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Stars Activate Tyler Seguin From Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Stars have activated center Tyler Seguin from long-term injured reserve, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports. He’s expected to play in tonight’s season finale against the Predators. Dallas assigned defensemen Lian Bichsel and Alexander Petrovic to AHL Texas to remain cap-compliant for their final regular-season contest.

Seguin returns after a four and a half month absence due to a pair of procedures on his left hip. Stars fans held their breath after the announcement – Seguin had similar surgeries done on his right hip in 2020, during which his recovery spiraled and nearly threatened his career. He was given a four-to-six-month recovery timeline, so while today’s news comes at the earlier end of that timeframe, it’s not entirely unexpected. He began practicing last month, and head coach Peter DeBoer said they were expecting him back for their first-round series.

The 33-year-old started the season on a tear before going under the knife, posting 9-11–20 through 19 contests while averaging 16:13 per game. Despite Dallas ranking fourth in the league in goals, Seguin remains the Stars’ only player to notch above a point per game this year. However, Matt Duchene has 81 in 81 and could join him with a multi-point effort tonight. Youngster Logan Stankoven initially stepped into Seguin’s spot on a line with Duchene and Mason Marchment after he exited the lineup. Still, they found a more experienced man for the job when they acquired Mikael Granlund from the Sharks in early February. Stankoven was later traded to the Hurricanes in the second Mikko Rantanen blockbuster of the year.

It’s not clear where Seguin slots into the lineup tonight. DeBoer told the team’s Mike Heika earlier today that there will be some game-time decisions at forward. But when the playoffs begin, it stands to reason Seguin will reclaim his top-six spot and push Granlund down the depth chart. Not only is Granlund’s points-per-game production a downgrade (7-14–21 in 30 GP since the trade), but his possession numbers with Duchene and Marchment are quite underwhelming compared to when Seguin was on the line. The trio has controlled just 37% of expected goals with Granlund compared to 58.9% with Seguin, according to MoneyPuck.

Seguin’s health gives the Stars an even deeper forward lineup, a necessity entering their first-round series against the Avalanche with star defenseman Miro Heiskanen remaining unavailable for the first few games at least. An on-time recovery is also a good sign for his career at large, with two years left on his contract at a $9.85MM cap hit.

As for Bichsel and Petrovic, they’ll presumably be back up with Dallas once the regular season ends and salary-cap restrictions are lifted. Bichsel should be penciled into their Game 1 lineup. The 2022 first-rounder hasn’t served as a healthy scratch since his most recent recall from Texas in February, only exiting the lineup a few times due to concussion protocols and illness. With 4-5–9 and a plus-two rating in 38 appearances this year, he’s been a far more stable depth presence than what Mathew Dumba and Brendan Smith have offered in similar deployment.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

Devils Recall Nico Daws, Mike Hardman

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The Devils announced they’ve recalled goaltender Nico Daws and forward Mike Hardman from AHL Utica. They’ll presumably dress for tonight’s regular-season finale against the Red Wings to allow a couple of players to rest ahead of their pending Game 1 of the playoffs against the Hurricanes.

Daws’ time in New Jersey this year has been short and sweet. There haven’t been many opportunities for upward mobility for him this year, with veterans Jacob Markström and Jake Allen having strong seasons, but when he gets the chance to play due to injuries, he’s seized it. He’s won all three of his starts and made an additional two relief appearances, posting a shining .966 SV% and 0.88 GAA – including a 29-save shutout against the Predators on Feb. 23. That’s good for a remarkable 6.9 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

Puzzlingly, the 24-year-old hasn’t fared nearly as well in the minors. He’s logged a 3.16 GAA and .893 SV% with one shutout and an 11-20-3 record in 34 showings for the Comets. It’s his second straight AHL season below the .900 mark. The 2020 third-rounder still has another year left on his contract with an $812.5K cap hit. It changes from a two-way to a one-way deal for next year, though, so he’ll get a significant raise even if he stays in the minors.

Hardman has made a lone appearance for the Devils this year, slotting into a game against the Rangers in early December. It was the 38th appearance of his career, which has spanned parts of four NHL seasons. The 26-year-old has been an infrequent call-up option for Chicago and New Jersey over his pro career, signing with the Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent out of Boston College in 2021.

