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NHL Announces Second Round Playoff Schedule

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The NHL was ready for either outcome last night in Game Seven between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, although they waited alongside the rest of us as the game went to double overtime. The Hurricanes emerged victorious, knocking out the defending champions, as well as the fourth and final division leader. The stage is now set for the next round of playoff action, as this unpredictable postseason rolls on. Per the league release, here is the lineup for the remaining eight teams over the next few weeks:

Eastern Conference

A2 Boston Bruins vs. WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets

Thursday, April 25th @ 7pm ET
Saturday, April 27th @ 8pm ET
Tuesday, April 30th @ 7pm ET
Thursday, May 2nd @ 7:30pm ET
Saturday, May 4th (if necessary)
Monday, May 6th (if necessary)
Wednesday, May 8th (if necessary)

M2 New York Islanders vs. WC1 Carolina Hurricanes

Friday, April 26th @ 7pm ET
Sunday, April 28th @ 3pm ET
Wednesday, May 1st @ 7pm ET
Friday, May 3rd @ 7pm ET
Sunday, May 5th (if necessary)
Tuesday, May 7th (if necessary)
Wednesday, May 8th (if necessary)

Western Conference

P2 San Jose Sharks vs. WC2 Colorado Avalanche

Friday, April 26th @ 10pm ET
Sunday, April 28th @ 7:30pm ET
Tuesday, April 30th @ 10pm ET
Thursday, May 2nd @ 10pm ET
Saturday, May 4th (if necessary)
Monday, May 6th (if necessary)
Wednesday, May 8th (if necessary)

C3 St. Louis Blues vs. WC1 Dallas Stars

Thursday, April 25th @ 9:30pm ET
Saturday, April 27th @ 3pm ET
Monday, April 29th @ 8pm ET
Wednesday, May 1st @ 9:30pm ET
Friday, May 3rd (if necessary)
Sunday, May 5th (if necessary)
Tuesday, May 7th (if necessary)

 

The Dallas Stars’ Mats Zuccarello Dilemma

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Mats Zuccarello’s start with the Dallas Stars could not have gone worse. He was injured in his first game with the team after being acquired at the trade deadline and missed all but one of the remaining regular season games. One of two conditional picks that went back to the New York Rangers had the possibility of being upgraded if Zuccarello worked out well enough in Dallas to earn a contract extension. Yet, heading into the playoffs, few were likely looking at Zuccarello as a long-term piece in Dallas following that unfortunate start.

That all changed in the first round, as Zuccarello came up big with three clutch goals and looked like a natural fit with the Stars. His efforts helped to lead Dallas to an upset of the Nashville Predators and on to the second round. All of a sudden, Zuccarello has the support of his teammates and the fan base and indeed looks like he may be more than just a rental. But, as the New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes, Dallas’ leadership faces a tough decision in that regard. Brooks issues a reminder that if the Stars re-sign Zuccarello, they will give up a first-round pick to the New York Rangers in 2020 instead of the third-rounder initially transferred in the deal. The Stars are already at risk of losing their 2019 first-rounder, which goes to New York in place of their second-rounder if the team reaches the Western Conference Final with Zuccarello playing in at least half of those games. If Dallas defeats the St. Louis Blues, with Zuccarello continuing to be an impact player, would they really surrender two straight top picks to keep the veteran winger in town?

Zuccarello is set to turn 32 prior to next season and his point totals have dropped in each of the past three seasons. Dallas stands little chance of getting great value on a new contract for the veteran forward. Yet, even on a downward trajectory, Zuccarello is still a top-ten free agent winger. The Stars already have him in the building and he is building chemistry and familiarity with their core. It could be a mutually beneficial scenario for both sides and the Norwegian scorer could be amenable to staying with the Stars at a reasonable term and rate. If Dallas opts to let him walk instead, they stand a decent chance of missing out on any of the better targets. Is that a gamble worth keeping a first-round pick? There are far more factors yet to be determined, but the Zuccarello situation will continue to be a lingering topic during Dallas’ current postseason run.

2019 Vezina Trophy Finalists Announced

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The NHL has announced the finalists for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender in the league as voted on by all 31 general managers. The finalists are Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Robin Lehner of the New York Islanders and Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars.

