Evening Notes: Olympics, Smith, Laine
On TSN’s Insider Trading today, Pierre LeBrun relayed some of the reservations the NHL might be having about a potential NHL return to Olympic hockey participation in 2026. The NHL hasn’t taken part in the Olympics since the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia, a tournament in which Canada took gold. The league did not participate in the events in 2018 and opted not to return in 2022 due to COVID concerns as well as concerns surrounding travel.
LeBrun told viewers that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the NHL board of governors and had concerns about the Olympic arena in Milan, Italy which is not built yet and has a projected timeline that would see construction conclude just six to eight weeks before the Olympics begin.
On top of that, there remains no agreement on many important details such as families travelling to the Olympics as well as an agreement on the players’ insurance.
Lebrun added that he believes this is the most negative he has heard the NHL talk about 2026 Olympic participation but he does add that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is not pessimistic towards NHL players returning to the Olympics.
In other evening notes:
- The Nashville Predators announced that forward Cole Smith missed tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an apparent illness. The 28-year-old is currently listed as day-to-day, and it is unknown whether he will be able to suit up on Thursday when the Predators take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Smith has just one full NHL season under his belt and has started this year at a solid pace with four goals and five assists in 24 games while averaging nearly three hits a game.
- Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine was a scratch tonight due to an illness. No word yet on any timeline for Laine to return as the news came out just before the start of the Blue Jackets’ game against the Los Angeles Kings. Mathieu Olivier was expected to be scratched for the game but took Laine’s place in the lineup and scored his first goal of the season in the 4-3 loss. Laine has struggled out of the game this season and has been a healthy scratch at times, he has just five goals and two assists in 16 games thus far which is well short of the numbers he has put up in recent years where he has been a point-a-game player.
West Notes: Lizotte, Lindholm, Namestnikov
Los Angeles Kings writer Zach Dooley reported today that Kings forward Blake Lizotte has progressed to a regular practice jersey today as he moves closer to the returning to the lineup. The 25-year-old missed his sixth straight game this evening but could return on Thursday night when the Kings take on the Montreal Canadiens. Kings head coach Todd McLellan told reporters today that the plan is to see how Lizotte feels after practice tomorrow before making any decisions on a potential return later this week.
Lizotte has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury he suffered in a game against the St. Louis Blues back on November 18th. He took a hard open-ice hit from Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo and immediately went to the bench and up the tunnel with the training staff. He did not return to the game.
In 16 games this season, the Lindstrom, Minnesota native has four goals and three assists and is +7.
In other West notes:
- TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji is reporting that Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm was back at practice today after missing yesterday’s practice due to an illness. All signs point to the 29-year-old dressing in the Flames game tonight against the Minnesota Wild as Calgary tries to get back to .500 after starting the season 2-7-1. Lindholm has played fine this season with seven goals and 10 assists in 24 games, but he has struggled to score goals with a shooting percentage of just 10.9%, well off his career average of 12.5%.
- Winnipeg Jets analyst Mitchell Clinton is reporting that Winnipeg Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov will join the team on their upcoming road trip but is unlikely to play in Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. The 31-year-old has missed the Jets’ last two games after suffering a lower-body injury during a puck battle with Darnell Nurse in the Jets’ 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers last Thursday. Namestnikov signed a two-year deal with the Jets in the summer and has had a decent start to the season with two goals and nine assists in his first 22 games.
Seattle Kraken Recall Ryker Evans
The Seattle Kraken have announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Ryker Evans from their AHL affiliate the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The 21-year-old has never dressed in an NHL game but has earned some time with the big club after building an impressive AHL resume in his very young professional career.
Evans was the second draft pick ever by the Kraken, taken in the second round of the 2021 NHL draft, after going undrafted in his first year of draft eligibility. He rewarded Seattle with an impressive first season in the AHL registering six goals and 38 assists in 71 regular season games before helping to lead the Firebirds to the AHL finals with an impressive 26 points in 26 playoff games.
This season the Calgary, Alberta native has fallen into a bit of a sophomore slump as he has started the season slowly with just two goals and six assists in his first 18 games with the Firebirds. Despite the slow start, the Kraken have opted to give him a look in the NHL as they are mired in a five-game losing streak and need a jolt wherever they can find it.
Seattle has lost six of their last seven games and is sitting fifth in the Pacific Division with an 8-12-6 record. They are currently trailing the St. Louis Blues by five points for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference while the Blues hold two games in hand.