After three-plus years in the Blackhawks organization, Hardman achieved Group VI unrestricted free agent status last summer and inked a two-year, two-way deal in New Jersey, so they’ve got him as depth for next season, too. The 6’2″, 205-lb forward leads Utica with a +11 rating and ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 18-17–35 in 57 games. He has 1-4–5 in his 38 career NHL appearances.

Jets Sign Alex Iafallo To Three-Year Extension

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12:16 p.m.: Iafallo’s deal pays him $4MM in base salary in 2025-26 and 2026-27 before dropping to $3MM in 2027-28, PuckPedia reports. There are no signing bonuses or trade protection in his contract.

9:02 a.m.: Pending unrestricted free agent winger Alex Iafallo is staying with the Jets on a three-year, $11MM extension, the team announced Wednesday. The deal carries a $3.67MM cap hit and will keep him in Winnipeg through the 2027-28 campaign.

The Jets acquired Iafallo in one of the 2023 offseason’s biggest trades. He was part of the haul the Kings sent to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois, joining first-rounders Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi and a second-round pick that turned into defenseman Alfons Freij. L.A. mostly needed to give him up for salary-balancing purposes – he was on an affordable deal with a $4MM cap hit, was coming off a career-high 0.61 points per game, and had routinely spent time on the Kings’ top line alongside Anže Kopitar.

After averaging north of 17 minutes per game across his first six NHL seasons in Los Angeles, Iafallo’s ice time has been slashed since arriving with the Jets. He was immediately bumped to the bottom-six with the younger Vilardi grabbing a first-line role alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, and his production has suffered as a result. He’s posted 26-32–58 in 163 games since the trade, an average of 29 points per 82 games. That’s a good bit south of his career average of 37.

Iafallo has still been among the first players to get elevated into a top-six role when injuries strike. Vilardi has missed much of the last few weeks of the campaign with an upper-body injury, and Iafallo has slotted into his place on the top line. He carries a four-game point streak into the final game of the regular season and has 15-16–31 in 81 games on the year overall, up from last year’s 27 points in 82 games. As such, he’s not missed a game for Winnipeg since his acquisition.

The 31-year-old has also brought sterling possession impacts, particularly this season. He leads Jets forwards with a +21 rating and ranks fifth on the team with a 51.2 CF% at even strength, the highest mark among Winnipeg skaters who have seen the majority of their deployment in the defensive zone. While he doesn’t shoot particularly often, he’s been an effective shooter when he does. He’s scoring at a 14.2% clip and is one of Winnipeg’s best players at turning shot attempts into shots on goal with a 57.3% through rate.

While he hasn’t seen much ice at even strength this year, Iafallo is still averaging north of 13 minutes per game and routinely features on Winnipeg’s second power-play unit and comprises their top penalty-killing forward duo with captain Adam Lowry. That special teams versatility, along with his ability to slide up and down the lineup with good defensive play, makes him a more valuable skater than just his point totals indicate.

The Jets thus retain him for the next three years at a slight discount from what they’re paying him now. It’s a good bit of business that still leaves Winnipeg with $32.7MM in cap space this summer and six roster spots to fill.

Photo courtesy of Terrence Lee-Imagn Images.

Capitals Sign Nic Dowd To Two-Year Extension

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The Capitals announced they’ve re-signed center Nic Dowd to a two-year, $6MM contract. He’ll remain in Washington through the 2026-27 campaign and carry a $3MM cap hit for the next two seasons.

A crucial part of Washington’s bottom-six forward group since his arrival in 2018, the 34-year-old will forego free agency on the heels of a career-best season offensively. Dowd has 14-13–27 in 81 games. While that’s a slightly lower points per game pace than he’s put up over the last few years, this is his first fully healthy season since the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

That production comes despite Dowd being used almost exclusively as a shutdown center at even strength. The Alabama native has started over 80% of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone, and his 5-on-5 oZS% ranks lowest in the NHL among qualified forwards. He’s also averaging north of 15 minutes per game for the second year in a row, including 2:35 per game shorthanded.

One of the league’s premier fourth-line centers, Dowd has been remarkably consistent over his seven years in Washington. He’s scored 75-75–150 in 450 games as a Cap with a +47 rating. He’s currently on his fourth contract with Washington, joining on a one-year, $650K pact for 2018-19. He landed a three-year, $2.25MM extension the following year and then signed a three-year, $3.9MM deal in November 2021, which is wrapping up this season. He would have been in high command on the open market, potentially even landing a deal north of $3.5MM per season, but instead chooses to stay with what’s been a perfect fit over the last decade-plus as Washington returns to being a playoff and championship contender.