This is second year in a row that the 24-year old Vasilevskiy has been among the finalists for the award, after once again leading the league in wins. Though he started just 53 games on the season due to injury, a .925 save percentage helped him compile a 39-10-4 record that included six shutouts. Vasilevskiy is arguably the most athletic young goaltender the league has seen in some time, but unfortunately wasn’t good enough to help the Lightning past the first round of the playoffs. The voting only takes regular season performance into account however, meaning he is certainly a strong candidate to take home the trophy for the first time in his career.

It’s hard to write a better comeback story than the one Lehner has penned (literally, at times) this season. The 27-year old goaltender did not receive a qualifying offer from the Buffalo Sabres last summer as the team decided to go in a different direction, meaning Lehner was left to sign a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Islanders just for a chance at redemption. It wasn’t clear if he would even get a chance to start in New York given the fact that Thomas Greiss was still under contract. If Barry Trotz’ system was the biggest reason that the Islanders turned around their defensive woes, Lehner might have been next in line as he posted an incredible .930 save percentage in 46 games including six shutouts. He and Greiss—who had a .927 in 43 games and likely deserved some votes of his own—took home the Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders for the team with the lowest goals against average. It is the first time Lehner has ever received Vezina votes, let alone be named a finalist.

Speaking of comebacks, how about the 32-year old Bishop who was ushered out of Tampa Bay two years ago to make room for Vasilevskiy in the first place. The two-time Vezina finalist posted the best save percentage of his career this season, leading the entire league with a .934 mark. The 6’7″ netminder has battled through injuries the last few years including this one, but was outstanding for the Stars as they punched their ticket to the playoffs. With four more years on his contract the Stars would have been happy with more of the level he played at last season, but Bishop has always had more in the tank.

Several Liiga Champions Looking To Make NHL Jump

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Finland’s Liiga had their own version of the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, only one that has gotten the job done in the playoffs thus far. Karpat, the reigning Liiga champion, has been unstoppable all season long in pursuit of a title defense. Building off the success of their 2017-18 campaign, the team was the regular season champion by 29 points over the next-best competitor and finished with a +106 goal differential while just one other team in the league topped +27. Through the first two rounds of the postseason, Karpat has needed just ten games to dispatch their opponents, all while allowing just 13 goals against. The Liiga Final begins today, as Karpat takes on the No. 5-seeded HPK, a team that they are not expected to have much trouble with.

Given their dominant regular season and early playoff success, it is hard to make a case that Karpat is not undoubtedly the Liiga’s best team this season, regardless of how the final turns out. As usual, the best players on the best team in a major European league are garnering a fair amount of attention. Finnish news source Ilta Sanomat reports that upwards of seven of Karpat’s veteran core players could leave the team for greener pastures. Of that group, the reporter indicates that leading scorer Ville Leskinen and top defensive pair Teemu Kivihalme and Jani Hakanpaa are almost certainly headed to the NHL. The terrific goalie tandem of Veini Vehvilainen and NHL veteran Jussi Rynnas could also be headed to North America. Not mentioned are top NHL prospects Aleksi Heponiemi and Rasmus Kupari, who are both considered likely to join their drafted clubs.

Leskinen, 25, is the big name included on this list as a highly-sought after free agent scorer. An undrafted product who has played in the Karpat system for his entire life, Leskinen’s production has increased exponentially over each of the past few seasons. This year, he tied for the Liiga scoring title and was one of just three qualifying players to finish in the point-per-game range with 57 points in 58 games. He also finished second overall in the league with 29 goals and a +31 rating. He has since added a league-leading five goals in the playoffs to go along with six assists through just ten games. A right-shot winger with decent size and great hands, Leskinen has proven that he can be a star in the Liiga, but is out to show that he can also make an impact in the NHL. Expect many teams to be willing to give him that chance. At 25 years old, Leskinen is still within the laws of the entry-level system, meaning teams will have to find ways other than salary to convince the talented Finn to join them.