Without a true offensive superstar in their lineup, the Kraken have relied upon depth scoring to win games, which is something they haven’t been able to find this season. Outside of Vince Dunn, no Kraken defenseman has cracked ten points on the season as their offensive depth has disappeared. The Kraken may see Ryker as a potential option on the backend who can provide a small offensive boost at a time when they need it most.
Nico Sturm And Filip Zadina Returning Tonight
Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now is reporting that the San Jose Sharks are set to welcome back Nico Sturm and Filip Zadina as they take on the New York Islanders this evening.
Sturm is returning to the Sharks lineup after missing their 6-5 loss on Sunday night to the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury. Zadina on the other hand is being activated off the injured reserve after missing the Sharks’ last five games. Both players figure to play in the bottom six as Zadina is likely to see fourth-line duty while Sturm will most likely center the Sharks third line.
Like many players in the Sharks lineup both Sturm and Zadina have struggled to find any traction offensively this season. Sturm had 14 goals and 12 assists in 74 games last year but has managed just two assists in 22 appearances thus far this season. Zadina on the other hand has three goals and two assists in 20 games which isn’t far off from the three goals and four assists in 30 games he posted last year while he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
After starting the season with a 0-10-1 record the Sharks have turned things around recently going 4-5-1 in their last ten games including three wins in their last five games. At 6-17-2 the Sharks are still well outside of the playoff picture and figure to be a non-factor in the playoff picture for the remainder of the season. But for players like Sturm and Zadina, they don’t have much term left on their contracts and are playing for their NHL futures.
Flyers Recall Lycksell, Place Cates on IR
Philadelphia Flyers writer Dylan H. Robillard of Olde City Sports Network is reporting that the Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from their AHL affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and placed forward Noah Cates on the Injured Reserve. Cates was already ruled out of action a week ago after suffering a lower-body injury and was placed on the IR as a corresponding move to allow the Flyers to bring Lycksell up to the NHL.
Lycksell had an eight-game audition with the Flyers last season, tallying one assist while going -3. His underlying numbers in the NHL were particularly bad but he was solid in 53 AHL games posting 14 goals and 31 assists.
The 24-year-old was on the bubble to make the team this year coming out of training camp after a strong rookie camp, but ultimately fell short and was assigned to Lehigh Valley. Since the assignment to the AHL, the former sixth-round pick has been nearly a point-a-game player this season with 12 goals and seven assists in 21 games.
Lycksell likely won’t offer the same two-way skillset as Cates but could have an opportunity to show if he belongs in the NHL. Cates struggled offensively to start the season with just a goal and three assists in 21 games.
The Flyers are coming off a home-and-away sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins and have surprised just about everyone with their start to the season. They currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 13-10-2.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Dallas Stars.
Who are the Stars thankful for?
There were a number of different ways that we could have gone here, but it is hard to dismiss the agelessness of 39-year-old Joe Pavelski.
Many pundits thought the Dallas Stars had made a big miscalculation back in July 2019 when the club signed a then 34-year-old Pavelski to a three-year $21MM contract just ten days before his 35th birthday. And one season into the deal, it sure looked like the pundits were right. Pavelski looked lost and tired as he suffered through one of the worst seasons of his NHL career. But since that first year, he has registered 91 goals and 142 assists in 242 games.
Now part of those numbers are because Pavelski is playing fewer minutes than his career average, and he is also playing with very skilled teammates, but it is hard to discount all the intangibles Pavelski has brought to the Stars dressing room on top of being a bonafide top-6 forward. Pavelski hasn’t had to sacrifice any of his attention to detail when it comes to his defensive responsibilities and continues to remain in the conversation when it comes to Selke Trophy considerations year after year. All of this in his 18th NHL season, while he continues to play under a very team-friendly cap hit making just $3.5MM this season (plus $2MM in bonuses).
Pavelski might not be the biggest star in Dallas, but his reliability at both ends of the ice, and his ability to make everyone around him better continue to impress as he pushes towards his 40th birthday.
What are the Stars thankful for?
Their scouting staff.
