Stars Notes: Rantanen, Coleman, Hintz, Faksa
The Dallas Stars will be without their highest-paid player for a little while longer. According to radio analyst Bruce LeVine, winger Mikko Rantanen is 10 to 14 days away from returning, if not more.
Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports offered additional context, providing a quote from head coach Glen Gulutzan, saying, “We are hoping somewhere in the 2-2.5 week range we could have him back.” At the longer end of that timeline, that means that Rantanen may not return to the Stars’ lineup until the first week of April.
Rantanen suffered his current lower-body injury during the Olympics, missing the Bronze medal game for Team Finland. Regardless, Dallas has performed remarkably well in his absence, managing an 8-0-1 record since returning from the Olympics, outscoring opponents by a margin of 21.
Additional Stars notes:
- Despite acquiring Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators a day before the deadline, the Stars weren’t necessarily satisfied with their forward corps. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Dallas circled back with the Calgary Flames regarding Blake Coleman. Unfortunately, any potential Coleman acquisition would have necessitated the Stars moving out another contract, which they were unable to accomplish before the deadline.
- In the previous report from LeVine, he added that Roope Hintz and Radek Faksa are further away from returning than Rantanen. Hintz (lower-body) has been out for the last week and a half, but he was fortunately able to avoid surgery. Unfortunately, the outlook is more grim on Faksa, who sustained a lower-body injury in his recovery from the upper-body injury he suffered during the Olympics. He is unlikely to return during the regular season.
Metro Notes: Duclair, Hurricanes, Gudbranson, Varlamov
In a post-deadline roundup, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period indicated that the New York Islanders put forward a strong effort to trade Anthony Duclair. Pagnotta didn’t articulate if the Islanders got close, but he did say that Duclair was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade.
Although nothing came together at the deadline, Pagnotta did report that the Islanders attempted to trade Duclair earlier this year, which he used his no-trade clause to block. If New York is intent on moving on Duclair in the summer months, his trade protection will drop to a 16-team no-trade list, offering increased flexibility.
There’s no questioning why the Islanders want to move on from Duclair. The team is operating fairly close to the upper limit of the salary cap, and dealing away Duclair’s $3.5MM salary would provide some breathing room. Despite an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign, Duclair has made up for his value this year, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in 57 games, averaging 13:19 of ice time per game.
Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:
- There are a few question marks for the Carolina Hurricanes’ lineup tomorrow night. According to team reporter Walt Ruff, forward Andrei Svechnikov wasn’t at practice this morning. Moreover, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal reported that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was also absent from practice. In all fairness, each could have had a maintenance day as the Hurricanes prepare for the playoffs.
- After missing the last three games with an upper-body injury, it appears that veteran blueliner Erik Gudbranson could be close to returning for the Columbus Blue Jackets. According to team reporter Jeff Svoboda, Gudbranson was a full participant at practice this morning. Gudbranson has faced significant injury limitations over the past two seasons, playing only 25% of the potential games.
- Back in Long Island, head coach Patrick Roy provided an update (via regional reporter Brian Compton) on injured netminder Semyon Varlamov earlier today. According to Roy, Varlamov has undergone two knee replacements in the last two years, resulting in nearly two full seasons of lost playing time. Even though he is signed through next season at a $2.75MM salary, it has become more unlikely that Varlamov will continue his professional career.
Penguins’ Blake Lizotte Out, Justin Brazeau And Evgeni Malkin Back
Another lineup change is inbound for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team will add star Evgeni Malkin back into the fold in Monday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche after the conclusion of a five-game suspension for slashing. Pittsburgh will also have scoring winger Justin Brazeau back from an injury that held him out of the last four games per Josh Getzoff of Sportsnet Pittsburgh. One of the decisions for who to remove from the lineup will be made for Pittsburgh, as centerman Blake Lizotte is out with an upper-body injury.