Both Kivihalme and Hakanpaa are former NHL prospects who never signed with their teams, but are reportedly going to be in the league after all with deals “in the final stages”. Kivihalme, 23, was curious case due to his commitment to North American hockey. The puck-moving defender spent much of his childhood in Minnesota and even has American citizenship. After a strong high school career, Kivihalme was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2013 and eventually went on to play for Colorado College. However, he did not complete his NCAA eligibility, opting instead to turn pro in Finland after three years. The Predators let his draft rights expire, so Kivihalme is now very much a free agent who should draw considerable interest as Karpat’s top defenseman. Hakanpaa has a very different game and very different story from his pair mate. The 6’5″, 207 lb. 27-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues out of the Finnish junior ranks all the way back in 2010. While he never earned a contract from the team, he appeared at several camps, played in the preseason, and spent parts of three seasons with their AHL affiliates. At the end of the day, the opportunity wasn’t there and Hakanpaa returned to Finland. The solid defensive blue liner has had an awakening offensively over the past two seasons and will be returning to North America as a far more well-rounded product.

Of everyone listed in the report, it is fair to be skeptical of the thought of Rynnas returning to the NHL. Despite incredible numbers in the Liiga this season, they were second only to Vehvilainen, who got the bulk of the starts. It may be a hard sell for the 31-year-old, who has already spent four seasons in North America with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ and Dallas Stars’ organizations, to say that he is ready to try again after being a backup in Europe. Perhaps there is an opportunity – Rynnas did have some good AHL seasons – but more likely than not, he will wait to see what happens with Vehvilainen and may prefer to stay with Karpat as the replacement starter.

As for their other top teammates, their immediate NHL futures are largely predetermined. As most know, Kupari and Heponiemi are recent high draft picks and considered top prospects by their organizations. Kupari was the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings last year and played on loan with Karpat this year after signing with L.A. The Kings could desperately use an injection of youthful talent, which gives Kupari strong odds of cracking the roster out of camp. Heponiemi was a second-round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2017 who returned to his native Finland this year after two strong seasons with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. One of the best players at the World Juniors this winter, Heponiemi is definitely ready for the NHL and the Panthers could use the affordable production as they project to be low on cap space after a busy summer. What some might not realize is that starting goalie Vehvilainen is also NHL property. Vehvilainen, 22, was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets just last year as an overage prospect. Yet, the sixth-rounder has already proven to have been a smart gamble by the team. Vehvilainen led the Liiga with a .933 save percentage and 1.58 GAA this year, his second straight season of finishing in the top three in both categories. He has also played better in the postseason both years, which is always a plus for a goaltender. The Ilta Sanomat report claims that Vehvilainen will join Columbus if he is at least guaranteed a top-three spot on the depth chart next season. With Sergei Bobrovsky likely to leave, Vehvilainen could join existing keepers Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins as an inexperienced, but high-upside unit next season.

Karpat was an extremely talented team this season and last with several great core players. It will certainly be worth watching how those former teammates perform in the NHL in the future.

Dallas Stars Sign Riley Tufte

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Another top NCAA forward will be leaving the college ranks, as Riley Tufte has decided to leave the University of Minnesota-Duluth and sign with the Dallas Stars. The big winger recently recorded an assist in the NCAA championship game as UMD downed UMass 3-0 to win their second consecutive title. He’ll give up his senior season to start his professional career, signing a three-year entry-level contract.

Tufte, 21, is a player who has been on the radar of NHL teams for quite some time, going back to his days as a dominant high school player in Minnesota. The 6’6″ winger was named Minnesota Mr. Hockey in 2016 after scoring 78 points in 25 games as the captain of Blaine High, and took that success to the college level by joining one of the best programs in the country at UMD. Though his offense would waver at times during his collegiate career, Tufte still leaves with 64 points in 121 games and a whole bunch of wins under his belt. During his time there he also took home a World Juniors bronze medal.

It’s hard to know if his offensive game will ever really be good enough to justify the 25th-overall selection that Dallas used on Tufte in 2016, but there are certainly other attributes he brings to the table that could get him into the NHL. In fact, professional hockey may actually suit his game well as his size, reach and skating ability are all good enough to survive in the tighter checking atmosphere.

He may take some time in the minor leagues to develop, but the Stars hope they have another signature big two-way player to add to their group. GM Jim Nill seems to be building a brand of hockey that Tufte fits right into, but he’ll need to find a way to put the puck in the net to really thrive at the next level.

Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars Recall “Black Aces”

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In sports, there is a nickname for everything. Today one of those names is being used in both Dallas and Winnipeg, as the Stars and Jets have recalled their “Black Aces.” This is a group of players from the minor and junior leagues that will come up to practice during and experience the NHL playoffs, without much of a chance to actually get into game action. It gives them a perspective on life at the highest level, while also allowing for time with NHL skills coaches. This time is often be called invaluable for young players, who get a taste of what it will take to get to and succeed at the NHL level.

