available until later in the week.
Feb. 22: The Jets announced this morning that DiVincentiis has been reassigned to AHL Manitoba. Since the league is still on break for the Winter Olympics, DiVincentiis’ recall did not come with any NHL games played. With Hellebuyck returning as an Olympic hero (although not for most Jets fans), he’s going to resume his place as Winnipeg’s undisputed No. 1 goalie.
The path for DiVincentiis to return to the NHL roster and perhaps even make his NHL debut in 2025-26 is likely to come as a result of either injury. That’s especially true since the Jets are highly unlikely to reach the playoffs and therefore would not have a pressing need to rest Hellebuyck for one of the final games of the season.
Feb. 17: NHL teams are permitted to practice today starting at 1:00 p.m. Central. Everybody will be down at least one player while the Winter Olympics are still ongoing in Milan-Cortina, so clubs will have the option to add practice players from their AHL affiliate in the meantime. The Jets were the first team to announce such a move Tuesday morning, recalling forward Walker Duehr, defensemen Ville Heinola and Elias Salomonsson, and goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis from AHL Manitoba.
Salomonsson was rostered right up until the break began, with blue-liners Haydn Fleury, Colin Miller, and Neal Pionk on injured reserve. Depending on their status next week, he could remain on the roster. There’s also a question mark surrounding star Josh Morrissey, who hasn’t played since Canada’s first group-stage game at the Olympics due to an undisclosed injury, though he returned to practice today ahead of tomorrow’s quarterfinal matchup against either Czechia or Denmark.
The 21-year-old Swede has surpassed Heinola as Winnipeg’s top-ranked defense prospect. A right-shot coming in at 6’2″ and 185 lbs, the smooth skater has a goal and 10 points in 29 AHL games with Manitoba this season. It’s his second year stateside after earning an AHL All-Star nod as a rookie. Now nearly four years removed from his second-round selection in 2022, he’s suited up in the first 13 games of his NHL career over the last several weeks with no points and a -5 rating. He’s averaging 16:58 of ice time per game and controlling 47.8% of shot attempts at even strength, a strong figure considering he owns a relatively low offensive zone start percentage of 43.8.
Heinola, the 20th overall pick back in 2019, will turn 25 next month and looks to be in the final months of his time in Winnipeg. Because he’s played fewer than 80 career NHL games, he’ll become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s yet to log any NHL time this season after making a career-high 18 appearances in 2024-25. The Finnish lefty remains Manitoba’s best offensive weapon on the blue line, though, ranking fifth on the team in scoring with 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in 44 games.
Duehr had played at least 20 NHL games in three consecutive seasons but hasn’t seen any this year after passing through waivers during training camp. The 28-year-old was a free agent signing by the Flames out of Minnesota State in 2022 and remained in the organization up until he got claimed off waivers by the Sharks in January 2025. He hit unrestricted free agency last summer and landed a two-way deal with Winnipeg, recording 12 goals and 26 points with a +12 rating in 39 games for Manitoba.
DiVincentiis was recalled to back up Eric Comrie for a handful of games in December while Connor Hellebuyck was recovering from knee surgery, but didn’t see any ice. The 21-year-old was a seventh-round pick in 2022 but has impressed in his pro career so far. He’s split Manitoba’s crease with fellow youngster Thomas Milic and has posted a .908 SV%, 2.68 GAA, and a 10-11-3 record with two shutouts in 24 games as a second-year pro.
Capitals Activate Charlie Lindgren From Injured Reserve
The Capitals announced Monday that they’ve activated goaltender Charlie Lindgren from injured reserve. Washington loaned goaltender Garin Bjorklund to AHL Hershey in the corresponding move, keeping their active roster at the 23-player limit.
After injury troubles derailed both Lindgren and starter Logan Thompson before the Olympic break, the Caps will have both of their NHL options on hand coming out of it. Lindgren was banged up in a Jan. 29 win over the Red Wings and sat out the following four games with a lower-body injury.
His play has experienced a steep decline since making a career-high 50 starts in 2023-24, leading Washington to an unexpected playoff berth. He was still used virtually in tandem with Thompson last season, even as his save percentage fell to a .896 mark. Further decline here in 2025-26 has bumped him back into a traditional backup role behind a Vezina Trophy candidate in Thompson, though. He’s made 17 starts compared to Thompson’s 39 while churning out a career-worst .884 SV% and 3.37 GAA. While he’s faced a more difficult workload than Thompson in terms of expected goals against, his GSAx is still in the red at -2.0, per MoneyPuck.
With two more years left on a still pretty fresh extension at a $3MM cap hit, though, the Caps are committed. That’s especially considering the lack of inspiring minor-league options or prospects waiting to take a job from him. That includes Bjorklund, who sits fourth on Washington’s depth chart behind Thompson, Lindgren, and veteran AHL starter Clay Stevenson. Bjorklund, 23, was a sixth-round pick by the Caps in 2020 and has put up great ECHL numbers the past two years, but has struggled up a level in Hershey. In 12 games this season, he’s put up a 3.47 GAA, .881 SV%, and a 4-5-3 record with one shutout.
Penguins Recall Avery Hayes
The Penguins announced they’ve recalled right winger Avery Hayes from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They have an open roster spot, so no corresponding move is required.
Pittsburgh has one of the league’s more intriguing prospect pools. Perhaps no one has seen his stock rise more in the last few months than Hayes. The 23-year-old has exploded in the minors this season, leading the Baby Pens with 19 goals in 36 games. That includes a pair of hat tricks in his last five outings over the course of the Olympic break. In his last 10 games, including an NHL spot against the Sabres back on Feb. 5, the 5’10” forward has 11 goals and 13 points with a +6 rating.
