Central Notes: Lundkvist, Manson, Zuccarello
In the second period of tonight’s game between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist left the contest after taking a skate to the face. Lundkvist was fighting for a puck with Michael McCarron toward Dallas’ net, and McCarron’s skate hit Lundkvist in the left cheek as both were falling to the ice.
Initially, there was some hope that Lundkvist could get a few stitches and get back to the game. The Stars announced that Lundkvist was “questionable” to return, although he ultimately never did before Dallas lost in overtime. In an update after the game from Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News, head coach Glen Gulutzan described the injury as far more serious, saying Lundkvist suffered a deep facial laceration and he didn’t know whether he had already gone to the hospital.
Fortunately, given that both teams need a travel day, Game 5 isn’t until next Tuesday. If Lundkvist is unable to go by then, it’s expected that 32-year-old veteran Ilya Lyubushkin will draw into the lineup.
Additional notes from the Central Division:
- In other news regarding injured defensemen, the Colorado Avalanche will be without Josh Manson tomorrow night. According to Jesse Montero of Guerilla Sports, Manson was still “sore” from his upper-body injury at practice today. This means that instead of Manson, depth defender Nick Blankenburg will help the Avalanche in their attempt to close out their Round One series against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4. Blankenburg scored two goals and three points in 12 games for Colorado after being acquired from the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline.
- Moving to the other side of the now-even series between the Stars and Wild, the latter team was without Mats Zuccarello for the third consecutive game. Michael Russo of The Athletic indicated that Zuccarello had been elevated to a game-time decision for tonight’s contest, but was still battling lingering effects from being elbowed in the head by Dallas defenseman Tyler Myers.
Canadiens’ Noah Dobson Resumes Skating
Already with a one-game edge in the series, the Montreal Canadiens are inching closer to returning one of their top defenseman. Earlier today, Luc Gélinas of RDS reported that defenseman Noah Dobson has resumed skating.
Dobson, 26, has been out for the last few weeks with a lower-body injury. Before missing the last three games of the regular season, and the first three of Montreal’s Round One matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dobson was exactly what the Canadiens hoped he would be.
He finished second on the team in scoring among defensemen, and sixth overall, with 12 goals and 47 points in 80 games with a +5 rating, averaging 22:29 of ice time per game. Additionally, he was third among Canadiens defensemen in CorsiFor% at even strength, and had the second most takeaways on the team.
Should he return toward the back half of this series, it would undoubtedly give Montreal a larger edge over Tampa Bay. The Lightning are already without their captain, Victor Hedman, due to illness. Reports from a few days ago indicated that Hedman is doubtful to play in the Bolts’ opening round matchup.
For the time being, the Canadiens have been deploying Alexandre Carrier in Dobson’s stead. He hasn’t looked out of place, registering one assist in three games while averaging over 23 minutes of ice time, largely due to the multiple trips into overtime. Additionally, Carrier is tied for the team lead in blocked shots (10) with fellow blue liner Mike Matheson.
Alexander Nikishin Leaves Game With Injury
Despite earning the sweep over the Ottawa Senators earlier today, it’s not all good news for the Carolina Hurricanes. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin exited the game early after being on the receiving end of a huge hit from Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven.
Nikishin finished the game with one shot, two blocked shots, and one hit across 5:16 of ice time. Before leaving today’s contest, he had averaged over 20 minutes through the first three games of the series, although he remained scoreless. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Nikishin just had the wind knocked out of him. After the game, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer shared a note from head coach Rod Brind’Amour that the team fears Nikishin suffered a concussion.
Still, depending on the severity of the concussion, if that’s what it is, Nikishin may have ample time to recover. Unless the Pittsburgh Penguins pull off a miraculous comeback, the Hurricanes will likely play the Philadelphia Flyers in Round Two, a team they would have a significant advantage against, even without Nikishin. Carolina earned seven points against the Flyers this season in four games.
Additionally, although it doesn’t directly concern the Hurricanes at the time of writing, the other two Eastern Conference matchups are in tight series and may prolong the start of Round Two. If any Round One series goes to seven games, that could give Nikishin more than a week-and-a-half to recover.
Regardless, veteran blue liner Mike Reilly should begin getting ready for his first playoff action in some time. He was held out of every game in Round One against the Senators, but he was always the first man up in case of injury. Reilly last played in the postseason in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring one goal and two points in five games with the New York Islanders.