Since the Texas Stars and Manitoba Moose both failed to qualify for the AHL playoffs, Dallas and Winnipeg have called up a large group of players. For Dallas, that group is as follows:

F Denis Gurianov
F Joel L’Esperance
F Nick Caamano
F Adam Mascherin
D Gavin Bayreuther
D Dillon Heatherington
D Joel Hanley

Among the group are several familiar names that have spent time at the NHL level, but Mascherin may be the most interesting member. Originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round (38th overall) of the 2016 draft, the scoring winger decided not to sign. He was subsequently drafted by the Stars in the fourth round (100th) last June, and started his professional career this season. It went pretty well, as Mascherin recorded 18 goals and 44 points in 75 games for Texas and actually tied for the team lead in +/- with a +10 rating.

For the Jets, the group will be made up of:

F Kristian Vesalainen
F Logan Shaw
F Marko Dano
F Mason Appleton
D Cameron Schilling
D Logan Stanley

Again there are several names that have already made their NHL debuts, including Vesalainen who notably forced a short recall before exercising his European Assignment Clause to play in the KHL this season. The 19-year old is a big part of the future for the Jets but will need to find some stability in his development moving forward.

There is always a chance that a few of these players could be forced into action due to injury or poor play from someone on the NHL roster, but more likely they’ll spend the next few weeks soaking in a playoff run from the outside.

Snapshots: Hedman, Ferland, Hamilton, McKenna, Simmonds

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It looks like the Tampa Bay Lightning will be without another key player Sunday. Already without the suspended Nikita Kucherov, NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that star defenseman Victor Hedman will miss Game 3 with an unknown injury.

Head coach Jon Cooper said earlier today that Hedman would be a game-time decision, but now Braydon Coburn is on the ice, taking Hedman’s place. Hedman has been playing injured in the first two games of the playoffs.

  • There won’t be any supplementary discipline from Saturday’s Game 2 between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes despite a number of controversial hits. Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said that neither Micheal Ferland or Dougie Hamilton will receive any attention from the Department of Player Safety, according to News & Observer’s Luke DeCock. Ferland gave a big hit to Washington’s Nic Dowd, but the angle looks like Ferland hit through Dowd’s body and did not aim for the head. Hamilton’s elbow to Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov was also heavily criticized, but it wasn’t believed that the elbow had enough force for supplementary discipline.
  • Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Mike McKenna sent out a tweet Sunday, saying he would have a “humongous big announcement” coming on Monday. While there no confirmation what it is about, speculation has risen that McKenna might be ready to announce his retirement. AHLcom’s Tony Androckitis wrote that the 36-year-old McKenna was leaning towards ending his career Saturday night after the Lehigh Valley Phantoms ended their AHL season. “I’m pragmatically saying I’m not sure,” said McKenna. “It’s going to take an awful lot to convince me to play again I think. In terms of what I need to have happen for my family, more so than me.” McKenna, who could be considered an AHL-lifer, made 11 NHL appearances this season — 10 with Ottawa and another one with the Philadelphia Flyers. He’s made 35 NHL appearances over the course of his career.
  • NHL.com’s Robby Stanley reports that Brian Boyle remains “ill” and is day-to-day for Monday’s Game 3 matchup with the Dallas Stars. Boyle missed Game 2 with the flu. The scribe adds that there still isn’t an update on the status of Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds left Saturday’s game after taking a puck to the knee. A update is expected on Monday.

Central Notes: Makar, Seabrook, Boyle

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While the Colorado Avalanche face off against the Calgary Flames tonight, management may be looking in another direction for a short while as the team’s top prospect, University of Massachussetts defenseman Cale Makar, will finish his college season tonight after the NCAA National Championship concludes.

In that manner, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post writes that the Avalanche intend to sign Makar to a entry-level contract the moment the game ends with the idea of burning his first year this season. However, whether that will make him available for Game 3 of the Avalanche’s playoff series on Monday is another question. Head coach Jared Bednar shared that he too is still in the dark:

“Right now I’m worried about the guys in the room and the game tonight. Yeah, I’m sure it’s a possibility (Makar joins the team Sunday). I don’t know. But that’s a better question for (general manager) Joe (Sakic).”

