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Hampus Lindholm Unlikely To Return This Season

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One of the oft-forgotten aspects of the Boston Bruins’ disappointing 2024-25 campaign is the lack of one of Hampus Lindholm for much of the regular season. This reality isn’t likely to change anytime as general manager Don Sweeney shared (publicized by Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe) that Lindholm isn’t expected to return this season.

The injury update concludes a lost season for Lindholm. The 12-year veteran will finish the 2024-25 season with three goals and four assists in 17 games averaging 20:51 of ice time per night before fracturing his patella on November 12.

If there’s any silver lining for Lindholm, injuries haven’t followed him throughout his career. This year is only the second time he’s played less than 80% of his team’s games. The last time he failed to play in at least 50 games came during the 2020-21 season with the Anaheim Ducks when a wrist injury limited him to just 18 contests.

Still, injuries aside, Lindholm’s performance has declined over the past two years. In Lindholm’s defense, the 2023-24 season wouldn’t have been such a disappointment had he not had a breakout season the year prior. The Helsingborg, Sweden native scored 10 goals and 53 points in 80 games during his first full year in Boston carrying a league-leading +49 rating. It shattered Lindholm’s previous career-high 34 points scoring in 2014-15.

Lindholm’s impressive 2022-23 season earned him a fourth-place finish for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. Unfortunately, he took a dramatic step back last year. He finished the campaign with three goals and 23 assists in 73 games despite increasing his average ice time by six seconds.

Nevertheless, a bone fracture rarely becomes a lingering issue for many players giving Lindholm multiple months to prepare for the 2025-26 season. He’s still a capable top-four defenseman signed to a modest $6.5MM salary until the 2029-30 season giving the Bruins at least some long-term consistency on their blue line.

Latest On Mikko Rantanen Extension Negotiations

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In last night’s rendition of ’Saturday Headlines’ with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the NHL insider provided an important update on the ongoing extension negotiations between the Carolina Hurricanes and Mikko Rantanen.

Friedman shared that the Hurricanes’ front office met with Rantanen’s representatives during the 4 Nations Face-Off break to discuss where both sides were on a potential extension. Carolina has put a firm offer on the table and Friedman believes the total salary is in the nine figures. Rantanen would become the eighth player in NHL history to sign a deal worth $100MM or more joining Alex Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl, Shea Weber, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Ilya Kovalchuk.

However, Rantanen doesn’t appear close to deciding either way. Friedman noted that he’s still dealing with the whirlwind of emotions that came along with being traded from the Colorado Avalanche on January 24th. The update doesn’t mean that Rantanen won’t ultimately sign a big-ticket extension with the Hurricanes, but he’s understandably hesitant to decide on spending the next eight years of his life with a team he’s been a part of for one month.

Although Rantanen is a few months away from becoming the biggest free agent name in recent memory, he has earned the right to choose his destination for the foreseeable future. Still, whether it’s his right or not, his decision, or lack thereof, has put Carolina in a difficult spot.

Unlike the hodgepodge of prospects the Hurricanes dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season for rental winger Jake Guentzel, Carolina parted with high-level assets for Rantanen. Martin Nečas had been flirting with the Art Ross Trophy for much of the season and Jack Drury is more than efficient in his role as a third-line center. The Hurricanes could have a hefty dosage of buyer’s remorse should they lose Rantanen to free agency this summer (although a Stanley Cup championship may numb the pain).

The lack of immediate extension in Carolina has some insiders believing the Hurricanes may opt to trade Rantanen at the deadline rather than lose him for nothing. Carolina can bring Rantanen’s salary down to an impressively affordable $2.31MM should they retain another 50% opening his market to an entirely new audience. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, it’ll be difficult to recoup a player of similar value given their cap situation, almost guaranteeing they’ll be worse off for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Carolina could target NHL-ready talent in a ’Moneyball-esque’ way of recreating Rantanen’s ability and talent by committee. Still, given the value of above-average entry-level contracts on a contending team’s roster, it’ll be difficult to find a team willing to move those assets for a few months of Rantanen despite his game-changing talent.

The only thing entirely known is that time isn’t on the Hurricanes’ side. Carolina has a tight window to decide on Rantanen’s future given that there are less than two weeks until the deadline. The best approach may be to put as much pressure on Rantanen and his representatives this week (without completely alienating him), and begin contacting interested teams should they fail to ink an extension by the week of the deadline.

