Wild Recall Hunter Haight
The Wild announced that they’ve recalled center Hunter Haight from AHL Iowa. With 13 other healthy forwards on the roster, it appears to be more of a performance-based bump for Haight to give head coach John Hynes another option down the middle down the stretch.
Haight, 21, was ferried frequently between Minnesota and Iowa to start the year but has been in the minors since January. On a hapless minor-league club in Iowa, Haight is now tied for second on the team with 12 goals in 43 games. He’s added 11 assists for 23 points, putting him sixth on the team in scoring, although there isn’t much separation between him and first place.
Haight will become Minnesota’s first of five allotted post-deadline standard recalls if he doesn’t qualify for emergency conditions (it doesn’t appear he will). The #47 pick in the 2022 draft, he suited up five times for the Wild earlier this year to make his NHL debut. He went pointless with a -4 rating, managing four shots on goal in 9:41 of ice time per night. The 5’10”, 173-lb pivot went 18-for-37 on draws (48.6%) while recording six hits.
Maple Leafs Reassign Michael Pezzetta, Henry Thrun
The Maple Leafs announced today that they’ve reassigned winger Michael Pezzetta and defenseman Henry Thrun to AHL Toronto. Their active roster is now at 22 players, but they don’t have any healthy extras with Auston Matthews’ season over (he’s yet to be placed on injured reserve) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson away from the team on paternity leave. As such, they can be called back up under emergency conditions if there’s a risk Toronto might be down anyone else for tonight’s game against the Islanders.
They might still be available, at least as healthy scratches. The Marlies have an afternoon game today at home, which would leave them enough time to report back to the NHL roster for tonight’s 6:00 p.m. CT home game.
Pezzetta, 28, received his first recall of the season last Thursday. He racked up nine penalty minutes and a -1 rating in back-to-back appearances before sitting as a healthy scratch for Sunday’s win over the Wild. The career enforcer averaged just 5:06 of ice time across the two contests and did not record a point, although he did have a shot on goal and six hits. He now sits at 202 career NHL appearances as he closes out the first half of the two-year, league minimum contract he signed with the Leafs in free agency last summer.
Thrun, 25, got an emergency summons on Sunday when Ekman-Larsson left the team’s road trip to return home for the birth of his child. He didn’t play. Acquired last offseason from the Sharks in the Ryan Reaves deal, Thrun has only suited up in four NHL contests for the Leafs after appearing in a career-high 60 contests with San Jose in 2024-25. The puck-moving lefty has a 4-16–20 scoring line and a -4 rating in 42 AHL outings this season.
Penguins Recall Jack St. Ivany From Conditioning Loan
3/16: After three games in the AHL, Pittsburgh has recalled St. Ivany from his conditioning loan. He scored one point and a plus-one in his ramp back to a lineup role. In a corresponding move, the Penguins have also assigned defenseman Alexander Alexeyev to the AHL. Alexeyev has scored seven points in 29 AHL games, and has not yet played in the NHL, this season. He is a veteran of 80 NHL games, all spent with Pittsburgh’s rival Washington Capitals, with eight points and 12 penalty minutes.
3/9: The Penguins announced this morning that they have assigned defender Jack St. Ivany to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning loan. He’ll remain on injured reserve for the time being and can spend up to two weeks in the minors.
St. Ivany, 26, suffered a left-hand fracture in a Jan. 25 game against the Canucks. The third-year NHLer also missed over two months to start the season with a lower-body injury. In the six weeks between IR stints, he looked well on his way toward locking down a job as their #3 righty behind cornerstones Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. In his 17-game run in the lineup, primarily next to Ryan Shea, he posted seven assists with a +7 rating while averaging 15:39 of ice time per night. He got occasional deployment on the penalty kill and a raucous 2.35 hits per game, but his 106.1 PDO and underwater possession metrics across the board suggest some regression in his 5-on-5 numbers is likely.
