Stars Notes: Rantanen, Coleman, Hintz, Faksa
The Dallas Stars will be without their highest-paid player for a little while longer. According to radio analyst Bruce LeVine, winger Mikko Rantanen is 10 to 14 days away from returning, if not more.
Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports offered additional context, providing a quote from head coach Glen Gulutzan, saying, “We are hoping somewhere in the 2-2.5 week range we could have him back.” At the longer end of that timeline, that means that Rantanen may not return to the Stars’ lineup until the first week of April.
Rantanen suffered his current lower-body injury during the Olympics, missing the Bronze medal game for Team Finland. Regardless, Dallas has performed remarkably well in his absence, managing an 8-0-1 record since returning from the Olympics, outscoring opponents by a margin of 21.
Additional Stars notes:
- Despite acquiring Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators a day before the deadline, the Stars weren’t necessarily satisfied with their forward corps. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Dallas circled back with the Calgary Flames regarding Blake Coleman. Unfortunately, any potential Coleman acquisition would have necessitated the Stars moving out another contract, which they were unable to accomplish before the deadline.
- In the previous report from LeVine, he added that Roope Hintz and Radek Faksa are further away from returning than Rantanen. Hintz (lower-body) has been out for the last week and a half, but he was fortunately able to avoid surgery. Unfortunately, the outlook is more grim on Faksa, who sustained a lower-body injury in his recovery from the upper-body injury he suffered during the Olympics. He is unlikely to return during the regular season.
Metro Notes: Duclair, Hurricanes, Gudbranson, Varlamov
In a post-deadline roundup, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period indicated that the New York Islanders put forward a strong effort to trade Anthony Duclair. Pagnotta didn’t articulate if the Islanders got close, but he did say that Duclair was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade.
Although nothing came together at the deadline, Pagnotta did report that the Islanders attempted to trade Duclair earlier this year, which he used his no-trade clause to block. If New York is intent on moving on Duclair in the summer months, his trade protection will drop to a 16-team no-trade list, offering increased flexibility.
There’s no questioning why the Islanders want to move on from Duclair. The team is operating fairly close to the upper limit of the salary cap, and dealing away Duclair’s $3.5MM salary would provide some breathing room. Despite an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign, Duclair has made up for his value this year, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in 57 games, averaging 13:19 of ice time per game.
Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:
- There are a few question marks for the Carolina Hurricanes’ lineup tomorrow night. According to team reporter Walt Ruff, forward Andrei Svechnikov wasn’t at practice this morning. Moreover, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal reported that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was also absent from practice. In all fairness, each could have had a maintenance day as the Hurricanes prepare for the playoffs.
- After missing the last three games with an upper-body injury, it appears that veteran blueliner Erik Gudbranson could be close to returning for the Columbus Blue Jackets. According to team reporter Jeff Svoboda, Gudbranson was a full participant at practice this morning. Gudbranson has faced significant injury limitations over the past two seasons, playing only 25% of the potential games.
- Back in Long Island, head coach Patrick Roy provided an update (via regional reporter Brian Compton) on injured netminder Semyon Varlamov earlier today. According to Roy, Varlamov has undergone two knee replacements in the last two years, resulting in nearly two full seasons of lost playing time. Even though he is signed through next season at a $2.75MM salary, it has become more unlikely that Varlamov will continue his professional career.
Maple Leafs Recall Henry Thrun On Emergency Basis
Ahead of tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Henry Thrun on an emergency basis. He will draw in for blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson tonight.
Ekman-Larsson has arguably the best reason to miss a game. Per Toronto’s announcement, Ekman-Larsson has returned to Toronto, and he and his wife are expecting the birth of their child. There’s no timeline for when Ekman-Larsson is expected to return, but the Maple Leafs return home on Tuesday for a matchup against the New York Islanders.
Meanwhile, Thrun gets the third recall of his season with the Maple Leafs. He was acquired by Toronto last summer for the trade that sent enforcer Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks. Thrun spent three years with the Sharks before joining the Maple Leafs organization.
Given that he had only been recalled on two occasions this season, Thrun has primarily played for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He’s been a stabilizing presence on the back end for AHL Toronto, scoring four goals and 20 points in 42 games with a -4 rating. In terms of scoring output, it’s his best professional season to date.
In his two previous recalls with the Maple Leafs, Thrun appeared in four games. It was a largely forgettable showing with Toronto, going scoreless with a -1 rating while averaging 14:52 of ice time per game. Given that the Marlies are the only team in the organization preparing for a playoff run, it’s a foregone conclusion that Thrun will return to the AHL once Ekman-Larsson returns.
Capitals Sign Cole Hutson To Entry-Level Contract
3:00 p.m.: The Capitals have made the signing official, according to a team announcement. As alluded to by Weekes, the contract will begin this season. It’s a three-year, $2.925MM ($975K AAV) agreement between Hutson and the Capitals.
2:49 p.m.: According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Washington Capitals are signing defenseman prospect Cole Hutson to his entry-level contract. The Capitals have yet to confirm the signing.
