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Evening Notes: Svechnikov, Brodin, Capobianco

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A new week rolling around has brought updates on injured and absent players to teams around the league. The most impactful news lands in Carolina, where the Hurricanes welcomed top-line winger Andrei Svechnikov back to the practice sheet after he missed the last three games with an upper-body injury. It was Svechnikov’s first multi-game absence of the season.

Svechnikov has built a tendency for long-term injuries. He’s only played more than 70 games in a single season twice in his seven-year NHL career – first in his rookie season, when he played in all 82 games, and then in the 2021-22 campaign, when he appeared in 78 games. The other five years of his career have been marred by injury, including a torn ACL that required an extended absence. Those missed games have held Svehcnikov back from reach top scoring totals, despite the fact that he tallied 72 goals and 176 points in 201 games between 2022 and 2024. That scoring pace would equate to 71 points across an 82-game season – a pace Svechnikov falls just shy of with his 43 points in 63 games this year. Still, his ability to stick in the lineup this year has been encouraging. Now back to full health once again, he’ll look to jump back up the scoring charts with 15 games left in Carolina’s season.

More notes from around the league:

  • Top-pair Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin also returned to practice on Monday per Joe Smith of The Athletic. Smith adds that head coach John Hynes dubbed Brodin as day-to-day and out for Monday night’s game. The top shutdown defender has missed Minnesota’s last seven games with a lower-body injury, pulling him deeper into the well of absences this year. He’s now played in just 38 of the Wild’s 67 games on the year. Those routine absences have held Brodin to just 18 points on the season. That mark stands as the highest points-per-game average of Brodin’s career (.474), just narrowly beating out his previous career high set when he scored 27 points in 62 games last season (.435). But without a clean bill of health, Brodin hasn’t had a chance to relish in a newfound scoring gear. For yet another time this season, he’ll now be tasked with getting back to full speed so he can support Minnesota’s top defense pair with a tough streak coming up.
  • The Dallas Stars have reassigned depth defenseman Kyle Capobianco after recalling him on Saturday to fill in for the ill Lian Bichsel. Capobianco served as Dallas’ seventh man in their Saturday night matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, while Brendan Smith filled Bichsel’s role. This was only Capobianco’s second call-up since joining the Dallas Stars organization this summer. He appeared in his only NHL game of the season on January 31st – and set no scoring, four penalty minutes, and a minus-two in 11:23 of ice time. He’s otherwise been a fixture of the AHL lineup, where he’s managed an impressive 35 points in 49 games. That mark leads the AHL Texas Stars’ blue-line in scoring, though it is slightly below the scoring pace that led Capobianco to 54 points in 69 games with the Manitoba Moose last season.

Snapshots: Ersson, Penguins, Kovalenko

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Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson certainly hasn’t had it easy.  Thrust into the starting spot midseason in 2023-24 while still getting his feet wet in the NHL, he has been the undisputed number one since then.  But head coach John Tortorella indicated this weekend to reporters including Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia that the team is hoping they’ll be able to deploy him in more of a tandem role when their goaltending situation is finalized.  The hope was that Ivan Fedotov would be the other part of that platoon but he has struggled in his first full season in North America, as has youngster Aleksei Kolosov, calling into question if Ersson’s long-term platoon partner is either further away or outside the organization altogether.

More from around the NHL:

  • The daily transactions from Pittsburgh continue. Per the AHL transactions log, the Penguins have once again brought up winger Matt Nieto and defenseman Sebastian Aho from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis.  While the Pens aren’t obligated to keep shuffling the players back and forth on off days, doing so allows them to pause their respective waiver clocks each time they send them down.  Even with it being past the trade deadline, once they’re up for 30 days or play in 10 games, they’d have to get through waivers again to go back to the minors.
  • Following the recent acknowledgment that contract talks for Sharks winger Nikolai Kovalenko won’t start until after the season, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News wonders if the 25-year-old will be in San Jose’s plans moving forward. Since returning from a lower-body injury earlier this month, he’s only logging 11 minutes a game and was healthy scratched on Saturday.  With San Jose getting a look at some other players, it’s possible that they could determine that he’s not the right fit moving forward while his arbitration eligibility could also be a dissuading factor.  Kovalenko will be owed a qualifying offer of just under $814K and has 17 points in 49 games this season.

