Maple Leafs Reassign Luke Haymes, William Villeneuve
The Maple Leafs assigned forward Luke Haymes and defenseman William Villeneuve to AHL Toronto on Wednesday morning, per a team announcement. There’s a good chance these moves will be reversed later today. The Marlies, still fighting to clinch a Calder Cup Playoffs berth, have a morning home game against the Utica Comets today, allowing the duo to get some game time in there before rejoining Toronto’s NHL roster for their home tilt against the Capitals later tonight.
Haymes was recalled just yesterday. An undrafted free agent signing out of Dartmouth last year, he’s broken out for 17 goals, 15 assists, and 32 points in 63 games for the Marlies in his first professional season. He got to take part in his first NHL practice yesterday but wasn’t a part of regular line rushes, per Mark Masters of TSN, so it’s unlikely he’ll get to make his NHL debut later tonight after suiting up for the Marlies earlier in the day. He’ll likely travel with the team to Long Island with the hope of making his NHL debut tomorrow in New York on the second half of a back-to-back with travel.
The same goes for Villeneuve, who skated on the Leafs’ extra defense pairing yesterday. He’s been on the roster since April 4 but was scratched for the Leafs’ only game since then, an overtime loss to the Kings last Saturday. A fourth-round pick in 2020, that was the first time Villeneuve had even been rostered for an NHL contest, as he closes out his fourth season in the Leafs organization.
Toronto would be remiss to not get the 6’2″ righty into at least one game down the stretch. The 24-year-old has been among the AHL club’s most consistent two-way threats since beginning his pro career in earnest in 2022. The product of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs has hovered right around half a point per game each season, aside from his 40-point breakout in 55 games last year. His production has regressed this season, but he still owns a 3-25–28 scoring line in 58 games to lead Marlies defensemen.
Capitals Recall Mitch Gibson
The Capitals recalled goaltender Mitch Gibson from AHL Hershey on Tuesday, the team announced. He is expected to dress as Logan Thompson‘s backup tonight against the Maple Leafs after Charlie Lindgren missed yesterday’s practice due to an undisclosed injury, head coach Spencer Carbery said (via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com).
Gibson started the season as Washington’s fifth-string netminder, sitting behind Thompson, Lindgren, and their initial AHL duo of Clay Stevenson and Garin Bjorklund. He wasn’t on an NHL contract, either. He was a fourth-round pick by the Caps in 2018 and has been playing pro in the organization since 2023, but he wasn’t issued a qualifying offer when his two-way deal expired last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Nonetheless, he returned to Hershey on a minor-league deal and was assigned to ECHL South Carolina to start the season. The former ECAC champion with Harvard impressed with a .917 SV% and 2.32 GAA in 13 games before earning a recall to Hershey in December, as an injury to Lindgren caused an organizational domino effect. He’s essentially remained in the AHL ever since, leapfrogging Bjorklund and competing with Stevenson for positioning as Washington’s primary call-up option. In 22 outings with Hershey this season, Gibson has a .907 SV%, 2.79 GAA, and a 9-8-5 record with one shutout.
His numbers in Hershey prompted the Caps to sign him to a two-year, two-way deal in February, regaining his NHL rights and making him a call-up option. He was waived the same day and cleared. This will be the 26-year-old’s first time dressing for an NHL regular-season game; he’d previously only been rostered as a playoff emergency backup.
If Washington decides to shut Lindgren down for the final four games of the regular season, there’s a chance Gibson could make his NHL debut on either half of this weekend’s back-to-back against the Penguins. The Caps aren’t mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, trailing the Senators by five points for the second wild card spot with three other teams to leapfrog; time isn’t on their side. Their chances to make the playoffs are down to 3%, per MoneyPuck, and would only climb to 5% with a win over Toronto tonight.
Oilers Activate Colton Dach From Long-Term Injured Reserve
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Tuesday that forward Colton Dach will be in the lineup tonight against the Mammoth, signaling he’s been activated from long-term injured reserve (via Jack Michaels of Sportsnet).