It’s an expected outcome for the former 43rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft. In fact, according to several sources at the trade deadline, Washington became more open to dealing veteran defenseman John Carlson to make room for Hutson on the NHL roster.
The hype around Hutson has certainly grown over the last two years. A product of the United States National Team Development Program in Plymouth, MI, Hutson has spent the last two years with the NCAA’s Boston University Terriers.
He’s taken the collegiate level by storm, especially as a relatively small defenseman. Throughout his two-year tenure, Hutson scored 24 goals and 80 points in 74 games with a +18 rating. Additionally, at the international level, Hutson contributed to the United States’ second-half success in their back-to-back gold medal wins at the IIHF World Junior Championships, scoring three goals and adding 11 points in seven games during the 2025 tournament.
Obviously, at only 19 years old, there are concerns about how Hutson will translate to the NHL level. Given that the Capitals are still in contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, that environment tends to filter out prospects who aren’t quite ready for the highest level of the game.
Still, Hutson isn’t without his comparables. His brother, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, is also on the smaller side and has been one of the league’s top defenders since debuting toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign. If Cole can stay away from injury trouble down the stretch, his puck-moving abilities are eerily similar to Carlson’s, which would offer the Capitals some continuity in their offense despite moving on from one of the franchise’s top defenseman.
Unfortunately, as Washington will undoubtedly look to get Hutson into the lineup if they’re signing him to his ELC, that means someone will have to come out. That defenseman will likely be Trevor van Riemsdyk, who hasn’t had a particularly good season and is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Maple Leafs Sign Artur Akhtyamov To Extension
The Toronto Maple Leafs are retaining some of their goaltending depth for the foreseeable future. According to a team announcement, the Maple Leafs have signed netminder Artur Akhtyamov to a three-year contract extension.
It’ll be a $2.7MM ($900K AAV) contract for the 24-year-old Russian. The contract will start as a two-way deal for the 2026-27 season, then convert to a one-way deal for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons, according to Toronto’s announcement.
It implies, at the very least, that the Maple Leafs believe that Akhtyamov will become a consistent part of the NHL roster in the near future. Still, it’s not a guarantee, as Toronto has Joseph Woll signed through the 2027-28 season, while Anthony Stolarz is signed until the 2030-31 campaign.
Regardless, it’s difficult to argue that Akhtyamov didn’t earn a few more years to test his mettle. Since moving to North America ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, Akhtyamov has managed a 29-18-13 record in 58 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, with a .903 SV% and 2.84 GAA, including four shutouts.
Earlier this season, when the Maple Leafs were dealing with a few injury issues in the crease, Akhtyamov was allowed to debut in the NHL against the Edmonton Oilers on December 13th. He participated in 10:32 of the game, stopping all five shots faced.
Given the injury issues faced by Toronto, particularly in the crease, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Akhtyamov feature in a few more games next season. Still, the fact that the Maple Leafs chose to sign Akhtyamov to a relatively lengthy extension indicates that the team could move on from netminder Dennis Hildeby this offseason. Hildeby has been part of the Maple Leafs’ organization since the 2022-23 season but has not received a significant opportunity at the NHL level, even though he has performed relatively well.
Pacific Notes: Ingram, Jarry, Chernyshov, Nugent-Hopkins
The Edmonton Oilers have a new starting goalie. According to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, the Oilers have named Connor Ingram the team’s starter moving forward, replacing Tristan Jarry for the foreseeable future.
It’s an unsurprising development for Jarry. Despite a strong start to the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jarry has been downright awful in Edmonton, particularly since returning from injury in mid-January. Upon his return from injury, Jarry has managed a 4-7-1 record in 12 games with an .846 SV%.
Meanwhile, Ingram, while not producing earth-shattering numbers, is the Oilers’ best option to turn to. Over 20 games this season, the 28-year-old veteran has collected a 9-6-2 record with a .891 SV% and 2.79 GAA. Still, especially as Edmonton approaches the playoffs, they’ll need to find a plan for Jarry to regain his confidence unless Ingram takes his game to another level.
Additional notes from the Pacific Division:
- The San Jose Sharks have yet to confirm any serious injury for young prospect Igor Chernyshov. In yesterday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, Chernyshov suffered a head injury, which caused him to bleed and stumble in his attempts to get up. He was immediately taken to a hospital, and it was believed he had suffered a concussion at the very least. However, according to Sheng Peng of SJ Hockey Now, Chernyshov was completely fine at the hospital and was cleared of any serious injury.
- Back in Edmonton, Rishaug also confirmed that center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been designated a game-time decision ahead of tonight’s contest. Nugent-Hopkins didn’t play in Edmonton’s most recent game against the St. Louis Blues on Friday due to personal reasons. At the very least, it’s a positive sign that he hasn’t been ruled out entirely against the Nashville Predators.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Garrett Wilson
According to a team announcement, the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled veteran forward Garrett Wilson. The Flyers recently elevated Wilson to an NHL contract before the trade deadline.