East Injury Notes: Tkachuk, Trocheck, Copp

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Earlier today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that captain Brady Tkachuk would likely sit out of the Ottawa Senators’ first game back from the 4 Nations Face-Off due to a minor injury. Tkachuk’s recovery timeline is only considered day-to-day but his absence from tonight’s game was later confirmed when the Senators shared their lineups.

Any of the multi-million viewers of the 4 Nations Face-Off likely could have predicted this outcome. Tkachuk was one of the most noticeable players on Team USA scoring big goals and delivering even bigger hits. He did have some mild injury concerns due to colliding with the net during the game against Sweden but he never missed a game.

Due to his rough-and-tumble style of play and the playoff atmosphere throughout the tournament, it’s understandable that Tkachuk could use additional rest. Thankfully, although his absence is felt tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa has a three-day break until their next game giving their captain plenty of time to rest and recuperate.

Other injury notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, New York Rangers’ center Vincent Trocheck suffered a broken finger during the United States’ penultimate game against Sweden. Although he did not practice with the team yesterday, Trocheck miraculously suited up for the Rangers this evening. Unfortunately, the matchup didn’t turn out how he and New York would have hoped as Trocheck managed a -2 rating in 18:04 of ice time in an 8-2 blowout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
  • Before the Detroit Red Wings let a third-period two-goal lead collapse to the Minnesota Wild this afternoon, they lost one of their forwards to an apparent injury. After Alex DeBrincat landed a massive hit on Wild defenseman Brock Faber, center Andrew Copp joined the ensuing scrum. The altercation didn’t last long for Copp as he immediately fell to the ice and grabbed at his left shoulder. Copp finished the game with one assist in 10:20 of action.

Central Notes: Vejmelka, Kaprizov, Manson, Nichushkin

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Earlier today, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Utah Hockey Club is engaged in extension negotiations with netminder Karel Vejmelka. Although no deal is imminent, Dreger adds that Vejmelka could become an interesting trade piece at the deadline should he and Utah not agree on a palatable salary for both sides.

It’s a good season for Vejmelka to find comparable situations. Kevin Lankinen, Logan Thompson, and Mackenzie Blackwood have signed extensions with their respective teams this year giving Vejmelka plenty of ammunition to work with. He’s arguably had the best season of his career this year with a 13-15-4 record in 31 starts with a .909 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average.

Unfortunately, unless there’s a major injury between now and the deadline, there isn’t much desire for goaltending in the trade market. Most if not all contending teams have a formidable situation between the pipes, with the Philadelphia Flyers likely being the only hypothetical option as a rental. Even then, the Flyers don’t seem to have much appetite for buying regardless of their position in the standings. Unless a non-playoff team is looking for a goaltender and Vejmelka is open to separate extension negotiations, all signs indicate he’ll remain with Utah beyond the trade deadline.

Other Central notes:

  • Exiting the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Minnesota Wild were expecting the return of star forward Kirill Kaprizov shortly after. However, it appears the Wild are still a ways away from the return of their highest-scoring forward. In an interview on KFAN 100.3, general manager Bill Guerin said, “I think he’s going to be out longer than we originally expected. How much, I cannot answer.” Kaprizov had surgery in late January to repair a lower-body injury and was given a four-week minimum recovery timeline.
  • Neither forward Valeri Nichushkin nor defenseman Josh Manson are expected to join the Colorado Avalanche on their upcoming road trip. In an interview with Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette, head coach Jared Bednar said, “He’s not coming on the (road) trip. Him and (Josh Manson) will both be here getting some work done.” The news is expected for Manson as he’s been dealing with a lower-body injury for much of the regular season. However, the news can’t be seen as anything other than disappointing for Nichushkin who hasn’t suited up since New Year’s Eve despite practicing multiple times.

Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is just a few weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 2024-25 campaign marks the ninth year in a row the Maple Leafs are vying for a Stanley Cup championship since their competitive window re-opened in 2016-17. Toronto is in the 58th year of their Stanley Cup drought and they’ll have as good an opportunity as any to break that this season. Although it’s still the most competitive division in the NHL, the Eastern Conference feels more open than in years past which should motivate the Maple Leafs to be aggressive at this year’s deadline.