Dach, acquired from the Blackhawks before the trade deadline along with Jason Dickinson, hasn’t been an option for the last 12 games due to an undisclosed injury. The cap-strapped Oilers were able to quickly place him on LTIR once it was apparent he would miss at least 10 games and 24 days. That was, of course, before Leon Draisaitl‘s injury likely ended his regular season and gave Edmonton plenty of cap relief by virtue of his LTIR placement.
Ice time was limited for the 23-year-old Dach through his first few games in Alberta. The injury abbreviated his third performance, but he still didn’t see over 10 minutes in any of his three outings, averaging 5:24 per game with an assist and a -2 rating.
A 2021 second-round pick by the Blackhawks, he has some offensive upside but his impact for the Oilers, at least at present, will be most felt in his physicality. He’s totaled 10 points and 195 hits in 56 games on the year, a figure that would rank second on the Oilers behind Vasily Podkolzin had he spent the whole season in Edmonton.
Dach will be getting a look as Edmonton’s third-line left wing tonight alongside Dickinson and Trent Frederic. That line has combined for just 10 points in Oilers colors this season, with Frederic’s six points and -17 rating in 69 outings being especially woeful. The Oilers’ lack of production from their bottom six hasn’t stopped them from putting together a 7-3-0 run in their last 10, usurping the Ducks for first place in the Pacific if they can keep pace.
Kings Sign Jan Chovan To AHL Tryout
Kings draft pick Jan Chovan will get the chance to make his pro debut with AHL Ontario down the stretch after inking an amateur tryout with the club, per a team announcement Tuesday.
Los Angeles selected Chovan in the sixth round of last year’s draft. The 6’3″ native of Slovakia had spent all of his pre-draft development playing in Finland’s junior circuit but opted to come to North America after his selection, having previously gone 36th overall in the 2024 Canadian Hockey League import draft to the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League.
Chovan’s fall was striking. A versatile playmaker with good size, he had 23 points in 39 junior games last season with Tappara’s under-20 club and added a goal and an assist for the Slovaks in five games at the 2025 World Junior Championship. Most had him tabbed as a third-round pick, even as high as a late second-rounder, with TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts placing him 79th overall at the end of the year. Instead, he fell all the way to 184th overall – more than twice as many picks it was expected to take for him to come off the board.
Early on, it looks like the Kings were wise not to let him fall any further. He wasn’t touted as much of a goal scorer, but had 28 of them in 60 games for Sudbury this season, adding on 27 assists to lead the team in scoring with 55 points. He was one of two Wolves players with multiple goals in the playoffs as Sudbury was swept out of the first round by the Brantford Bulldogs by a combined score of 18-10.
Since Chovan was drafted out of Finland, the Kings don’t have to sign him until June 2029 to avoid losing his signing rights. He also isn’t subject to the NHL’s transfer agreement with the CHL and the Kings could have him play in the AHL full-time next season if they choose, either by signing him to his entry-level contract this offseason and assigning him there during training camp or simply having him sign a minor-league deal while retaining his NHL rights.
Despite that impressive production in a non-conducive offensive environment in Sudbury, Chovan didn’t earn a mention as a top-14 prospect in L.A.’s pool by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic earlier this month. He’ll now be looking to prove he can play a sound two-way game in a brief pro stint.
Maple Leafs Recall Luke Haymes
The Maple Leafs announced that they’ve recalled forward Luke Haymes from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. The 22-year-old could be an option to make his NHL debut tomorrow against the Capitals.
Toronto signed Haymes as an undrafted free agent out of Dartmouth College this time last year. At the time, the Ottawa native was coming off a standout run over his sophomore and junior seasons that saw him accumulate 30 goals and 54 points in 53 games for the Big Green, taking home ECAC First Team All-Star honors in 2023-24.
Haymes joined the AHL club on an amateur tryout to end last season before his entry-level contract kicked in this year. He immediately made an impact with two goals and six points in nine games. That production has carried over in 2025-26, where he’s had a strong enough rookie campaign with a 17-15–32 line in 63 games with a -6 rating.
