- Sam Nestler, Dallas Stars Beat Writer, shared that Lian Bichsel is still at least one week away from any rehab work. Stars Head Coach Glen Gulatzan anticipates the defenseman to be out until around Olympics time in February. Based on the timeline, Bischel will likely return post-Olympic break, assuming the team eases him back into action. In early December, Bichsel was designated as out for around six weeks, after an awkward leg injury sustained against Ottawa, which ended up requiring surgery. Like many other young blueliners, at 21, Bichsel is still working through the adjustment to the NHL game. Standing at 6’7”, he offers little offensively, but if able to progress in a sheltered third pairing role for now, the former first round pick could become a strong middle-pair shutdown option in the future.
Stars Rumors
Stars Activate Adam Erne From Injured Reserve
The Dallas Stars announced earlier today that Adam Erne has been activated from long term injured reserve. The forward landed on IR in early November, after a lower-body injury sustained against Ottawa on November 11.
It had previously been thought that Erne would return by late November, but thankfully the depth winger appears to be fully healthy.
Now 30, Erne carved out 379 NHL games between Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Edmonton from 2017-24 as a bottom sixer. However, after failing to secure an NHL contract for the 2024-25 season, and being released from a PTO from the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack after just one assist in 10 games, it seemed as if Erne reached a dead end in North American professional hockey.
Undeterred, after a successful PTO with one of the league’s top teams, Erne bounced back to earn a one-year two-way deal for this season worth $775k. Prior to going down, he notched two goals and an assist in 14 games for the Stars. Although the club remains elite, not much missing a beat over the past few weeks without him, Erne will be a welcome face back tonight in Anaheim with his physicality and forechecking.
Tyler Seguin Undergoes ACL Surgery, Not Yet Ruled Out For Season
The Stars announced today that forward Tyler Seguin had surgery to repair his previously reported torn right ACL on Tuesday. They haven’t yet decided on a timeframe for his return, though, leaving the door open for him to return this season. They’ll reevaluate him and issue a more specific timeframe after the Olympic break, general manager Jim Nill said.
Still, the prognosis doesn’t look good. Undergoing the procedure a full two weeks after he sustained the tear shortens the runway as well. At the time, head coach Glen Gulutzan said they were operating under the assumption that Seguin wouldn’t be back this year.
He can almost surely be ruled out for the regular season. Getting him back for Game 82 would require a turnaround time of four months, essentially unheard of for an ACL tear. His postseason availability is what’s in play, a decision that, for the practical purposes of an all-in contender like the Stars, needs to be made before the March 6 trade deadline.
Seguin has already been placed on long-term injured reserve. Under the extended Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Stars can only get a fraction of Seguin’s $9.85MM cap hit in relief. Because they haven’t ruled him out for the season – including the playoffs – he’s only contributing $3.82MM to their LTIR pool, which currently stands at $5.36MM with Lian Bichsel and Adam Erne also on LTIR.
Ruling him out for the playoffs, a process that requires approval from the league, team medical staff, the player, and the NHLPA, would allow the Stars to apply Seguin’s full cap hit to their LTIR pool, giving them nearly $6MM in added flexibility to make trades before the deadline. Since they’re already in LTIR, they’re not accruing cap space, so the timing of making that decision is inconsequential. All that matters is making the call before executing their inevitable pre-deadline pickup.
The 33-year-old Seguin isn’t quite clicking at the point-per-game pace he flashed in similarly limited availability last season, but he was still a valuable second-line asset with seven goals and 17 points in 27 games before the ACL tear. He was averaging 16:40 of ice time per game, notably his highest workload in four years.
Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Stars Reportedly Interested In Kiefer Sherwood
The trade market for Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood is beginning to materialize and will likely continue growing leading up to the trade deadline. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning have “kicked the tires” on Sherwood.
He’s remarkably affordable for what he provides, too. Especially for teams like the Bruins, Lightning, Senators, and Stars, who are close to the upper limit of the salary cap, Sherwood’s $1.5MM salary is easily absorbable.
- Sherwood is far from the only middle-six winger that is receiving interest. Speaking on the NHL’s Coast to Coast, insider Frank Seravalli shared that Seattle Kraken forward Mason Marchment is generating traction on the market and may even move before the holiday roster freeze. Unlike Sherwood, Marchment isn’t as affordable ($4.5MM) and is having a disappointing year, scoring four goals and 13 points in 29 games. Still, he’s coming off a four-year run with the Florida Panthers and Stars, where he scored 74 goals and 178 points in 265 games.
