Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Wild Brendan Gaunce, Devin Shore Clear Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

3/31: Both Wild forwards have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. They will now be eligible to be assigned to the minor leagues.

3/30: The Minnesota Wild have placed depth forwards Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Both players have bounced between rosters all season long. Shore was placed on, and cleared, waivers in each of September, December, January, and February – while Gaunce was successfully waived in September.

While he’s often been the first cut when Minnesota needs roster flexibility, Shore has spent the large majority of his season on the NHL roster. He’s stepped into 51 games on the year and recorded five points, six penalty minutes, and a minus-six from Minnesota’s fourth line. Shore has also been returned to the minors for 14 games on the year. He has a productive 10 points, six penalty minutes, and minus-11 in those appearances. While he hasn’t found much scoring at either level, this year has marked the most Shore has played in one NHL season since 2016-17 and 2017-18 – when he played through two full seasons with the Dallas Stars. Those were career years for Shore, giving him the platform to score a career-high 33 and 32 points respectively. He’s fallen into the role of journeyman depth forward in the years since, playing through tenures with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, and Seattle Kraken.

While Shore has provided Minnesota with a veteran presence in their extra forward slot, Gaunce has found his footing at the top of the AHL Iowa Wild lineup. He has 15 goals and 29 points in 35 AHL games this season, good for fifth on the roster in scoring. Those appearances have been intercut with 12 games in the NHL lineup, though Gaunce has only tallied one assist, four penalty minutes, and a minus-four at the top flight. He’s bounced between the NHL and AHL over the last three years, after a quick pit stop in Sweden’s SHL in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. He scored a career-high 39 points in 46 AHL games last season and has 29 points in 189 career NHL games.

Of note, neither player will be able to rejoin the NHL should they be claimed off waivers due to the post-Deadline roster rules . They will instead need to be assigned to their new club’s minor-league program.

Blue Jackets Sign Guillaume Richard To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Blue Jackets signed defenseman Guillaume Richard to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season, the team announced. The rearguard is coming off his senior season at Providence College and was going to become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15 if not signed. Richard’s deal carries a cap hit of $867.5K and pays him a $775K NHL salary, $92.5K signing bonus, and $57.5K games played bonus each season, PuckPedia reports.

Richard, a 2021 fourth-round pick, has been a steady contributor on the Providence blue line over the last four seasons. A defensive-minded D-man with good puck skills, he totaled 9-45–54 with 73 PIMs and a +24 rating across 139 games for the Friars. This year, he served as an alternate captain and tied for the team lead in scoring among blue-liners.

He doesn’t crack the top 15 in a loaded Columbus prospect pool (Scott Wheeler of The Athletic), but the organization evidently likes his tools enough and hopes he can be a bottom-pairing piece someday. That likely won’t be as soon as next season, but he should be in contention for a heavy workload on the farm with AHL Cleveland. The 6’2″ lefty will have a couple of years to prove he’s on the right track developmentally before potentially reaching restricted free agency in 2027.

The Quebec City native becomes the 31st player under contract for Columbus next season, leaving them with 19 open spots. They have 24 pending free agents in the organization, so a good portion of them won’t be coming back. It’s worth noting the Jackets are at the 50-contract limit for this year, so they didn’t have the option to sign Richard to a contract that begins immediately.

Sharks Reassign Luca Cagnoni, Patrick Giles

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Sharks have reassigned defenseman Luca Cagnoni and forward Patrick Giles to AHL San Jose, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The moves indicate fellow rearguard Vincent Desharnais is likely to return tomorrow from the upper-body injury that’s kept him out of the last two games, while sending down Giles gets San Jose back down to 14 healthy forwards on the active roster after signing Cameron Lund out of college earlier this month.

Cagnoni returns to the Barracuda after receiving his first career recall on March 18. The 5’9″ lefty is receiving NHL ice time ahead of schedule after being selected in the fourth round less than two years ago. Still, he’s forced his way into consideration amid a standout offensive rookie campaign in the minors. The 20-year-old had 13-31–47 through 56 AHL games before getting called up, ranking second on the team in scoring.

