Methot, Hanzal Return To Dallas Lineup
Like many other teams in 2017-18, the Dallas Stars have struggled with injuries early on this season. The team has lost 55 man-game thus far, and while the total is not overwhelming, 37 of those games are due to the condition of two players. That pair is defenseman Marc Methot and center Martin Hanzal, both off-season additions to the Stars. Methot and Hanzal were expected to be a major reason for the predicted bounce-back season for Dallas, a team who many felt “won the off-season”. Yet, the duo have played in just one game together since October and the Stars have underwhelmed thus far without them.
That will all change starting tonight, as the Stars reported the return of Methot and Hanzal, calling the team “as healthy as it’s been”. Both players are expected to be back at full health and ready to contribute to their full extent. Methot, who was acquired via trade from the Vegas Golden Knights after his selection in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft from the Ottawa Senators, has missed the last 24 games with a knee injury. Methot is not an offensive juggernaut, but provides a solid defensive effort that Dallas often lacks. Hanzal, a physical, two-way forward, will also impact team defense. Hanzal has missed 13 games off-and-on this season with a variety of ailments including hamstring and hand injuries. His play has clearly been impacted by injury as well, as Hanzal has just six points in 26 games and a -11 rating. A player capable of 40 points – part of the reason he earned a three-year, $14.25MM deal this summer – Hanzal is hoping to have a greater impact on the score sheet moving forward.
Currently fourth in the Central Division, the Stars are far from out of playoff contention at the season’s midpoint. With games coming up against the New Jersey Devils tonight and Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, the team has a chance to pick up some points before their bye week, during which they can really get everyone back to full strength. However, the health of Methot and Hanzal will surely continue to be worth watching as the season continues. In fact, Dallas’ playoff hopes may rest on it, even with the plethora of other talent on the roster. The potential impact that Methot and Hanzal can have on team defense cannot be understated.
Martin Hanzal To Resume Skating Tuesday, Return TBD
- Stars center Martin Hanzal is set to resume skating on Tuesday as he works his way back from his latest lower-body injury, reports Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. There is no timetable for when he may return to the lineup. This is Hanzal’s fifth different minor injury since the start of training camp which has limited him to just 26 games on the season. He has yet to be overly effective when he has played either as he has just six points on the year while averaging a career-low 14:28 of ice time per game. Suffice it to say, this isn’t what Dallas was expecting when they handed him a three-year, $14.25MM contract at the beginning of free agency back in July.
Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?
In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?
As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:
- Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
- Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
- John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
- Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
- Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
- Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
- Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
- Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
- Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
- Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
- Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
- Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
- Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
- Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
- Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
- Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
- Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
- Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
- Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
- Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
- Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
- John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
- William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
- Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
- Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
- Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
- Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
- P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
- Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
- Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
- Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
- Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
- Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
- Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
- Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
- Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
2017 Year In Review: May
2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world. There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look at May.
Playoff Injuries Abound: As teams continued their chase of the Stanley Cup, their bodies began to break down. As each subsequent round was completed, and teams were eliminated from the playoffs, reports of surgery and rehab surfaced daily. Players like Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Jason Zucker, Andrej Sekera and Ryan Johansen all went under the knife in May, with the Anaheim Ducks perhaps announcing the worst of the bunch. Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen would both require shoulder surgery, not only putting the start of their 2017-18 seasons in jeopardy but complicating the expansion process for the Ducks. A seemingly inevitable Vatanen trade was put on hold until just recently, when he was sent to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Henrique.
Toronto Bolsters Blueline: The Toronto Maple Leafs had some depth issues on their blueline in 2016-17, when Morgan Rielly was forced to log big minutes despite suffering from a high-ankle sprain for much of the season. They decided to add to that depth when they signed both Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman out of the SHL, and locked up a key newcomer long-term. Nikita Zaitsev officially signed his seven-year, $31.5MM extension on May 2nd, ensuring he’d be part of the core for some time.
Big Ben In Big D: The Dallas Stars, coming off an extremely disappointing season, decided that something had to be done about their goaltending duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. The Stars went out and traded for Ben Bishop, almost immediately signing him to a six-year, $29.5MM contract. Because Bishop was set to become an unrestricted free agent and was coming off one of his worst seasons in the NHL, he cost the Stars just a fourth-round pick. An improvement in Bishop’s play was one of the keys we identified recently for a potential Stars turnaround, after which he immediately posted a 24-save shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Buffalo Gets Botterill: After canning their coach and GM the previous month, the Buffalo Sabres announced that Jason Botterill, formerly an assistant GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins, would be the new man to captain their ship. Botterill had some interim GM experience with Pittsburgh, but had never truly been the head man before and had a tough task ahead of him in Buffalo. The Sabres are once again one of the worst teams in the NHL, but have their star locked up long-term and several blue chip prospects on their way.
