Injury Updates: Wild, Nikishin, Hoglander
There’s a rare three-day break in the Colorado-Minnesota series and with the Wild down a couple of games and a trio of veterans, they’re probably quite content to have the extra time. Head coach John Hynes told reporters today including Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link) that they’re optimistic that defenseman Zach Bogosian will be able to return on Saturday from the lower-body injury that caused him to miss Tuesday’s contest. The news isn’t quite as good for Joel Eriksson Ek, however. Hynes relayed that the center has yet to skate since sustaining a lower-body injury of his own. However, it appears they’d be willing to put him in the lineup without a practice if he’s cleared to resume skating which hasn’t happened yet. Minnesota could certainly use Eriksson Ek back as they look to get back into the series.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- The Hurricanes welcomed back a key part of their back end tonight against Philadelphia with the team announcing (Twitter link) that Alexander Nikishin was returning to the lineup. The rookie sustained a concussion in the final game of their opening-round series versus Ottawa and missed the first two games of this round. Nikishin had 11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games during the regular season while averaging over 18 minutes per night.
- Canucks winger Nils Hoglander was expected to play for Sweden at the upcoming World Championship. However, that’s no longer the case as their federation announced (Twitter link) that Hoglander is withdrawing from the roster due to injury and will be replaced by Red Wings winger Lucas Raymond. Injuries were the theme of the year for Hoglander, who was limited to just 38 games. He struggled considerably in those outings, notching just two goals and three assists and was undoubtedly hoping to use this tournament as a springboard to his offseason. Meanwhile, Raymond’s addition is a big one for the Swedes. He surpassed the 70-point mark for the third straight year, notching 25 goals and 51 assists in 80 games.
Poll: Which Active Players Will Become An NHL GM?
The connection between NHL playing careers and front office roles has existed for nearly as long as the league itself. Some of the most highly-regarded executives – from Glen Sather in the 1980s to Jim Nill today – began their journeys with a decade-or-more in NHL lineups. Looking at the league in 2025-26, there seems to be no shortage of potential NHL executives currently putting on the pads. The question is, which of them will make it to the big chair first?
A clear top candidate would be Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby – the face of the NHL for much of the last 20 years. Crosby has become synonymous with North American hockey through his historical playing career, while learning from player-turned-owner and fellow all-time-great Mario Lemieux. That leadership could soon be invaluable. Crosby will face the question of if he should play on, or if now is the time to call it quits, in the second half of next season. If he wants to prolong his time on an NHL payroll beyond his time in the lineup, he could have a great chance to learn under Kyle Dubas and alongside Jason Spezza in the Penguins front office.
Another strong candidate for a GM role will be Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. Former NHL GM Brian Burke recently said as much on The Sheet With Jeff Marek while speaking to how much he admires Landeskog’s professionalism. There is no doubt about the Avalanche star’s commitment to the game, most notably highlighted by his triumphant return from a severe knee injury. Landeskog played through that injury during Colorado’s run to the 2022 Stanley Cup. On the other side of his return, he continues to serve as a versatile and effective playmaker who can shine off without top-line minutes. He is currently part of a three-way tie for second on the Avalanche in playoff scoring with seven points in six games. With that kind of impact, there will be plenty of hockey ahead for the 33 year old, who is signed through the 2028-29 season. But when his career nears its end, a door to team management could quickly open.
Prior playing experience could also open the door for more European representation in front office roles. Landeskog would become the second Swedish GM in NHL history, while a player like Anze Kopitar could shoot to become the first from central Europe should he choose that path. Kopitar is hanging up his skates after the Los Angeles Kings’ exit from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had the third-most games played of any active NHL player this season. Every single one of those games came in a Kings’ jersey, with Kopitar captaining the team through the final 10 seasons of his career. All-time goals record holder Alex Ovechkin has also spent the entirety of his career with one team and could wield the experience needed to become the league’s first Russian GM.
Of course, playing success does not create a top exec – and many of the league’s top leaders could also have a chance. Longtime pros Jaccob Slavin, Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan O’Reilly, and Aleksander Barkov have all been recognized for their sportsmanship with the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The trophy was also handed out to former Avalanche GM Joe Sakic and soon-to-be-former Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis. Its recognition of on-and-off-ice impact would stand out on any resume, especially next to the Stanley Cup precedent that MacKinnon, O’Reilly, and Barkov boast. It is also a feat managed multiple times by Kopitar, who could win the trophy again this season.
