Daniil Miromanov Considering KHL Return
Things didn’t go quite to plan for Flames defenseman Daniil Miromanov, who spent most of the year in the minors. A pending unrestricted free agent, it appears that he’s considering a return home for next season, as Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin reports (Telegram link) that Miromanov may return to the KHL next season, with SKA St. Petersburg a leading candidate for his services.
Miromanov was a full-timer on Calgary’s roster last season, albeit often in a seventh defenseman role. The 28-year-old broke camp with the Flames out of training camp this year as well, but barely a week into the season after just one game played, he found himself on waivers. He passed through unclaimed and aside from a brief recall in November, he was exclusively with AHL Calgary the rest of the way, posting 11 goals and 27 assists in 66 games as he took full advantage of playing in a prominent role.
Miromanov originally broke into the NHL with Vegas, signing with them back in 2021 as an undrafted free agent. He saw time in parts of three seasons with them before being moved to the Flames back in 2024 as part of the return for Noah Hanifin. Between the two franchises, he has 94 career NHL appearances under his belt, posting 23 points and 110 blocked shots in 17:26 per night of playing time.
A big right-shot defender, Miromanov would undoubtedly generate some interest on the open market this summer. While he cleared waivers in October, his $1.25MM contract may have been a reason for that. On a contract closer to the minimum salary ($850K starting in 2026-27), he might have a better chance at sticking on an NHL roster next season.
However, Miromanov would likely be in a seventh defender role if he caught on with another NHL team next season. If he wants to have a chance to play more prominently as he did with the Wranglers this season, he could certainly get that chance by returning to the KHL where he’d also have a chance to play much closer to home.
Hurricanes Notes: Nikishin, Second Line, Poirier
Earlier this week, Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky met (video link) with local media to discuss his team. One of the questions he was asked was about rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin, whose entry-level deal is set to expire this summer. Tulsky indicated that while talks have been ongoing throughout the season, the team would prefer their pending free agents focus on the playoffs which means an extension in the coming weeks is likely doubtful. Nikishin had a very promising rookie season with 11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games while logging over 18 minutes per night of playing time. He won’t be eligible for an offer sheet this summer which should also take off some pressure as the two sides work to get a new deal in place.
More from around the Hurricanes:
- Carolina’s second line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake has been dominant so far in the first round, pacing them to a 3-0 series lead over Ottawa so far. Julian McKenzie of The Athletic provided an overview of just how productive it has been. On top of combining for 13 points to make them the most productive line of the playoffs, they are also controlling possession and Expected Goals. The Sens have done well to limit Carolina’s top line to just one point (a Sebastian Aho goal) but the second line has more than picked up the slack.
- Prospect Justin Poirier has entered the NCAA transfer portal, relays Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link). The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in 2024, going 156th overall. Poirier decided to leave the QMJHL to play in college this season and was quite productive at the University of Maine, notching 18 goals and 11 assists in just 27 games but is electing to move on. With the portal closing on Tuesday, he’ll have to pick his next school fairly quickly.
Offseason Checklist: Chicago Blackhawks
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Chicago.
It wasn’t supposed to go quite like this again for the Blackhawks in 2025-26. With the team hiring Jeff Blashill as their new head coach last spring, the hope was that he’d be able to raise the floor of the group. Instead, they cratered in the second half of the season to finish 31st overall. GM Kyle Davidson received a vote of confidence in the form of a contract extension but his checklist this offseason looks a lot like last year’s. This time, expectations will be higher that some of these will be achieved.
Determine Consolidation Options
This is going to tie into two of the items later on in the column so let’s get it out of the way first. One thing Davidson has done well in his role is accumulate assets. They’ve gone from a team that had one of the weaker prospect pools in the league to one of the strongest young upcoming cores. For all the losing they’ve had to endure, at least there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. With two extra second-round picks this year and two extra first-round selections next year, they’re going to only further add to that stockpile.
But at some point, they’re heading for a ‘how much is too much’ situation. Let’s look at centers, for example. Connor Bedard is their number one of the present and future. They’re expecting Anton Frondell to be their second. They also have Frank Nazar who spent most of the year down the middle and is locked up on a team-friendly long-term deal. Then there are Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene, and Sacha Boisvert, all quality youngsters in their own right. It’s great to have that depth but would they be better off moving one of those three to fill a weak spot? With the demand for good centers, they’d probably get a significant return.