Record

33-20-2, 2nd in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyers

Deadline Cap Space

$2.201MM on deadline day + $3.570MM LTIR pool, 0/3 retention spots used, 48/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: FLA 2nd, EDM 3rd, TOR 5th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th
2026: TOR 1st, TOR 3rd, TOR 5th, SJ 6th

Trade Chips

This is where things get interesting for Toronto. The only draft pick worth meaningful value is their 2026 first-round pick but recent history may dissuade them from moving it. The Maple Leafs traded a boatload of first-round picks during the Kyle Dubas administration with only one Round Two appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Toronto was again engaged in some of the market’s top names last season but ultimately played around the edges. The Maple Leafs acquired Joel Edmundson, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Connor Dewar near last year’s deadline. The highest-valued asset general manager Brad Treliving parted with is a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.

The Maple Leafs have legitimate prospects such as Fraser Minten, Easton Cowan, and Ben Danford with whom they could part ways to land an impact player. Although Treliving didn’t appear interested in moving big-name prospects in his first year at the helm of the Maple Leafs, he’s no stranger to big moves. During his time as general manager of the Calgary Flames, Treliving brought in the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Nikita Zadorov via trade. If Treliving warms to moving a first-round pick or top prospect, Toronto has the pieces to put themselves in a good spot for the deadline.

Team Needs

1)  Third-Line Center: Assuming Auston Matthews and John Tavares remain healthy the rest of the way, the Maple Leafs would have difficulty improving their top-six centers. Still, Max Domi’s 46.9% success rate in the faceoff dot hasn’t done much to inspire confidence in his abilities down the middle. Toronto could move Domi to the left wing alongside Tavares and William Nylander on the second if they acquire an above-average third-line center at the deadline. This strategy rests on what they’re willing to move. The Maple Leafs have plenty of options such as Ryan O’Reilly, Brock Nelson, Brayden Schenn, Jake Evans, and Scott Laughton but it’ll ultimately depend on how aggressive they’re willing to be.

2)  Top-Four Right-Handed Defenseman: Potentially a more pressing need is Toronto’s lack of options on the right side of their defense in the top four. Chris Tanev has been exactly what they’ve needed him to be but the only right-handed options behind him are Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers. No offense to that duo but neither are expected to strike fear in opposing teams come postseason play. Again, the solution depends on the pieces the Maple Leafs put in play. Toronto should be involved in the markets for Colton Parayko, David Savard, or Rasmus Ristolainen, with any of the three being realistic additions.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Boeser, Kovalenko, Rutta

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Aside from the Boston Bruins losing Charlie McAvoy, the Vegas Golden Knights are another team that lost an impact player during the 4 Nations Face-Off. According to Jesse Granger of The Athletic, the Golden Knights don’t have any new updates regarding defenseman Shea Theodore’s injury status. However, head coach Bruce Cassidy provided updates on another pair of injured players.

Forwards William Karlsson and Cole Schwindt have resumed regular skating making their returns imminent. Neither Karlsson nor Schwindt has played in a game for Vegas in February as they’re both dealing with lower-body injuries. The former has been impacted by injuries for much of the 2024-25 campaign as he’s only managed seven goals and 18 points in 38 appearances.

Meanwhile, the positive injury updates continue as the team is expected to activate (X Link) forward Tanner Pearson for tonight’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks. Pearson missed the Golden Knights’ final two games before the break due to an undisclosed injury. The former 20-goal scorer has notched nine goals and 19 points in 53 games for Vegas this season averaging 12:01 of ice time per night.

Other Pacific notes:

  •  Vancouver could be headed for treacherous waters with their pending unrestricted free agent forward Brock Boeser. The team has been playing too well to warrant moving Boeser at the deadline but not much traction has been made for a potential extension. In an article from Thomas Drance in The Athletic, he argues the Canucks will treat Boeser as their own rental for the deadline. Still, Drance argues that if Vancouver significantly falters leading up to March 7th, that could make a Boeser trade more palatable from their perspective.
  • According to San Jose beat writer Curtis Pashelka, forward Nikolai Kovalenko nor defenseman Jan Rutta are expected to join the San Jose Sharks on their upcoming road trip. Pashelka adds that Rutta is still relatively far from a return, which could affect his trade value at the upcoming deadline. Rutta is a pending unrestricted free agent right-handed shot defenseman who would likely have some value as a potential depth option for a contending team.

Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Matt Tomkins

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Regular backup netminder Jonas Johansson won’t be ready to return after all following the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they’ve recalled Matt Tomkins from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and he’ll serve as a backup tomorrow night.

Today’s roster move marks Tomkins’ third call-up since the end of January. It hasn’t made too much of a difference for him personally, as Tomkins still hasn’t stepped on the ice for the Lightning outside of practice and warm-ups.