Many players around the league could put together a strong case for a managerial role. Who will do it first? Who will find another long career in the role? Vote for your choice below and use the comments to make a case for other players!
Which Active Players Will Become An NHL GM?
Dallas Stars Issue Several Injury Updates
There’s no question that the Dallas Stars were severely impacted by injuries throughout the 2025-26 season. The Stars had the fourth-most injuries of any team this season, behind the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and New York Islanders. In today’s end-of-season media availability, the General Manager Jim Nill revealed a laundry list (via Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News) of specific injury information the Stars dealt with throughout the regular season and postseason.
Nill disclosed new injuries or details regarding 18 players on the roster, from the preseason to the present. Some injuries were already known, such as Tyler Seguin‘s ACL tear, Jamie Benn‘s collapsed lung, and Miro Heiskanen‘s torn oblique, but several others were also mentioned.
The biggest news is that star forward Mikko Rantanen suffered a torn MCL in the Olympics. Missing more than a month of action, Rantanen dropped from a 1.27 P/G average before the international tournament to a 0.80 upon his return. His point production went up mildly during the playoffs, but it was clear that Rantanen wasn’t his usual self.
Nill admitted that Rantanen came back as quickly as he could, which likely hurt his recovery process. Fortunately, the Stars aren’t expecting that he’ll need surgery this summer.
Both players that Dallas acquired at the trade deadline were also dealing with injuries. Nill alerted that both Michael Bunting and Tyler Myers were dealing with groin injuries in the regular season. That could be a key reason as to why neither player transitioned well to the team after being acquired by the Stars.
He also offered injury updates on those on the team who suffered longer-term injuries throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Matt Duchene was dealing with a concussion earlier in the season that cost him most of October and all of November.
Roope Hintz, who became ill at the Olympics, suffered a double hamstring tear in his first game back on March 6th. Unfortunately, as he was attempting to make another comeback, Hintz reaggravated the same injury. In a similar vein, Radek Faksa, who was also injured in the Olympics, apparently suffered a concussion. Additionally, while he was recovering from concussion symptoms, Faksa was stepped on by a skate and had a serious laceration in his foot that cut some ligaments. There’s a chance he’ll need surgery again this offseason.
Further down the forward corps, Nill shared that Oskar Back lost 10 games in October due to a wrist injury, Nathan Bastian broke his finger toward the end of the regular season, Adam Erne sprained his MCL in December, Arttu Hyry suffered a high ankle sprain in the playoffs, and Sam Steel endured a groin injury during the regular season.
On defense, the most notable news was the injury specifics to Thomas Harley and Lian Bichsel earlier in the season. According to Nill, Bichsel fractured his leg and ankle in late November, costing him nearly a third of the regular season. Nill added that Bichsel suffered a shoulder sprain in the playoffs, but that isn’t expected to have any long-term consequences.
Meanwhile, Harley, who lost 12 games of the regular season, suffered a broken foot in November. Nils Lundkvist, who hasn’t played since getting a facial laceration against the Minnesota Wild, was also suffering from concussion symptoms from the same play. Additionally, Nill shared that Lundkvist fractured his leg and ankle earlier in the year, costing him 30 games. Lastly, Nill told the media that depth defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin had a shoulder injury throughout the regular season.
Dallas has reached a point where losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in overtime is considered a disappointing year. Still, given the overwhelming amount of injuries the same faced during the regular season and playoffs, it’s impressive that the Stars managed to win 50 games this season and finish third in the league standings. They’ll want to emphasize rest and recovery for their players this offseason and look to get back for the 2026-27 campaign as a healthy group.
Photo courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.
Injury Notes: Cates, Dvorak, Tippett, Nikishin
The Philadelphia Flyers’ postseason hurdles just reached a new height. Down 2-0 as the series shifts back to Wells Fargo Center, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the worst-case scenario for his forward group: Noah Cates is out for the remainder of the series.