His injuries have only added to what’s been a constant shuffle of defensive depth in Pittsburgh this season. The only constants in the lineup have been Letang, Shea, and their top pairing of Karlsson and Parker Wotherspoon. Brett Kulak did some good work in second-pairing duties with Letang, but was swapped to the Avalanche for Samuel Girard a couple of weeks ago. The early returns there are questionable with no points and a -2 rating in seven outings. Pittsburgh has five other D-men – Connor Clifton, Ryan Graves, Mathew Dumba, Harrison Brunicke, and Ilya Solovyov – who have played at least five games for them this year.
With Girard locking down the left-side order with Wotherspoon and Shea, it’s been the right-shot Clifton (and sometimes lefties Solovyov and Graves coming in on their offside) getting more ice time in St. Ivany’s absence. It’s worth wondering if Clifton has played well enough over the past month-plus to keep a spot ahead of St. Ivany on the depth chart when he’s cleared to return. He’s a bit more trusted on the penalty kill and has far superior possession impacts to St. Ivany at 5-on-5, including a quite impressive 54.5% expected goals share. Clifton also leads the team in hits per game by a wide margin at 4.03.
Red Wings Sign Eddie Genborg To Amateur Tryout & Entry Level Contract
This evening the Detroit Red Wings announced that forward prospect Eddie Genborg has been signed to an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. He will report to AHL Grand Rapids, also inking a three-year entry-level contract starting next year.
A second-round selection in last summer’s draft (44th overall), the Swede comes over after a breakout campaign with Timra IK in the SHL where he finished third in team scoring with a 9-16-25 line in 43 games. Set to turn 19 next month, Detroit saw the potential in the winger despite recording just two goals and no helpers in 28 games last year with Linkopings HC. Genborg spent his first professional season in 2024-25 with Linkopings alongside teammate Christoffer Ehn, a name familiar to Red Wings fans from years ago, prior to the youngster catching on with Timra and making a statement.
Set to join the elite Grand Rapids Griffins for their stretch run, boasting a 43-10-3 record, Genborg’s growth was on full display at the 2026 World Junior Championships earlier this winter. He recorded eight points in seven games, helping lead Sweden to gold, their first since 2012. Genborg tied top 2025 draftee Anton Frondell for fourth in team scoring.
Standing at 6’2″, the lefty brings a physical game with a strong net front presence. Last July, he just missed the mark of the club’s top 10 prospects according to Steven Ellis of The Daily Faceoff, but since then he along with the Red Wings have seriously surpassed expectations. As a result, Genborg is set to embark on his North American career ahead of schedule, and even if it takes a period of adjustment, his physical intangibles and overall two-way game will be useful for the Griffins. Their 198 goals are tied for best in the AHL, so more scoring is hardly a need at this point in the season.
Full of skilled forwards in their cupboard, GM Steve Yzerman was content to select a more “high floor” prospect in the second round last summer, back then it could have been argued such was a reach. Yet now considering that he was a top scorer for Timra as a teenager, hovering around former NHLers in Anton Lander and Jonathan Dahlen, there’s reason for optimism in his untapped potential.
With offensive instincts and NHL-level skating still coming along, Genborg has work to do as he takes a huge step in his development. However, at the very least, he figures to be a future piece of the Wings’ bottom six, the team boasting one of the deepest prospect pools in the league to supplement a core which is already closing in on ending their playoff drought this April.
Maple Leafs Recall Henry Thrun On Emergency Basis
Ahead of tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Henry Thrun on an emergency basis. He will draw in for blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson tonight.
Ekman-Larsson has arguably the best reason to miss a game. Per Toronto’s announcement, Ekman-Larsson has returned to Toronto, and he and his wife are expecting the birth of their child. There’s no timeline for when Ekman-Larsson is expected to return, but the Maple Leafs return home on Tuesday for a matchup against the New York Islanders.
Meanwhile, Thrun gets the third recall of his season with the Maple Leafs. He was acquired by Toronto last summer for the trade that sent enforcer Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks. Thrun spent three years with the Sharks before joining the Maple Leafs organization.