Haymes sits sixth on the club in scoring and remains under contract through next year at a cap hit of $875K. He’ll be waiver-exempt until 2028-29 unless he plays 70 NHL contests before then. An opening-night job in the fall is unlikely, but he’s tracking toward being a depth contributor with some real mid-season call-up potential. He’ll get an initial look now with five games left in the Leafs’ season, their first without playoff hockey since 2016.
The 6’1″, 203-lb Haymes can play both center and left wing and checks in as the #10 prospect in the Maple Leafs’ system according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Wheeler touts him as a “solid, trustworthy player” who “makes good decisions around the ice, knows how to support play on both sides of the puck, has a pro build and average pro tools, and fits the play-the-right-way focus of the current Leafs brass and coaching staff.”
Anaheim Ducks Reassign Nathan Gaucher
According to a team announcement, the Anaheim Ducks have reassigned forward Nathan Gaucher to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. That leaves the Ducks with 11 healthy forwards for tomorrow’s contest against the Nashville Predators.
Consequently, that means another roster move is expected. Anaheim will recall Gaucher for tomorrow’s contest, recall someone else, or welcome back Ross Johnston. Johnston was given a three-to-four week recovery timeline when he was initially injured on March 18th. If he enjoys the early end of that recovery timeline, that would place his return on April 8th, just two days away.
Still, if Johnston isn’t available, the Ducks could recall Gaucher tomorrow on an emergency basis relatively easily. An emergency recall means that Gaucher won’t have to play in AHL San Diego’s game tomorrow to be eligible for recall.
Gaucher, 22, has been called up two separate times over the last little while. The former 22nd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft made his debut during those recalls, but is still looking for his first point. Regardless, he’s made his physical presence known early, collecting six hits in three games.
Although he may be on the playoff roster, it’s unlikely that Gaucher will get too much postseason playing time unless the team runs into more injuries. Jansen Harkins and Johnston are expected to return before the postseason, while Cutter Gauthier is believed to be day-to-day.
Minnesota Wild Sign Charlie Stramel
According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Minnesota Wild have signed collegiate prospect Charlie Stramel to his entry-level contract. The Wild later confirmed the news.
In Russo’s report, he indicated that it would be a three-year, $3.225MM ($1.075MM AAV) deal for Stramel, including schedule ‘A’ bonuses. Expectedly, Stramel’s deal won’t start until the 2026-27 season, and he’s not expected to play for the rest of this season.
The reason he isn’t expected to play is that Stramel broke his ankle in Michigan State University’s last game of the season against the University of Wisconsin. He blocked a shot early in the postseason contest and was removed from the game entirely before Wisconsin made its magical run at the end of the contest.
Still, it was clear that the Wild would want to sign him regardless. Stramel was scheduled to become a collegiate free agent this summer if he hadn’t signed his entry-level contract with Minnesota. Given his emergence as a legitimate top-six forward this season, it became highly unlikely that Minnesota was going to let him go for nothing.
Few would have expected this breakout just a few years ago. Throughout Stramel’s first two seasons in the NCAA, then with Wisconsin, he amassed eight goals and 20 points in 67 contests. Since transferring to Michigan State ahead of his junior season, Stramel has registered 28 goals and 71 points in 74 games.
It became clear quickly that Stramel responded well to Adam Nightingale‘s system, and the two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year was able to extract the most out of him. Given that the Wild are expecting several forwards to leave this summer via free agency, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Stramel crack the opening night roster next season.
Outside of his raw production, Stramel plays a very mature game. He excels in tight quarters with a knack for winning battles in the small areas. He’s a very efficient give-and-go player, which should only help him excel next to some of Minnesota’s other top forwards.
Jets Activate Nino Niederreiter, Reassign Parker Ford
8:30 p.m.: The Jets made Niederreiter’s activation official via a team announcement. Additionally, the team has reassigned depth forward Parker Ford to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in a corresponding roster move.
10:49 a.m.: Jets winger Nino Niederreiter is set to come off injured reserve to play in Monday’s game against the Kraken, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press reports. They’ll also be getting center Vladislav Namestnikov back after he missed more than a month with a lower-body injury. However, he never hit IR prior to the roster limit being lifted at the trade deadline. It’s two steps forward, one step back, though, as head coach Scott Arniel told reporters that center Morgan Barron is now week-to-week with the lower-body injury he sustained Saturday against the Blue Jackets.
