NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:
Anaheim Ducks (2):
G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA
Arizona Coyotes (7):
F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA
Boston Bruins (3):
F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA
Buffalo Sabres (4):
F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA
Calgary Flames (1):
G Dustin Wolf, USA
Carolina Hurricanes (5):
D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA
Chicago Blackhawks (2):
F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic
Colorado Avalanche (4):
D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia
Columbus Blue Jackets (4):
F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland
Dallas Stars (3):
F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden
Detroit Red Wings (5):
D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden
Edmonton Oilers (4):
F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden
Florida Panthers (3):
Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA
Los Angeles Kings (9):
F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA
Minnesota Wild (1):
F Alexander Khovanov, Russia
Montreal Canadiens (4):
D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA
Nashville Predators (1):
D Spencer Stastney, USA
New Jersey Devils (5):
D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland
New York Islanders (2):
F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA
New York Rangers (5):
D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA
D K’Andre Miller, USA
Ottawa Senators (3):
D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA
Philadelphia Flyers (4):
F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA
Pittsburgh Penguins (1):
D Calen Addison, Canada
San Jose Sharks (1):
Santeri Hatakka, Finland
St. Louis Blues (2):
G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia
Tampa Bay Lightning (3):
F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden
Toronto Maple Leafs (3):
D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA
Vancouver Canucks (4):
F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden
Vegas Golden Knights (3):
F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA
Washington Capitals (2):
F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic
Winnipeg Jets (2):
F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland
Five Key Stories: 12/09/19 – 12/15/19
It was a week full of intrigue leading into a week with the potential to be full of action, as some teams look to make a move before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze begins on Thursday, December 19. Here are the five biggest stories of the past seven days:
Taylor Hall Trade Talks Heating Up: The biggest story of the week remains a non-story, at least for now. The New Jersey Devils threw the hockey world into a tizzy on Friday night when they scratched impending free agent superstar Taylor Hall just minutes before their game started and after he had skated in warm-ups. This immediately sparked speculation that a trade was imminent, especially given the fact that the Devils were set to face the Colorado Avalanche and then the Arizona Coyotes the following night, two of Hall’s biggest suitors. The Devils stressed that Hall was being held out as a precaution and that no deal was in place, and so far that has been proven true. However, with the roster freeze right around the corner, the odds remain high that Hall will be dealt in the coming days.
Peter Deboer Fired By San Jose: A Stanley Cup appearance and two Western Conference Final visits were not enough to save San Jose Sharks head coach Peter Deboer, who was fired on Wednesday. The team’s poor start to the season, and statistics that show it was more than just a case of bad luck, left San Jose in need of a change. They got that and more, moving on from Deboer and three assistants. Former Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner has taken over as head coach, with a brand new staff, including two former Sharks players. Whether or not new guidance is enough to cure the Sharks’ woes in net and scoring slump remains to be seen, but Deboer seems unlikely to be unemployed for too long.
Dallas Dismisses Jim Montgomery: There is still almost nothing known about the firing of Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday. Unlike Deboer or New Jersey’s John Hynes, fired for team performance, or Calgary’s Bill Peters, fired for past instances of player abuse, Montgomery’s dismissal fits into neither category. The Stars only stated that Montgomery was fired for “a material act of unprofessionalism”. Assistant Rick Bowness has taken over as interim head coach of a Dallas team that had been on a roll under Montgomery.
Bogosian and Baertschi Request Trades: Two different players have decided that they have had enough of their current situations. Buffalo Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian requested a trade on Thursday, and Vancouver Canucks winger Sven Baertschi did the same on Saturday. Bogosian, an impending free agent, is not receiving regular play time on a crowded Buffalo blue line. The veteran is a talented defender who undoubtedly like to both conrtibute to a playoff run and establish his value ahead of next summer, but won’t have the opportunity to do either with the Sabres. However, a lofty cap hit and a penchant for getting hurt could make it difficult for Bogosian to move. Baertschi too has an unappealing salary situation. Baertschi has been a relatively productive player in his career, but with a $3.367MM cap hit through 2020-21 and a recent history of concussions, the winger is a risk. Vancouver had opted to send him to the AHL to begin the year, but Baertschi believes that he belongs at the top level and hopes that the Canucks can find him a new home.