Ducks Expected To Reassign Stian Solberg To AHL

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The Ducks are bringing over 2024 first-rounder Stian Solberg from Europe to finish the season stateside, per an announcement from his Swedish Hockey League club, Färjestad BK.

Solberg, a 19-year-old Norwegian defenseman, put pen to paper on his entry-level contract days after he was drafted last summer. He’s expected to report to AHL San Diego for the stretch run – a move the Ducks can only do without Färjestad’s permission since they selected him in the first round.

The 6’2″, 205-lb lefty spent last season playing in the top league in his native Norway, posting 5-10–15 with a plus-two rating in 42 games with Vålerenga. A strong showing at the men’s World Championship against top-flight professional talent rocketed him up draft boards, making him, along with countryman Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, the first Norwegians to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft.

At the beginning of the season, Anaheim loaned Solberg to Färjestad to continue his development in a more familiar Scandinavian setting, although against much stronger competition than he faced in the Norwegian league. The defensive specialist and extremely physically engaged defender has taken the assignment in stride, posting 3-9–12 and a plus-one rating in 47 games for Färjestad. He also posted a pair of assists in three games for Norway at last year’s Olympic qualifiers.

Färjestad’s regular season is over, but they’re set to begin their playoff run in a few days. A reassignment before a player’s European season is over is exceedingly rare, but Färjestad says the Ducks are bringing him over amid a rash of injuries to their defensive complement in San Diego. The Gulls currently have seven defensemen on their roster, but only four are under contract with the Ducks.

His strong adjustment to high-level European pro hockey, plus his NHL-ready frame, should make him a long-shot candidate to crack the Ducks’ opening night roster next season. Solberg’s audition in San Diego over the next few weeks will likely go a long way toward informing Anaheim’s development plan for him.

Devils Acquire Tory Dello

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Friday’s AHL trade deadline came with less fanfare than usual but there was one swap of a player on an NHL contract.  The Red Wings announced that they traded defenseman Tory Dello to the Devils in exchange for future considerations.

The 28-year-old is playing on his first NHL contract after inking a one-year, two-way deal with Detroit last summer.  Dello had been an AHL regular on the back end for the previous three seasons, two coming with Laval and one with Chicago.  The signing was a homecoming of sorts as Dello began his professional career with the Griffins after wrapping up his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2020.

But playing time has been harder to come by for Dello this year as he has been limited to just 27 outings with Grand Rapids where he had a goal and three assists.  He’ll now hope to get more of a regular look with New Jersey’s affiliate in Utica.

Because this trade came after the NHL trade deadline, Dello is not eligible to be recalled to New Jersey for the rest of the season.  It’s worth noting that this move puts the Devils at 49 contracts out of the maximum of 50 which could come into play if they’re looking to be active in college free agency.  Meanwhile, Detroit’s contract count drops to 45 with the swap.

Stars Recall Kyle Capobianco, Lian Bichsel Out

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The Dallas Stars have recalled depth defenseman Kyle Capobianco to the NHL roster. He is expected to serve as the team’s extra defenseman with rookie Lian Bichsel set to miss Friday night’s game with illness, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News. Bichsel’s role is expected to be filled by Brendan Smith.

This move marks just the second call-up of Capobianco’s season. The first came on January 31st, when he was brought up for just one game before being returned to the minor leagues. He managed no scoring, four penalty minutes, and a minus-two in his sole NHL outing this year. But Capobianco has been red-hot since returning to the minors on Feb. 1. He has seven points in 14 games since being reassigned, including three goals. That scoring streak brings Capobianco up to 35 points in 49 AHL games this season, narrowly shy of the scoring pace that led him to 54 points in 69 AHL games last year.

