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Penguins Recall Matthew Nieto Under Emergency Conditions

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Matthew Nieto from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. Pittsburgh continues to face injuries to forwards Tommy Novak, Philip Tomasino, and Bokondji Imama; as well as defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Nieto will rejoin the NHL ranks to help push the team through their final four games of the season.

Nieto’s season began a month late as he recovered from a pair of knee surgeries last season. He initially returned with a pair of AHL games, but earned a call-up in mid November that glued him to the NHL roster. Serving as Pittsburgh’s extra forward, Nieto stepped into 31 games through the return of the 4-Natiosn Face-Off Break, but only managed a measly three points. That low production earned Nieto a waiver placement and assignment to the minors in late February. The move has proven to be a helpful spark. Intercut with routine call-ups to the top flight, Nieto has managed three goals and seven points in 15 AHL games – productive scoring in his first games since the 2013-14 season.

Nieto will likely serve as Pittsburgh’s extra man in Tuesday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Penguins could also opt to push him into the lineup over a player like Joona Koppanen, who has just one goal in seven games this season, or Connor Dewar, who has one point in his last seven games.

Red Wings Recall Austin Watson Under Emergency Conditions

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The Detroit Red wings have recalled forward Austin Watson under emergency conditions. He will support the Wings as they approach a stretch of must-win games to keep their playoff hopes alive. Watson was on the Detroit roster through early-April, but was returned to the minors for two games this weekend. He recorded three goals, five points, and six shots on goal in the pair of games.

Watson’s hot weekend brought his AHL scoring up to 19 goals and 42 points in 58 games this season. Those marks place Watson second on the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in total points, and third on the team in goals. He also leads the team with 96 penalty minutes – 45 more than anyone else on the squad. Watson’s high-event style has translated in bits-and-pieces to the Red Wings’ roster, where he has two points and 17 penalty minutes in eight games this season. He scored his pair of goals on his last NHL recall – netting them in back-to-back games on March 24th and 25th.

Watson spent the last five seasons entirely in the NHL – serving in the role of fourth-line enforcer over stretches with the Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Minor league games this season mark Watson’s first since he was with Nashville in 2018-19. He’s filled a minimal-usage role everywhere he’s gone, with teams leaning on him to generate tons of hits and take fights – while offering the occasional boost of shooting luck. Those will be the traits that Detroit looks to add in as they prepare to face their Wild Card opposition, the Montreal Canadiens, on Tuesday night.

Snapshots: Demidov, Nystrom, Landeskog, Schuldt

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The KHL season has ended for SKA St. Petersburg after back-to-back overtime losses to Dynamo Moscow last week. That news was meant ot mark celebration for Montreal Canadiens fans eager for top prospect Ivan Demidov to come overseas, but it seems SKA wants to get the most out of their young star before he departs. Demidov is now expected to partake in the playoffs of both the VHL – Russia’s second-tier pro league – and maybe even the MHL – Russia’s under-21 league – per Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gaming.

SKA’s VHL affiliate – SKA Neva – triumphed over Rubin Tyumen in a six-game series to advance from the first round of the postseason. Meanwhile, SKA-1946 swept Krasnaya Armiya in their first round matchup. Should both squads make it through their respective postseasons, Demidov could be playing between the groups through the third week of April at least. If that’s the case, Montreal may need to win the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in order to ice their star prospect this season.

Demidov carries the precedent of a Russian prodigy. He set the record for U20 scoring in the KHL this season with 19 goals and 49 points in 65 games – beating out Kirill Kaprizov’s previous record of 42 points. Demidov has played his way into top-line KHL consideration – far above the levels of either inferior league he may join now. That point was proven by his dazzling 23 goals and 60 points in 30 MHL games last season, and his 62 points in 41 MHL games in the season before. He’ll be a juggernaut addition for SKA’s depth programs, making both much harder to take down in a seven-game series.