There are other potential logjams down the road at other positions as well, though those aren’t as pressing on the current roster. But as more of these prospects and future draft picks turn pro, there’s going to be a point when youngster supply vastly outweighs the few roster spots that will be open.
All things considered, this is a great ‘problem’ to have. But while Davidson could play it safe and wait for the logjams to become an issue, he could also be proactive and determine which of those pieces could be expendable. Combining a promising center, a good draft pick, and more would get them in the mix for some of the better players on the trade front this summer. And if they’re going to take that next step forward, they need to find a way to land one of those better players.
Re-Sign Bedard
Last summer, the Blackhawks were eligible to sign Bedard to a long-term extension but didn’t do so. Considering that he was coming off a quieter-than-expected sophomore year, that wasn’t too much of a surprise. Now, Bedard has played out the final season of his entry-level deal and will be a restricted free agent on July 1st.
The decision not to sign early proved to be the right one for the 20-year-old. After seeing his point-per-game output drop in his sophomore year (though his point total increased), he bounced back this season, leading the way in scoring with 30 goals and 45 assists despite missing 13 games due to injury. Over a full 82-game season, that’s an 89-point pace. Given the pedigree he had coming into the league, it’s reasonable to expect that Bedard will eventually hit and surpass that mark. That has to be factored into what this next deal is going to cost; it won’t just be about what he has done over his first three seasons.
To that end, AFP Analytics projects a $13.21MM AAV on an eight-year deal. Chicago can still sign Bedard to an eight-year contract through mid-September before the new CBA fully kicks in. That date will stand as a soft deadline for a lot of negotiations this summer as a result. That would be the richest post-entry-level contract handed out, beating Connor McDavid’s $12.5MM price tag for eight years and would make him the fifth-highest-paid player in the league. But with Bedard having extra leverage if Chicago wants to get the eighth year on there, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking to see a deal come in at that price tag.
While Bedard is eligible for an offer sheet, he’s not necessarily a viable candidate for one. The Blackhawks have more than $40MM in cap room for next season, per PuckPedia, so they’d be able to match any offer that were to come his way. Bedard has already spoken about hoping to get something done before too long so it wouldn’t be shocking to see both sides take a real run at this over the next couple of months before other offseason moves start to be made.
Add A Top-Line Winger
Speaking of those other offseason moves, finding Bedard an impactful winger to ride shotgun alongside him needs to be high on Davidson’s to-do list. While it’s possible that an internal option could one day emerge in that role, that hasn’t happened yet and probably won’t for another couple of years, at least. They likely don’t want to wait that long so looking external is the way to go.
This is a spot that Chicago has tried to fill with placeholders. Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen were brought in on the opening day of free agency in 2024, hoping to give Bedard a bit of a boost. Both have done reasonably well, though they aren’t top-line players. They tried Andre Burakovsky this year in the hopes that a change of scenery would give him a lift and maybe be an option for Bedard. That one didn’t work out so well.
Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, free agency isn’t likely to yield the solution. Alex Tuch is a legitimate top-line option but he’s really the only one out there. While it’s possible that he could pick Chicago, they shouldn’t be banking on that happening. The next-best scoring wingers are Anthony Mantha (who has bounced around but seems likely to stay in Pittsburgh where things worked out this year) and Alex Ovechkin (who may or may not play next season and would only play in Washington). Patrick Kane isn’t a viable long-term option at 37 but could be a short-term one and there would be a nostalgia element as well. But they should be aiming for a better fit than that.
This is where the consolidation trade could come into play. With so few options in free agency, the trade route is going to be the best way to try to fill that void. With the potential package outlined earlier, that should be good enough to get into the bidding war for some of those wingers and give them a good shot at getting one who could fit in at least a top-six role for the next several seasons.
Add Impactful Veteran Defenseman
In recent years, Chicago has drafted some young defensemen in the first round of the draft. Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Kevin Korchinski have all seen time with the big club already with varying degrees of success. All three figure to be part of the long-term plans at a minimum with a chance to be big parts of their core down the road.