Vadim, Las Vegas: On May 4th, 2017 the Vadim Shipachyov era in Vegas officially began when the team announced a two-year, $9MM contract for the Russian star. Shipachyov was just the second player to sign with the Golden Knights, and was immediately penciled into their first line. Unfortunately, the rest of 2017 would not go as smoothly. Shipachyov was first left off the NHL roster to begin the season, and would eventually terminate his contract with Vegas in order to return to the KHL. He scored one goal during his brief NHL career, and has spoken quite candidly about the disappointing situation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars
With the holiday season in full swing, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for so far this year. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first few months and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams:
Atlantic: BOS, BUF, DET, FLA, TOR, MTL, OTT
Metropolitan: CAR, CBJ, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, WSH
Central: CHI, COL, MIN, NSH, STL
Pacific: ANA, ARZ, CGY, EDM, LAK, SJS, VAN, VGK
What are the Dallas Stars most thankful for?
The draft lottery.
2016-17 was a huge disappointment for the Stars. After finishing first in the Western Conference and advancing to the second round a year earlier, Dallas got off to a brutal start last season and couldn’t overcome it to sneak their way into the playoffs. Finishing with 79 points and third-last in the West, it cost head coach Lindy Ruff his job and several players their role on the club.
Still, it wasn’t all bad. After the season, the Stars lost Cody Eakin to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, and couldn’t have been that upset about it. The centerman has put up a better season for Vegas than he had in 2016-17, but is still not the 20-goal, 50-point man many had hoped he would develop into. The fact that the Stars no longer have to worry about the two years at $3.85MM that Eakin is still owed on his current deal is actually probably worth more than having him on the team.
Then came the draft, where Dallas won the right to select third-overall and were able to take home exactly what they were after. Though some casual North American observers may have forgotten about Miro Heiskanen as he continues to develop in Finland, the Stars sure haven’t. Heiskanen is playing excellent in the Finnish Liiga, scoring nine goals and 14 points in 20 games while controlling games from the blueline. He is an absolute prototype when it comes to the new era of NHL defensemen, able to play well at both ends of the rink.
Fans should get a good look at his potential when he skates for Finland at the upcoming World Junior Championships, where he’ll remind everyone why he was taken third-overall. The idea of the Finnish duo of Julius Honka and Heiskanen playing long-term together should have Dallas fans salivating.
Who are the Stars most thankful for?
Benn continues to be one of the greatest stories in the NHL, going from a fifth-round pick out of the BCHL to a legitimate All-World captain and winger. His 30 points lead the Stars again this season, while his possession numbers and all-around play remain high. He’s the type of player every team around the league would be after if there was a chance, but as he starts his new contract extension it looks like he’ll be in Dallas for a long time.
With a $9.5MM cap hit for another seven years, there is definitely some risk involved in Benn’s deal. Who can know what kind of player he’ll be in his mid-thirties, but at this point he’s still the best chance the team has to compete for the Stanley Cup. With Tyler Seguin set to hit free agency in the summer of 2019, it will be interesting if the team decides to keep the dynamic duo together long-term, for what would be a huge chunk of the salary cap.
What would the Stars be even more thankful for?
Healthy and effective goaltending.
The Stars went out and got the starting goaltender they wanted in the offseason, buying out Antti Niemi and bringing in Ben Bishop to handle the load. Unfortunately, Bishop has battled a sore back this season and looked average even when he is in the net. Kari Lehtonen has bounced back from a dreadful 2016-17, but only to about the same level Bishop is playing, which is not good enough.
Bishop and Lehtonen have .908 and .907 save percentages respectively, and the Stars need more than that to get back to being a contender in the league. Especially when you factor in that Ken Hitchcock’s system usually increases save percentages in the first few years, the goaltending simply hasn’t been good enough. There are several issues with this team, but getting Bishop—who signed a six-year, $29.5MM contract with the team—back to playing like the Vezina contender he’s been in the past, could make up for them all.
What should be on the Stars’ Holiday Wish List?
Some more help up front.
Beyond the trio of Benn, Seguin and Alexander Radulov (who’ve been spread out recently to try and spark some more offense) the Stars don’t have enough firepower at forward. Young forward Radek Faksa has done his part, but veterans like Martin Hanzal, Jason Spezza and Antoine Roussel have been almost invisible when in the lineup.