Very few teams have hit on late first-round picks and second-round picks the way the Dallas Stars have over the last decade. The Stars were fortunate to pick the likes of Miro Heiskanen third overall. But most of their depth was built off smart picks later in the draft. All-star goaltender Jake Oettinger was a late first-round pick 26th overall in the 2017 NHL entry draft, Jason Robertson was selected 13 spots later at 39th overall and has emerged as a top-flight offensive talent. Roope Hintz was a late second-round pick in the 2015 draft while Wyatt Johnston was selected 23rd overall in 2021. The list goes on and it goes to show just how Dallas has built a team that can contend year in and year out.
The stars currently boast some of the best depth in the NHL evidenced by Johnston centering a third line that features Jamie Benn. They haven’t just hit on draft picks as they’ve also been able to make smart free-agent signings (see Pavelski above) and craft trades along the way. The scouts in Dallas at both the amateur and pro level have done a commendable job identifying available talent that other NHL clubs are undervaluing.
What would the Stars be even more thankful for?
Ryan Suter dialing it back.
At 39 years old it is unlikely that Ryan Suter is going to find another gear suddenly. The 11-time all-star defenseman has seen his offensive game fall into a decline since 2020, while his defensive game has been slipping away since 2015. Suter was once considered one of the top two-way defensemen in the NHL, but time has caught up to the Madison, Wisconsin native.
In Dallas, Suter has been thrust into a role that is probably outside of his current skillset as he has played significant minutes with Miro Heiskanen. Suter is averaging over 20 minutes a night, and while that is a steep decline from last season, it is still a rather large number for one of the oldest defensemen in the NHL.
The drop-in ice time has mostly come from Suter being removed from the Stars’ power play. With his speed and footwork in decline, the Stars have made the call to primarily use Suter at even strength on their top pairing. The good news for Suter is that he is partnered up with Heiskanen and can benefit from the youngster’s strong skillset. Suter hasn’t been terrible this year and has mostly been fine, but given the Stars’ Stanley Cup aspirations, it will be important that Suter finds another gear, or the Stars look for someone who can better log Suter’s minutes and perhaps bump him down the depth chart.
What should be on the Stars holiday wish list?
A defenseman.
As mentioned above, Suter could probably benefit from a more sheltered role in the Stars’ defense core. Esa Lindell could also use some help as well as he too has had his struggles. All this points to the Stars needing to shop for another defender.
Dallas is in the fortunate position to have a decent farm system from which they could trade, and also have some young roster players that could entice teams to part with a defenseman. Although I would avoid trading Johnston if possible.
The Stars could benefit from a right-side defenseman, and while it wouldn’t improve Suter’s position on the depth chart, it would allow Jani Hakanpää to slide down into the bottom pairing. Hakanpää has had a rough start to the season and would likely welcome some sheltered minutes on a 5-6 pairing.
If Dallas opts to trade for right-shot defensemen there will certainly be options available to them. Tyson Barrie of the Nashville Predators is out there, as is Chris Tanev of the Calgary Flames. If the Stars wanted to be bolder, they could take a run at Noah Hanifin as he would slot in beautifully on their top pair next to Heiskanen.
Cap space will be an issue for the Stars, but as we inch closer and closer to the trade deadline it will become less of an issue. Dallas is on the cusp of breaking through in the playoffs and one more defenseman could be just the thing that gets them over the hump and back to the Stanley Cup finals.
Cale Makar Will Not Play Tonight
Peter Baugh of The Athletic is reporting that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar will miss tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury. Baugh relayed the news from Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar who said that Makar is out for tonight and that was all he knew for now.
Makar is currently one of the frontrunners for the Norris Trophy as his seven goals and 27 assists in 23 games have him tied for fourth in NHL scoring with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes. He has finished in the top-3 in Norris Trophy voting in each of the past three seasons and is making a strong case for it to be four years in a row. He won the award back in 2022 and was also the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in the same year.
Makar left the Avalanche game last night against the Anaheim Ducks just before the end of regulation. He was unavailable during the overtime period and the shootout, which the Avalanche eventually lost.
If he is out for any length of time it would be a big blow to a Colorado club that currently sits atop the Central Division with a 15-6-2 record. They were on a hot streak having won seven of eight prior games to dropping their last two to the Ducks and Arizona Coyotes.
With Makar sidelined, it appears that rookie Sam Malinski will dress in his second career NHL game. The 25-year-old signed as an undrafted free agent this past March after playing four years at Cornell University. In 17 AHL games this season with the Colorado Eagles, Malinski has three goals and six assists.