Meanwhile, Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser are a little further along in their development with Vlasic, in particular, now established as a legitimate shutdown defender. They also have Ethan Del Mastro and Louis Crevier in the fold as younger players who have had a bit of success in the NHL already.
With what they have, there is the makings of a good future defense corps. But it’s especially hard to fast-forward the development of young defenders. It’s even harder to do with a largely inexperienced group. Teams can get away with that when they’re rebuilding but when the time comes to flip the switch, an all-young back end probably isn’t going to get the job done.
That makes getting an impactful veteran a necessity this summer if Davidson wants to move his group forward. Not someone like Connor Murphy (who filled a useful role for many years), someone who can play on the top pairing and in all situations. That will take some pressure off the younger players and give them a chance to develop in slots on the depth chart that are a little better suited to their skillsets at this time.
The problem for the Blackhawks here is, again, there aren’t a lot of options available. In terms of big-minute players, Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Rasmus Andersson are pending UFAs. Other than maybe Andersson, none of the players ideally fit on a top pairing. Yes, Darren Raddysh is out there but his track record isn’t as big and until this season, his minutes had been managed relatively carefully. That could mean turning to the trade market again where the type of package mentioned earlier – perhaps augmented by a young roster blueliner to make the package more appealing – might be enough to bring in that type of player.
Davidson has swung some big moves as GM but between this need and the one up front, his biggest ones will be needed over the next couple of months.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Logan Brown Eyeing KHL Contract This Offseason
Logan Brown was once a highly touted prospect. A big center and a lottery pick a decade ago, things never seemed to click in the NHL for him. Now, it appears he’s eyeing a move overseas as it appears he has hired Titan Sports agent Ivan Botev, who noted to RB Sport that he’s in talks with several KHL clubs about signing Brown for next season.
The 28-year-old was the 11th overall pick in 2016 by Ottawa with the hopes that he could be a top-six fixture for them. Things didn’t pan out that way, however, as he only played in 30 games for the Sens over parts of four seasons, playing primarily at the AHL level instead. He was traded to St. Louis in 2021 and got into 69 appearances with them over two years so things looked like they might be on the upswing, even if he was just in a lower-line role.
However, Brown hasn’t seen any NHL action since the 2022-23 campaign. Instead, he has played on three straight two-way deals – two with Tampa Bay, one with Los Angeles – and has suited up exclusively at the minor league level. This season, with the Kings’ affiliate in AHL Ontario, Brown scored just once in 31 regular season games although he added 15 assists.
Brown still qualifies as a ‘development player’ under the new AHL CBA but with the limited success he had this season, interest in free agency is likely to be limited. Accordingly, it appears he’s trying to be proactive on that front to see if a desirable opportunity in the KHL presents itself over the coming weeks.
The Kraken Need To Choose A Path This Summer
The Kraken missed the playoffs once again this spring, finishing with the sixth-worst point total in the NHL. They had the luxury of playing in the much weaker Western Conference, but still missed the postseason by 11 points, finishing with a 34-37-11 record and a -37 goal differential.
Seattle has made the playoffs just once in its short five-year history, and none of those appearances have come in the past three seasons. Now, with a team largely set to return next season, aside from a couple of veteran unrestricted free agents, it’s become a moment for general manager Jason Botterill to reflect and decide what direction he wants to take a club that looked lost this past season.
A perfect example of the Kraken’s lack of direction is Mason Marchment’s run with the team. Marchment was dealt to Seattle last June in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and the Stars’ 2025 fourth-round pick.
It was a decent little move for the Kraken and showed they were looking to make additions. Fast-forward six months (plus a day), and the Kraken sent Marchment to the Blue Jackets for a 2027 second-round pick and the New York Rangers’ 2026 fourth-round pick.
It was a decent turn of events for the Kraken, as they upgraded one pick from a third to a second and got a look at Marchment for a few months. It would have been a tidy piece of work had it ended there.
A few months later, at the trade deadline, Seattle acquired Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a second-round pick in 2027 and a 2026 fourth-round pick. The deal, in a vacuum, was good.
McMann has been a steady scorer over the past couple of years and added a lot to the Kraken lineup. However, he is a pending UFA and is set to cash in big time this summer. Seattle likely believed he could help with a playoff push, but with the Kraken’s underwhelming lineup on paper, it was a bit of a fool’s errand and could leave the team holding the bag if he jumped ship in July.