Capobianco is in his first season with the Dallas Stars organization. His career began with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017-18 season, where he quickly carved out a role of hot minor league scoring and menial NHL impact. He spent five seasons with the Coyotes organization, before moving to the Winnipeg Jets for the last two seasons. He hasn’t been able to find a consistent NHL groove despite the change of scenery, though Capobianco has totaled 12 points in 74 NHL games and 201 points in 273 AHL games throughout his seven-year career. He isn’t likely to step into the lineup on this recall, though his next crack at the NHL will be a chance to improve on a low-grade performance in his Dallas Stars debut.

Meanwhile, Dallas will find a similar impact in replacing Bichsel with Smith. Both defenders bring heft and physicality to the blue-line, though Bichsel’s six-foot-seven, 231-pound frame is hard to replace. The 20-year-old rookie has five points, 18 penalty minutes, and a plus-six in 22 NHL games this season, the first of his career. Smith has managed four points, all assists, and 31 penalty minutes in 27 games of his own. Pending a big performance, Bichsel should head back to his lineup role once he’s kicked the flu.

Sharks Recall Zack Ostapchuk

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled recently-acquired center prospect Zack Ostapchuk to the NHL. The Sharks acquired Ostapchuk in a Trade Deadline move that sent Fabian Zetterlund, Tristen Robins, and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor, and a 2025 second-round pick. This roster move will set Ostapchuk up to play his first game as a member of the Sharks organization.

Ostapchuk split the early season between Ottawa’s NHL and AHL rosters. He didn’t originally make the NHL roster out of training camp, but earned a call-up just three weeks into the season after scoring five points in his first six AHL games. Ottawa brought him up for their October 29th matchup against the St. Louis Blues, where Ostapchuk recorded an assist as part of an 8-1 Ottawa win. He went without any scoring in five games after that, prompting a return to the minor leagues that Ostapchuk quickly forced Ottawa to reverse – on the back of three points in three more AHL games. He was brought back to the NHL roster on November 25th and went on to tally one goal and two assists across 40 NHL appearances, while operating off of Ottawa’s fourth-line.

The Senators again returned Ostapchuk to the minor leagues on February 24th. It was in the AHL that he finished out his tenure in the Senators organization, which allowed him to be immediately assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda following his deadline move. San Jose will now follow in the footsteps of the Senators, and bring Ostapchuk up to the NHL roster on the back of three points in his last seven AHL games.

Ottawa drafted Ostapchuk with the 39th-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft – drawn to his full-sized frame and leadership role with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. Ostapchuk followed his draft selection with two more seasons in juniors, and ultimately totaled 134 in 187 games and five seasons in the WHL. He made his pro debut last season and spent the bulk of the year with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, where he managed 28 points in 69 games. He’s far surpassed that point production this year, with 11 points in 15 AHL games. Ostapchuk also served as one of Belleville’s alternate captains this year, at just 21 years old. It will be that boosted scoring and leadership presence that San Jose looks to tease out with this move.

Sabres Notes: Kozak, Peterka, Norris, Bernard-Docker, Tullio

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Friday morning’s practice brought a wave of roster moves, injury updates, and lineup implications for the Buffalo Sabres. Most notably, the team has recalled depth winger Tyson Kozak from the minor leagues. Kozak has been back and forth between the minor leagues since the start of December, with his most recent call-up coming to an end on January 31st. He’s recorded two points, 11 penalty minutes, and 10 shots on net in seven games since returning to the minors.