Niederreiter has not played since suiting up for Switzerland at the Olympics. He sustained a lower-body injury at some point during the tournament and required surgery upon returning to Winnipeg, which kept him out of the lineup on a week-to-week basis. After 20 games sidelined, he gets a chance to contribute – albeit in a limited role – as Winnipeg aims to hold onto its slim playoff hopes. He’ll be skating as the team’s fourth line left wing with Namestnikov and Brad Lambert.
A top-nine fixture for the vast majority of his 15-year NHL career, Niederreiter has had a tough go of things in 2025-26. That’s been the case for virtually every Jet outside their top line and Josh Morrissey, indicative of their offensive production tumbling from 3.35 goals per game last year to just 2.80 this season. His 8-11–19 scoring line in 55 outings works out to 0.35 points per game, his worst output since managing just one point in 55 games during his rookie season for the Islanders way back in 2011-12.
The 33-year-old, who had turned into a strong checking piece after playing a less physical two-way game earlier in his career, has also laid off the hits this year as his ice time dips below 14 minutes per game. He’s still returning to his usual spot on the second power play unit but has seen all of six seconds of shorthanded ice time this season. He has another year left on his contract at a $4MM cap hit to prove he can still be an effective piece heading into free agency in 2027.
Namestnikov managed to play in Winnipeg’s first game after the Olympic break but sustained a lower-body injury in his next game and has been sidelined since. Like Niederreiter, the 33-year-old has taken a tumble down the depth chart this year with captain Adam Lowry moving up to center the Jets’ second line behind Mark Scheifele. After back-to-back 30-point years for the Jets, Namestnikov has only produced seven goals and 13 points with a -11 rating in 57 outings while winning just 39.8% of his draws.
Losing Barron means losing one of the few Jets who’s taken a real step forward this season. Through 65 games, the 6’4″ pivot has a career-best 11 goals and 23 points with a +5 rating that sits fifth on the team. That’s a considerable depth loss as their playoff odds could jump back up to 10% with a win against Seattle, but drop below 5% with a loss.
Devils Fire General Manager Tom Fitzgerald
The New Jersey Devils announced that they’ve parted ways with President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Tom Fitzgerald. He joins Brad Treliving, formerly with the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the second General Manager fired in the last week.
In the announcement, New Jersey’s Managing Partner, David Blitzer, said, “Tom and I had a thoughtful conversation today and agreed it was time to move in a new direction. Tom changed the trajectory of our team here, including setting a franchise record for points in a season and helping make New Jersey a hockey destination. He is a well-respected leader across the Devils’ organization and NHL, and I am grateful for our friendship. I wish Tom and his family all the best. As we prepare to move forward, it is important I acknowledge our fans. I recognize we have not delivered in the way you expect and deserve and I understand and share in your frustration. This is a critical offseason for our franchise, and we will explore all avenues that best position the Devils to compete for a Stanley Cup once again.”
Furthermore, Fitzgerald provided a quote, saying, “After talking with David Blitzer, it was apparent to everyone that the best course of action is to move on for the benefit of the team. I am incredibly appreciative to David, Josh Harris, and the entire New Jersey Devils organization for being a part of my life for the past decade. The Devils are fortunate to have a core of great players, vocal and passionate fans, but most importantly, tremendous people who worked with me toward a common goal. I’ve always said that New Jersey is a hidden gem and I’m proud of the effort that we put in to raise the standard and make it a destination. I look forward to the next step in my hockey career and will always look back fondly on my time with the Devils.”
Fitzgerald became the Devils’ General Manager ahead of the 2020-21 campaign after serving in the interim toward the end of the 2019-20 season. Since then, New Jersey has qualified for the playoffs only twice, reaching Round Two in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Each time, they were ousted by Metropolitan Division rival, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Although some of Fitzgerald’s trades deserve scrutiny, such as trading Pavel Zacha to the Boston Bruins and including Yegor Sharangovich in the trade for Tyler Toffoli, his tenure with the Devils will be more remembered for the moves he didn’t make, rather than the ones he did.