His NHL debut went about as well as expected. He suited up in a couple of blowout losses but managed an even rating in last night’s 8-1 drubbing at the hands of the Kings. He posted one assist through five games but was extremely involved offensively, posting seven shots on goal and 23 shot attempts. Averaging 17:37 per game, his 4.60 shot attempts per game rank fourth on San Jose this season behind Macklin Celebrini, the since-traded Jake Walman, and Tyler Toffoli. It was difficult to gauge his defensive impact in sheltered minutes, but early returns on his play-driving ability are good.

Giles, acquired from the Panthers for Vítek Vaněček earlier this month, gets demoted for the first time since the move. The 25-year-old Maryland native was a healthy scratch for the first time in his Sharks tenure last night, so it’s not unforeseen. He has a goal in eight games in a San Jose uniform, his first NHL point after going scoreless in nine games with Florida to begin the year. The 6’5″ pivot continues to struggle in the faceoff dot, winning 38% of his draws since the trade, so his utility down the middle remains limited and doesn’t make him the most appealing bottom-six option for the Sharks at present. He had just 5-2–7 in 39 games with AHL Charlotte before the trade, so the Barracuda shouldn’t be expecting a meaningful offensive impact from Giles down the stretch.

Stars Sign Harrison Scott To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Stars signed undrafted free agent forward Harrison Scott to a one-year entry-level deal for next season, PuckPedia reports Monday. The deal carries a cap hit of $975K and pays him a base salary of $877.5K in the NHL and $85K in the minors, and includes a $97.5K signing bonus.

Scott, 24, is coming off a standout senior season with the University of Maine. He led the club in scoring with 18-17–35 in 38 games, tying in goals with recently-signed Avalanche prospect Taylor Makar. All those totals were career highs, as was his +13 rating.

The San Jose native began his collegiate career with Bentley in 2021, posting 26 points in 65 games for the program before transferring to Maine ahead of his junior season. He put up 15-12–27 in 37 games to break out with the Black Bears, so his progress toward his senior totals was linear.

Scott checks in at 6’0″ and 185 lbs and will aim to make a seamless transition to professional hockey with AHL Texas next season. He’ll need to do well enough in his first professional season to warrant a qualifying offer from the Stars, as he projects to be a restricted free agent next summer. He’s the second player from our Brian La Rose’s preview of forwards on the college free agent market to sign today, joining the Islanders’ Joey Larson.

While Scott’s age means he likely doesn’t top out as anything more than a fourth-line energy piece at the NHL level, he adds some juice to a Stars club that’s graduated almost all its impact prospects to full-time NHL roles.

Avalanche Sign Taylor Makar To Entry-Level Deal

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Avalanche announced they’ve signed forward Taylor Makar to a one-year entry-level contract for the 2025-26 campaign. The younger brother of Colorado superstar Cale Makar will finish the season on a tryout with AHL Colorado. His contract carries a cap hit of $925K and breaks down to an $832.5K base salary, a $92.5K signing bonus, and an $80K minors salary, per PuckPedia.

Colorado selected the Makar in question with their seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft. The 6’4″, 209-lb forward was coming off an injury-plagued junior ’A’ season with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League at the time, but he was solid when dressed with 19 points in 16 games. The Bandits, of course, are where Cale played his junior hockey before Colorado selected him fourth overall in 2017.

Like his older brother, Taylor committed to UMass and jumped to the collegiate ranks after being drafted. The grinder never found much of a role on the squad, though, and recorded 15-7–22 in 85 games before entering the transfer portal following his junior season. After landing with the University of Maine for his senior year, the 24-year-old managed to outproduce his totals with UMass in just 38 games. He finished second on the No. 3 team in the country in scoring, posting 18-12–30 in 38 appearances with a +24 rating. Maine’s season ended last Friday after they were upset by Penn State in the regional semifinals of the national tournament.

Makar is a long shot to crack the NHL roster next year, given the weakness of his collegiate resume as a whole, but his senior year breakout is promising as he looks to capture a significant AHL role. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2026. Colorado now has 30 players under contract for next season.