Although he has never played a game for Philadelphia, Wilson, 34, has been a part of the organization for the last six years, exclusively playing for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. If he enters a contest for the Flyers, it’ll be his first NHL appearance since April 16th, 2019, when the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated in the playoffs by the New York Islanders.
Still, he has remained a consistent secondary scorer in the AHL and has served as captain of the Phantoms for the last three years. Throughout his six-year tenure with the club, Wilson has registered 62 goals and 148 points in 341 games with 789 PIMs.
Since the Flyers aren’t dealing with any new injury concerns, there’s no guarantee that Wilson will enter the lineup during his recall. Philadelphia is only five points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and has an important contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets this evening.
If he were to play, it would assuredly be on the Flyers’ fourth line. Since he doesn’t have much NHL experience as a center, it would mean that either Garnet Hathaway or Nikita Grebenkin would come out of the lineup.
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Leaves Game With Injury
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs won against the Anaheim Ducks, they suffered a significant loss this evening. Before the start of the third period, the Maple Leafs announced that captain Auston Matthews had exited the game due to a lower-body injury.
It wasn’t difficult to isolate the injury either. Late in the second period, after getting the puck in front of the net, Ducks’ captain Radko Gudas sprinted at Matthews and delivered a knee-on-knee hit. Gudas was assessed a five-minute major for kneeing on the play and was ejected from the contest.
It’s not always easy to speculate on whether the Department of Player Safety will impose supplemental discipline on a given event. Still, Gudas has a track record of suspensions throughout his career. He was suspended for three games in 2015-16 (check to the head), six games in 2016-17 (check to the head), 10 games in 2017-18 (slashing to the head), and two games in 2018-19 (high-sticking).
Regardless of any extra punishment for Gudas, that won’t do Toronto any justice. The Maple Leafs are already effectively eliminated from postseason contention and may have to finish the 2025-26 campaign on an even worse note. Hopefully, Matthews’ injury isn’t too significant, and he’ll be able to finish the season on a strong note. However, if it is a severe knee injury, there is a possibility that Matthews won’t be able to start his offseason training on time.
Leading up to tonight’s contest against Anaheim, Matthews was having one of the worst offensive seasons of his professional career. He has registered 26 goals and 52 points in 59 games with a -4 rating, averaging 20:56 of ice time per night. Additionally, his possession and defensive metrics have each taken a step back, as well.
Kings, Senators Swap Jan Jenik, Samuel Bolduc
According to a team announcement, the Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Jan Jeník from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Samuel Bolduc. Each player will report to their respective AHL clubs.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Jeník was considered one of the better prospects for the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes. He was drafted with the 65th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft and began his professional career during the 2020-21 season.
Although he didn’t make much noise in the NHL, Jeník got off to a promising start, scoring six goals and 14 points in 29 games for the Tucson Roadrunners. During his sophomore season, he significantly improved offensively, registering 17 goals and 47 points in 51 games.
Over the next few years, he continued his productive scoring pace in the AHL, scoring 23 goals and 59 points in 85 games. Still, between 2020 and 2024, Jeník only appeared in 22 games for the Coyotes, scoring four goals and six points while averaging fourth-line minutes.
It was after the 2023-24 campaign that Jeník eventually requested a trade, and he was traded to the Senators. Since then, he has primarily played for the Belleville Senators, scoring 21 goals and 46 points in 93 contests.
Meanwhile, Bolduc, who is a few years older than Jeník, was in his first season with the Kings organization. Playing for the Ontario Reign this year, he’s scored five goals and 21 points in 56 games with a +7 rating.
Before his time with the Reign, Bolduc spent several years in the New York Islanders organization, playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Islanders. He was an effective two-way defenseman for several years, scoring 28 goals and 92 points in 211 games with a -54 rating.
Golden Knights To Activate Mark Stone
The Vegas Golden Knights will have their captain back tonight. According to Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Golden Knights will activate Mark Stone from the injured reserve ahead of tonight’s contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he’ll make his return to the lineup.
Stone is only one week removed from being placed on the injured reserve, although it was made retroactive to March 1st. He has been managing an upper-body injury, his second of the season, that has affected his games played.
The 33-year-old winger has been exceptional for Vegas this year when healthy. Despite missing 22 games due to injury, Stone remains third on the team in scoring with 21 goals and 60 points with a +17 rating. Given how the team has been playing lately, they could certainly use a boost to the lineup.
Since returning from the Olympics, the Golden Knights have managed a 2-6-0 record, dropping to third place in the Pacific Division. During that stretch, the team has only managed 2.38 GF/G, meaning an influx of offense from Stone will be welcomed.
Assuming Stone can remain healthy for Vegas’ 17 remaining games in the 2025-26 season, he should help the team capture its fifth Pacific Division title. At the time of writing, the Golden Knights are three points back of the Anaheim Ducks and tied with the Edmonton Oilers, although the Oilers have the edge in a tiebreaker.
Still, even if Vegas is unable to finish atop the Pacific Division, they shouldn’t be in any danger of falling out of the postseason conversation. Despite their recent performance, the team holds a five-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings, along with five additional wins in regulation.