ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced the signing of goaltender Cal Petersen to a one-year, one-way contract worth $775,000. 

The Wild were in search of a depth goaltender with experience in the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL). Petersen fits the bill. 

Petersen, 30, went 13-15-3 with a 3.14 goals-against average (GAA) and .885 save percentage (SV%) in 31 games last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. 

The native of Iowa, has played in 106 NHL games where he has gone 46-44-10 with a 2.96 GAA, .903 SV% and four shutouts.

The 6-foot-1 goaltender has played in parts of six NHL seasons with the Los Angeles Kings (2018-23) and Philadelphia Flyers (2023-24).

He was once signed to a three-year contract at $15 million ($5M AAV) with the Kings. He has struggled since then and has found himself in the AHL the last two years. 

This signing provides the Wild with some goaltending depth in case Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt get hurt during the season. 

Other Wild News

Minnesota Wild Sign Forward Tyler Pitlick To A Two-Year, Two-Way ContractST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild will announce some American Hockey League (AHL) depth signings pretty soon. They started things off with the signing of forward Tyler Pitlick.  Minnesota Wild Sign Forward Nico Sturm To A Two-Year DealST. PAUL, Minn - As previously written, Nico Sturm would be a perfect fit for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild have now announced they have signed the free agent to a two-year contract at $2 million AAV. Wild Issue Qualifying Offers To Marco Rossi, Michael Milne & Part Ways With Four PlayersST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced qualifying offers for forwards Marco Rossi and Michael Milne. They did not make qualifying offers to Graeme Clarke, Adam Raska, Luke Toporowski, and Ryan O’Rourke.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have added another depth player via NHL free agency.

The Maple Leafs have signed Vinni Lettieri to a one-year, $775,000 contract. The 30-year-old right-shot forward spent all of last season in the Boston Bruins organization. Lettieri appeared in 26 games with the Bruins, scoring three goals and two assists, and 47 games with the AHL's Providence Bruins, where he put up 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points in 47 games.

As an undrafted forward out of the University of Minnesota, Lettieri signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers in 2017. After three years in the organization, the Excelsior, Minnesota native played two seasons in the Anaheim Ducks' system (2020-2022).

He signed a one-year contract with the Bruins in 2022, spent most of the season in Providence, and joined the Minnesota Wild on a one-year contract in 2023. Lettieri played a career-high 46 NHL games with the Wild and scored nine points (five goals and four assists).

Why the Maple Leafs Are Expected to Target Top-Six Forward Help Through Trades, Not Free AgencyThe Toronto Maple Leafs have a Mitch Marner-sized hole in their lineup opted for a sign and trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. But when the clock struck noon for the opening of free agency, the Leafs were quiet.

In 155 NHL games, Lettieri has 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points, plus 287 points (141 goals and 146 assists) in 324 career AHL games.

This is the fifth depth signing Toronto has made over the last 24 hours after losing the likes of Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, Alex Nylander, and Nick Abruzzese to free agency. The Maple Leafs signed Michael Pezzetta and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, along with defenseman Dakota Mermis, to two-year deals with an annual average value of $812,500.

Toronto also added former Maple Leaf Travis Boyd on a one-year, $775,000 contract.

'We Wanted To Get Through The First Part Of Free Agency': Maple Leafs Not Closing The Door On Max Pacioretty ReturnEven after a quiet free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't closing the door on bringing Max Pacioretty back.

According to PuckPedia, on a 23-man roster, the Maple Leafs now have just shy of $5 million to play with for the remainder of the offseason.

(Top photo of Lettieri: Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Images)

The Detroit Red Wings announced a two-year extension with depth forward Elmer Söderblom.

The Red Wings announced on Wednesday, the extension of winger Elmer Söderblom to a new two-year deal with an annual cap hit at $1.125 million per season. 

After recording 17 points through 38 AHL games in Grand Rapids this past season, Söderblom could be given a extended look at a main roster spot. 

A former sixth-round pick in 2019, Söderblom has posted respectable numbers with a 0.45 point-per-game pace in the AHL and 0.40 in the NHL. Production that might be giving Steve Yzerman and Detroit’s front office something to think about as they assess potential bottom-six options, where roster spots could be up for grabs.