Other quick notes around the hockey world:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned defense prospect Joel Nystrom to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves after the end of his SHL season, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Nystrom, 22, recorded six goals and 27 points in 51 games with Farjestads BK this season. That mark was an ever-so-slight bump up from his 26 points in as many games last year. Nystrom has been a fixture of Farjestads’ lineup for the last four seasons, and even supported the team to an SHL championship from a third-pair role in 2021-22. He’s a speedy, undersized defenseman who makes quick plays and creates strong offense from the perimeter. Those attributes might translate best to the minor ranks, but Nystrom’s explosive speed and Carolina’s knack for sheltering undersized players could make for a nice mix as the team looks for an offensive spark. Nystrom was drafted in the seventh-round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
  • Dipping out of prospect news, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar didn’t rule out a possible AHL conditioning stint for captain Gabriel Landeskog when asked about it by Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. Instead, Bednar succinctly replied “we’ll see”. Landeskog is back to taking full contact at practice – a substantial milestone as he looks to return to game action after missing the entirety of the last two seasons with a right-knee injury. He’ll be eligible for a conditioning stint of three AHL games thanks to his placement on long-term injured reserve. The Avalanche will need to make a decision quickly, as the AHL Colorado Eagles only have five games remaining in their regular season. Any AHL action would be the first of Landeskog’s professional career. He joined the Avalanche immediately after his second-overall selection in the 2011 NHL Draft, and planted his feet with 22 goals and 52 points in his rookie season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have reassigned defenseman Jimmy Schuldt. Schuldt appeared in 10 minutes worth of San Jose’s March 29th loss to the New York Rangers. It was just his sixth NHL game this season and he once again failed to manage any scoring or penalties. Schuldt has also served as the captain of the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda this season, netting six goals and 20 points in 59 games with the club. It’s not yet clear if this move is simply a paper transaction. The Sharks learned on Monday that depth defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin will miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury. That could push the Sharks to shore up their AHL blue-line as the Barracuda push for a playoff spot, or it could reaffirm Schuldt’s spot as San Jose’s de facto depth defender through the end of the season. News over the next few days will make that distinction, and lock Schuldt into a hard-fought lineup role one way or another.

Hurricanes Notes: Svechnikov, Staal, Carrier, Kotkaniemi, Robidas

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The Hurricanes are getting closer to full health at the right time. They’ve got a trio of forwards on the verge of returning to play, none more important than top-six winger Andrei Svechnikov. He participated fully in today’s practice and is tracking to return to the lineup tomorrow against the Sabres, although head coach Rod Brind’Amour wouldn’t confirm his availability one way or another (via the team’s Walt Ruff).

It’s been an extremely trying recent stretch for Svechnikov. He sustained an upper-body injury back on March 9 and missed seven games. His return only lasted three appearances until he sustained another undisclosed injury in a game against the Capitals last week. He’s missed a pair of games due to that one. The injury troubles come as Svechnikov is doling out his worst offensive performance since his rookie season. His 0.68 points per game pace is decently south of the 0.77 career average he’s set for himself over his seven seasons in the league.

He’s still one of the more important contributors on a Carolina roster that lacks a point-per-game contributor after trading Martin Nečas to the Avalanche earlier this season. Including Nečas, Svechnikov ranks fourth on the Canes with 19-26–45 in 66 showings. His 17:12 average time on ice is up slightly from last year’s 16:59, although his underlying are a tad concerning. While he’s controlling 58.7% of shot attempts at even strength, that’s on an exceptional two-way club in Carolina. He’s tracking to post a negative relative CF% for the first time in his career.

Nonetheless, they’d love to get Svechnikov back into the fold and hopefully on a hot streak entering postseason play. They’ve clinched a postseason berth and are essentially locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division with a first-round matchup against an injury-plagued Devils team, but more scoring from him is needed to make a deep run and advance to the Conference Final or further.

Elsewhere in Carolina’s forward group, captain Jordan Staal practiced ahead of tomorrow’s game and, like Svechnikov, remains questionable. He’s sat out the last four games with a lower-body injury and five of the last eight, so he’s clearly nursing something. The 6’4″ pivot remains a veritable two-way force in his 19th NHL season, posting his best offensive performance in three years while winning 53.9% of his draws, tying for fifth on the team with a +13 rating, and adding 42 blocks and 127 hits.