Bruins Claim Vladislav Kolyachonok Off Waivers
The Bruins have claimed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Stars, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Kolyachonok, 24, was exposed by Dallas yesterday amid a roster crunch that saw them carrying eight defensemen, five of them lefties – including Kolyachonok. He had cleared waivers successfully to begin the season after being acquired from the Penguins last summer in the Mathew Dumba trade. However, he’d played more than 10 games since being recalled in November in the wake of multiple injuries to Dallas’ defense corps, so they needed to place him on waivers a second time if they wanted to send him back to the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Boston will be Kolyachonok’s fifth NHL stop and sixth organization overall. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round in 2019 but never played for them, instead debuting for the Coyotes in 2021-22. He made the move to Utah and got some games there before they lost him on waivers to the Penguins last season.
While already racking up an impressive journeyman resume, his frequent appearance on the transaction wire indicates many teams remain intrigued by the 6’2″ lefty’s two-way upside. He’s generally put up fine possession numbers in limited NHL minutes, topping things off with a 5-12–17 scoring line and a -4 rating in 85 career appearances. In 11 games for Dallas since his call-up last month, he had one goal, two assists, a +4 rating, and controlled a team-high 51.2% of shot attempts at even strength.
He now joins a Boston defense group that has a regular in Henri Jokiharju on injured reserve and multiple other depth names – Michael Callahan, Jordan Harris, and Jonathan Aspirot, there with him. Aspirot was moved there today to open the roster spot for Kolyachonok’s claim, already missing one game with an upper-body injury. He’s been ruled out for tonight’s game as a result, but could come off IR for Thursday’s game against the Oilers if he’s ready to return.
If Kolyachonok wants to finally land an everyday job in an NHL lineup, though, he’ll need to get comfortable playing on his off side. Boston’s three left-shot options are locked in as Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, and Nikita Zadorov each feature on their own pairings. With a righty in Jokiharju and a lefty who routinely plays the right side in Aspirot sidelined, though, there’s an opening for him to leapfrog Victor Söderström for playing time and get into the Bruins’ lineup.
Kolyachonok is in the back half of a two-year, league-minimum deal, so Boston’s only on the hook for a $775K cap hit and salary. He’ll be a restricted free agent next offseason with arbitration rights.
Image courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.
Stars Place Vladislav Kolyachonok On Waivers
The Stars have placed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok on waivers, according to Frank Seravalli of Victory+. He’ll be reassigned to AHL Texas tomorrow if he clears.
Dallas is the 24-year-old Kolyachonok’s fourth NHL organization. Drafted by the Panthers in the second round in 2019, he was flipped to the Coyotes two years later as a sweetener for them to take on Anton Strålman’s deal. He first broke into the NHL with Arizona the following season and remained in the organization through their move to Utah. The Mammoth lost him waivers last season to the Penguins, who then flipped him to the Stars over the summer in the Mathew Dumba deal.
While the Belarus native joined as an intriguing potential No. 7/8 option, he didn’t crack the opening night roster. This time, he successfully cleared waivers to begin the season on his way down to Texas. He remained there for the first six weeks of the campaign until injuries to Thomas Harley and Ilya Lyubushkin created a recall opportunity in mid-November.
Kolyachonok was routinely in the lineup until Harley returned. He’s now sat out two of the last three games. While Dallas still has one injured defenseman – Lian Bichsel, who’s not expected back until late January – they’re carrying eight on the active roster, making Kolyachonok something of a redundancy, particularly as one of five lefties.
The 6’2″ rearguard did well as a stopgap, recording three points and a +3 rating in 11 games. He saw just 12:37 of ice time per game but posted the best possession numbers of any Star this season at 5-on-5, controlling 51.7% of shot attempts and 54.1% of scoring chances.
He’s still got a fairly high-ceiling defensive game, one that may result in a waiver claim tomorrow. He’s making the league minimum and is a pending restricted free agent. If not, he’ll return to Texas, where he had three assists in 10 games to begin the year.
Adam Erne Progressing, Now Day-To-Day
- Dallas Stars forward Adam Erne is continuing to progress in his recovery from his lower-body injury, and is now considered day-to-day, according to Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan. (via The Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos) Erne last played Nov. 11 and has missed 16 consecutive games. The 30-year-old winger signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Stars in October and scored three points in 14 games before his injury. Erne played in just 10 games last season, all coming in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He has nearly 400 career NHL games to his name, but hasn’t played a full season entirely at the NHL level since his 2021-22 campaign with the Detroit Red Wings.