Oskar Lindblom Battling Cancer: The Philadelphia Flyers announced sad news on Friday that young forward Oskar Lindblom had been diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Lindblom is not expected to return to the ice this season as he focuses on treatment. The 23-year old has 18 points in 30 games this year and the hope is that he can get back to health and continue his growth into a core piece for Philadelphia. Lindblom has received an outpouring of support from the hockey community and we here at PHR certainly wish him the best in this difficult process.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Dallas Stars.
What are the Stars most thankful for?
Last year, Dallas allowed the second-fewest goals in the league at 2.46 per game. They’re allowing even fewer this season, checking in at just 76 through 32 contests (2.38 per game). They have Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin to thank for that. The duo are in their second season together and Khudobin has played more than well enough to allow the Stars to play Bishop, 33, less than a full number one workload which paid dividends last season. It’s not an overly expensive tandem either as they slot in with the 12th-highest goalie cap charge in the NHL though that will likely go up next year if they ultimately re-sign Khudobin, a pending unrestricted free agent.
Who are the Stars most thankful for?
Pretty much every team with eyes on contention needs a top-notch defenseman. That is one element that Dallas has lacked in the past but that is very rapidly changing with the emergence of Miro Heiskanen as one of the up-and-coming stars on the back end in the league. The second-year pro just missed out on being one of the finalists for the Calder Trophy last season but is having an All-Star caliber campaign. He already has collected 21 points this season, good for a share of 12th among all NHL defenders. Heiskanen has also seen his playing time jump to 24:29 per night to lead the team. He’s under team control for at least the next five seasons and still has a year left to go after this one on his entry-level deal, one that carries a base cap hit of just $894K.
What would the Stars be even more thankful for?
More production from their top line. When at their best, the trio of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov can be among the better groups in the league. However, none of them have reached double figures in goals yet while Radulov (the closest to that mark with nine) being a recent healthy scratch. At a combined cap hit of $25.6MM, a lot more is expected from that group. If they can get going, Dallas could find themselves battling near the top of the Central Division instead of battling for a Wild Card spot.
What should be on the Stars’ Holiday Wish List?
Scoring, scoring, and more scoring. Dallas hasn’t had many issues keeping the puck out of their own net but they’re near the basement of the league in goals scored. More production from that top line would go a long way towards solving that but even with that, they need a boost on their second and third lines as well. With Martin Hanzal out for the season, the Stars have some financial flexibility to go into LTIR although with performance bonuses for Heiskanen, Corey Perry, and Andrej Sekera, there is some risk to doing so as any that are reached would see their cap charge carry over to next year. With that in mind, GM Jim Nill may be looking for player-player swaps to try to find that scoring help.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Kings, Moore, Honka
Los Angeles Kings prospects Rasmus Kupari and Tobias Bjornfot were both named to their respective country’s World Junior rosters last week, but seeing as both are under contract and playing in the AHL, the duo had to officially be loaned by the Kings to participate. That permission officially came down today, as L.A. announced that Kupari would play for Finland and Bjornfot would play for Sweden in the upcoming WJC tournament. Bjornfot, a first-round pick back in June, played in three games with the Kings earlier this season and has eight points in 20 games with the Ontario Reign. The athletic defenseman joins an impressive unit on the blue line for Sweden at the WJC. Kupari, L.A.’s top pick two years ago, played for the Gold Medal-winning Finnish entry in last year’s WJC, recording five points in seven games, and overall enjoyed a strong season in his native country. However, his first season in North America has gotten off to a slow start, with just seven points in 24 AHL games for the talented forward. While there was no indication in the Kings’ release, Kupari could be a candidate to remain overseas following the tournament. But first he will join another star-studded Finnish roster in pursuit of a repeat title.
- With the Boston Bruins playing the Washington Capitals tonight in the first of a back-to-back set that includes a match-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, Connor Clifton has drawn back into the lineup. The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont reports that John Moore, who just recently made his season debut following off-season shoulder surgery, will be eased back into regular action, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy. Splitting back-to-backs or occasional nights off could become commonplace for the veteran defender. The Bruins are more cognizant than most when it comes to the value of healthy defense, as they struggled with continuous injury issues on the back end last season and are still waiting on the return of Kevan Miller. Cassidy recently stated that the Bruins are a better team with Moore active, even though it causes a surplus of lefties in the lineup, but that could mean he prioritizes keeping Moore healthy long-term rather than playing him in every game and risking re-injury to his damaged shoulder. Fortunately, the team has the luxury of young Clifton, who played well in Moore’s stead to begin the year and is more than deserving of spot starts.