They’re also on the verge of getting depth winger William Carrier back in the lineup after a months-long absence. The 30-year-old was a full participant in today’s practice along with Staal and Svechnikov. He underwent lower-body surgery in late January and was ruled out indefinitely, although he never landed on injured reserve. He posted 4-5–9 in 39 games with 136 hits before exiting the lineup, averaging 11:37 per game in his first season in Carolina after signing a six-year, $12MM commitment last summer that could see him finish his career in Raleigh.

As they land some returnees, there might still be a departure from the lineup. Center Jesperi Kotkaniemi “tweaked something” in Saturday’s loss to the Bruins, Brind’Amour said, and he’s still being evaluated. It’s likely he’ll at least miss the Buffalo game after going without a point in his last six appearances. The 24-year-old has 11-20–31 in 76 games, an improvement from last year’s totals while averaging 14 minutes per game.

It stands to reason Carolina expects at least a net positive in terms of lineup influx for tomorrow’s contest. They returned rookie center Justin Robidas to AHL Chicago last night, per Ruff. The 22-year-old came up under emergency conditions late last week and recorded a point in each of his first two career NHL appearances, including Carolina’s lone goal in the loss to Boston. It was quite the initial showing from the 5’8″ centerman, who the Canes picked up in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. He has 17-31–48 in 65 AHL appearances after spending all of 2023-24 on assignment to ECHL Norfolk.

Central Notes: Blues, Yamamoto, Korchinski

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The Blues are one of two teams eligible to clinch a playoff spot tonight. They and the Oilers can book their ticket to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs if the Flames lose to the Sharks in regulation. St. Louis will need to hold up their end of the bargain by defeating the Jets in regulation to wake up tomorrow morning with an “X” next to their name in the standings. Doing so would mark their 13th straight win, the longest winning streak since Edmonton won 16 straight last year between Dec. 21 and Jan. 27. The Blues haven’t lost since a 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Penguins on March 13. They’re now 34-16-6 since replacing Drew Bannister with Jim Montgomery behind the bench in November and are two points ahead of the Wild for the first wild card in the Western Conference. Both St. Louis and Minnesota have four games remaining. The Blues have a 64% chance of holding onto the WC1 spot, a 33% chance of falling back behind the Wild and finishing in the WC2 slot, and a 1% chance of lapping the Avalanche for third place in the Central, per MoneyPuck. Their streak has been fueled by top-line center Robert Thomas, who leads the league in scoring since March 15 with 4-19–23 in 12 games.

More from the Central Division:

  • Utah has recalled winger Kailer Yamamoto from AHL Tucson after papering him down to the minors yesterday. The 26-year-old righty has a goal and an assist in five games since being recalled from Tucson on March 26, his first time on the NHL roster since clearing waivers early in the year. The 2017 first-round pick signed a rich two-way deal with Utah at the end of training camp following a successful professional tryout, although he’s spent most of the year in the minors for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. While he only has those two points to show for eight NHL appearances this year, he’s Tucson’s leading scorer with 19-34–53 in 52 games with a +14 rating. He’s recently seen time in a second-line role with Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz and will presumably return there when Utah hosts the Kraken tomorrow.
  • Despite iffy boxcar stats this season, the Blackhawks are pleased with how 2022 No. 7 overall pick Kevin Korchinski has developed in 2024-25. “We forget how young he is,” Blackhawks interim coach Anders Sörensen told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. “His development curve this year overall has been a positive one, and it’s going up.” Korchinski highlighted his own defensive improvement – a must this season, considering his lack of offensive production. The 20-year-old lefty is a passer first and foremost and was dominant offensively in juniors, but he has no points to speak of in 13 NHL games this season and has been underwhelming with AHL Rockford with 3-24–27 in 54 games.

Jets Sign Kieron Walton To Entry-Level Contract

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The Jets have signed forward Kieron Walton to his entry-level contract, Murat Ates of The Athletic reported Sunday night. PuckPedia adds his three-year deal carries a cap hit of $858,333 and begins next season. His deal carries the minimum base salary of $775K throughout and includes a signing bonus and minors salary of $80K in 2025-26 before jumping to $85K each for the final two years of the contract.