Amid a slew of relatively high draft picks over the past few seasons, Hayes arrived in the organization in 2023 as an undrafted free agent signing by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, not Pittsburgh. He remained on an AHL contract until the Pens tore up that agreement at the 2025 trade deadline and gave him his entry-level deal, which still has another year left after this one.
Hayes made his NHL debut in the Pens’ final game before the break. His recall was mostly motivated by a slew of absences, but it was also a long time coming, considering his minor-league output. Adding him back to the roster ahead of Pittsburgh’s return to play this week indicates that they plan to keep his promotion active for the stretch run. After all, he did come up with a pair of goals and managed six shots in just over 10 minutes of ice time. While an extremely small sample, that works out to a league-high 35.47 shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 – a league-best number by more than double the second-place figure.
The Pens’ forward group is nearly at full health. Filip Hallander is close to returning from the blood-clot issues that have kept him out since November, as he’s on a conditioning assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It’s not clear when captain Sidney Crosby will rejoin the team following the knee injury that ended his Olympics with Team Canada in the quarterfinals, but given he was listed as day-to-day as late as the morning of the gold medal game, it’s very likely not a season-ending ailment.
That means – at least, for now – that Hayes has leapfrogged younger, more high-profile names like Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty on Pittsburgh’s short-term depth chart. With a great chance at ending their three-year playoff drought on the line, it’ll be curious to see what kind of deployment Hayes gets in the coming weeks.
Wild Make Several Roster Moves
Feb. 22: Gleason and Katchouk have now been returned to Iowa as well, per a team announcement.
Feb. 20: The Wild announced they’ve reassigned Kiersted to Iowa. Katchouk and Gleason remain with the club for now.
Feb. 18: The Wild announced they’ve recalled forward Boris Katchouk and defensemen Ben Gleason and Matt Kiersted from AHL Iowa. All will likely be on their way back to Iowa once Minnesota’s Olympians return stateside.
Katchouk started the season with the Lightning, kicking off his second stint with the team that drafted him 44th overall in 2016 by signing a two-way deal in free agency. All three of his NHL appearances this season – his first in two years – came in a Tampa sweater back in November. He went pointless while averaging 12:11 of ice time per game, going 7-for-19 (36.8%) on faceoffs.
After being returned to the minors, Katchouk remained in the Bolts organization for a month before being sent to the Wild in exchange for Michael Milne shortly after Christmas. The Wild were looking to jumpstart their AHL affiliate’s hapless offense with Katchouk’s veteran presence and 179 games of NHL experience, but it hasn’t worked out that way. An injury kept Katchouk out of the lineup for nearly a month in January, and he’s been limited to a goal and an assist in five games for Iowa as a result.
Gleason and Kiersted are also in their first years in the organization, although both of them arrived in free agency last summer rather than via trade. Gleason, 28 next month, hasn’t played in the NHL since his four-game debut with the Stars in 2018-19 but has been a desirable minor-league asset for the past eight years thanks to his steady two-way game. The cousin of longtime Hurricanes rearguard Tim Gleason has one goal and 17 points with a -16 rating in 44 outings for Iowa, tied for sixth on the team in scoring and second among blue-liners.
Kiersted is the only one of the group to see NHL time for the Wild this season. He’s suited up four times as an injury fill-in, posting one assist and a -1 rating with five blocks while averaging 13:42 of ice time per game. The Minnesota native hasn’t had much of an offensive impact on the farm, though, only notching six points and a -7 rating through 31 games.
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.
Flyers Recall Adam Ginning, Reassign Aleksei Kolosov
2/22: After a day of practice, the Flyers have opted to return Kolosov to the minor leagues. He will continue to suit up for Lehigh Valley while Philadelphia rides Daniel Vladar and Samuel Ersson as their top two goalies.
2/21: The Flyers continue to shuffle their roster around to ensure that they have ample bodies for practice before games resume next week. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov and defenseman Adam Ginning from AHL Lehigh Valley.
Kolosov has had multiple stints with Philadelphia this season, one of those coming before the Olympic break with Samuel Ersson dealing with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old has made four NHL appearances this season, allowing eight goals on just 47 shots. Kolosov fared a little better at the top level last season, however, putting up a 3.59 GAA and a .867 SV% in 17 outings with the Flyers.
Kolosov has made 24 appearances in the minors with the Phantoms and has performed much better at that level. He has a 2.65 GAA and a .909 SV% in those outings along with a pair of shutouts. While Ersson was initially expected to be back after the Olympic break, Kolosov could find himself up with the big club for more than a few days if Ersson ultimately needs a bit more time to recover.
As for Ginning, he made Philadelphia’s roster out of training camp but was primarily in a reserve role. Accordingly, he has only played in five games with the Flyers this season and is still looking for his first point. Ginning ultimately cleared waivers in mid-November and aside from a brief stint with Philadelphia in January (where he didn’t play), he has been with Lehigh Valley since then. He’s played in 29 games for the Phantoms and has a goal and three assists.
With Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen still in Italy for the Olympics, it’s fair to say that Ginning’s promotion will be a short-term one for practice purposes only and that it will take an injury or two for him to have a realistic shot of getting back into Philadelphia’s lineup. To make room for the recalls, both Olympic blueliners have been moved to non-roster status.