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At 6-foot-8 and roughly 250 pounds, the 23-year-old Swedish winger can look to borrow from the likes of Brian Boyle. The former longtime bottom-six centre carved out a meaningful role for himself as he would record 20-35 points while also working as a great physical tone setter. 

Boyle's role made him an impact through 124 playoff games in which he went to two straight Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This role could be more than attainable for Söderblom as he's shown slightly higher upside in terms of scoring and could learn how to use his large body to leave to lasting impact on opponents. 

The entire NHL has been put on notice by the Florida Panthers as physical, gritty hockey is what wins championships now and a role player like Söderblom could be a step in the right direction for the Red Wings.

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While the Pittsburgh Penguins have been making plenty of smaller moves at the NHL level since the start of unrestricted free agency on Tuesday, they've also been shoring up depth at the developmental levels of the organization.

On Wednesday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - re-signed goaltender Taylor Gauthier and signed forward Aidan McDonough, both to one-year AHL contracts.

Gauthier, 24, has been excellent over parts of the past three seasons within the Penguins' organization. At the ECHL level, he won ECHL Goaltender of the Year honors in 2023-24, when he posted a .923 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average to go along with four shutouts and a 24-16-2 record.

He was also excellent in split duties with fellow goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov this past season in Wheeling - even improving his numbers from the year prior - as he bolstered a .928 save percentage and a 2.06 goals-against average. Gauthier figures to, potentially, tandem with Murashov again next season, but this time, at the AHL level. 

At the AHL level so far, Gauthier is 10-5-7 with a .908 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average. He will, likely, battle for a role with the WBS Penguins, along with Murashov and Filip Larsson, who is under contract through the end of the 2025-26 season.

Penguins Sign Anthony Mantha To One-Year DealThe Pittsburgh Penguins have added another forward to their lineup for the 2025-26 season.

McDonough, 25, captained the Northeastern University Huskies from 2019-23 and recorded 66 goals and 124 points in 124 games. A former seventh-round pick (195th overall) of the Vancouver Canucks in 2019, the 6-foot-2, 201-pound forward appeared in six NHL games for the Canucks in 2022-23, registering one point.

He spent the last two seasons in the AHL, first with the Abbotsford Canucks and next with the Charlotte Checkers. Last season for the Checkers, he recorded 10 goals and 16 points in just 16 games, as a broken leg resulting from a fight kept him out for most of the season. 

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Feature image credit: Bob Frid - Imagn Images

The Vegas Golden Knights have a lot of young talent at this year's development camp, with another standout being this year's second-round draft pick, Jakob Ihs-Wozniak.  

It’s been a crazy few days for the right-winger. Drafted one moment, on a plane to Vegas the next, and now he’s diving into his first development camp in a city he’s never been to before. Ihs-Wozniak touched on his thoughts and emotions from draft day.

“Super happy,” Ihs-Wozniak expressed. “I mean, it was a relief, like this is, that's the day you've been waiting for. When they traded up and picked me, it was super fun. I landed in a super great spot.” 

The second-round pick is coming off a season of growth after a rocky showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he admitted his performance “wasn’t good enough.” According to Golden Knights’ assistant director of player personnel Bob Lowes, that tournament became a turning point. 

“He even said the more I engage, the better I play,” Lowes noted. “The skill is all there, the size, the ability. He just needed to add that edge to his game. I think with our development, physical development, I think we can get him to be a good-sized power element with his game, as well as the offensive skill.”

The motivation is there for him, and he’s using this time on the ice to channel it. With the draft behind him and a clear path ahead, Ihs-Wozniak has the opportunity to turn potential into performance. 

“It's super fun that they traded up to me, that's super fun,” Ihs-Wozniak said, “But of course, it's just after the draft. It's just to keep working and when you get drafted, it's just the start. So you just have to keep going.”

Ihs-Wozniak’s improvement over the year has put him firmly in the conversation for Sweden’s U20 World Junior roster, and the Knights are excited to be a part of his development.