Latest On Red Wings Offseason Plans
It’s safe to say that the Detroit Red Wings finish fell well short of expectations. Even for Steve Yzerman loyalists, this season felt different. Instead of fighting for a playoff spot until the last few days of the regular season like the last two years, the Red Wings were squarely in a playoff position before the team rolled over and died.
This has sparked intense speculation about what Detroit’s offseason will entail and whether Yzerman can guide this team to its goals. In a wide-ranging piece on The Athletic, Max Bultman broke down Yzerman’s end-of-season media availability and what it could indicate about the Red Wings’ offseason.
There’s no question that Detroit needs to add more goal-scoring. The Red Wings finished 30th in the league in even-strength scoring, which isn’t conducive to playoff eligibility. It’s a similar problem to last season, when Detroit finished 28th in the category. There will be some options on the free agent market to help with this issue, such as Anthony Mantha of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres.
It seems that Yzerman is keenly aware of this issue. Bultman quoted the franchise legend, saying, “We need to change some things. But (we’re) not just gonna go and get rid of everyone. But there needs to be some very blunt conversations with some of our players, and challenge them to do more and be better to get there. But ultimately, again, we need to surround them with more talent. And having said that, we still need more from some of our very key players.”
Additionally, Yzerman noted that the bottom six of the team’s forward corps need an identity change. Bultman shared another quote, saying, “So, I’d like to see us — in our bottom six, we need some production as well, and also to have some definition. Maybe a true checking line or shutdown line, and then depending on what you have in your top nine, you build your fourth line a little bit around that. If you don’t have enough production, then you’ve got to get some production on that fourth line. If you’re not big enough and hard enough or whatnot, then you need that. And truthfully, we need a little bit of all of that.”
Some of that has to do with the fact that Todd McLellan used so many different line combinations this season. He was doing his best to find a spark, but of the 10 combinations that skated in 80 or more minutes together this season, the top two lines were the only two that remained intact for much of the season.
Heading into the offseason, Yzerman can easily let aging veterans David Perron and James van Riemsdyk exit free agency or retirement. However, other players such as J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, and Mason Appleton did not perform particularly well and should be traded if possible. Due to their contracts, it won’t be easy, but Yzerman may have to get more aggressive than he typically operates to apply the necessary remedies to Detroit’s issues.
East Notes: Desrosiers, LeBreton Flats, Senators
According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the New York Islanders have fired assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers. Desrosiers was hired by the Islanders, along with Patrick Roy, partway through the 2023-24 season.
As Rosner noted, Desrosiers was particularly focused on New York’s play in the faceoff dot. The Islanders weren’t a bad faceoff team when Desrosiers was hired, but he was able to make them one of the best in the league. The Islanders were the best team in the faceoff dot in all situations during the 2024-25 season with a 54.9% success rate, and finished fifth this year with a 52.65% rate.
For his next role, it’s anyone’s guess. Given that he followed Roy from the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts to New York, it would make sense that Desrosiers will go wherever Roy does. Unfortunately, it’s not altogether clear if Roy will pursue a different opportunity this summer or remain with the Islanders as a scout. If he does, Desrosiers may seek a role with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, or Tampa Bay Lightning, each of which finished at the bottom of the league in faceoff percentage.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Later this year, the Ottawa Senators are expected to finalize the purchase of land in LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission to eventually build a new arena. In an update from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Commissioner Gary Bettman believes that the deal will be finalized, saying, “As recently as when I walked in here today, things are continuing on a positive track. I’m hoping that is an express track, as opposed to a long one.” Although the Senators are likely to purchase the property, it may take several years to build a new arena due to the numerous regulations that need to be met.
- Sticking with the Senators, Bettman also commented on his decision to return Ottawa’s first-round pick to them for the upcoming draft. The Senators had originally lost the selection due to not including Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade protection when they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights. In reversing his decision, Bettman said, “I thought it was important, particularly for other clubs, how seriously we take the processes of how you must comply with a trade. I was comfortable that some adjustment might be fair based on the due diligence and everything leading up to the transaction, without completely eliminating it. I thought it was fair under all the circumstances.”
Latest On Maple Leafs GM Search
In a new update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely down to their final two candidates for their open General Manager position. Still, Friedman doesn’t expect anything to be announced soon as the Maple Leafs continue to do their due diligence on each candidate, who couldn’t be more different.
One of the candidates is Scott White, Assistant General Manager of the Dallas Stars, as reported a few days ago. White was hired by the Stars organization after the 2005 lockout, working his way up from their AHL affiliate to the AGM position in 2016. In his developmental philosophy, White typically values players of high character, often providing prospects and draft options with numerous character assessments.