Given that he had only been recalled on two occasions this season, Thrun has primarily played for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He’s been a stabilizing presence on the back end for AHL Toronto, scoring four goals and 20 points in 42 games with a -4 rating. In terms of scoring output, it’s his best professional season to date.
In his two previous recalls with the Maple Leafs, Thrun appeared in four games. It was a largely forgettable showing with Toronto, going scoreless with a -1 rating while averaging 14:52 of ice time per game. Given that the Marlies are the only team in the organization preparing for a playoff run, it’s a foregone conclusion that Thrun will return to the AHL once Ekman-Larsson returns.
Capitals Sign Cole Hutson To Entry-Level Contract
3:00 p.m.: The Capitals have made the signing official, according to a team announcement. As alluded to by Weekes, the contract will begin this season. It’s a three-year, $2.925MM ($975K AAV) agreement between Hutson and the Capitals.
2:49 p.m.: According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Washington Capitals are signing defenseman prospect Cole Hutson to his entry-level contract. The Capitals have yet to confirm the signing.
It’s an expected outcome for the former 43rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft. In fact, according to several sources at the trade deadline, Washington became more open to dealing veteran defenseman John Carlson to make room for Hutson on the NHL roster.
The hype around Hutson has certainly grown over the last two years. A product of the United States National Team Development Program in Plymouth, MI, Hutson has spent the last two years with the NCAA’s Boston University Terriers.
He’s taken the collegiate level by storm, especially as a relatively small defenseman. Throughout his two-year tenure, Hutson scored 24 goals and 80 points in 74 games with a +18 rating. Additionally, at the international level, Hutson contributed to the United States’ second-half success in their back-to-back gold medal wins at the IIHF World Junior Championships, scoring three goals and adding 11 points in seven games during the 2025 tournament.
Obviously, at only 19 years old, there are concerns about how Hutson will translate to the NHL level. Given that the Capitals are still in contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, that environment tends to filter out prospects who aren’t quite ready for the highest level of the game.
Still, Hutson isn’t without his comparables. His brother, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, is also on the smaller side and has been one of the league’s top defenders since debuting toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign. If Cole can stay away from injury trouble down the stretch, his puck-moving abilities are eerily similar to Carlson’s, which would offer the Capitals some continuity in their offense despite moving on from one of the franchise’s top defenseman.
Unfortunately, as Washington will undoubtedly look to get Hutson into the lineup if they’re signing him to his ELC, that means someone will have to come out. That defenseman will likely be Trevor van Riemsdyk, who hasn’t had a particularly good season and is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Maple Leafs Sign Artur Akhtyamov To Extension
The Toronto Maple Leafs are retaining some of their goaltending depth for the foreseeable future. According to a team announcement, the Maple Leafs have signed netminder Artur Akhtyamov to a three-year contract extension.
It’ll be a $2.7MM ($900K AAV) contract for the 24-year-old Russian. The contract will start as a two-way deal for the 2026-27 season, then convert to a one-way deal for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons, according to Toronto’s announcement.
It implies, at the very least, that the Maple Leafs believe that Akhtyamov will become a consistent part of the NHL roster in the near future. Still, it’s not a guarantee, as Toronto has Joseph Woll signed through the 2027-28 season, while Anthony Stolarz is signed until the 2030-31 campaign.
Regardless, it’s difficult to argue that Akhtyamov didn’t earn a few more years to test his mettle. Since moving to North America ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, Akhtyamov has managed a 29-18-13 record in 58 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, with a .903 SV% and 2.84 GAA, including four shutouts.
Earlier this season, when the Maple Leafs were dealing with a few injury issues in the crease, Akhtyamov was allowed to debut in the NHL against the Edmonton Oilers on December 13th. He participated in 10:32 of the game, stopping all five shots faced.
Given the injury issues faced by Toronto, particularly in the crease, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Akhtyamov feature in a few more games next season. Still, the fact that the Maple Leafs chose to sign Akhtyamov to a relatively lengthy extension indicates that the team could move on from netminder Dennis Hildeby this offseason. Hildeby has been part of the Maple Leafs’ organization since the 2022-23 season but has not received a significant opportunity at the NHL level, even though he has performed relatively well.