Kozak received the first NHL recall of his career on December 5th. He didn’t manage any notable stat changes in his NHL debut, but did score his first NHL goal in his second career game. Buffalo rewarded Kozak with one more game, but returned him to the minors immediately after. He stayed buried through the start of the new year, before being called back up on January 9th for another eight NHL appearances. Kozak didn’t pot any scoring in those games – giving him just one goal in 11 NHL games on the season – though he did see his ice time climb from 7:23 at its lowest to 16:06 at its highest over the extent of the call-up. Another recall will give Kozak a chance to continue carving out a role in the Sabres lineup, while hopefully padding his scoring stats along the way. He has eight goals and 14 points in 31 AHL games this season.

Buffalo should have plenty of room to insert Kozak into the lineup, after top forwards JJ Peterka and Joshua Norris both missed Friday’s practice, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Peterka missed Buffalo’s Wednesday matchup against the Detroit Red Wings due to a day-to-day, lower-body injury. He is expected to also miss Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but will travel with the team on their four-game road trip next week. Peterka has been one of Buffalo’s hottest players over the recent stretch, with a team-leading 10 points in his last nine games. He’s up to a career-high 51 points in 61 games this season.

Norris’ injury remains undisclosed. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Lysowski that Norris has been dealing with the injury for a little bit, and that he’s currently being evaluated by the Sabres’ medical staff. Norris has appeared in three games with Buffalo since joining the team at March 7th’s Trade Deadline. He has two points, split evenly, and 10 penalty minutes in those appearances. News of an injury will force Sabres fans to hold their breath thanks to Norris’ extensive injury history. He hasn’t played more than 66 games in a single season since his pro career began in 2019-20. He’s been impaired by shoulder injuries in every season since 2022. Those injuries have limited Norris in multiple seasons, including holding him out of all but eight games of the 2022-23 campaign. With that in mind, there has been no indication that Norris’ current, undisclosed injury is connected to his previous shoulder troubles.

While Norris was unavailable on Friday, the skate did mark fellow trade acquisition Jacob Bernard-Docker’s first practice with the Sabres. Bernard-Docker was held off the ice for the last week while he tried to secure a work visa that would make him eligible to move from a Canadian team to an American team. He’s spent the season as the extra defender for the Ottawa Senators. He tallied four points in 25 games in the role. This season marks Bernard-Docker’s first full pro season with, so far, no AHL appearances – after bouncing between the major and minor rosters over the last three years. He’s totaled 20 points in 129 NHL Games, and 15 points in 101 AHL games over the course of his short career. The Sabres will likely utilize Bernard-Docker in the same depth role, though he could carve out a roster spot after fellow right-handed defenseman Henri Jokiharju was traded to the Boston Bruins.

In the final move of a busy day in Buffalo, the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, also loaned middle-six winger Tyler Tullio to the Calgary Wranglers. Tullio – acquired in the trade that shipped Ryan McLeod to Buffalo and Matthew Savoie to Edmonton – hasn’t yet found his groove in the Americans lineup. He has just one goal, seven points, and 30 penalty minutes in 30 games played – far below the 21 points he scored in 54 games last year. With no sign of lineup progress in place, he’ll get a chance to carve out a role on a new minor-league squad. Tullio recorded 47 points in 117 games with the Bakersfield Condors over the last two seasons.

Canucks Sign Linus Karlsson To One-Year Extension

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The Canucks have signed winger/center Linus Karlsson to a one-year, one-way extension carrying the league-minimum $775K salary, per a team announcement. He was set to be a Group VI unrestricted free agent if not re-signed by July 1.

A third-round pick by the Sharks in the 2018 draft, the Canucks picked up his signing rights the following year in exchange for Jonathan Dahlén. The 6’1″ forward was in the Karlskrona HK organization in his native Sweden at the time, and after slowly climbing up the European ladder to top-flight minutes with the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK in 2021-22, he inked his entry-level deal with Vancouver the following summer and arrived in North America for the 2022-23 campaign.