Another possibility is the team signs him, but opts against playing Makar to preserve the first year of that entry-level contract as the team is already quite deep on defense and there are questions of how quickly Makar can adjust to the team’s system in just one or two days. Although much of that speculation will come after Makar has practiced with the team, maybe as early as Sunday.

  • The Daily Herald’s John Dietz writes that one interesting comment that came from general manager Stan Bowman a few days ago was his belief that veteran defenseman Brent Seabrook needs to make some changes to his off-season conditioning program. Seabrook who saw his playing time dramatically drop towards the end of the season, might want to make changes much like Jonathan Toews did last offseason that sparked his impressive season this year, according to Bowman. Seabrook, however, didn’t seem interested in making major changes this summer. “I’m not going to shake anything up, no,” Seabrook said. “I lost my trainer … so last year was my first summer with (the Blackhawks’) Paul Goodman and I thought it went real good, and (I) felt good coming into this season. Continue doing that.”
  • The Nashville Predators are without forward Brian Boyle in Saturday’s Game 2 against the Dallas Stars due to illness, according to the Tennsessean’s Erik Bacharach. Boyle is day-to-day, but will be missed as he is known for his hits, including a big hit against Stars’ forward Jason Dickinson early in Game 1. The Predators replaced him in the lineup with Rocco Grimaldi.

Big Money Sits As Playoffs Begin

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The NHL playoffs kick off tonight with five games including three Western Conference battles. The top 16 teams in the league have spent months preparing for this moment, fine tuning their roster and lineup card to make sure they have the very best group available to them. With that in mind, this postseason is about to kick off with an incredible amount of salary sitting in the press box. Many of the teams about to take the ice have decided to do so without some big earners, instead using breakout performers that have overtaken their veteran counterparts. Let’s take a look at the expensive names (above $2MM cap hits) on the sideline:

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Ryan Callahan -$5.8MM cap hit
Braydon Coburn – $3.7MM cap hit

Who says it’s easy to coach the best team in the league? Jon Cooper has made some tough decisions for his opening lineup, sitting veterans in Callahan and Coburn. Both players were big parts of Tampa Bay’s 2015 Stanley Cup Final run but will now find themselves watching from the press box as the action begins. Jan Rutta and Mathieu Joseph will both be making their postseason debuts tonight against Columbus.

Columbus Blue Jackets:

Alexander Wennberg – $4.9MM cap hit

When Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel were acquired earlier this season the pressure was on for Wennberg to try and get back into the lineup, but it will be Alexandre Texier that pushes him out for the first game. Texier has made an impact on head coach John Tortorella in the first two games of his NHL career and will be jumping right into the fire against the Lightning tonight. The 19-year old forward scored a goal in his second NHL game and has shown a confidence beyond his years.

Pittsburgh Penguins:

Brian Dumoulin/Jack Johnson – $4.1MM/$3.25MM cap hit

It’s not clear if Dumoulin will be ready for tonight’s game, but if he is Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that it would be Jack Johnson coming out of the lineup. The idea of sitting Johnson in the first game of the playoffs certainly wasn’t the plan when the Penguins signed him to a five-year deal last summer. To be fair, this is more a situation of having too many options for the Penguins, as they currently employ six defensemen all making at least $3.25MM. If Marcus Pettersson stays in the lineup, someone expensive is coming out.

New York Islanders:

Thomas Hickey – $2.5MM cap hit

Hickey missed a huge chunk of the season with injury and while he was gone Devon Toews made a name for himself on Long Island. The veteran defenseman will find himself on the outside looking in as the playoffs begin, but he’ll likely be the first man up if the team suffers an injury against the Penguins. At least Hickey won’t be alone in the press box, as Michael Dal Colle, Ross Johnston, Luca Sbisa and Dennis Seidenberg all worked as extras today.

St. Louis Blues:

Carl Gunnarsson – $2.9MM cap hit
Michael Del Zotto – $3.0MM cap hit

The Blues went out and added some depth to the back end at the trade deadline by acquiring Del Zotto, but won’t have him in the lineup tonight when they take on the Winnipeg Jets. He and Gunnarsson will be watching and waiting for their chance to help the team while 22-year old Vince Dunn makes his playoff debut. Dunn has turned into a top option for the Blues this season and will skate next to captain Alex Pietrangelo as they try to slow down the Jets attack.