Blackhawks Notes: Tinordi, Guttman, Hall
Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks injured defenseman Jarred Tinordi will take some contact in the team’s practice tomorrow before they evaluate if he is ready to return to the lineup. Tinordi suffered an oblique injury back on November 9th in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and hasn’t dressed since then.
He was placed on the injured reserve on November 11th; however, it was retroactive to the 9th. The Blackhawks then called up Isaak Phillips from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League to take his place. Phillips has fared well as of late with three assists in his last four games although he has struggled to manage the puck during his NHL run. Tinordi brings more edge and physicality to his game than Phillips, averaging nearly three hits a game this season. However, he is limited offensively having posted just one assist in nine games this season.
In other Blackhawks notes:
- Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Chicago forward Cole Guttman suffered an upper-body injury on Sunday in the Blackhawks loss to the St. Louis Blues and is now day-to-day. The 24-year-old was scratched on Tuesday night in what many had assumed was a healthy scratch capacity but given the news today, it appears that Guttman’s injury kept him sidelined and will likely keep him out of tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Guttman has dressed in five games this season for the Blackhawks, registering a single goal which came in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that forward Taylor Hall underwent successful surgery on Monday to repair his right ACL. Hall is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season effectively ending his first season with the Blackhawks. Hall was dealt to Chicago in the offseason alongside Nick Foligno and was expected to ride shotgun next to rookie phenom Connor Bedard. Things didn’t work out as planned with Hall registering just two goals and two assists in ten games before the ailment cut his season short.
Noah Hanifin May Be Signed And Traded
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting that sources have told him that Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin could be dealt this season with an extension in place beyond this year. If a situation like that were to happen, it would effectively be a sign-and-trade agreement between the Flames and an acquiring team, as the team trading for Hanifin would be able to acquire the 26-year-old as a player under contract beyond this season.
LeBrun previously reported a few weeks ago that Hanifin and the Flames were close to agreeing to an extension back in October that would have been valued at roughly $60MM over an eight-year term. However, the Flames pulled the deal after Hanifin opted to wait and see how the season developed.
The Flames have turned things around this season after stumbling early in the year and might be feeling less pressure to deal some of their pending unrestricted free agents as they are back in the thick of things. However, LeBrun points out that the Flames are unlikely to make a deep run in the playoffs should they get there and may opt to recoup some assets for a few of their upcoming free agents.
Hanifin is in his sixth year with Calgary after coming over in a trade from the Carolina Hurricanes and has four goals and six assists in 22 games thus far. If he is to hit the open market, there will be no shortage of teams looking to acquire the native of Boston, Massachusetts.
The Flames are one game into a six-game homestand that could dictate how they approach the rest of the season. If they struggle on home ice, it may incentivize them to move some of their other pending free agents, such as Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov, who requested a trade just a few weeks ago.
Evening Notes: Zadorov, Giordano, Hyman
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that there remains a lot of interest in Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Among the teams interested are the Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and fresh off their cap-clearing trade, the Vancouver Canucks.
Zadorov requested a trade a few weeks ago and at the time his agent Dan Milstein had hoped for a quick resolution although one has yet to be reached. Trades have proven difficult this season due to so many teams being within a million dollars of the NHL salary cap ceiling. The Flames have reportedly told Zadorov that they are willing to move him but will be patient in the process as they wait for the right deal to come along.
Zadorov has a goal and five assists in 21 games so far this season while averaging over 18 minutes a night in ice time.
In other evening notes:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that defenseman Mark Giordano will not return to tonight’s game due to an upper-body injury. It is unclear when Giordano sustained the injury as he had a shot on goal during his final shift and then remained on the ice until the Florida Panthers scored their first goal. The Maple Leafs’ defense core has been decimated by injuries which has forced Giordano to play in an elevated role after starting the season on the third pairing. The 40-year-old has a goal and four assists in 20 games this season and has an average 18:28 of ice time per game.
- The Edmonton Oilers have announced that forward Zach Hyman won’t dress for tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an undisclosed illness. Hyman was a full participant in the team’s morning skate today taking his usual spot on the team’s top line but was not well enough to play this evening. Mattias Janmark was elevated into Hyman’s role alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins which also opened a spot for Sam Gagner to be reinserted into the lineup. Hyman has been one of the Oilers’ most consistent players with 12 goals and 10 assists in 20 games this season.