Golden Knights Sign Bronson Ride
The Golden Knights have added some size to the back end in their prospect pool. The team announced that they’ve signed blueliner Bronson Ride to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal, which begins next season, were not disclosed.
The 21-year-old went undrafted in his three years of eligibility despite his six-foot-seven stature. However, Vegas had some familiarity with Ride as he took part in both their development and rookie camps last year. Clearly, he showed enough there to be monitored and has done enough this season to earn a contract.
Ride is in his fifth and final season at the OHL level and his third campaign with North Bay. He has four goals and 17 assists in 57 games, setting new career highs in assists and points. However, he’s more of a stay-at-home defender so offensive production won’t be his calling card at the professional level.
The Battalion are all but locked into a four-five matchup heading into the upcoming playoffs with the only question being who the home team will be between them and Oshawa. Once North Bay’s postseason run ends, Ride will be eligible to join AHL Henderson if the Silver Knights are still playing at that time.
Senators Recall Lassi Thomson
With a second defenseman now injured, the Senators need some extra defensive depth heading into a back-to-back set this weekend. The team announced that Lassi Thomson has been recalled from AHL Belleville.
It’s the second recall of the season for the 25-year-old, who returned to North America this season after spending last season in Sweden. Thomson has been quite productive in Belleville, tallying 14 goals and 11 assists in 55 games; his goal total leads all AHL defenders. Unfortunately for him, it took until now to get an NHL opportunity.
A first-round pick by the Sens in 2019 (19th overall), Thomson has failed to get any sort of foothold at the NHL level. His time with Ottawa has been limited to just 18 games, 16 of which came back in the 2021-22 season; he last suited up with the big club back in November 2022 as he didn’t play on his first promotion of the season. Accordingly, it was reported back in January that Thomson was already eyeing overseas options for next season when he becomes a Group Six unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Thomson’s promotion comes on the heels of defenseman Nick Jensen being listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained against Montreal. However, TSN’s Claire Hanna relays (Twitter link) that the injury is unrelated to the hip that the veteran had surgery on over the summer. The 35-year-old logged just over 20 minutes a night last season in his first year in Ottawa but his second campaign hasn’t gone as well. Jensen is down more than three minutes per game in ice time while chipping in with four goals and 13 assists in 61 games.
Lightning Recall Steven Santini
Saturday: Santini’s stint in the minors was short-lived as the team announced that he has been brought back up from the Crunch. He suited up in their loss to Lehigh Valley yesterday, paving the way for him to be brought back up so quickly.
Friday: The Lightning announced today that defender Steven Santini has been reassigned to AHL Syracuse. He is right at the 10-game cutoff for losing his temporary waiver exemption, but has spent less than 30 days on the active roster since last clearing them during preseason, so he doesn’t need them to head back to the minors today. Any subsequent recall and game played will require him to go on waivers at the end of it, though.
Santini, 31, was recalled Tuesday in the wake of Erik Černák sustaining an apparent leg injury. He was scratched for last night’s win over the Red Wings as Darren Raddysh returned to the team from his bereavement leave, but did log 9:21 of ice time against the Blue Jackets earlier this week. The 6’3″ righty managed two shot attempts and one hit but was otherwise held off the scoresheet. His demotion today indicates Černák should be ready to go tomorrow against the Hurricanes after a two-game absence.
He’s now eight years removed from his days as a legitimate depth/bottom-pairing option with the Devils. More of an AHL journeyman now, his 134 games of NHL experience are still attractive to teams like the Lightning if they need him as an injury stopgap, as they’ve done several times this season. This was Santini’s fifth recall of the campaign, resulting in his most NHL appearances in a season since 2018-19.
Once named the Hockey East conference’s best defensive defenseman during his NCAA days with Boston College, he’s still an important stay-at-home conscience for Syracuse, where he has a +10 rating and six assists and 32 games this year while serving as the club’s captain. Signed through next season on a two-way deal, he’ll remain a recall option through then unless he’s claimed off waivers.