Cates, who hit career highs this season with 47 points and has been the team’s most reliable two-way presence, suffered a lower-body injury after taking a shot off the foot in Game 2. While he finished that game, he was seen in a walking boot on Wednesday, and the team has officially ruled him out for the duration of the second round.
Additional injury notes:
- The Anaheim Ducks receive a boost as Troy Terry is expected to return to the lineup for their series against Vegas. However, the blue line takes a hit as veteran Radko Gudas remains out with a lower-body injury. After battling recurring injuries throughout the season, Terry made his return in Game 1 against Vegas.
- Carolina Hurricanes high-profile rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin has been cleared to play. After missing the start of the series due to a concussion sustained in the first round, he is an option for Game 3 and will likely slot in alongside Shayne Gostisbehere.
- The Flyers also noted forward Christian Dvorak is currently day-to-day and took a maintenance day on Wednesday, though he is expected to play in Game 3. Also, Owen Tippett, who has missed the first two games of the series, remains a game-time decision for Thursday. While he has returned to practice, his availability hinges on a final evaluation before puck drop.
Stars Notes: Seguin, Benn, Heiskanen, Bourque
After an impressive 50-win, 112-point regular season, the Dallas Stars looked like legitimate Cup contenders heading into the postseason. However, their run came to an abrupt and disappointing end after being eliminated in six games by the Minnesota Wild in a Round One divisional matchup back on April 30th. This afternoon, the Stars held their end-of-season press conferences, giving fans their first look at where the organization stands as they begin to shift focus toward the offseason.
Stars center Tyler Seguin provided an update, via Abby Jones of DLLS Sports, on his ACL injury that he sustained back on December 2nd in a game versus the New York Rangers, saying the goal is to be ready by training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season. The recovery diagnosis is around 9 months, but Seguin claims to be feeling good. Stars captain Jamie Benn added his remarks, saying he has all the confidence in the world in Seguin’s recovery. “He is already in the gym, skating and grinding through the rehab process,” said Benn, which is positive news for Stars fans just four days removed from a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of Minnesota.
It will be interesting to monitor how Dallas handles Seguin’s contract situation. While his production remains solid, the 34-year-old has only played in 47 games over the last two seasons. In those 47 games dating back to the 2024-25 campaign, Seguin has 16 goals and 22 assists for a total of 38 points. At a $9.85 MM cap hit through next season, Dallas has little margin for error. If Seguin can stay healthy and return to play a full 82-game season, that number is far easier to justify, but another shortened season due to injury could force the front office to make some difficult decisions regarding Seguin’s future.
Additional Stars notes:
- During today’s press conferences, Benn did not provide any comment on his playing future, saying he will take time to see how his body feels physically and go from there, reported by Brien Rea of Victory+. The 17-year veteran is coming off a frustrating first round against Minnesota, where he was held pointless in the six-game series and finished a -7.
- Jason Robertson was asked about where things stand with his contract, stating he’s somewhat optimistic about negotiations with Dallas, but also reiterated that “it’s a business,” and said he learned that lesson four years ago in his last negotiation, according to Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. Roberston also provided some reflection on his 2025-26 season and said he felt it was the biggest step of his career, via Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. The 26-year-old pending RFA had 45 goals and 51 assists in 82 games played, good for the team lead in scoring.
- The Dallas star defenseman Miro Heiskanen provided an injury update today, informing the press that he suffered a torn oblique muscle in the team’s April 9th matchup against the Wild, toward the end of the regular season. Heiskanen noted the injury was slowly improving each game, but he aims to get healthy and back to 100% over the summer, via Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. Heiskanen had two goals and four assists in the six games against Minnesota.
- Stars pending RFA Mavrik Bourque was asked today about his future with the team, saying he wants nothing but to be a Star heading into the 2026-27 season, as reported by Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports. Borque felt he finally took the big step the team wanted to see six years after drafting him 30th overall back in 2020. Bourque helped fill the production void in the top six with the absence of Seguin, posting career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points (41). Dallas is certainly hopeful this is a sign of bigger things to come for the 24-year-old center.