A seventh-round pick of the Kings back in 2009, Dowd is the first NHL player in history from Alabama and will easily play north of 700 career games when all is said and done – high value for such a late-round selection. With the extension, the Caps are now down to $8.6MM in cap space for next season, but only have two roster spots to fill. They’ve been fervent in keeping their pending UFAs off the market, also coming to terms on extensions with Jakob Chychrun, Charlie Lindgren, and Logan Thompson throughout the year. Their only remaining pending UFAs are all depth forwards – Lars Eller, Anthony Beauvillier, Taylor Raddysh, and Andrew Mangiapane. The contracts of LTIR-bound forwards Nicklas Bäckström and T.J. Oshie are also coming off the books.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Panthers Reassign Jesse Puljujarvi, Rasmus Asplund, Matt Kiersted

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April 16: The Panthers reassigned the trio back to Charlotte on Wednesday, according to a club announcement. Florida’s regular season schedule ended with yesterday’s playoff preview against the Lightning, so they no longer need the extras from the minors to allow roster players to rest ahead of the postseason.

April 6: The Florida Panthers have recalled forwards Jesse Puljujarvi and Rasmus Asplund, as well as defenseman Matt Kiersted, per the AHL Transactions Log and PuckPedia. This move returns Asplund and Puljujarvi to the NHL ranks for the first time since January, and marks the first call-up of Kiersted’s season.

This is a familiar pattern for Kiersted, who’s spent the last four seasons as one of the top defenders on Florida’s call-up sheet. He hasn’t stepped into the NHL lineup since the 2022-23 season, when he recorded four points, six penalty minutes, and a plus-four across 20 games. Those marks brought Kiersted’s career totals up to six points, 10 penalty minutes, and a minus-eight in 37 games and three seasons in the NHL. He’s found much better footing as a sturdy and physical defensive defenseman in the minor leagues. Over parts of four seasons, Kiersted has totaled 83 points, 199 penalty minutes, and a plus-54 in 232 AHL games. He’ll offer an alternative to Jaycob Megna, who’s stepped onto Florida’s bottom pair for the last two games.

For Puljujarvi and Asplund, a call-up to Florida is still a new experience. Aslpund signed a one-year, league-minimum contract with Florida this summer after joining the team at the 2024 Trade Deadline. He’s only appeared in two NHL games this season, with no notable stat changes. Asplund’s impact has been felt far more in the minors, where he’s totaled 42 points and 21 penalty minutes in 62 games. He ranks third on the Charlotte Checkers in scoring.

Puljujarvi joined the Panthers organization on an AHL contract this February, after being released by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored three points in his first seven games with the Charlotte Checkers – enough to earn a two-way NHL contract in early March. With just a handful of games left in the season, Florida will now take advantage of that two-way deal and award Puljujarvi with his first call-up. Should he get a run at icetime, Puljujarvi will be looking to build on the measly nine points he scored in 26 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season. The former fourth-overall pick has recorded 127 points in 382 games and eight seasons in the NHL.

Florida doesn’t have any lineup holes to promote their recalled forwards into, but the pair will offer a boost of scoring to the Panthers’ depth. No player on Florida’s fourth line, consisting of A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek, and Jonah Gadjovich, has managed more than one point over their last 10 games.

Senators Reassign Angus Crookshank

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The Senators loaned winger Angus Crookshank to AHL Belleville on Wednesday, according to a team announcement.

While the move is primarily made with the B-Sens’ Calder Cup Playoff hopes in mind, it does help open the door for captain Brady Tkachuk to return to the lineup in Ottawa’s regular season finale. He’s missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury but is widely expected back for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Maple Leafs at the latest. It’ll likely be up to Tkachuk to decide if he wants a tuneup against the Hurricanes tomorrow before getting into playoff action, head coach Travis Green told Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

Crookshank, 25, has been rostered since Tkachuk’s injury at the end of March. He’s played seven of Ottawa’s last nine games and recorded his first point of the season, an assist, on Sunday against the Flyers.

This year didn’t yield as much NHL action for Crookshank as he hoped. The 2018 fifth-rounder made just eight appearances after scoring 2-1–3 in 13 NHL contests last year. The Vancouver native’s still been a force in the minors, tied for the Belleville team lead in goals with 22 in 60 games. Overall, though, his point pace has dragged from last year’s near point-per-game effort in the AHL. He’s added 18 assists for 40 points through his 60 appearances after notching 46 in 50 games last year.