Malkin and Brazeau are expected to resume their roles filling out Pittsburgh’s right-wing depth chart. The former has continued to serve as a cornerstone of the Penguins lineup even in his age-39 season. Malkin has scored 13 goals and 47 points in 46 games this season. That is the second-highest points-per-game on the team behind only Sidney Crosby, who has 59 points in 56 games. The pair of future Hall-of-Famers continue to drive Pittsburgh’s offense, though the Penguins will only be able to lean on Malkin in the short-term, as Crosby continues to recover from an injury of his own.
While Malkin fortifies the top of the lineup, Brazeau will bring a goal-scoring presence back to the middle-six. He has racked up 16 goals and 30 points in 48 games this season, while averaging 13 minutes of ice time each game. It has been a breakout year for Brazeau, who split the 2024-25 season between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild, ultimately totaling 22 points in 76 games. A hot start to the year with Boston encouraged a Spring trade, but after netting just two points in 19 games with Minnesota, Brazeau was left on the open market this summer. Pittsburgh swooped in to land a 27 year old capable of filling a veteran presence among their young forward group.
Even with two strong scorers back in the lineup, Pittsburgh will feel the brunt of losing Lizotte to injury. He has served as a hard-working center all season long, often filling defensive and utility roles to help clear space for Pittsburgh’s stars. Lizotte ranks third on the Penguins, behind Crosby and Noel Acciary, with a 50.0 faceoff percentage on 476 draws this season. He also ranks sixth on the offense in hits (49) and shot blocks (35).
Lizotte’s absence will leave a hole that will require some shifting to fill. Rookie Benjamin Kindel is likely to move to the center position, while Bryan Rust is able to move back to his natural wing with Pittsburgh’s pair of returns. These changes will leave one of Avery Hayes or Elmer Soderblom outside of the lineup on Monday. Hayes has gone without a point in his last 10 games after scoring two goals in his NHL debut. Soderblom, who seems more likely to stick in the lineup, has yet to record a point in four games with the Penguins. He was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings prior to the Trade Deadline.
Flames’ Yan Kuznetsov Out Day-To-Day
The Calgary Flames will need to shake up their blue-line before Monday night’s matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. Defenseman Yan Kuznetsov is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, head coach Ryan Huska told Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. Kuznetsov filled a second-pair role in Calgary’s Saturday night loss to the New York Islanders. He and partner Zach Whitecloud were the only Flames pairing to record a plus-minus and outshoot their opponents in that matchup.
Kuznetsov, in his rookie season, has grown into a bigger role in the lineup following the departure of Rasmus Andersson. He has now played 10 games with at least 20 minutes of ice time, since Andersson’s trade – bringing Kuznetsov up to 33 such games on the year. His 20:09 in average ice time ranks fourth among current Flames defenders.
The 24-year-old Russian has racked up four goals, 12 points, and a minus-nine in 52 games this season. He is the second-highest scoring defenseman on the current Flames roster, behind Kevin Bahl who has 16 points. That’s an impressive jump for Kuznetsov, who spent the entire 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. He totaled 21 points in 72 AHL games last season, bringing his career totals in the minors up to 53 points in 216 games. Kuznetsov also recorded two goals in 10 AHL games to start this season, before earning a full-time call-up in early-November. He has played in 52 consecutive NHL games since that recall, a streak that will end on Monday.
Kuznetsov’s absence will force fellow rookie Zayne Parekh up the lineup. Parekh has just two points, both assists, in 21 NHL games this season. It has been a quiet year despite the 19 year old scoring five points in four AHL games throughout the season. A bump into the top-four should represent a chance to find his scoring behind Calgary’s top forward lines – though the Flames will need to lean on Whitecloud and Bahl to make up for Kuznetsov’s physical role.
This move will also promote another rookie, Hunter Brzustewicz, into the lineup. Brzustewicz recorded 15 minutes of ice time, and three shots on goal, in Calgary’s March 12th win over the New Jersey Devils. That was his first NHL appearance since late-January. In total, he has scored two points in 19 NHL games and 13 points in 34 AHL games this season. He too will sit in a prove-it role as Calgary looks for who can replace one of their most impactful rookies this season.