What could be a worse outcome for Seattle is if McMann re-signs long-term. The Kraken already have a number of undesirable long-term deals with veteran players, and McMann is sure to be overpaid when he hits free agency. Seattle has to resist the urge to extend McMann, but it’s hard to say whether they will, given the team’s lack of direction in recent years.
That being said, there is a glimmer of hope for Seattle and a fairly obvious direction the team should take. The Kraken have the seventh-ranked prospect system in the NHL (according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic) and should be able to rebuild their roster sooner rather than later if they can avoid the urge to sign overpriced veterans, or, in the case of McMann, trade for them when they aren’t playoff-bound.
Ultimately, the Marchment/McMann fiasco cost the Kraken only mid-tier draft picks, which is forgivable given that the Kraken thought they had a playoff push, though it ultimately flopped. But the work in free agency needs to be scrutinized and scaled back if Seattle wants to have any hope of building and keeping a core.
In the past two summers, the team has signed UFAs to deals that were panned at the time and look even worse in hindsight. Ryan Lindgren was signed last summer to a four-year deal worth $4.5MM per season and has not been a good fit with the team.
The Kraken were outplayed whenever Lindgren was on the ice this year, and he was a turnover machine, coughing up the puck more than ever before in his NHL career. He also toned down his hitting dramatically, which didn’t really correct some of the other issues with his game.
If the Lindgren deal was bad, the Chandler Stephenson contract from 2024 is atrocious. On the surface, it looks fine, as he put up 49 points (16 goals and 33 assists) last season in 80 games.
But he has five years left on the deal at $6.25MM per season and gets absolutely crushed at even strength, posting a 40.8 CF%, meaning he is a drag on his teammates from a possession perspective. Sure, he takes a lot of the tough defensive assignments, but there is an argument that he could be among the worst 5-on-5 forwards in the entire NHL, and, in turn, one of the worst contracts in the league as well.
There is also the signing of defenseman Brandon Montour in July 2024. That deal hasn’t been a disaster, and Montour has been fairly productive offensively while continuing to struggle defensively.
Heading into year three of a seven-year, $50MM contract, the back half of his deal could be a huge problem for the Kraken as they enter the competitive window with the young group of players they have drafted and developed. At 32, Montour hasn’t shown an obvious decline, but if his skating begins to deteriorate, there will be major issues with his game both offensively and defensively.
With such a weak UFA market and so many teams with a pile of cap space, this could be the best opportunity for Seattle to commit to a short rebuild and start trimming some of the older, more expensive players, such as Lindgren, Stephenson, and Montour, from their roster, in the hopes of not boxing themselves in when they are ready to contend with the elite young players in their system.
Time will tell whether they have the stomach for the short-term pain, but if they do, they could create the kind of flexibility in two to three years that teams dream of when they try to tear down and recalibrate their rosters.
Latest On Red Wings Offseason Plans
It’s safe to say that the Detroit Red Wings finish fell well short of expectations. Even for Steve Yzerman loyalists, this season felt different. Instead of fighting for a playoff spot until the last few days of the regular season like the last two years, the Red Wings were squarely in a playoff position before the team rolled over and died.
This has sparked intense speculation about what Detroit’s offseason will entail and whether Yzerman can guide this team to its goals. In a wide-ranging piece on The Athletic, Max Bultman broke down Yzerman’s end-of-season media availability and what it could indicate about the Red Wings’ offseason.
There’s no question that Detroit needs to add more goal-scoring. The Red Wings finished 30th in the league in even-strength scoring, which isn’t conducive to playoff eligibility. It’s a similar problem to last season, when Detroit finished 28th in the category. There will be some options on the free agent market to help with this issue, such as Anthony Mantha of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres.
It seems that Yzerman is keenly aware of this issue. Bultman quoted the franchise legend, saying, “We need to change some things. But (we’re) not just gonna go and get rid of everyone. But there needs to be some very blunt conversations with some of our players, and challenge them to do more and be better to get there. But ultimately, again, we need to surround them with more talent. And having said that, we still need more from some of our very key players.”
