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Stars’ Chris Tanev Remains Uncertain For Game 5

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The Stars may be without their top shutdown option on defense as they attempt to take a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Final over the Oilers. Chris Tanev will officially be a game-time decision for Game 5 after blocking a shot in the second period of Game 4, head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters this morning.

DeBoer said he was “optimistic” about Tanev’s ability. The veteran blue liner was seen in a walking boot while traveling back to Dallas yesterday.

If Tanev is unable to go, he may not be the only injury-related absence for the Stars tonight. DeBoer also told reporters that multiple forwards are dealing with ailments, and he likely won’t know who’s able to play until after warmup (via the team’s Bruce LeVine).

The Stars acquired Tanev, 34, from the Flames in late February for a package that included a second-round pick and defense prospect Artyom Grushnikov. While he’s only logged one assist in 17 games of postseason play, he’s been an incredibly valuable defensive presence and has averaged over 22 minutes per game.

Tanev’s +6 rating is third on the team behind Thomas Harley and Tyler Seguin (+8). He’s logged 170 minutes with Esa Lindell as his defense partner in the postseason, controlling 50.3% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.

His absence would likely result in Nils Lundkvist entering the lineup for the first time this series. Veteran defensive specialist Jani Hakanpää remains unavailable with the lower-body injury that’s kept him out since mid-March, DeBoer said (via team radio host Owen Newkirk).

Lundkvist, 23, hasn’t played since Game 5 of the second round against the Avalanche and averaged just 4:27 per game in his 12 appearances earlier this postseason. Two other options, 2022 first-round pick Lian Bichsel and minor-league mainstay Derrick Pouliot, are rostered and theoretically available to play, although it would mark Bichsel’s NHL debut and Pouliot’s first playoff game since 2016 with the Penguins. Bichsel has been told to be prepared to play if Tanev is out, though, he told EP Rinkside’s Sean Shapiro.

Stars' Christopher Tanev, Jani Hakanpaa Questionable For Game 5

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The Dallas Stars didn’t have any positive updates today, with head coach Pete DeBoer sharing that Chris Tanev will see doctors and “go from there”, while Jani Hakanpaa likely won’t be available for Game 5, per NHL.com’s Mike Heika (Twitter link). Tanev left Game 4 midway through the second period, after suffering a lower-body injury while blocking a shot from Evander Kane. Tanev has played in all 17 of Dallas’ playoff games and totaled a league-leading 68 blocked shots. He also leads Dallas defensemen in hits, with 26. Meanwhile, Hakanpaa will miss a 31st-straight game should he miss Game 5.

Tanev would be a major absence for the Stars, who currently carry Nils Lundkvist, Derrick Pouliot, or prospect Lian Bichsel as their extra defenders. Lundkvist has appeared in 12 postseason games this Spring, recording one assist and averaging just 4:27 in ice time each game. Pouliot could offer a more stout veteran presence, though he’s only appeared in 22 NHL games over the last three seasons combined. Pouliot spent the majority of this season with the AHL’s Texas Stars, recording nine goals and 46 points across 67 games. Regardless of the fill-in, Tanev’s absence will likely mean more ice time for the team’s top pair of Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen. The pair are already averaging 25 and 28 minutes of ice time respectively. Heiskanen has managed six goals and 16 points in 17 postseason games, while Lindell has posted three goals and five points.

Roope Hintz Returns For Game 3

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  • Before Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals kicks off between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers, one major change in the lineup was made for the Stars. Earlier today it was alluded that forward Roope Hintz would be a game-time decision for Dallas, but Stars radio host Owen Newkirk confirmed that Hintz is now officially back in the lineup. Hintz has been out of the lineup for Dallas for the last two weeks with an upper-body injury, but will now look to add to his six points already earned in this year’s postseason.

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Afternoon Notes: Hintz, Goldobin, Sharks Coaching

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The Dallas Stars will once again be left with a game-time decision on centerman Roope Hintz, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Hintz has missed Dallas’ last four games with an upper-body injury sustained in Game 4 of the second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Hintz was an integral piece of the Stars lineup through the regular season, posting 30 goals and 65 points – both marks he’s also reached in the last two seasons. He’s maintained that strong presence into the postseason, posting six points through the 11 games he’s been healthy for. Maybe more importantly, Dallas hasn’t yet found their de facto fill-in for Hintz’s injury.