Islanders’ Max Shabanov Out Day-To-Day
The New York Islanders’ Monday practice was laden with positive injury updates, including the brief return of Pierre Engvall, Alexander Romanov, and Sergei Varlamov at various points around practice. Even with the positives, New York will need to adjust their lineup, as winger Max Shabanov recovers from a day-to-day, lower-body injury per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner.
The Islanders iced depth winger Kyle MacLean and listed Shabanov as a healthy scratch in Saturday’s win over the Calgary Flames. MacLean contributed one assist to the Islanders’ three-goal effort. That brought him up to seven points in 48 games this season. MacLean has spent many of those games in a fourth-line role that should continue on until Shabanov returns to a lineup role. New York could also lean on Marc Gatcomb, who has scored four points in 36 games this season.
Shabanov has had a tough time transitioning to the NHL after a standout season in Russia’s KHL last season. He finished the 2024-25 season with 23 goals and 67 points in 65 KHL games, the third-most points in the league. That production made Shabanov a top free agent last summer. Multiple teams were in on the race to sign the stickhandling wizard, with the Islanders ultimately winning out.
New York began the season with Shabanov in a middle-six role. He scored 10 points in his first 19 NHL games, while averaging just over 14 minutes a game. That hot streak was followed by a nine-game stretch where Shabanov only scored one point, beginning in mid-December. He kicked the bug for a bit, only to fall into another cold streak recently, with one point in his last 12 games.
The Islanders have responded to the dwindling scoring by demoting Shabanov to a fourth-line role and even healthy scratching the scoring winger. He sits with four goals and 16 points in 42 games in his NHL rookie season. A short-term injury will offer Shabanov a chance to rest up after a tough stretch and prepare to once again contribute strong scoring as the Islanders push for their first playoff appearance since 2024.
Ducks’ Mason McTavish Scratched, Troy Terry, John Carlson Return
Prior to puck drop tonight in Montreal, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reported that Mason McTavish is a healthy scratch, with Troy Terry returning from injury and John Carlson making his highly anticipated debut.
The center has just two points in his last 12 games, with 32 total on the year in 61 games. In a season defined by the breakout of several young stars in Anaheim, such has not been the case for McTavish. The 2021 third overall pick’s offensive output has stalled out of late, hovering around the 40-50 range, not necessarily glaring but disappointing nonetheless. This season his possession metrics at five-on-five are actually a career best at 52.2%, although the center is starting nearly 59% of his shifts in the offensive zone, a notable uptick from years past.
With his trust slipping under head coach Joel Quenneville, McTavish has lost his role down the middle, dipping below 16 minutes a night for the first time since the beginning stages of his career.
Simple resets like this happen often, and the 23-year-old is likely just in a slump for the time being, but no player making $7MM per year through 2030-31 should be spending time in the press box. After his restricted free agency dragged out into the fall, there was some speculation McTavish could be moving on. That ended in late September as the Ducks locked him up and voiced their beliefs that he would grow into a top player for the franchise.
Even if just for tonight, the Ducks feel like they have the best chance to win and take another step toward the playoffs without the 6’1″ forward in the mix. It’s a headline management would not expect back before the campaign started, but a lot has changed for the Ducks since then.
Meanwhile, Terry is a welcome addition back into the forward group not having played since February 25. The 28-year-old still ranks fifth in team scoring with 45 points in 46 games, particularly impressive considering that his counterparts have skated in as many as 20 more contests.
Finally, with Radko Gudas out as a result of a controversial five-game suspension, Carlson makes his Ducks debut, more news Anaheim fans would find hard to believe just a few months ago. The 36-year-old is debuting alongside Olen Zellweger, wearing a new uniform after 1,143 regular season games with the Capitals. Carlson had been dealing with a lower-body injury, his final game with Washington ending unceremoniously against Nashville on February 5 due to the ailment.