It’ll be curious to see whether Crookshank is part of the Sens’ plans for the future. He was set to be a restricted free agent last summer but signed a one-year, two-way ($775K/$120K) deal to stay with Ottawa before he hit the market. This year, though, the Senators won’t have a qualifying offer as a backup plan to retain his signing rights. His balance of low NHL games played with three years of professional experience means he’s headed for Group VI unrestricted free agency if they don’t re-sign him by July 1.

Devils Sign Shane Lachance To Entry-Level Contract

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The Devils announced today that they’ve signed left-winger Shane Lachance to a two-year entry-level contract starting next season. The deal carries a $925K cap hit with an $832.5K salary, a $92.5K signing bonus, up to $250K in Schedule ’A’ performance bonuses, and an $80K minors salary each season, according to PuckPedia. He’ll finish the season on a deal with AHL Utica before reporting to training camp in the fall.

New Jersey acquired Lachance’s signing rights from the Oilers last month in the three-team deal that sent Trent Frederic to Edmonton. He’s coming off his sophomore season with Boston University, dropping the national championship game to Western Michigan last weekend.

The 6’5″, 220-lb forward was a sixth-round pick by the Oilers back in 2021 from the Boston Jr. Bruins of the National Collegiate Development Conference, a Tier II junior league. Lachance made the jump to major junior the following year with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, spending two years there before emerging as an elder freshman for BU in 2023-24. After a 27-point effort in his first year, he recorded 12-18–30 in 40 games this season to rank fifth on the team in scoring while sharing the captaincy.

Lachance ends his collegiate career with 25-32–57 in 80 games for the Terriers. The son of longtime NHL defenseman Scott Lachance was named to Hockey East’s All-Academic Team in his freshman year.

The 21-year-old arrives in Jersey with a legitimate shot at carving out a role in their bottom six in short order. It’s likely he remains in Utica to begin next season, but a midseason call-up isn’t out of the questions. He was Edmonton’s No. 6 prospect before the trade, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic wrote. He’s presumably lower on the list in a deeper Devils pool but likely remains a top-10 prospect in the system.

Lachance will be a restricted free agent when his ELC expires in 2027 and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2031.

Transactions Notes: Hurricanes, Jones, Carrick, Bjarnason, Copponi

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Having already clinched the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes had the opportunity to rest a few players for tomorrow night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. Keeping that in mind, the Hurricanes announced they’ve recalled forwards Skyler Brind’Amour and Bradly Nadeau and defensemen Domenick Fensore and Riley Stillman from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to fill in for the resting players.

Brind’Amour’s recall is significant for a few reasons. He’ll make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the Canadiens and will be the first NHL player to be coached by his father at the top level since Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry was briefly coached by his father, Dave Lowry, for 54 games in the 2021-22 NHL season.

Meanwhile, Nadeau and Fensore (who will also debut tomorrow night) are two of Carolina’s top prospects already playing in North America. Nadeau led the Wolves in scoring this season, managing 30 goals and 56 points in 63 games, while Fensore scored nine goals and 32 points in 66 contests.

Other transactions from around the league:

  • According to a team announcement, the Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Caleb Jones from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an emergency basis. Although he won’t be filling in for a defenseman, Jones’s recall is likely in response to Quinton Byfield sustaining an injury in last night’s contest against the Edmonton Oilers. Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Oilers’ defenseman Darnell Nurse will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Byfield, leading to his injury.
  • In another emergency recall, the Oilers have promoted defenseman Connor Carrick to the NHL level. Carrick’s recall could be due to the five defensemen injured on the Oilers’ blue line or because of the expected suspension looming for Nurse. The 31-year-old defenseman has scored 17 goals and 39 points in 60 games for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors this year.
  • Per the AHL transactions page and publicized by Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned goaltender prospect Carson Bjarnason to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bjarnason was the fourth netminder taken off the board in the 2023 NHL Draft as the 51st overall pick and recently produced a 22-15-3 record in 40 games with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings with a .913 SV% and 2.93 GAA.
  • In another move by the Oilers organization, their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield announced they’ve signed forward Matt Copponi to an amateur tryout agreement for the rest of the 2024-25 AHL season. Copponi, drafted by Edmonton with the 216th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, recently lost the 2025 NCAA National Championship with Boston University. Still, he was an effective secondary scorer for the Terriers’ program, putting up eight goals and 24 points in 40 contests this season.