- Before the calendar flipped to December, making him ineligible to play in the NHL this season, it seems the trade market for unsigned Dallas Stars RFA defenseman Julius Honka was not as dead as it seemed. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the Carolina Hurricanes were the team with the most interest in the enigmatic rearguard and were in heavy pursuit. However, the team ultimately decided that they were not willing to meet the Stars’ demand of draft picks or young, unsigned prospects rather than a fellow AHL prospect. Ironically, the Hurricanes drafted Honka’s younger brother, Anttoni, in the third round this past year, which could keep them interested in the elder Honka this off-season.
Dallas Stars Fire Jim Montgomery
Wednesday: Sean Shapiro of The Athletic confirmed today that the radio appearance many have pointed to over the last 24 hours had nothing to do with Montgomery’s firing. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the rest of Montgomery’s contract, which continued through the 2021-22 season, has been terminated with cause.
Tuesday: The Dallas Stars have become the next team to fire their head coach this season, dismissing Jim Montgomery today. The Stars did not make this decision due to on-ice performance however. GM Jim Nill released a statement explaining the move:
The Dallas Stars expect all of our employees to act with integrity and exhibit professional behavior while working for and representing our organization. This decision was made due to unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League.
Assistant coach Rick Bowness has been named interim head coach, while Derek Laxdal will move up from the Texas Stars to serve as an assistant with the NHL club. Neil Graham will become the head coach of Texas.
This move comes just after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the league “will not tolerate abusive behavior of any kind” and instituted several levels of training for their coaches and executives, along with a hotline for players or employees to report any incidents of abuse. The league however was asked directly by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet if there were any ongoing investigations, which they denied. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic also tweets that the Montgomery situation is not related to the program Bettman announced.
Nill at a press conference explained that there is no connection to any current or former players. He was made aware of “a material act of unprofessionalism” over the weekend, which did not involve any other Stars employees.
The Stars had turned around their season dramatically from a disastrous start and now sit 17-11-3 on the year. The team has lost in regulation just four times in their last 22 games and are one point out of a divisional playoff spot.
LeBrun reports that Montgomery had two years left on his contract, however it is unclear what kind of termination this is. The Stars used “dismissed” in the release instead of “relieved of coaching duties” as most do when they are honoring the contract.
Bowness meanwhile will take over with plenty of experience behind the bench. With nearly 500 games as an NHL head coach and plenty more as an assistant, he will certainly not be overwhelmed by the moment. The Stars will play the New Jersey Devils today.
Dallas Stars To Scratch Alexander Radulov
The run of expensive healthy scratches continues in the NHL this season, with the Dallas Stars now getting in on the action. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports that the Stars are set to scratch Alexander Radulov for tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, adding that head coach Jim Montgomery said it’s what’s best for the team. Radulov declined to comment.
The 33-year old Russian forward has been a disappointment this season after back-to-back 72-point campaigns. Not only is his offensive production down—15 points in 29 games works out to a 42-point full season pace—but he is among the league leaders in minor penalties with 15 already.
Some may see a scratching like this and immediately think about potential trade destinations, but not so fast with Radulov. Not only does he have a full no-movement clause at the moment which he could use to block any deal, but his contract still has two more seasons after this one at a $6.25MM cap hit. Though the actual salary declines in those years, it would be hard for any team to justify acquiring him for the full cap hit with the way he’s played this season.
In the summer of 2017, Radulov turned a strong return to North America with the Montreal Canadiens into a five-year deal with the Stars in free agency. Though the Canadiens were reported to have offered a similar deal, he turned down the team to go play in Texas. Perhaps the Canadiens should be counting their blessings at this point, given their strong cap situation and young core.
While this is probably not the end of Radulov in Dallas, it is a clear message from Montgomery that he will ice the team he believes has the best chance to win on a given night, salary be damned. The Stars turned around a dreadful start with a 14-1-1 run recently, but have now dropped their last four straight and are in need of another shake up.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Five Key Stories: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19
With the quarter pole of the season in the rear view mirror, teams have had plenty of time to evaluate their rosters and early performances and changes are starting to be made. That has been the overarching story of the week, as some clubs made moves – both long- and short-term – while others are preparing to do so.