It’s hard to imagine McTavish will be out of the lineup for long, but he’ll need to turn the page soon to avoid any trade speculation this summer. With a top scorer back into the lineup, and an elite defensemen joining the team, there’s much reason to be excited for the weeks ahead and hopefully the center will find his groove accordingly.
Image Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Pacific Notes: Ingram, Jarry, Chernyshov, Nugent-Hopkins
The Edmonton Oilers have a new starting goalie. According to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, the Oilers have named Connor Ingram the team’s starter moving forward, replacing Tristan Jarry for the foreseeable future.
It’s an unsurprising development for Jarry. Despite a strong start to the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jarry has been downright awful in Edmonton, particularly since returning from injury in mid-January. Upon his return from injury, Jarry has managed a 4-7-1 record in 12 games with an .846 SV%.
Meanwhile, Ingram, while not producing earth-shattering numbers, is the Oilers’ best option to turn to. Over 20 games this season, the 28-year-old veteran has collected a 9-6-2 record with a .891 SV% and 2.79 GAA. Still, especially as Edmonton approaches the playoffs, they’ll need to find a plan for Jarry to regain his confidence unless Ingram takes his game to another level.
Additional notes from the Pacific Division:
- The San Jose Sharks have yet to confirm any serious injury for young prospect Igor Chernyshov. In yesterday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, Chernyshov suffered a head injury, which caused him to bleed and stumble in his attempts to get up. He was immediately taken to a hospital, and it was believed he had suffered a concussion at the very least. However, according to Sheng Peng of SJ Hockey Now, Chernyshov was completely fine at the hospital and was cleared of any serious injury.
- Back in Edmonton, Rishaug also confirmed that center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been designated a game-time decision ahead of tonight’s contest. Nugent-Hopkins didn’t play in Edmonton’s most recent game against the St. Louis Blues on Friday due to personal reasons. At the very least, it’s a positive sign that he hasn’t been ruled out entirely against the Nashville Predators.
Lightning’s Declan Carlile Out Four To Five Weeks With Injury
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that defenseman Declan Carlile will be sidelined for a four- to-five-week period as the result of a lower-body injury. Carlile was placed on injured reserve earlier today.
Today’s news is an unfortunate development for an ascending player who is in the midst of the best season of his professional career. The 6’3″ defenseman was signed by the Lightning as an undrafted college free agent out of Merrimack close to the end of the 2021-22 season. He developed with the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, for the next three full seasons, playing only a small handful of games at the NHL level.
Entering this season, Carlile had just four career games played at the NHL level, but had become a dependable all-around defenseman at the AHL level. This year represents the most significant step forward in Carlile’s pro career, as he has set a career-high with 38 games played at the NHL level, compared to just 16 in the AHL.
His role in the NHL isn’t what it is in the AHL, as he’s largely a reserve player for the Lightning, averaging under 15 minutes of ice time per game. But he has gotten some time on the penalty kill (1:09 per game) and is slowly but surely carving out a place in the NHL.
This injury costs Carlile the chance to skate in what are likely to be high-stakes games for the Lightning as they chase an Atlantic Division title. It also has some financial ramifications for both Carlile and the Lightning. While this injury doesn’t affect what kind of free agent Carlile will be in the summer (there are not enough NHL games left in the season for Carlile to avoid Group-VI UFA status, even if he was healthy), it does cost him the chance to showcase his talents in what are likely to be some of the most important games of the Lightning’s season.
While he still has enough runway to return in time for the playoffs, Carlile would surely be better-positioned to enter the open market were he at full health. In Carlile’s absence, the Lightning are likely to rely more heavily on their existing core of veteran defensemen, an area that is already an area of strength for the team.