Golden Knights’ Jeremy Lauzon Out With Injury
The Vegas Golden Knights will be down a defenseman in their second round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Jeremy Lauzon will be out of the lineup after taking a shot to the head in the third period of Friday night’s win, head coach John Tortorella told Sin Bin Vegas. Lauzon is rumored to be out for the remainder of the series, adds Sin Bin Vegas, though Tortorella refused to comment on his timeline further. Lauzon left under his own power after a wrist-shot from Pavel Dorofeyev hit him in the side of the head.
Lauzon has filled an important depth role through the start of Vegas’ playoff run. He managed no scoring and averaged 16:33 in ice time in the six-game series against Utah but stepped up to 19 and 20 minutes of ice time in Vegas’ overtime wins in Game 4 and 5.
Physical defense continues to headline Lauzon’s role in the lineup. He reached 13 points and 89 penalty minutes through 68 games this season. Those marks put him were a career-high pace across 82 games, just narrowly beating out the 14 points and 98 penalty minutes he recorded in 79 games of the 2023-24 season. Lauzon’s 251 hits were also the second-highest of his career, behind the 386 hits he recorded in 2023-24.
This is Lauzon’s first chance to join the recent Stanley Cup-winning Golden Knights. He spent the last three seasons with the Nashville Predators, who he joined on postseason runs in 2022 and 2024. Between two series with the Predators, Lauzon racked up one assist, six penalty minutes, and 32 hits.
Canadiens’ Noah Dobson A Game-Time Decision For Game 7
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson will take part in warmups and be a game-time decision to play tonight, head coach Martin St. Louis told the media today. The news comes as the Canadiens are set for a do-or-die game seven against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight.
Dobson has been out since April 11 with an upper-body injury. It was initially announced that he would be “re-evaluated in two weeks” after he suffered his injury, meaning this current return window fits within the original projections. St. Louis expressed confidence that if Dobson feels he is able to play, he will be able to do so without limitation.
If the Canadiens do indeed get Dobson back tonight, it would be a significant boost to their lineup. First and foremost, he is one of the team’s top defensemen. The former Islanders rearguard had a strong debut campaign in Montreal, scoring 12 goals and 47 points.
He put up those numbers despite the fact that he does not quarterback the team’s No. 1 power play unit – Lane Hutson occupied that role almost all season. Dobson also skated in two minutes per game on the penalty kill, and averaged 22:29 per game overall. When he has been paired with veteran Mike Matheson, his pairing has soaked up the most difficult matchups for the Canadiens.
Dobson’s return would improve the Canadiens not only because of his own personal ability, but also due to the impact it would have on the overall formation of the team’s blueline. Montreal currently only has one healthy right-shot blueliner in their lineup. Both Hutson and Arber Xhekaj have had to play on their off-side as a result, and while Hutson has shown he can still be effective playing from the right, he is at his best playing from the left.
Dobson’s return, if it happens, may not actually shift Hutson back to the left. He may still end up paired with Kaiden Guhle, or perhaps may stay on the right and return to playing next to Jayden Struble. Struble played his best hockey of 2025-26 when paired with Hutson, showing a greater level of confidence and decisiveness.
In any case, a Dobson return would at the very least mean one fewer Canadien will be playing on his off-side.
It’s not immediately clear where, if healthy, Dobson might slot into Montreal’s lineup. St. Louis has been somewhat flexible with defensive pairings this season, and so partnerships are not fully set in stone. With that said, St. Louis may not be eager to make too many drastic changes in advance of a must-win game, so it’ll be interesting to see who he decides to partner with Dobson if Dobson is able to dress tonight.
Photos courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oilers Notes: McDavid, Dickinson, Draisaitl, Knoblauch
The Edmonton Oilers held their end-of-season interviews after failing to win one playoff round, on the heels of back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. It was a day filled with difficult conversations and injury updates. Notably, both Connor McDavid and Jason Dickinson were revealed to be playing through foot fractures, head coach Kris Knoblauch told Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. Dickinson scored two goals in the opening game of the first round before missing the next two games with injury. He returned for the final three games of the series and added one assist.
McDavid played through all six postseason games but didn’t neccesarily appear like his usual self. He scored only one goal and six points. It was rare that he broke away with top-end speed or dominated offense – instead leaving those roles to Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Vasily Podkolzin who led the Oilers in playoff scoring. A fracture is reasonable explanation for those struggles and will now set both McDavid and Dickinson on the course of recovery for at least part of the summer. Knoblauch did not mention specifics for either player’s recovery.