Walton, 19 later this month, is coming off a major breakout season with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6’6″, 212-lb playmaker more than doubled last year’s offensive production, leading the Wolves in scoring with 38-54–92 in 66 games. He added a goal and four assists in four playoff games as Sudbury was swept out of the first round of the OHL playoffs by the Kingston Frontenacs.

Selected in the sixth round (No. 187) of last year’s draft, Walton is undoubtedly one of the biggest risers year-over-year – not just in Winnipeg’s prospect pool but league-wide as well. A natural center who can shift to the left wing, the Toronto native finished ninth in the OHL in scoring this year, having better offensive showings than fellow 2024 draft class members like Oilers first-rounder Sam O’Reilly. Walton ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Jets’ system in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s midseason rankings, notably ahead of plateauing first-rounders Chaz Lucius and Colby Barlow.

With names like Barlow (2023, No. 18 overall) and Lucius (2021, No. 18 overall) more uncertain than ever as impact contributors down the line, it’s important for Winnipeg’s scouting staff to hit on a few later-round picks to keep some youth infusion coming during their playoff contention window. Early returns suggest that’s what’s happened with Walton, who could make his professional debut by joining AHL Manitoba for the stretch run of the 2024-25 season. He’ll remain ineligible for a full-time AHL assignment next season but could see full-time duties with the Moose beginning in 2026-27.

As such, Walton’s contract is slide-eligible for 2025-26. If he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season, the contract will begin in 2026-27 instead and run through the 2028-29 campaign. He’s still owed his $80K signing bonus for 2025-26 in that event, lowering the cap hit of the deal to $831,667 when it goes into effect. In either scenario, he’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry and isn’t eligible for unrestricted free agency until the summer of 2033.

Oilers Notes: Carfagna, Clattenburg, Rodrigue

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Sunday has been a busy day for the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL ranks. It was kicked off when the Bakersfield Condors announced that they’ve signed college free agent Damien Carfagna to an amateur try-out for the remainder of the season. Carfagna will turn pro after wrapping up his junior year of school at The Ohio State University. He was first draft eligible in 2021, during his time with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.

Carfagna was a high-impact defender in juniors on the back of strong play on both blue lines. He began his final year in the USHL – the 2021-22 campaign – with a strong 37 points in 40 games with the Green Bay Gamblers, then joined the eventual championship-winning Sioux City Musketeers via trade and contributed an additional 13 points in 31 games. Carfagna moved to the University of New Hampshire in the following year, and managed a stout 16 points in 35 games as a freshman. He moved to Ohio State for his sophomore season, and saw a dip to just six points in 34 games in his first year as a Buckeye. But Carfagna straightened that out this season, finishing the year with 28 points, six penalty minutes, and a plus-16 in 38 games.

He’ll now look to maintain his strong footing into the pro ranks. Carfagna is likely to serve as a depth option, rotating in-and-out of the lineup, through Bakersfield’s final seven games of the season.

Other notes out of Edmonton:

  • Joining Carfagna on the Bakersfield blue-line will be Connor Clattenburg, who the Oilers have reassigned to the AHL after the end of his OHL season. Clattenburg has spent the last two seasons with the Flint Firebirds and totaled 35 points, 108 penalty minutes, and a plus-two in 46 games this season. His OHL career – which was split between tenures with the Firebirds and Soo Greyhounds – ends with 74 points in 162 career games. Edmonton drafted Clattenburg in the fifth-round of the 2024 NHL Draft – drawn in by the hard-hitting style of the six-foot-two, 205-pound centerman. Clattenburg will also serve a depth role through Bakersfield’s remaining season.
  • Longtime Bakersfield goaltender Olivier Rodrigue is expected to receive his first career NHL start on Monday night per Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Rodrigue made his NHL debut in relief of Calvin Pickard on March 27th, after the latter allowed five goals on 29 shots. Rodrigue went on to allow one more goal on eight shots. Pickard has allowed 13 goals and platooned starter Stuart Skinner has allowed 15 in their last five games respectively. With that precedent, and a playoff spot all but guaranteed, Edmonton will look for a spark with their AHL starter. Rodrigue has set a 18-15-7 record and .899 save percentage in 40 AHL games this season. He posted a .916 in 37 games, and a .912 in 29 games, in the last two seasons respectively.