The Stars are still 18-14-3 on the season and within striking distance of the top teams in the Central Division, but to really compete they’ll need a deeper offensive attack. The depth of their forwards pales in comparison to clubs like Nashville, Winnipeg and St. Louis, something that would become even more prominent in a seven-game series.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dallas Stars Trade Jamie Oleksiak To Pittsburgh Penguins
After clearing some room on the roster by dealing Josh Archibald, the Pittsburgh Penguins have now acquired Jamie Oleksiak from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a conditional 2019 fourth-round pick. Pittsburgh had just acquired Minnesota’s fourth-round pick from the Arizona Coyotes in the previous deal. Dallas will get whichever pick, Minnesota or Pittsburgh’s own, is earlier in the fourth round.
Oleksiak, 24, was a first-round pick by the Stars in 2011 but hasn’t quite had the impact expected at the time. The 6’7″ defender has had trouble staying in the lineup for Dallas, even playing forward at times just to get back in game action. At times he can look like the dominating defensive presence the Stars had hoped for, but those moments have been too few and far between for them to give him added responsibility.
In Pittsburgh, Oleksiak will get another chance to impress and prove that he’s an NHL defenseman before hitting restricted free agency again this summer. Currently on a one-year deal worth $965K, he’ll actually cost the Penguins a little more than Archibald on the year. Interestingly, Oleksiak is another left-handed defenseman for the Penguins, something they’re already full of. With Justin Schultz on injured reserve, only Kris Letang and Chad Ruhwedel hold right-handed sticks at the moment, making it unclear where Oleksiak will fit in. Kevin Czuczman has been sent to the minor leagues for the time being.
Still, it is clear that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford has decided at least a minor shakeup is needed for his club. Pittsburgh has been a disappointment this season after back-to-back Stanley Cups, and find themselves out of a playoff spot at the moment. Oleksiak isn’t the answer to all of their problems, so expect other moves to eventually come down the pipe for the Penguins, though they may have to wait until after the holiday roster freeze.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Three Stars, Mahura, Boeser
The NHL released their three stars of the week, and Patrick Kane comes home with top honors. Kane had five points in three games including two game-winning goals, and moved into fifth on the all-time Chicago Blackhawks goals list.
Brian Elliott and Josh Bailey rounded out the list after a pair of incredible performances. It was Elliott’s second straight appearance on the list, as the Philadelphia Flyers goaltender has now won his last six starts, allowing just nine goals in the process. Amazingly that has followed a stretch where Elliott lost nine straight starts, as he echos the Flyers inconsistent season.
- Josh Mahura is back with the Canadian World Junior team despite being among the final cuts last week. The Anaheim Ducks defensive prospect will fill in for the injured Dante Fabbro during the pre-tournament games, but likely will return to the WHL before the start of the tournament. Mahura, a third-round pick by the Ducks in 2016, has developed quite well over the last two years and looks like he’ll be a full-time NHL defender one day. With 29 points in 28 games, Mahura is one of the most impressive defenders in the WHL and will try to compete for a role on the Ducks next training camp.
- Brock Boeser is undergoing an MRI on his injured foot today to find out exactly how much damage was done when he blocked a Mark Giordano shot last night. Boeser crawled to the Vancouver Canucks bench in obvious pain, and wasn’t able to return. Having an incredible rookie season, it would be a tough blow for the Canucks to lose Boeser for any length of time, especially with Bo Horvat dealing with injury already.
Minor Transactions: 12/16/17
It’s an action-packed day in the NHL with eleven games on tap, including the NHL 100 Classic, an outdoor re-match of the first game in NHL history back in 1917 between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. With some teams focused on games tonight, others focused on preparing for the upcoming week, and a pair of teams focused on what will likely be their most important game of the season, there promises to be some transaction action across the league today:
- The New Jersey Devils have reassigned Nick Lappin to the AHL’s Binghamton Devils in a move that likely means more than its face value. Lappin played in two games with New Jersey on this most recent recall – his first two NHL games of the season – and looked impressive in both outings. Lappin was involved in the offense, even contributing a goal in last night’s win over the Dallas Stars, and played well in an energy role. The former Brown Bear has also been on fire in the AHL, with 12 goals in 23 games. His demotion, if not for performance, must be an indication that the Devils are adding another healthy body to the lineup. With Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Marcus Johansson all banged up, the loss of Lappin is likely good news that one or more of that talented trio is ready to return.