While Karlsson was a decent top-six AHL piece in his first season for Vancouver’s affiliate in Abbotsford, he’s exploded for over a point per game since the beginning of 2023-24. After posting 23-37–60 in 60 AHL contests last year, he’s topped that pace with 19-13–32 in 28 showings this year. Injuries have limited his availability at the minor-league level, but so have a few NHL call-ups. He’s skated in nine games for Vancouver in the regular season, scoring his first NHL goal in the process back on Jan. 29 against the Predators.

That remains his only career NHL point across 13 regular-season games dating back to his debut last season, also going without a point in two postseason appearances for the Canucks last year. The one-way structure of his extension is intriguing – perhaps signaling the Canucks plan on the 25-year-old cracking the opening night roster next fall. That would make sense, considering he’s in his last season of waiver-exempt status and would need to clear them on his way down to the minors in 2025-26.

If Karlsson doesn’t reach the 80-game mark for his career by the end of 2025-26, he’ll be eligible for Group VI UFA status again. If not, the Canucks will retain team control for one more summer before he’s eligible for standard UFA status in 2027. Vancouver still has just 27 of 50 contract slots filled for next season, per PuckPedia.

Devils Sign Xavier Parent To Entry-Level Contract

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The Devils have signed undrafted free agent forward Xavier Parent to an entry-level contract for the 2025-26 season, the team announced.

Parent, 24 later this month, has played in the Devils’ system for AHL Utica and ECHL Adirondack for the past three seasons on minor-league contracts. After sitting out the first few weeks of the campaign with an injury, he’s enjoyed a productive 2024-25 campaign with 11 goals, 15 assists, 29 points, and 39 PIMs across 44 outings with a minus-one rating.

The diminutive yet feisty 5’8″ forward can play both center and left wing, although he’s more comfortable on the latter. He spent his pre-professional years in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, earning a QMJHL Second All-Star nod in his final season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix in 2021-22 after he exploded for 51-55–106 in 65 games.

Initially eligible for the 2019 NHL draft but continuously passed over, he landed an AHL deal with Utica coming out of juniors and has since compiled 29-48–77 in 129 games for the Devils’ top development affiliate, also posting 51 points in 50 ECHL games in 2022-23.

He’ll now be eligible for an NHL call-up next year. New Jersey has used up 32 of their 50 contract slots for 2025-26.

Flames’ Mikael Backlund Out Week-To-Week

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Flames captain Mikael Backlund sustained an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s shootout loss to the Canucks, the team confirmed. He’s listed as week-to-week.

Backlund left the game midway through the first period and didn’t return after laying a hit on Vancouver defenseman Victor Mancini. The centerman skated off under his own power, but appeared to slightly twist his left shoulder/upper arm area while making the check.

With just over a month remaining in the regular season, it’s likely not a campaign-ender for Backlund – at least, the Flames hope so. They also lost forward Connor Zary to a two-game suspension after the loss. Hence, they’re now down a pair of top-nine fixtures for their next two games, both against playoff-bound teams in the Avalanche and Maple Leafs, as they look to outlast the Canucks, Blues, and Utah for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Backlund, who turns 36 next week, hasn’t missed a game since the 2020-21 campaign. His offensive totals have continued to decline over the past few years, producing just 11-13–24 through 64 games this year, but remains a top-tier defensive forward. He’s averaged nearly 19 minutes per game for the Flames this year while controlling 51.8% of shot attempts despite seeing only 37.7% of his even-strength zone starts in the offensive end.

Now in his 17th year with the Flames, Backlund is in the first season of the two-year, $9MM extension he signed in training camp in 2023. He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2026.

With Backlund confirmed out, Calgary’s recall of winger Dryden Hunt today qualifies as an emergency. They still have three of their four post-deadline recalls remaining after summoning Adam Klapka from the minors earlier this week. Hunt, 29, ranks second on the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in scoring with 15-33–48 in 48 games. The 6’0″ depth forward will presumably draw into a bottom-six role for his first NHL game since Feb. 8, which marked his only NHL appearance of the season so far.

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