Stars’ Roope Hintz Leaves Due To Injury
Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz left late in tonight’s game after taking a hard shot off his leg, and head coach Glen Gulutzan told Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News that there is no update at this time.
With just 1:31 remaining in regulation, in a two-goal deficit, teammate Miro Heiskanen unloaded on a one-timer. Hintz, in front of the crease, attempted to jump out of the way, but it caught him in the ankle area. The 29-year-old went down immediately and had to be helped off the ice, not putting weight on the leg. Minnesota capitalized on the play, cashing in on the empty net and putting the game out of reach.
With Tyler Seguin and Lian Bichsel both on long-term injured reserve – Seguin with a torn ACL, no less – Hintz’s injury is a significant concern. Thankfully, the team has gotten back Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene from their own injuries, but it has been a brutal stretch for Dallas health-wise. They nonetheless rank second in the league, with serious Stanley Cup aspirations.
Hintz has 26 points in 27 games this season as a bona fide top-line center. Although the Stars boast a tremendously deep roster, his status will be watched urgently with the hope that another long-term injury has been avoided. Dallas will not be in action again until Saturday, when they host the Panthers, so an update on the skilled center may not come until the weekend.
Thomas Harley Returning To Stars Lineup
Dec. 9: Harley will be back in the lineup tonight against the Jets, per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press. He never landed on injured reserve when he was out, so there’s no transaction involved.
Nov. 15: The Dallas Stars will be without one of their top defenseman for the next few weeks. Dallas announced that Thomas Harley is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Although Harley’s most recent game came in the Stars’ lopsided win against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, there’s reason to believe that he’s been playing through the injury for some time. Given their salary cap space, it’s expected that Kyle Capobianco will fill in for Harley for the time being.
It’s safe to say that Harley will be a huge missing piece for Dallas moving forward. The former first-round pick has arguably been the Stars’ top defenseman for the last three years, scoring 32 goals and 107 points in his previous 175 games. Additionally, Harley was the highest-scoring defenseman for the Stars last postseason, adding four goals and 14 points in 18 games.
Fortunately, Dallas has built a solid lead in the standings that they can likely absorb Harley’s loss. At the time of writing, the Stars are four points up on the Utah Mammoth for second place in the Central Division standings and are five points up on the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Moving forward, it’s likely that young blueliner Lian Bichsel will get a larger look in the Stars’ top-two defensive pairings. Also drafted 18th overall like Harley, Bichsel is in his second year in the NHL. At this point, he’s scored four goals and 11 points in 56 games with 213 hits, averaging 14:46 of ice time per night.
Craig Smith Announces Retirement
As expected, forward Craig Smith has hung up his skates after 14 years in the NHL. The Magnuson Hockey Agency, which represented Smith, announced the retirement.
Smith’s professional career began back in 2009, when he was selected with the 98th overall pick by the Nashville Predators. He spent two years following the draft playing for the NCAA’s University of Wisconsin, scoring 27 goals and 76 points in 82 games while being named the program’s captain in his second season.
Impressively, after a standout performance for Team USA at the 2011 IIHF World Championships, Smith jumped right to the NHL in the 2011-12 season with the Predators. He finished 12th in Calder Trophy voting that year, scoring 14 goals and 36 points in 72 games — good for eighth in scoring on the team.
Due to some injury troubles, Smith skated in four games for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, which would serve as the only AHL playing time Smith had throughout his career. Over the next eight years, Smith scored 148 goals and 294 points in 589 games with Nashville, averaging 14:57 of ice time in a middle-six role. He had a far lesser track record of success in the postseason, tallying seven goals and 16 points in 52 games from 2012 to 2020.
After his five-year, $21.25MM extension with Nashville concluded after the 2019-20 season, Smith reached free agency for the first time at 33 years old. Due to the pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith had to wait until mid-October to sign his next contract, which became a three-year, $9.3MM deal with the Boston Bruins.
He enjoyed a pair of relatively productive seasons with the Bruins before transitioning to a bottom-six role in his final season. In the last year of his deal, Smith was traded to the Washington Capitals in the trade that sent Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to New England.
The Madison, WI native would only sign two more NHL contracts after that trade — one with the Dallas Stars, and another with the Chicago Blackhawks before ultimately ending his career with the Detroit Red Wings. Smith finished his career with 220 goals and 452 points in 987 games, becoming the fifth-highest scoring Wisconsin-born player behind Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, Gary Suter, and Ryan Suter.
We at PHR congratulate Smith on a solid career and wish him the best in his next chapter.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports.