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Tolvanen, Heiskanen Named To Olympic Roster

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Among those named to Team Finland’s Olympic roster today are two very interesting prospects drafted less than a year ago: Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen. Both players suited up for their country at the World Junior Championship just weeks ago, but will now represent Finland on the international stage once again. Heiskanen, the third-overall pick, is property of the Dallas Stars and a huge part of their future on the blueline. The silky smooth two-way defender commands a game with his incredible positioning and easy decision making. With 14 points in 20 games for HIFK Helsinki, he’s already showing that he can compete with professionals of the highest caliber.

Tolvanen on the other hand fell all the way to 30th in the 2017 draft because of some issues regarding where he would play this season. Originally tabbed to join the NCAA ranks, he was denied admission at the last second and instead joined the KHL. It has paid off for the Nashville Predators’ prospect, breaking Evgeny Kuznetsov’s record for points by an 18-year old with 33 in 44 games. A shoot-first winger capable of scoring almost at will, Tolvanen could be used as a powerplay weapon in the Olympics.

Olli Juolevi, a Vancouver Canucks prospect and candidate for a spot on the team, was not selected to the final roster. The full roster can be found below:

G Mikko Koskinen
G Karri Ramo
G Juha Metsola

D Mikko Lehtonen
D Tommi Kivisto
D Lasse Kukkonen
D Sami Lepisto
D Juuso Heitanen
D Miro Heiskanen
D Miika Koivisto
D Atte Ohtamaa

F Marko Anttila
F Julius Junttila
F Eeli Tolvanen
F Joonas Kemppainen
F Jani Lajunen
F Jonas Enlund
F Petri Kontiola
F Mika Pyorala
F Jarno Koskirant
F Oskar Osala
F Sakari Manninen
F Teemu Hartikainen
F Jukka Peltola
F Veli-Matti Savinainen

Tyler Seguin's Next Deal Could Equal Or Beat Jamie Benn's

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  • If the Stars have intentions of keeping center Tyler Seguin away from unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019, Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe suggests that it may take equalling or beating Jamie Benn’s current deal (eight years, $76MM) to keep him from testing the market. He adds that Dallas has every intention of getting him locked up before he’s eligible to hit free agency.  Seguin can sign an extension starting on July 1st.

Stars Recall Dillon Heatherington

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  • The Stars have recalled defenseman Dillon Heatherington from Texas of the AHL, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link).  The 2013 second-round pick has yet to play in an NHL game.  He is in his third professional season and has picked up three goals and ten assists in 39 minor league contests so far this season.

Marc Methot Undergoes Non-Surgical Procedure, Out Two Weeks

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While he has a sizable contract, there has been some chatter about Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf being dealt before the trade deadline, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.  The 32-year-old  veteran is in his third season with Ottawa and while he plays an important role on their back end, he hasn’t been living up to his $7MM cap hit and has actually seen his average ice time dip by 2:30 a night to 20:32, the lowest of his career.  With three years left on his deal beyond this one, Ottawa would almost certainly have to retain some salary or take a high-priced player back in any trade.  Phaneuf has a 12-team list that he can be traded to.

  • So much for being ready to play after the bye week. Although that was the original intention for Stars rearguard Marc Methot, the team announced that he has undergone a non-surgical procedure that will keep him out of the lineup for the next two weeks.  Methot’s first season in Dallas has been a rough one as he has played just once since November 6th where he first suffered his knee injury.  He returned to play one game and then was scratched with soreness for the next one.  That’s not what they were hoping for when they acquired him from Vegas after the Expansion Draft to shore up their top-four.

Michael Paliotta Traded To Texas Stars

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The Toronto Marlies have traded minor-league defenseman Michael Paliotta to the Texas Stars for future considerations. Paliotta was signed to an AHL contract this summer, after spending last season in the New York Rangers organization on a two-way deal. This deal doesn’t rid the Maple Leafs of a contract since Paliotta was only on an AHL deal, meaning they are still at the 50-contract limit.

Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round of the 2011 draft, Paliotta has just two NHL games under his belt. Last season he suited up for 52 contests with the Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring 14 points. The 24-year old had played just eight times for the Marlies on a crowded blueline this season, and should get more of an opportunity for Texas.

2018 All-Star Rosters

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The NHL released the rosters for this year’s All-Star game in Tampa Bay, leading to an inevitable onslaught of discussion over who missed out and who didn’t deserve to go. The event will take place on January 27-28th. The full rosters can be found below:

Atlantic Division:

F Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning (captain)
F Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay Lightning
F Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs
F Aleksander Barkov – Florida Panthers
F Brad Marchand – Boston Bruins
F Jack Eichel – Buffalo Sabres
D Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning
D Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
D Mike Green – Detroit Red Wings
G Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning
G Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens

Head Coach: Jon Cooper

Metropolitan Division:

F Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals (captain)
F Taylor Hall – New Jersey Devils
F Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
F Josh Bailey – New York Islanders
F John Tavares – New York Islanders
F Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
D Seth Jones – Columbus Blue Jackets
D Noah Hanifin – Carolina Hurricanes
D Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
G Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
G Braden Holtby – Washington Capitals

Head Coach: Barry Trotz

Central Division:

F Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche
F Blake Wheeler – Winnipeg Jets
F Brayden Schenn – St. Louis Blues
F Eric Staal – Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars
D P.K. Subban – Nashville Predators (captain)
D Alex Pietrangelo – St. Louis Blues
D John Klingberg – Dallas Stars
G Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators
G Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets

Head Coach: Peter Laviolette

Pacific Division:

F Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers (captain)
F Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary Flames
F Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks
F James Neal – Vegas Golden Knights
F Rickard Rakell – Anaheim Ducks
F Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
D Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings
D Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes
G Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings
G Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights

Head Coach: Gerard Gallant

Methot Expected To Be Ready To Play After Bye Week

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  • The fact that Stars defenseman Marc Methot was a late scratch on Saturday shouldn’t be cause for concern. Head coach Ken Hitchcock told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that although the blueliner experienced some soreness in his knee following the warmup yesterday, he is expected to be ready to go following the conclusion of their bye week.  Methot had recently returned to the lineup after missing the previous 26 games with that knee issue.

Remi Elie Has Recovered From Illness, Likely To Play Saturday

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  • Stars winger Remi Elie has recovered from his illness and is available to suit up on Saturday against Edmonton, notes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). He had missed the last two games and is expected to slot in on the fourth line.  Elie has four goals and three assists in 34 contests so far this season.

Methot, Hanzal Return To Dallas Lineup

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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

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  • 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.

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