Blues Recall Dalibor Dvorsky

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The St. Louis Blues have recalled top center prospect Dalibor Dvorsky from the minor leagues. Dvorsky was reassigned to the AHL on Wednesday, but will now return to the Blues roster after news that top-line winger Dylan Holloway is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Dvorsky made his NHL debut on his last recall. He didn’t manage any scoring in what was a productive 4-1 over the Nashville Predators, but Dvorsky looked effective enough in a bottom-line role. He returned to the minors for two games and one point this weekend, bringing his year long totals in the AHL up to 20 goals and 44 points in 59 games. That scoring ranks Dvorsky fourth on the Springfield Thunderbirds and eighth among all AHL rookies in total points. He’s carried his strong scoring into international play this season as well – netting five goals and nine points in nine games of the 2025 World Junior Championship, while captaining Team Slovakia. Everywhere he’s gone, Dvorsky has earned top scoring totals on the back of his confidence on the puck and poise on the forecheck. His strengths look like they’ll clearly translate to the top flight once he gets comfortable, and this recall could be a golden chance to find that footing before the season ends.

It seems clear that Dvorsky is headed right back into St. Louis’ lineup with this move. The Blues managed a closely-fought 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, extending their win streak to a franchise-record 12 straight games. But nobody in St. Louis’ bottom-six managed any scoring through the record-setting win, and names like Mathieu Joseph and Radek Faksa seemed near invisible. St. Louis is now confidently in hold of a Western Conference Wild Card, and adding Dvorsky to the lineup over a quiet fourth-line veteran could go far in giving them another spark plug. With the season dwindling down, the Blues will have to find some way to make up for Holloway’s electric 63 points in 77 games this season, and 14 points in his last 10 games. High-offense rookies like Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud, who recorded his first NHL point on Saturday, may be the key to keeping the offense afloat.

Canucks Recall Max Sasson

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With the Canucks dealing with more injuries up front with Nils Aman leaving practice early Friday and Nils Hoglander’s availability in question, they’ve added some extra forward depth.  Per the NHL’s Media Site, Vancouver has once again recalled winger Max Sasson from AHL Abbotsford.

It’s the eighth recall of the season for the 24-year-old NHL rookie.  Sasson has played in 24 games with Vancouver this season, collecting two goals and four assists while averaging a little over ten minutes a night of playing time.  However, none of those appearances have come since late January as aside from a brief recall late last month, he has exclusively played in the minors.

Sasson had a strong first professional year in 2023-24, picking up 18 goals and 24 assists in 56 games with Abbotsford.  Despite the frequent travel to and from the big club, he has produced at a similar clip in terms of per-game numbers this year, tallying 10 goals and 17 helpers through 39 AHL appearances.

While not specified, it’s likely that Sasson’s recall will qualify as an emergency one given the uncertainty with the injuries to Raty and Hoglander.  Accordingly, it won’t count against their post-deadline regular recall limit of four.

Boston Bruins Recall Fraser Minten, Reassign Jeffrey Viel

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The Boston Bruins will likely see the organizational debut of one of the prospects they acquired from their trade deadline firesale. Boston announced they’ve recalled forward Fraser Minten from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, and have reassigned forward Jeffrey Viel in a corresponding roster move.

Minten, drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 38th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, was the principal player acquired by the Bruins in the Brandon Carlo trade. He’s suited up for the AHL Bruins since, scoring three goals and seven points in 10 games.

There’s been a slight uptick in scoring for Minten, who had only recorded six goals and 13 points in 26 games earlier this season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Still, that may partly be based on his stay with the Maple Leafs earlier in the 2024-25 calendar, when he scored two goals and four points in 15 games, averaging 12:14 of ice time per game.

Given their plummet in the standings since the trade deadline, the Bruins are positioned to give nearly every prospect a look on the NHL roster for their remaining games. Minten had shown the ability to play up and down the forward core during his stay with Toronto, and Boston will look to see if he’ll offer them the same.

Meanwhile, Viel suited up in his fifth game of the year a few days ago. The seven-year veteran is primarily known for fisticuffs rather than his talent with the puck, but he has registered 12 goals and 34 points in 62 games for the AHL Bruins this season.

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