Radek Faksa was previously filling the vacancy, but head coach Pete DeBoer decided to switch to Ty Dellandrea for Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. Dellandrea recorded three shots on goal through 11:39 in ice time but did little to command the lineup spot as his own. Hintz should return to the team’s top six immediately upon his return. But Dallas will be left with a tricky lineup decision should he once again be unavailable.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Former San Jose Sharks first-round pick Nikolay Goldobin has signed a two-year extension with Moscow Spartak of the KHL (Twitter link). The 28-year-old forward is coming off a career year, posting a career-high 37 goals and 78 points through 67 games this season and adding nine points in 11 playoff games. His regular season scoring tied him for second in the KHL in scoring behind Reid Boucher, who posted 44 goals and 78 points of his own. It was Goldobin’s third full-time season in the KHL, having posted 39 and 36 points over the last two years, respectively. He’ll look to build off a dazzling season, now re-upped in Russia.
  • The San Jose Sharks are advancing their search for their next head coach, providing second interviews to both Jeff Blashill and Ryan Warsofsky, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the recent 32 Thoughts Podcast. Warsofsky has been an assistant coach in San Jose for the last two seasons, moving to the NHL after leading the AHL’s Chicago Wolves to a Calder Cup win in 2022. Meanwhile, Blashill has been an assistant to Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning for his last two seasons – proceeding his seven-year tenure as the Detroit Red Wings head coach.

Evening Notes: Hintz, Hakanpää, Arvidsson

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Dallas Stars radio host Owen Newkirk is reporting that Stars forward Roope Hintz is travelling with the team to Edmonton and will be a game-time decision for Game 3 tomorrow night. Stars head coach Pete Deboer told reporters today that he’s optimistic that Hintz will play in the next two games and added that he was close to playing in Game 2.

Hintz suffered an upper-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round back on May 13th and has had a quiet playoff thus far by his standards with just two goals and four assists in 11 games. The Tampere, Finland native had a strong regular season with 30 goals and 35 assists in 80 games but has seen his play drop off considerably in the playoffs, particularly his possession numbers as his CF% has dropped more than 10 percent from the regular season.

In other evening notes:

  • Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää won’t play in Games 3 or 4 and is not on the trip with Dallas (as per Newkirk). DeBoer told reporters that Hakanpää won’t join the team until he’s close to returning, which indicates that he likely isn’t close to returning to game action. The 32-year-old hasn’t played since March 16th and has not been practicing with the team. At this point, he’s missed 28 consecutive games and has no timetable for a potential return.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson is expected to test the free-agent market on July 1st. The Skelleftea, Sweden native dealt with injuries this season and dressed in just 18 games. While he was limited in playing time, the 31-year-old had solid numbers in a low sample size, posting six goals and nine assists. Arvidsson has been a good point producer since joining the Kings via trade in July 2021, in 161 games as a King he has registered 52 goals and 71 assists.

Hintz Listed As Game-Time Decision For Tonight

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  • The decision on Roope Hintz’s availability for tonight’s second game against Edmonton will come down to the wire. Stars head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters including Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News that the center is listed as a game-time decision.  The 27-year-old has been out since suffering an upper-body injury in the fourth game last round.  He took part in the morning skate today but was also skating with the projected scratches so it appears he’ll be a true game-time call.

Evening Notes: Pospisil, Henrique, Hintz

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Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy shared that winger Martin Pospisil’s shoulder injury isn’t a long-term concern during the Flames Talk segment of Sportsnet 960 The Fan. Pospisil sustained the injury in Team Slovakia’s May 21st matchup against Team Sweden – Slovakia’s final game of the group stage. He’d miss the team’s quarter-finals matchup against Team Canada, a game that’d end in a 6-3 Canada victory and Slovakia’s elimination form the World Championship.

Pospisil was a force to be reckoned with during Worlds, posting three goals and seven points across seven tournament games. He added six penalty minutes – though that’s certainly not representative of the fast and heavy physical presence Pospisil brought to the tourney. It was his first time skating with Slovakia’s men’s team, after representing the team at the 2019 World Juniors and 2017 World U-18 Championships.