Islanders Sign Joey Larson To Entry-Level Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Islanders inked right-winger Joey Larson to an entry-level contract. It’s a one-year deal for next season, and it’s unclear whether they plan on having him join AHL Bridgeport for the remainder of 2024-25.

The 24-year-old undrafted free agent turns pro out of Michigan State, where he spent the latter two of his three collegiate seasons after transferring from Northern Michigan. Compared to most NHLers, the 6’1″, 196-lb forward has had a significantly delayed development path. Initially eligible for selection in the 2019 draft, he was playing as low as the Tier II junior North American Hockey League as late as the 2020-21 campaign – by which virtually any drafted player in his age group would have been either wrapping up a major junior career, playing against professionals in Europe, or skating in the college ranks.

[Related – 2025 College Free Agency Preview: Forwards]

That hasn’t stopped Larson from being a productive collegiate player, even if his age played a significant factor in how much he was able to contribute. He posted 39-44–83 in 111 NCAA appearances, including 10-14–24 in 37 games with the Spartans this season. That output was the lowest of his trio of college seasons, down from the career-high 16 goals and 32 points he scored in 38 games with Michigan State in 2023-24.

Aside from taking up a contract spot, there’s no downside in signing Larson to see how he adjusts to the pros. Still, it’s surprising to see him land an NHL deal when more productive college free agents his age, like Hobey Baker finalist Liam McLinskey, have had to settle for AHL contracts.

Bruins Recall Jeffrey Viel

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Bruins announced that they have recalled left-winger Jeffrey Viel from AHL Providence under emergency conditions. The move indicates that not only will Patrick Brown and Vinni Lettieri likely remain on Boston’s roster for tomorrow’s game against the Capitals after hitting waivers yesterday, but that an undisclosed forward is questionable for the contest in addition to Mark Kastelic staying sidelined with his upper-body injury.

Viel, 28, signed a two-year, partial two-way deal in free agency last offseason. An undrafted free agent signing by the Sharks in 2019 out of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, he’s also since spent time in the Jets organization before landing with Boston. A heavy-hitting minor-league depth piece, he’s gotten into four games of NHL action with the Bruins this year on three previous recalls, marking his first appearances at the top level since April 2023 with San Jose.

He’s still spent most of the year in Providence. Over 62 games, he’s scored 12-22–34 with 136 PIMs and a +15 rating, the former of which ranks third in the AHL. A willing fighter, he’s demonstrated a decent scoring tough at the minor-league level and has arguably been the P-Bruins’ best two-way winger this season.

He may get a fifth look in the lineup as a disappointing season in Boston draws to a close. He didn’t record a point in his earlier appearances, logging nine PIMs while averaging just 7:44 per game. In 53 career NHL showings, the majority of which came in 2021-22 with the Sharks, Viel has 3-2–5 with a -10 rating and a whopping 148 PIMs, on pace for a full-season total of 229.

Kastelic is set to remain out of the lineup for a fifth straight game. The 26-year-old sustained an upper-body injury on March 20 against the Golden Knights and will have only seven more chances to return to Boston’s lineup this season after the Washington game. He has a career-high 5-9–14 scoring line in 61 games for the Bruins, who signed him to a three-year, $4.7MM extension in January.

Capitals Sign David Gucciardi To Entry-Level Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Capitals inked defense prospect David Gucciardi to his entry-level contract, as reflected by a team release. The two-year deal begins next season and carries a cap hit of $855K with an $82.5K AHL salary, the club said. He’s headed to AHL Hershey to finish the year.

Gucciardi turns pro following his senior season at Michigan State. Cornell eliminated his Spartans in the regional semifinals of the national tournament after capturing a second straight Big Ten championship. Gucciardi had a great season in the NCAA, scoring 6-10–16 in 37 games and finishing second on the team with a +21 rating. That, unsurprisingly, was enough to convince Washington to sign him before losing his rights on Aug. 15.