- The Dallas Stars announced they have sent forward Jason Dickinson to the Texas Stars of the AHL today. He was called up on Dec. 10 and has played a total of five games this season for the Stars with all the injuries the team has dealt with recently. Dickinson hasn’t scored any points, but has been praised for his enthusiastic play for the Stars. He has 13 goals in 20 AHL games, and is a great depth guy when Dallas needs him. The team has recently gotten back both Martin Hanzal and Antoine Roussel from injury, so the need for the 22-year-old has waned.
- The Minnesota Wild announced after their game today against the Edmonton Oilers that they have assigned defenseman Ryan Murphy to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Despite playing well, the move is most likely due to the fact that the team intends to activate defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who has been out for the past nine games with a groin injury. Murphy, a first-round pick in 2011, is expected to get more minutes while in Iowa. He has had one goal and one assist in nine games so far this year.
Lehtonen Happy Despite Reduced Role; Sets NHL Record On Thursday
- Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen has seen his workload reduced this season with the addition of Ben Bishop but told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that he’s happy with where he is even with his role being reduced. The 34-year-old has posted a .909 SV% heading into Wednesday’s start against the Islanders, his highest mark since 2013-14. Speaking of that start, Lehtonen set a new NHL record for most appearances made by a Finnish-born goaltender with 624, passing Miikka Kiprusoff.
Minor Transactions: 12/10/17
There may only be four games on tap today, but with a busy slate yesterday that saw all but seven teams in action, there should be many squads reviewing their performances and making any necessary changes ahead of a new week:
- After being called up just yesterday, Sonny Milano is on his way back down to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters once again. The Columbus Blue Jackets announced the demotion of the struggling young forward late last night after an unimpressive performance against the Arizona Coyotes. Columbus came out on top 1-0, but Milano’s only statistic of note was one giveaway in his 8:34 time on ice. Milano has five goals and five assists in 25 games with the Jackets this season, but has scored only once since October 13th. With Columbus’ depth of talent, they don’t have to put up with that inconsistency.
- NHL.com’s Igor Eronko reports that the St. Louis Blues have recalled Ivan Barbashev from the AHL. After playing in 30 games for St. Louis in 2016-17, Barbashev has only skated in six NHL contests this season and hasn’t seen big league action since October after being held scoreless to begin the campaign. With the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Barbashev has four goals and four assists in 18 games, so the 21-year-old Russian isn’t exactly tearing up the minors either. Barbashev needs to find a rhythm this season if he hopes to stick in St. Louis and this recall is his next chance to do so.
- The Dallas Stars announced the have recalled center Jason Dickinson from the Texas Stars of the AHL this morning. The 22-year old has played in just four games with no points with the Dallas Stars this season, filling in as an emergency forward. This will be no different as the team still has Martin Hanzal out and the status of Antoine Roussel (elbow) and Greg Pateryn (thigh contusion) are both up in the air for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers. Dickinson is expected to play as the team’s fourth-line center on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. The former first-round pick from 2013 has played well in the AHL, where he has scored 13 goals in 20 games.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they have activated winger Nikita Scherbak, who has been out since Oct. 26 after requiring surgery on his right knee, and has been assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Scherbak had only played with the Canadiens for less than a week when he was injured. He was recalled on Oct. 22 after a strong start with the Rocket when he put up one goal and eight assists in six games. Struggling for offense, Montreal hoped Scherbak might be able to infuse the team with his skills, but he managed to play in just two games and averaged just 7:59 of ice time before injuring his knee.
- The Anaheim Ducks placed Joseph Blandisi, who was recently acquired as part of the Sami Vatanen and Adam Henrique trade, on injured reserve with an upper body injury. He played in two games with no points after coming over in the trade, but was injured in the Dec. 2 game against the Nashville Predators. He has missed three games and could still be activated for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The team also recalled defenseman Andrew Welinski from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old played four years with University of Minnesota-Duluth and has played well in San Diego as the blueliner has six goals and 11 assists in 21 games. This is his first callup to Anaheim.
- The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno tweets that the Vegas Golden Knights activated starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury off of injured reserve and assigned Maxime Lagace to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Fleury was reported yesterday to be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He has been out since Oct. 13 with a concussion and has played in just four games this season. The team’s leader has a 2.48 GAA and a 3-1 record. Lagace returns to Chicago after a long stint with the Golden Knights. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut this season and had some good and bad games, wrapping up with the team Saturday as he stopped 36 shots to win his sixth game of the season against the Dallas Stars. He finished his stint having played in 14 games with a 3.79 GAA and a .872 save percentage. Because Lagace was an emergency recall, he does not have to pass through waivers to return to Chicago.