That’s not to say he doesn’t value talent, but he is keenly aware of what a bad locker room can create, even with the necessary talent to win. Unsurprisingly, the Maple Leafs are interested in allowing that philosophy to dictate the future of the organization. Toronto has undeniable talent, but the team has struggled to mesh well in recent years. White would be an interesting candidate to come in and make some blunt changes to reshuffle the team’s chemistry.
Meanwhile, Friedman shared that John Chayka, former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is the other finalist, and likely the favorite. Chayka has not worked in the NHL since he left the Coyotes organization in 2020, as he’s largely focused on his company, Compass Restaurant Group, along with his wife.
Additionally, it was unlikely he would find another General Manager role before that due to some controversy surrounding him toward the end of his time in Arizona. Chayka was suspended from the NHL by Commissioner Gary Bettman for pursuing opportunities with other clubs while under contract with the Coyotes. Additionally, the Coyotes were forced to forfeit a second-round pick in 2020 and a first-round pick in 2021 for hosting a private scouting combine for draft-eligible prospects under Chayka.
Still, Chayka has what the Maple Leafs want. He has a shrewd analytical mind, similar to Eric Tulsky of the Carolina Hurricanes and Sunny Mehta of the New Jersey Devils. Like White, Chayka would likely implement changes to enhance the team’s talent; however, concerns about the locker room atmosphere may persist.
Friedman pointed out that although the team has narrowed its choices down to two finalists, neither White nor Chayka has advanced to the second round of negotiations, which involves meeting with the Maple Leafs’ ownership group. The first candidate to reach this stage is likely to be named the team’s next General Manager in a few weeks.
Snapshots: DiPietro, Gudas, Dickinson, Blackhawks
The Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, announced that netminder Michael DiPietro has won the Les Cunningham Award, given to the AHL’s regular season MVP. DiPietro becomes the first goaltender to win the award since Dustin Wolf in 2023, and only the third since Jason LaBarbera in 2004.
DiPietro, 26, is in his fourth season with the Bruins organization. The former Vancouver Canucks prospect was traded to the Bruins organization at the start of the 2022-23 campaign in a trade for Jack Studnicka. Largely blocked in Boston behind Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, DiPietro has been particularly good over the last several years but took his performance to a different level this year.
The AHL Bruins relied heavily on DiPietro this season, giving him 62.5% of the available starts. In one of the best seasons in recent memory, DiPietro finished with a 34-8-1 record in 45 games with a .930 SV%, 1.91 GAA, including three shutouts. Unless the Bruins move Korpisalo this summer, DiPietro is unlikely to find his way to the NHL with Boston. Much like the Canucks did last summer with Arturs Silovs, the Bruins could look to trade DiPietro for a premium to a goalie-needy team.
Other snapshots:
- The Anaheim Ducks will remain without their captain tonight in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Radko Gudas is still dealing with his undisclosed injury and has been ruled out for tonight’s contest. Anaheim will certainly miss having his physicality in the lineup as they look to shut down Connor McDavid in a third consecutive game. Gudas skated in 9:40 of action in Game 1, earning a -1 rating while putting one shot on goal and delivering two hits.
- On the other side of tonight’s matchup, the Oilers are dealing with their own injury concerns. Team reporter Tony Brar shared that Jason Dickinson has been elevated to a game-time decision due to his undisclosed injury. Having missed Game 2 already, the trade deadline acquisition was one of, if not, the Oilers’ best forward in Game 1. Dickinson scored two goals in that contest in 12 minutes of ice time.
- A trio of Chicago Blackhawks players will join Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Championships. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, forwards Oliver Moore and Sam Lafferty, and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will participate in the international contest. Lafferty is the only one of the group that has played for Team USA at the World Championships before, scoring one goal and three points in 10 games during the 2022 tournament.
Central Notes: Manson, Zuccarello, Trenin
Despite taking a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Los Angeles Kings, the Colorado Avalanche are already dealing with injury concerns. According to Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette, top-four defenseman Josh Manson is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and could miss Game 4.
Manson suffered the injury scare early in Game 3, being on the receiving end of a hit from Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson. Manson attempted to return to the game, though he was largely sheltered due to his discomfort. He finished the contest with one assist in 4:57 of ice time with one hit and one giveaway.