Flyers Sign Devin Kaplan, Alex Bump To Entry-Level Contracts

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5:03 p.m.: Like Kaplan’s, PuckPedia reported Bump’s contract details:

2025-26: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus
2026-27: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $500K Performance “A” bonus
2027-28: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $1MM Performance “A” bonus

1:35 p.m.: The Flyers confirmed Kaplan’s deal and Bump’s.

11:05 a.m.: The Flyers are signing forward prospects Devin Kaplan and Alex Bump to entry-level contracts, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Kaplan’s contract begins immediately, while Bump will finish the season on a tryout with AHL Lehigh Valley before his ELC goes into effect for 2025-26. It will be three-year deals for both, so Kaplan’s contract runs through 2026-27, while Bump’s takes him through 2027-28. Kaplan’s deal has the following breakdown with a $922K cap hit, per PuckPedia:

2024-25: $855K salary (prorated), $95K signing bonus
2025-26: $800K salary, $95K SB, $55K GP bonus
2026-27: $825K salary, $95K SB, $30K GP bonus

Kaplan and Bump are both coming off appearances in the NCAA national championship game, although they were on different sides of the coin. Bump helped lead Western Michigan to its first title in program history while Kaplan was on the losing end with Boston University. The 2022 draft picks aren’t among the premier pieces in the Flyers’ prospect pool, but they’re intriguing pickups nonetheless. Kaplan went early in the third round at No. 69 overall out of the U.S. National Development Team Program, while Bump was a fifth-rounder from the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League.

The 21-year-old Kaplan has a pro-ready frame, checking into the Flyers’ roster at 6’3″ and 201 lbs. The New Jersey-born right-winger is coming off his junior season at BU, but it wasn’t necessarily one to write home about. His 10-8–18 scoring line in 38 games equated to the worst points per game rate of his college career, and his minus-eight rating was a career-low and second-worst on the team.

While Kaplan could make his NHL debut over Philadelphia’s final two games of the regular season, it’s likely ill-advised to pencil him in on the Flyers’ opening night roster for 2025-26 after that stagnating development to end his time in college. The 2023 Hockey East champion wraps up his Terriers career with 25-39–64 in 115 games with 148 PIMs and a +16 rating. Philadelphia will look to get his offensive production back up in the AHL next season while continuing to develop him as a potential bottom-six energy piece down the road.

Despite being selected two rounds after Kaplan, Bump begins his pro career as the far more offensively accomplished winger in college. Bump, a 6’0″ lefty, served as an alternate captain for the Broncos this year and led the club in scoring as a sophomore with 23-24–47 in 42 games. That came after a 36-point freshman effort in 38 games, so he ends his NCAA tenure over a point per game. That puts him 13th in the country in scoring over the past two years.

He’s still only the No. 13-ranked prospect in the Flyers’ system (per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic), but he should be set for a top-six role in the AHL out of the gate next year. An NHL call-up in the first half of his ELC shouldn’t be out of the question considering his collegiate track record, which now includes NCHC Forward of the Year honors, conference tournament MVP and First All-Star Team.

Ducks Sign Konnor Smith To Entry-Level Deal

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The Ducks announced they’ve signed defenseman Konnor Smith to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 season. Smith will join the AHL San Diego on a tryout for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Smith was set to be an unrestricted free agent on June 1 if he and Anaheim didn’t agree to terms on a deal. The Ducks brought him in as a fourth-round pick in 2023, selecting the 6’6″, 216-lb lefty from the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. He’s since been traded to the Owen Sound Attack and then the Brampton Steelheads. He won an OHL championship with the Petes back in 2023.

A pure shutdown defender, Smith will turn pro on a full-time basis next year after recording 26-44–70 in 219 OHL games with 229 PIMs and an even rating. This year was Smith’s best offensively by a wide margin. In 40 games with Owen Sound and Brampton, he posted 10-16–26 with a +14 rating. He’s got a heavy shot when he chooses to use it but continues to project as a box-out, stay-at-home rearguard in the pros.

The Ontario native made his pro debut last year on a tryout with San Diego after his OHL season ended, posting a goal and a minus-six rating in six games. The Ducks will be able to gauge how much his defensive game has improved with another short stint to end the year with the Gulls before presumably returning to San Diego in a regular role next year. Smith will remain on his ELC until 2028 and be a restricted free agent upon expiry.

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