Other notes out of Edmonton:
- Star winger Draisaitl was vocal about the team’s struggles, saying that he feels the organization took a step backwards per NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest. Their result at the end of the year made that backwards step evident enough – but McDavid echoed his teammate’s comments in his own interview. Draisaitl went on to speak to how big of a role Edmonton’s depth players filled on their run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, even naming Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Vincent Desharnais, and Cody Ceci. It seems the Oilers’ charge through the summer will be replicating that difference-making depth talent, if they want to appease their best players ahead of another playoff heave next season.
- No indication was made regarding Knoblauch’s future with in the Oilers head coach role through the team’s final interviews. General manager Stan Bowman said the organization will take their time to evaluate things before confirming if Knoblauch would be back per TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. Bowman went on to add that all aspects of the team will likely be evaluated, including his own role, after their disappointing end. Those decisions will give the Oilers a lot to consider in a small window before the NHL Draft in June and free agency in July.
Nikita Zadorov Sustained Torn MCL Midway Through First Round
Boston’s season came to an end on Friday night as they lost to Buffalo, ending the series in six games. Following the outing, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov revealed to reporters including Boston.com’s Conor Ryan that he sustained a torn MCL in the third game of the series.
Before last night, he had indicated that he was playing through something but hadn’t indicated what. It appears as if the injury is on the severe side, too, as Zadorov mentioned that the ligament was fully torn off the bone.
While MCL injuries aren’t generally as severe as ACL ones, a fully torn MCL may still require surgery with a recovery timeline pushing three months. That should have him fully recovered heading into training camp in the fall but his overall offseason training will certainly be impacted by this injury.
Although Zadorov was far from fully healthy, it didn’t seem to affect his playing time all that much. He logged 19:20 of playing time in Game 4, 23:11 in Game 5, and 21:52 last night, all around his regular season ATOI of 20:53.
Zadorov was the league leader in penalty minutes for the second straight season and after a 37-PIM performance in the opening round, he’s currently leading the way in that category as well. Beyond that, he chipped in with an assist and 17 hits in the series.
Latest On Victor Hedman, Charle-Edouard D’Astous
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without captain Victor Hedman as they fight to stave off elimination tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Jon Cooper told the media today. Cooper did add that he expects Hedman to be an option “really soon,” hinting that he could potentially be able to dress on Sunday if the Lightning are able to force game seven against the Canadiens.
Cooper didn’t issue a firm update on the status of injured blueliner Charle-Edouard D’Astous, but Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reported that D’Astous is likely to make his return from injury tonight. D’Astous hasn’t played since game one of the series after suffering an undisclosed injury.
If he does end up returning, D’Astous could provide a real boost to Tampa Bay’s blueline. The former SHL, Liiga, ECHL, and QMJHL defenseman of the year had a breakout 2025-26 season, earning a full-time NHL role as an undrafted 28-year-old rookie. D’Astous scored 29 points in 70 games and added 112 penalty minutes.
He averaged 18:45 time on ice per game this season, and could take Emil Lilleberg‘s spot on the team’s third pairing. Lilleberg has averaged 16:59 time on ice per game in this series, including two minutes per game on the penalty kill. He could also take the spot of Maxwell Crozier, though that would require the left-shot defenseman playing on his off-side.
If Hedman is indeed able to return for a potential game seven, or even for the start of the second round (if Tampa Bay is able to make it there,) his return would provide a major boost to Tampa’s lineup.
The Lightning captain is one of the standout blueliners of his generation, a Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. While his injuries slowed him down this season, and he’s potentially no longer a top point producer thanks to Raddysh’s emergence, he remains a central pillar of this era of Lightning hockey.
While Tampa is on the verge of elimination tonight, they remain one of the strongest teams in the postseason. Their combination of skill, ferocity, and veteran experience is one few teams can match, and they have one of the game’s finest goaltenders backstopping them.
If they can find a way to get past Montreal, and get a healthy Hedman back into their lineup, they could pose a serious threat to make their fourth Stanley Cup Final of the decade.