Although there is never a good time for injuries, the Avalanche have put themselves in a good position to absorb one. Yes, the team is potentially losing a formidable top-four defenseman. Still, with only one more win needed to advance to Round Two, they can likely sweep Los Angeles, giving Manson a larger gap to rest in between games. Colorado acquired Nick Blankenburg at the deadline for exactly this reason, who will likely fill in for Manson if he should be ruled out for Game 4. Blankenburg scored eight goals and 24 points in 61 games split between the Nashville Predators and the Avalanche this season.
Additional notes from the Central Division:
- According to Mike Morreale of the NHL, Minnesota Wild veteran winger Mats Zuccarello has been upgraded to a game-time decision for Game 4. Although he’s not the main driver of offense in Minnesota, the Wild didn’t win either of the two games that Zuccarello missed due to his upper-body injury. If he does return, he’ll look to pick up where he left off in Game 1, when he registered three assists in 16:41 of ice time.
- Unfortunately, it’s not all good news on the injury front for the Wild. In the same report from Morreale, the senior draft writer indicated that Yakov Trenin has been ruled out for Game 4. Throughout the entire regular season, Trenin played all 82 games and has not missed back-to-back games since last year. Still, he was fairly quiet during the first two games of the series, going scoreless in 16:38 of ice time, but he did deliver 16 hits.
Doug Armstrong, Alexander Steen Sharing GM Duties Through Draft
As previously announced a few summers ago, Alexander Steen will become the full-time General Manager of the St. Louis Blues on July 1st, 2026, while current General Manager Doug Armstrong will become the team’s President of Hockey Operations. In a new update from the team, although he’s still a few weeks away from taking over the role, Steen has been operating as a General Manager for the team for some time.
The team shared a quote from Armstrong, saying, “What I told the players right after the trade deadline is, for all intents and purposes that Alex is the GM as far as you’re concerned now. There are no more trades, there are no more waivers (this season). Now Alex has to put his stamp on the team in exit meetings and (set) his expectations.”
Armstrong stated that his sole responsibility moving forward will be to make the Blues’ selections at the 2026 NHL Draft, while Steen will manage all other aspects. If St. Louis makes any trades at the draft or leading up to it, Steen will have the final call, but will still have guidance from Armstrong. That appears to be how it will remain moving forward, unless Armstrong jumps to a different opportunity in the near future.
Steen will have his hands full in his first year with the reins. Thanks to Armstrong’s work, the Blues really only have to focus on an extension for Dylan Holloway this offseason. Still, Steen will have to make a call on trade candidates Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Colton Parayko, among others, to put his first touches on the team’s direction moving forward.
Now, even if Steen opts for a retool and trades some or most of the team’s veterans, Armstrong didn’t leave him in a bad spot if he wants to go that route. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked all 32 teams’ farm rankings after the trade deadline, and the Blues clocked in at 10th, highlighted by Justin Carbonneau, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Adam Jirícek, with plenty of other prospects on their way up.
If Steen chooses to move on from Thomas, Kyrou, or Parayko, St. Louis could easily find themselves with a top-5 farm system, giving Steen plenty of flexibility moving forward. Still, there’s no telling what his thought process is, and we likely won’t know what direction he’ll want to take until he does something.
Senators’ Jake Sanderson Out With Concussion
As the Ottawa Senators cling to their season in Game 3 of Round One against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team may have lost its top defenseman for the foreseeable future. In a report from Sportsnet, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game with an injury.
The morning after Sanderson’s exit, it was revealed that the star defenseman has sustained a concussion per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Head coach Travis Green told Garrioch that Sanderson is, “not doing well” and will be out for Game 4.
In a breakdown from Kevin Bieksa on Sportsnet, Sanderson seemed to have been injured from taking a hit to the head from Carolina Hurricane Taylor Hall.
In any case, Sanderson’s absence will be detrimental to the Senators’ chances for Game 4. As Bieksa noted, he is the team’s best defenseman, and his absence puts Ottawa in a nearly inescapable hole. Although they did return Tyler Kleven tonight, the team is already without Artem Zub and Nick Jensen.
Like the rest of the team, Sanderson was quiet in Game 1, but showed up in a big way in Game 2. He recorded an assist on both of Ottawa’s goals and has averaged over 35 minutes thanks to a nearly five-period contest on Monday.
Sanderson’s role as the team’s top defenseman is unquestioned. He led the team in scoring among defensemen, registering 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games with a +16 rating. Additionally, he led the team in ATOI by a significant margin with 24:50. The next was Thomas Chabot, who averaged 22:35 throughout the 2025-26 campaign.