A 2022 seventh-round pick, Gucciardi was first eligible for selection in 2021. However, he was overlooked after splitting the year between the Youngstown Phantoms and the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League. He’s been a good two-way presence throughout his tenure at Michigan State. Still, his offense this season was a career-high by a significant margin after seeing a steady decrease in point totals from his freshman through junior seasons. Since the 2021-22 season, he owns a 17-28–45 scoring line in 139 NCAA games.

Gucciardi, a left-shot defender, stands at 6’1″ and 185 lbs per the NHL, although the Spartans list him at 200 lbs. He wasn’t ranked among Washington’s top 15 prospects by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic in January, and Dobber Prospects projects his NHL certainty at 30% with a ceiling of under 30 points per season at his peak. He’s not an impact player in the Capitals’ rather deep system by any stretch, but he’s good organizational depth and will head to one of the league’s best development environments in Hershey to begin his professional career.

Senators Reassign Angus Crookshank

at CDT | by 2 Comments

March 31: Crookshank did not play against the Penguins. The team announced Monday he’s been loaned back to Belleville, indicating he was an emergency recall. TSN 1200 Ottawa relays he was rostered in case captain Brady Tkachuk, who’s seen his ice time limited this month while dealing with a lower-body injury, couldn’t play.

March 30: The Ottawa Senators have recalled depth winger Angus Crookshank from the minor leagues ahead of their Sunday matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This marks Crookshank’s second recall of the season. His first came in late February and resulted in a spot start in the NHL lineup. He was returned to the minors on March 1 and has been productive ever since, netting seven points, 14 PIMs, and an even rating in 12 games this month.

Crookshank’s recent hot streak in the minors brings his season-long totals up to 22 goals and 40 points in 60 AHL games. Those marks rank third on the Belleville Senators in scoring, behind emerging prospect Stephen Halliday’s 44 points and veteran defenseman Jeremy Davies’ 42 points.

Crookshank has been impressively consistent since turning pro in the latter half of the 2020-21 season. He broke out with 16 points in his first 19 AHL games and has found a knack for rivaling 25 goals and 45 points in the three seasons since then. But despite that consistency, he’s yet to find his footing at the NHL level. Crookshank has just three points through 14 career games in the Ottawa lineup and hasn’t recorded an NHL point since March 23, 2024.

This new call-up could be a chance for Crookshank to find his pro legs. He brings a physical spark with offensive upside. Both traits could be invaluable for Ottawa after a one-goal margin decided their last four games. The Senators don’t appear to be facing any new injuries, so slotting Crookshank in will mean demoting one of their underperforming wingers.

Matthew Highmore and Adam Gaudette have managed just one point in their last 10 games while operating on Ottawa’s fourth line. Trade deadline acquisition Fabian Zetterlund also only has one point in his last 10 games, despite the Senators rotating him through the lineup. Any of the three could be forced to make way for the hard-hitting Crookshank as Ottawa looks to hang on to their hold of the top Eastern Conference Wild Card.

Lightning Sign Connor Kurth

at CDT | by 4 Comments

A breakout season at the University of Minnesota has landed Connor Kurth his first professional contract.  The Lightning announced that they’ve signed the forward to a two-year, entry-level deal that begins next season; financial terms were not disclosed.

The 21-year-old was selected in the sixth round (192nd overall) back in 2022 out of USHL Dubuque.  With them, Kurth put up 50 goals and 72 assists in 114 games over two seasons but offensive production was much harder to come by when he made the jump to the college level.

Over his first two seasons with the Golden Gophers, Kurth picked up 14 goals combined, seven in each campaign.  But this year was by far his best as he notched 18 goals along with 21 assists in 40 games, putting him in a tie for second in team scoring with Nashville first-rounder Matthew Wood, who signed his entry-level deal on Saturday.  That performance was good enough to secure a contract and forego his final season of eligibility.

Even though his contract doesn’t start until 2025-26, Kurth will get a taste of the pros this season as he has signed a tryout deal with AHL Syracuse and will be eligible to suit up for them down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top