Additionally, Yzerman noted that the bottom six of the team’s forward corps need an identity change. Bultman shared another quote, saying, “So, I’d like to see us — in our bottom six, we need some production as well, and also to have some definition. Maybe a true checking line or shutdown line, and then depending on what you have in your top nine, you build your fourth line a little bit around that. If you don’t have enough production, then you’ve got to get some production on that fourth line. If you’re not big enough and hard enough or whatnot, then you need that. And truthfully, we need a little bit of all of that.”
Some of that has to do with the fact that Todd McLellan used so many different line combinations this season. He was doing his best to find a spark, but of the 10 combinations that skated in 80 or more minutes together this season, the top two lines were the only two that remained intact for much of the season.
Heading into the offseason, Yzerman can easily let aging veterans David Perron and James van Riemsdyk exit free agency or retirement. However, other players such as J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, and Mason Appleton did not perform particularly well and should be traded if possible. Due to their contracts, it won’t be easy, but Yzerman may have to get more aggressive than he typically operates to apply the necessary remedies to Detroit’s issues.
East Notes: Desrosiers, LeBreton Flats, Senators
According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the New York Islanders have fired assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers. Desrosiers was hired by the Islanders, along with Patrick Roy, partway through the 2023-24 season.
As Rosner noted, Desrosiers was particularly focused on New York’s play in the faceoff dot. The Islanders weren’t a bad faceoff team when Desrosiers was hired, but he was able to make them one of the best in the league. The Islanders were the best team in the faceoff dot in all situations during the 2024-25 season with a 54.9% success rate, and finished fifth this year with a 52.65% rate.
For his next role, it’s anyone’s guess. Given that he followed Roy from the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts to New York, it would make sense that Desrosiers will go wherever Roy does. Unfortunately, it’s not altogether clear if Roy will pursue a different opportunity this summer or remain with the Islanders as a scout. If he does, Desrosiers may seek a role with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, or Tampa Bay Lightning, each of which finished at the bottom of the league in faceoff percentage.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Later this year, the Ottawa Senators are expected to finalize the purchase of land in LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission to eventually build a new arena. In an update from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Commissioner Gary Bettman believes that the deal will be finalized, saying, “As recently as when I walked in here today, things are continuing on a positive track. I’m hoping that is an express track, as opposed to a long one.” Although the Senators are likely to purchase the property, it may take several years to build a new arena due to the numerous regulations that need to be met.
- Sticking with the Senators, Bettman also commented on his decision to return Ottawa’s first-round pick to them for the upcoming draft. The Senators had originally lost the selection due to not including Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade protection when they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights. In reversing his decision, Bettman said, “I thought it was important, particularly for other clubs, how seriously we take the processes of how you must comply with a trade. I was comfortable that some adjustment might be fair based on the due diligence and everything leading up to the transaction, without completely eliminating it. I thought it was fair under all the circumstances.”
Latest On Maple Leafs GM Search
In a new update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely down to their final two candidates for their open General Manager position. Still, Friedman doesn’t expect anything to be announced soon as the Maple Leafs continue to do their due diligence on each candidate, who couldn’t be more different.
One of the candidates is Scott White, Assistant General Manager of the Dallas Stars, as reported a few days ago. White was hired by the Stars organization after the 2005 lockout, working his way up from their AHL affiliate to the AGM position in 2016. In his developmental philosophy, White typically values players of high character, often providing prospects and draft options with numerous character assessments.
That’s not to say he doesn’t value talent, but he is keenly aware of what a bad locker room can create, even with the necessary talent to win. Unsurprisingly, the Maple Leafs are interested in allowing that philosophy to dictate the future of the organization. Toronto has undeniable talent, but the team has struggled to mesh well in recent years. White would be an interesting candidate to come in and make some blunt changes to reshuffle the team’s chemistry.
Meanwhile, Friedman shared that John Chayka, former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is the other finalist, and likely the favorite. Chayka has not worked in the NHL since he left the Coyotes organization in 2020, as he’s largely focused on his company, Compass Restaurant Group, along with his wife.
Additionally, it was unlikely he would find another General Manager role before that due to some controversy surrounding him toward the end of his time in Arizona. Chayka was suspended from the NHL by Commissioner Gary Bettman for pursuing opportunities with other clubs while under contract with the Coyotes. Additionally, the Coyotes were forced to forfeit a second-round pick in 2020 and a first-round pick in 2021 for hosting a private scouting combine for draft-eligible prospects under Chayka.