The World Championship was a continuation of Pospisil’s breakout season. He made his NHL debut and earned a defiant role on the Calgary Flames this season, recording 24 points and 109 penalty minutes through 63 games. It was just his third season in North American pros, having spent the last two years with Calgary’s AHL affiliate. Pospisil posted 35 points and 119 penalty minutes in 67 AHL games prior to this season – adding six points in six games with the Calgary Wranglers this year. With this injury not expected to linger beyond this summer, Pospisil should be set up to engrain his spot on the Flames lineup even more adamantly next season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch described forward Adam Henrique as “98 per cent” to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Knoblauch added that it will be a bit more time before Henrique is fully ready to go, leaving his availability for the Western Conference Finals Game 2 up in the air. Henrique has missed Edmonton’s last six games with an ankle injury. He’s posted 11 points in 28 combined games with the Oilers since joining them at the Trade Deadline. With ample veteran experience, Henrique should be set to return to the lineup as soon as he’s ready – likely bumping Sam Carrick or Connor Brown out of a spot.
  • The Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer described centerman Roope Hintz (upper-body) as a possibility for Game 2, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News (Twitter link). Hintz joined the Stars practice on Friday, his first appearance since being injured in Game 4 of Dallas’ series against the Colorado Avalanche. Hintz will step immediately back into a top-six role when he’s ready to return, likely bumping Radek Faksa out of the lineup and returning a 65-point scorer to Dallas’ lineup amidst a tough Western Conference Finals matchup.

NHL Announces General Manager Of The Year Finalists

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The Canucks’ Patrik Allvin, the Stars’ Jim Nill and the Panthers’ Bill Zito were named finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award today, the NHL announced.

Voting for the GM of the Year award is conducted among the GMs themselves, in addition to a select few NHL executives and media members. Unlike other awards, votes are sent in at the end of the second round of the playoffs, not at the end of the regular season.

None of the nominees are particularly surprising. Allvin earns his nomination after putting together some incredible work in last summer’s free agency period, bringing in depth forwards Teddy Blueger, Dakota Joshua and Pius Suter on one-year deals. All were incredibly impactful value signings, including Suter, who scored the game-winning goal late in the third period of Game 6 against the Predators to give Vancouver its first series win in four years.

He also picked up solid depth defenseman Ian Cole in free agency last summer and swung trades for center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Flames throughout the season, both of whom were some of their best playoff performers. Vancouver took the Oilers to Game 7 before bowing out in the second round despite an early injury to Vezina finalist Thatcher Demko.

Nill is gunning to become the second-ever back-to-back winner of the award, joining the Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello. His signing of Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3MM contract was arguably one of the best moves of last summer, as he maintained solid top-six production in the regular season with 65 points in 80 games. He also scored the overtime winner to send the Stars to the Western Conference Final, beginning tonight at home against Edmonton. He also picked up high-end shutdown defenseman Chris Tanev from the Flames ahead of the trade deadline without parting with a first-round pick.

Zito has now earned a nomination for GMOTY in three of his four years at the helm of the Panthers’ hockey ops department, but he’s yet to be crowned the winner. The Panthers won their second division title in the past three years this season, avoiding an expected lull to begin the season without Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour available while recovering from offseason surgeries. His signing of goaltender Anthony Stolarz to back up starter Sergei Bobrovsky remains one of the most under-the-radar moves of last year’s free agency period – Stolarz led qualified netminders with a .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA this season.

The winner will be announced before a Stanley Cup Final game on June 10.

Jake Oettinger Dealing With Illness

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  • On the other side of the bracket, the Dallas Stars may be dealing with some trouble in the net ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, as goaltender Jake Oettinger left practice early today with an illness (Article Link). The team is expecting Oettinger to be healthy and ready for the opening matchup tomorrow night, but it could certainly complicate matters in the crease. In this year’s playoff against the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, Oettinger has started in all 13 games for the Stars, producing a solid .918 save percentage and 2.08 goals against average.
  • Staying in the Western Conference Finals, the Oilers are not expecting back forward Adam Henrique until at least Game 3 (X Link). Dealing with an undisclosed injury, Henrique only managed to play in Game 2 of Edmonton’s Round Two series against the Vancouver Canucks, and has not returned to the ice since. Now that the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have shrunk to only four teams, the Oilers will need all the help they can get up front to take down the Stars.

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