Flames Fire Bill Peters: Well, not technically. Calgary accepted the resignation of their head coach, who was mired in scandal following an investigation into allegations of racist comments made while serving as an AHL head coach in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and further accusations of physical abuse while head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. The league will continue its investigation, but Peters days as an NHL coach are likely over regardless. While the veteran coach offered an apology for the incident in Rockford, the victim of the attack, Akim Aliu, called it “misleading, insincere and concerning”, which was likely the nail in his coffin. Geoff Ward takes over as interim head coach for the Flames, an under-performing team that had enough concerns of their own without dealing with off-ice controversy.
Bruins Extend Coyle And Wagner: The league-leading Boston Bruins signed a pair of local products to contract extensions, inking 2019 trade acquisition Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $31.5MM deal and 2018 free agent addition Chris Wagner to a three-year, $4.05MM deal. The 27-year-old Coyle, who won over the home crowd with a dominant playoff run last year, is now in place to likely succeed David Krejci and/or Patrice Bergeron as a top-six center for the Bruins, unless the versatile forward shifts to the right wing long-term instead. Meanwhile, the Bruins have always shown a willingness to invest in their fourth line and clearly feel Wagner can continue to be an effective checker and penalty killer for years to come. The team can now solely turn their attention to re-signing Torey Krug with these deals complete.
New Jersey Willing To Move Hall: The 2019-20 season has not gone as planned for the New Jersey Devils, who added considerable talent this off-season but have yet to see the on-ice impact. As a result, 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, the top impending free agent in this summer’s class, has become the most talked-about name on the trade market. The team is officially listening to offers, with most pundits expecting that he will be traded and perhaps sooner rather than later. Hall has had the misfortune of never playing for a true contender thus far in his career, but could wind up participating in a playoff run this year as a highly sought-after rental target. His former team, the Edmonton Oilers, are considered a possible landing spot, as are the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and defending champion St. Louis Blues. More teams are sure to be in the running as the Hall sweepstakes heat up.
Dumoulin Out Eight Weeks: The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered yet another injury blow on Saturday as defenseman Brian Dumoulin sustained an ankle injury that required surgery and will leave him sidelined for eight weeks. The Penguins lead the NHL in man-games lost this year and the loss of Dumoulin is a major blow. The underrated defenseman is one of the premier shutdown defenders in the league and allows for pair mate Kris Letang to truly play his game. With Justin Schultz already out, not to mention Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad, and Erik Gudbranson recently traded, Pittsburgh will be shorthanded on the blue line for a while.
Also in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost dynamic defenseman Zach Werenski to an upper-body injury that will keep him out of action for at least four weeks.
Puljujarvi, Honka Not Playing This Season: The December 1 5:00PM ET deadline came and went and restricted free agents Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers and Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars had not been signed. As a result, neither young Finn can play in the NHL this year. Both the Oilers and Stars have been trying to find a trade partner for their disgruntled young players, but to no avail. Neither team was willing to give their RFA away, even if that meant potentially not being able to trade them until the off-season. Both Puljujarvi and Honka have yet to live up to expectations in the NHL, but are playing well in Finland this season. This is likely not the last we’ve seen of either player in North America.
RFA Signing Deadline Passes
The signing deadline for all restricted free agents has come and gone, meaning they will not be eligible to play in the NHL this season. The group is headlined by Jesse Puljujarvi and Julius Honka, who are both currently playing in Finland and will have to wait for another chance in North America.
The Dallas Stars were rumored to be looking at potential offers today for their young free agent, who was described as “an asset” earlier this weekend. Despite being a relatively high first-round pick, Honka never really found a fit with Dallas and played just 87 NHL games over his entry-level contract.
An elite offensive weapon at the minor league level, Honka would be an intriguing option for any team looking to add some skill to the back end. Apparently any interest shown wasn’t enough to convince Dallas GM Jim Nill however, who will now have plenty of time to work out a deal before the 2020-21 season. Though Honka is playing in Finland currently, his agent Todd Diamond told Sean Shapiro of The Athletic that there is a chance he could move to another league at some point.
Puljujarvi meanwhile has been very clear with his desire to be sent out of the Edmonton Oilers organization. After three disappointing and frustrating seasons since he was the fourth overall pick in 2016, Puljujarvi decided not to sign as an RFA and is instead spending the year dominating Liiga back in Finland. The big winger has 24 points in 25 games for Karpat and is improving his value daily for Oilers GM Ken Holland.