Sam Reinhart To Miss At Least Four Games With Injury
Florida Panthers star forward Sam Reinhart will miss at least the team’s next four games as he manages an undisclosed injury, per team reporter Jameson Olive. Reinhart missed Florida’s game on March 10 with an undisclosed injury, but returned to play in the team’s victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Head coach Paul Maurice said Reinhart is currently dealing with “more than one thing,” and when asked about the severity of Reinhart’s injury, said “there’s a big spectrum there.” The Panthers sit nine points behind the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, and despite a three-game win streak, appear set to miss the postseason after three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final, and two championships. Reinhart’s injury is likely to further decrease the Panthers’ already slim playoff hopes.
Florida has been ravaged by injuries this season. The list of Panthers currently injured includes captain Aleksander Barkov, star veteran Brad Marchand, top defenseman Seth Jones, and No. 2 center Sam Bennett. Bennett is currently considered day-to-day, and Jones is nearing a return, but the Panthers were also without Matthew Tkachuk for extended time this season. While there are a multitude of factors that have contributed to the Panthers’ on-ice decline this season, perhaps none is more significant than injuries.
With Reinhart on an uncertain return timeline, it’s possible the Panthers will face the decision over whether or not to shut down their star goal scorer for the rest of the season at some point in the near future. There have been no reports of that being the case, but for teams playing out the final stretch of a lost season, those kinds of decisions are not uncommon.
Despite the Panthers’ decline, Reinhart has been his normal self this season, producing at a strong rate (61 points in 64 games) and playing in all situations. He’s Florida’s No. 1 forward in terms of ice time this season, averaging 21:17 time on ice per game, including a significant role on both sides of special teams. While Barkov typically gets the most amount of attention for his two-way brilliance, Reinhart has become one of the league’s most dependable players in his own right.
With Reinhart, and most of the rest of their core, locked into contracts for several years down the line (at least), the Panthers are likely to push forward with the intent of returning to true contention as soon as next season. With an eye towards potentially winning a third championship in four years next summer, the Panthers are likely hoping whatever injuries Reinhart has been dealing with stay confined to this season, and this season only.
Injury Notes: Timmins, Kaiser, Gudbranson
After adding two defensemen from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres are set to add another defenseman to a blueline that is rapidly crowding: Conor Timmins. Head coach Lindy Ruff told the media, including Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe, that Timmins is about seven to ten days away from being ready to return to the lineup. Timmins has been on injured reserve since late December with a leg fracture.
With the additions of Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley at the deadline, the Sabres already have eight healthy defensemen on their active roster. Once Timmins is activated, they will have nine, and it’s not immediately clear where Timmins would slot into the Sabres’ lineup. When he was last in the lineup, Timmins played on the right side of the second pairing, next to Bowen Byram. The spot next to Byram is currently occupied by captain Rasmus Dahlin, and the right-handed slot on the second pairing next to Owen Power is taken by Michael Kesselring. It seems most likely that Timmins will enter into a rotation with Schenn on the right side of the third pairing. In that sort of arrangement, Ruff would have the option to dress the defenseman best suited for the night’s opponent – with Schenn playing when more muscle is needed, and Timmins when Ruff wants to maximize the skating ability of his defense. In 33 games this season, Timmins is averaging 19:14 time on ice per game, including 2:59 per game on the penalty kill.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will be held out of tonight’s contest against the Vegas Golden Knights as he manages an upper-body injury, reports Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Head coach Jeff Blashill indicated Kaiser would be fit to return to the lineup in time for Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. According to Pope, Kaiser’s absence tonight “seems mostly precautionary.” It’s a notable loss for Chicago, even if it’s only a brief one, as Kaiser has been the team’s No. 3 defenseman in terms of time on ice per game this season. Through 61 games, Kaiser has scored five goals and 12 points playing an average ice time of 19:12. He’s under contract through next season at a $1.7MM AAV.
- Veteran Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson traveled with the team for their road game against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda, though it is not clear whether he will be ready to return to the lineup in full. An upper-body injury has cost Gudbranson the chance to dress for each of Columbus’ last two games, crucial contests in what has been a furious playoff push by the Blue Jackets since the arrival of head coach Rick Bowness. The 34-year-old, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, has been limited to just 21 games played this season due to injury.