He’s spent the 2024-25 season as the ’1B’ option with AHL Syracuse. Splitting the crease with the impressive Brandon Halverson, Tomkins has managed a 9-9-5 record in 22 games with a .911 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average including three shutouts.

It’s objectively been the best professional year of his career up to this point. Unfortunately, being 30 years old, Tomkins doesn’t have much long-term value within the Lightning organization.

Given Johansson’s injury struggles of late, and the pair of older options in the AHL, goaltending could become a secondary focus for the Lightning at the trade deadline. Tampa Bay has a more pressing need at the forward position but the team may look to improve their backup option. Fortunately, the Lightning have the privilege of deploying Andrei Vasilevskiy on most nights, who’s no stranger to playing in 60 or more games a season.

Carolina Hurricanes Activate Tyson Jost

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The Carolina Hurricanes are getting back one of their depth forwards for tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to a team release, the Hurricanes have activated forward Tyson Jost from their injured reserve.

As one of the lengthier injury absences of his career, Jost missed the last 19 games with a lower-body injury. Still, it wasn’t a major loss for Carolina given he’s registered two goals in 16 games throughout the 2024-25 campaign. That hasn’t been his only action this year.

After clearing waivers at the beginning of the season, Jost has split his year between the Hurricanes and their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. His production has understandably been better with AHL Chicago as he’s scored four goals and nine points in 14 games.

Unless Carolina acquires another depth forward at the trade deadline Jost should spend the rest of the regular season with the Hurricanes. They would need to pass him through the waiver wire again and it’s not expected they’ll be as successful as they were in October. Most contending teams will look for cheap injury insurance this time of the year while deadline sellers will look to fill open roster spots. Jost’s league-minimum salary could make him an enticing choice for most teams should he go on waivers again.

Buffalo Sabres Activate Jordan Greenway, Mattias Samuelsson

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The Buffalo Sabres have a pair of veterans back tonight for their game against the New York Rangers. Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News passed along a note from the NHL’s media site saying the Sabres had activated forward Jordan Greenway and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson from the injured reserve.

It’s been a long road back for Greenway. The pending unrestricted free agent hasn’t suited up in a game since December 15th due to an undisclosed injury. Considering the three weeks missed from mid-November to early December, Greenway has only participated in 20 games this season.

He hasn’t improved his free agency market when healthy either. Greenway scored three goals and seven points leading up to the injury averaging 15:55 of ice time per game. He’s still a physical forward averaging approximately three hits a game but he shouldn’t expect a payday close to his current $3.5MM salary. Furthermore, it’s difficult to argue that Greenway should still be considered an effective middle-six winger unless he can string together a few healthy seasons.

Meanwhile, Samuelsson returns to the lineup after missing two games leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off break due to a small fracture in his foot. Unfortunately, those two absences followed 17 others throughout the year. Samuelsson can only reach 63 games played this season should he remain healthy.

On a positive note, 63 games played would become a new career-high for Samuelsson. The Philadelphia, PA native maxed out at 55 games played during the 2022-23 season — just before signing a seven-year, $30MM extension with Buffalo. Still, the Sabres will have a completely healthy lineup for tonight’s game against the Rangers.

New Jersey Devils Activate Nico Hischier

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New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier will play his first game in approximately a month. New Jersey has officially activated their eight-year center ahead of tonight’s contest against the Dallas Stars.

Hischier’s activation was expected given he’s been regularly skating for the past few weeks. Thanks to the two-week 4 Nations Face-Off break, Hischier only missed six games due to the oblique injury. The Devils managed a 3-3-0 record in his absence.

The Brig, Switzerland native was on pace for the second-best offensive season of his career and likely still could. Hischier scored 24 goals and 43 points in 51 games leading up to the injury, which puts him 24 points behind his 67-point output in 71 games last year. Still, thanks to his hot streak to start the 2024-25 campaign, it is likely Hischier will surpass his career-high of 31 goals in a single season.

Despite a healthy forward core, New Jersey will still be shorthanded this evening. Netminder Jacob Markström and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler continue to recover from their knee and lower-body injuries respectively. Those injuries shouldn’t create an insurmountable hurdle for the Devils to overcome.

Even without their top goaltender, New Jersey has averaged 2.28 goals-against per game while maintaining their plus-3.00 goals-for average. Being efficient in the faceoff dot, displaying above-average possession metrics, and scoring nearly every other game this season, Hischier should help the Devils improve in both categories even further.

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