It doesn’t appear as though either player will ever suit up again for their current organizations, and this deadline guarantees they at least won’t this season. It doesn’t however completely end trade speculation, as their rights could still be swapped at any point. The young free agents are no longer eligible to play in the 2019-20 season, but that doesn’t mean we’ve heard the last of either one.
Latest On Julius Honka
Sunday: With a 4 p.m. deadline to sign a contract for Puljujarvi and Honka, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that while it looks unlikely that a Puljujarvi trade could happen, a Honka trade is quite possible. McKenzie reports that talk between other clubs and Dallas are ongoing and a trade/signing is possible.
Saturday: There are a pair of restricted free agents whose fates will be determined one way or the other this weekend. The deadline for signing an NHL contract as an RFA is December 1st and while Edmonton winger Jesse Puljujarvi has drawn most of the attention, Dallas defenseman Julius Honka is in the same situation. Speaking with Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News, GM Jim Nill indicated that there hasn’t been much movement on the trade front in terms of improved offers from around the league:
We’re still talking to teams, but I’m going to do what’s right for the team, for the Dallas Stars. He’s an asset, and right now, I’m not comfortable with what’s been offered to me. The good thing is, for Julius’ sake, is he’s over there playing. He’s playing a lot. He’s on a good team, he’s in a good situation. He’s going to have a chance to make their national teams.
Honka has spent the season with JYP Jyväskylä of the Finnish SM-liiga, his hometown team, but the deal does contain an NHL out clause. He has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity and has logged 19:44 per night in 14 games so far, well above the 13:43 he averaged with the Stars last season. However, his offensive numbers (three goals and three assists) have been a little underwhelming considering his team is the top-scoring group in the league. Nonetheless, Honka told DeFranks that he’s pleased with how things have gone this season and that he’s still seeking an NHL change of scenery:
I felt maybe like it’s good for my health and everything to move on and try to find something where I can enjoy it more, and be in a good situation for me. I’ve been really happy to play here. I feel like it’s going in a better direction here than my last month in North America. It’s going the right direction and positive, and my mindset is better. I’m really happy for it.
If Honka isn’t signed by 4:00 PM CST on Sunday, he’ll be ineligible to suit up in the NHL this season but Dallas will retain his rights heading into next summer. In that case, he’ll remain with JYP (where his brother Anttoni, a Carolina prospect, also plays) and look to earn a spot on Finland’s entry to the World Championships in May in the hopes of boosting his trade value that way.
Central Notes: Rantanen, Foligno, Kyrou, Johns
The Colorado Avalanche have finally gotten the news they were hoping for as the team announced that star forward Mikko Rantanen will be returning to the lineup tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. He has been out for the past 16 games with a lower-body injury, but has been a full participant at practice since Tuesday.
Rantanen has been a key first-line wing option for Nathan MacKinnon, who has been without his two linemates for quite some time. Gabriel Landeskog has also been out with an injury of his own. However, with Rantanen back in the lineup, the first line should regain some of its previous success with Joonas Donskoi filling in for Landeskog. The 23-year-old has only appeared in nine games for Colorado this year, but was impressive in that span, scoring five goals and 12 points before going down against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 21.
- StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan reports that Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno is close to returning the lineup and could break up some of the team’s recent success as he is likely to break up some the team’s current fourth line of Victor Rask, Ryan Donato and Ryan Hartman. Foligno, who has been out since Nov. 7 with a lower-body injury, could return to the lineup Sunday, but head coach Bruce Boudreau hasn’t decided on whether he will use Foligno yet. With Foligno’s return, the Wild will also have to take one of their current fourth-liners out of the lineup.
- With a number of key injuries on their forward lines, the St. Louis Blues have recalled a number of players from the San Antonio Rampage, their AHL squad. However, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that the team still hasn’t recalled youngster Jordan Kyrou, who returned from offseason knee surgery in early November. While his numbers have been impressive (five goals and 11 points in 11 games with San Antonio), the team wants to make sure he’s ready to take over a top-nine role with the team, which will likley come in the next few weeks.
- The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns, who hasn’t played since the 2017-18 season due to post-traumatic headaches, has been cleared to practice with the team again and did so on Saturday. He is taking the necessary steps to return to NHL action, although he still has a ways to go, according to head coach Jim Montgomery.