Atlantic Notes: Stolarz, Kesselring, Ullmark, Poitras

Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has missed more than two months with an upper-body injury with little known beyond that.  The netminder told reporters yesterday (video link) that he has been dealing with a nerve issue, one that simply needed time to heal but no one knew at the time how long he’d be out for.  Stolarz was a top performer last season which earned him a four-year, $15MM extension in training camp.  However, he struggled mightily before being shut down, posting a 3.51 GAA and a .884 SV% in 13 starts.  He indicated that he still needs to get into a few practices with the team before he could potentially return which could put him in line to see game action at some point toward the back of their upcoming five-game homestand.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

• The Sabres will welcome back a defenseman today against Minnesota. Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that Michael Kesselring will return to the lineup after missing the last seven games with a high ankle sprain.  Kesselring has been quiet in his first season with Buffalo after being acquired from Utah in an offseason trade.  He’s still looking for his first point with his new team after being held off the scoresheet through 16 games while he’s averaging a little over 15 minutes a night on the third pairing.  While Buffalo will get him back, that won’t be the case for center Joshua Norris who remains listed as day-to-day.
• Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark skated with the team on Friday for the first time since stepping away on a leave of absence last month, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. However, there remains no timetable for him to return to Ottawa’s lineup.  The 32-year-old struggled through the first two and a half months of the season, posting a save percentage of just .881, a career low by a considerable margin.  For now, Leevi Merilainen and recent signee James Reimer will continue as their goaltending tandem.
• Bruins center Matthew Poitras has changed agents, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link). After being represented previously by John Walters from The Will Sports Group, the 21-year-old has signed with Newport’s Wade Arnott.  Poitras has played in 33 games with Boston in each of the last two seasons but has played exclusively with AHL Providence in 2025-26.  So far, he has six goals and 14 assists in 33 games in the minors.  This is the final season of his entry-level deal and he will be a restricted free agent without arbitration rights next summer.