Winnipeg Jets:

Nathan Beaulieu – $2.4MM cap hit

Just like the Blues, the Jets went out at the deadline and added a pair of depth options on the blue line to give them somewhere to turn if things go awry. Beaulieu will be a restricted free agent this summer and will have to hope for a chance to prove what he can do in the playoffs. The 17th-overall pick from 2011 has played only 17 postseason games in his career, and could potentially find himself without a qualifying offer after the season is over.

Dallas Stars:

Jason Spezza – $7.5MM cap hit
Valeri Nichushkin – $2.95MM cap hit
Jamie Oleksiak – $2.14MM cap hit

The Stars have the most money sitting on the sidelines out of any team in the playoffs, and a huge chunk of that is just Spezza. The 35-year old didn’t bounce back like many had hoped this season and scored just 27 points in 76 games. Combine that with his declining defensive game and you have a player that will have to watch and wait for his chance. At least Spezza scored at all this season, something you can’t say about Nichushkin. The return from Russia has not gone well for the 24-year old, who somehow went an entire season (57 games at least) without scoring a goal or committing a penalty.

Vegas Golden Knights:

Colin Miller – $3.875MM cap hit

Though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that Miller looks to be a scratch on opening night. The 26-year old has 29 points in 65 games this season but could come out for Jon Merrill who has been used more and more over the last month by head coach Gerard Gallant.

Boston Bruins:

David Backes – $6MM cap hit

Backes hasn’t been what the Bruins were expecting when they signed him to a five-year, $30MM deal in 2016. The veteran forward’s offense has completely dried up and though he tried to reinvent himself this season as a physical force, the Bruins are going with a bit more speed and skill as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Undrafted rookie Karson Kuhlman is expected to suit up on the right side of Jake Debrusk and David Krejci, a big step for a 23-year old forward who played just 11 games this season.

Calgary Flames: 

Michael Stone – $3.5MM cap hit

It’s a testament to just how quickly Rasmus Andersson has developed that a veteran option like Stone is on the sidelines to begin Calgary’s first-round series. The team put a lot of responsibility on Andersson this season and he has responded extremely well, putting him in line to be a top option for the team down the road. Stone meanwhile is just experiencing another setback in what has been a dreadful season, marred by a blood clot in his arm early in the year. He has played in just 14 games but will have to be ready to go if someone suffers an injury.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hitchcock, Skinner

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The NHL has released their three stars of last week, and in the lead is a player who has had quite a roller coaster season. Vladimir Tarasenko had seven points in four games to help secure a Central Division playoff spot for the St. Louis Blues, just months after being one of the players rumored to be drawing interest in trade negotiations. The Blues went from a team considering blowing up its core to one that very well could contend for the Stanley Cup, and Tarasenko’s turnaround is one of the reasons why. The 27-year old sniper scored 46 points in his final 39 games and was a +23 during that time, finishing the year with his fifth consecutive season of 33 or more goals.

It’s not just the Blues who have hot players heading into the playoffs though, as Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Alexander Radulov of the Dallas Stars take home the other two stars this week. Rinne is proving once again that he is one of the most reliable goaltenders in the entire league and enters the playoffs as Nashville’s presumptive starter despite a strong push by backup Juuse Saros. Radulov meanwhile finished his season strong and crossed the point-per-game threshold for the first time in his career, ending with 72 in 70 games played.

  • The Edmonton Oilers will let their next GM decide what to do with the coaching position, as CEO Bob Nicholson told reporters today that Ken Hitchcock’s time behind the bench has come to an end for the time being. The legendary coach was only meant to be in that position for the rest of this season, and though Nicholson wouldn’t rule out the idea of him returning, said the new GM will be able to hire who he wants. Hitchcock will stay in the Oilers organization as an advisor, something the incoming front office will need as they try to turn things around for the organization.
  • After a disastrous season in Buffalo the Sabres fired their coach and held frustrated media availability today, but the focus will now turn to pending unrestricted free agent Jeff Skinner. The team has been in contact with Skinner’s representatives for some time, and the talented forward once again reiterated that he loves the city and organization and has “had a great time.” Skinner scored 40 goals for the first time in his career and could potentially be one of the very best forwards available this summer. The clock is ticking for the Sabres, as every day that passes makes the chance at free agency that much harder to resist.

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