Rocket sign Aiden Dubinsky to one-year AHL deal

Laval did not sign Aiden Dubinsky to fill a headline role so much as to solve a blue-line problem that was already pressing against the edges of the roster. The Rocket agreed to terms on a one-year, one-way AHL contract for 2026-27 with the 22-year-old defenseman, turning a late-season PTO into a longer look at a player they already used in meaningful games.

That matters in Laval because the Rocket’s defense was already built around a mix of NHL two-way, AHL one-way and entry-level contracts, which left the club needing reliable depth more than another marquee name. Dubinsky gives the organization another left side or right side option who can absorb minutes if injuries stack up or if the postseason demands a different matchup look.

Dubinsky spent the end of the 2025-26 season on a professional tryout with Laval after the club first signed him to that PTO on April 15. He then played his first professional AHL game on April 19 and also appeared in the Rocket’s final playoff game this year, a quick climb that suggests the coaching staff wanted a closer read before locking in his next step. For Laval, that is the real story: not just the signing itself, but the fact that the club already tested him in live action before committing to the one-year deal.

The native of Highland Park, Illinois, arrived with a solid college resume from the University of Wisconsin. He was listed as a senior defenseman on the Badgers’ 2025-26 roster, after transferring from Minnesota Duluth for his final season. In 39 NCAA games, Dubinsky posted two goals and four assists for six points, production that fits a defenseman who is being asked to add stability first and offense second. Wisconsin listed him at 6-foot-0 and 196 pounds, while Laval had him at 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds.

That profile makes Dubinsky less of a roster headline and more of a practical answer to the kind of attrition that changes playoff series. If Laval needs insurance on the back end, he now has a 22-year-old defender who has already worn the jersey, skated in a pro game and been trusted in a playoff setting. The path from PTO to regular postseason minutes is still narrow, but Laval has made clear it wanted another body who could survive the pressure if the blue line thins out again.