Unlike most teams, New Jersey has legitimate top-six talent like Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Dawson Mercer. However, whether it be through a hyper-conservative approach or something different, Fitzgerald never addressed New Jersey’s depth-scoring issues.
The team has been highly affected by injuries over the last several years, none of which is Fitzgerald’s fault. Still, by not adding additional scoring help toward the bottom of the forward corps, the Devils’ offense would completely disappear when their better players succumbed to injuries.
Last season was a perfect example. New Jersey entered the deadline without Hughes and was slowly falling down the standings. Instead of spending a little more to acquire a short-term stopgap that can move up and down the lineup like Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn, or Nazem Kadri, the Devils acquired Cody Glass, Daniel Sprong, Brian Dumoulin, and Dennis Cholowski. In his defense, Glass has been a nice find this season, but there was never an expectation that they could replace Hughes’ value by committee, and New Jersey was quickly bounced in the playoffs.
Additionally, Fitzgerald has raised a few eyebrows with the extensions given to Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, although the latter has worked out rather well. Plainly put, Fitzgerald had six years to turn the team into a consistent contender, had the pieces to do so, and didn’t get the job done.
Fortunately, for Fitzgerald, there are already a few openings available to him, even before the end of the regular season. As previously mentioned, the Maple Leafs fired Treliving a few days ago and may seek another experienced mind to get the franchise back on track. Furthermore, the Nashville Predators, with whom Fitzgerald spent four years during his playing career, have an opening as well.
Regardless, the announcement reads as if both parties knew the writing was on the wall for some time. The next General Manager will face significant challenges, particularly in creating salary cap space in the short term and negotiating Hischier’s extension this summer. However, the Devils aren’t the worst situation in the league, and have solid forwards up front. Acquiring depth around them will be the initial focus.
Capitals Recall Ilya Protas
The Washington Capitals have recalled top center prospect Ilya Protas from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. It is a headline that Capitals fans have waited all season for and comes just two days after a six-point night in the AHL. Protas leads Hershey, and all AHL rookies, with 28 goals and 62 points in 66 games this season. He could make his NHL debut as soon as Wednesday per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.
Washington could give one of their top prospects a look with four games left in the season. All four games are against Eastern Conference and will be must-win contests with the Capitals sat one point outside of the second Wild Card. Protas could be an X-factor addition at the perfect time. He has continued a breakout performance that began with a move to the OHL in 2024.
Protas moved from his home country of Belarus to the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers for the 2023-24 season. He was an immediate, top-six impact and finished the year with 51 points in 61 games. The majority of that scoring came late in the season, helping the 6-foot-5 Protas slide under the radar enough to land in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He followed the selection with a move to the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, where his offensive skill quickly boomed next to New York Rangers prospect Liam Greentree. Protas led the Spitfires, and ranked second in the OHL, in scoring with an incredible 50-goals and 124 points in 61 games. His scoring was the second-most ever recorded by a European in the OHL behind compatriot and six-year NHL veteran Sergei Kostitsyn, who scored 131 points in 2006-07.
That hot scoring hasn’t left in Protas’ first pro season. Neither has his talent for creating chances, made evident by his five-assist performance in Hershey’s Saturday night win over the Hartford Wolf Pack. Protas has shown a strong ability to drive the puck into the slot. He offers an impressive amount of stickhandling ability and playmaking focus in a big frame. They’re the same traits that have helped his older brother, Washington’s Aliaksei Protas, notch a career-high 30 goals and 66 points in 76 games last season. The older Protas has 49 points in 72 games this year.
Now, the brothers could seek to make one final heave towards the playoffs together. It is not clear where the younger Protas will line up if he does make his NHL debut. He could step onto the third-line left-wing over Anthony Beauvillier or take on a center role and bump Justin Sourdif to the wing. Either move would likely bump Ethen Frank out of the lineup, after he posted no scoring and a minus-one in his last two games.