Still, Chayka has what the Maple Leafs want. He has a shrewd analytical mind, similar to Eric Tulsky of the Carolina Hurricanes and Sunny Mehta of the New Jersey Devils. Like White, Chayka would likely implement changes to enhance the team’s talent; however, concerns about the locker room atmosphere may persist.
Friedman pointed out that although the team has narrowed its choices down to two finalists, neither White nor Chayka has advanced to the second round of negotiations, which involves meeting with the Maple Leafs’ ownership group. The first candidate to reach this stage is likely to be named the team’s next General Manager in a few weeks.
Snapshots: DiPietro, Gudas, Dickinson, Blackhawks
The Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, announced that netminder Michael DiPietro has won the Les Cunningham Award, given to the AHL’s regular season MVP. DiPietro becomes the first goaltender to win the award since Dustin Wolf in 2023, and only the third since Jason LaBarbera in 2004.
DiPietro, 26, is in his fourth season with the Bruins organization. The former Vancouver Canucks prospect was traded to the Bruins organization at the start of the 2022-23 campaign in a trade for Jack Studnicka. Largely blocked in Boston behind Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, DiPietro has been particularly good over the last several years but took his performance to a different level this year.
The AHL Bruins relied heavily on DiPietro this season, giving him 62.5% of the available starts. In one of the best seasons in recent memory, DiPietro finished with a 34-8-1 record in 45 games with a .930 SV%, 1.91 GAA, including three shutouts. Unless the Bruins move Korpisalo this summer, DiPietro is unlikely to find his way to the NHL with Boston. Much like the Canucks did last summer with Arturs Silovs, the Bruins could look to trade DiPietro for a premium to a goalie-needy team.
Other snapshots:
- The Anaheim Ducks will remain without their captain tonight in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Radko Gudas is still dealing with his undisclosed injury and has been ruled out for tonight’s contest. Anaheim will certainly miss having his physicality in the lineup as they look to shut down Connor McDavid in a third consecutive game. Gudas skated in 9:40 of action in Game 1, earning a -1 rating while putting one shot on goal and delivering two hits.
- On the other side of tonight’s matchup, the Oilers are dealing with their own injury concerns. Team reporter Tony Brar shared that Jason Dickinson has been elevated to a game-time decision due to his undisclosed injury. Having missed Game 2 already, the trade deadline acquisition was one of, if not, the Oilers’ best forward in Game 1. Dickinson scored two goals in that contest in 12 minutes of ice time.
- A trio of Chicago Blackhawks players will join Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Championships. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, forwards Oliver Moore and Sam Lafferty, and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will participate in the international contest. Lafferty is the only one of the group that has played for Team USA at the World Championships before, scoring one goal and three points in 10 games during the 2022 tournament.
Central Notes: Manson, Zuccarello, Trenin
Despite taking a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Los Angeles Kings, the Colorado Avalanche are already dealing with injury concerns. According to Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette, top-four defenseman Josh Manson is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and could miss Game 4.
Manson suffered the injury scare early in Game 3, being on the receiving end of a hit from Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson. Manson attempted to return to the game, though he was largely sheltered due to his discomfort. He finished the contest with one assist in 4:57 of ice time with one hit and one giveaway.
Although there is never a good time for injuries, the Avalanche have put themselves in a good position to absorb one. Yes, the team is potentially losing a formidable top-four defenseman. Still, with only one more win needed to advance to Round Two, they can likely sweep Los Angeles, giving Manson a larger gap to rest in between games. Colorado acquired Nick Blankenburg at the deadline for exactly this reason, who will likely fill in for Manson if he should be ruled out for Game 4. Blankenburg scored eight goals and 24 points in 61 games split between the Nashville Predators and the Avalanche this season.
Additional notes from the Central Division:
- According to Mike Morreale of the NHL, Minnesota Wild veteran winger Mats Zuccarello has been upgraded to a game-time decision for Game 4. Although he’s not the main driver of offense in Minnesota, the Wild didn’t win either of the two games that Zuccarello missed due to his upper-body injury. If he does return, he’ll look to pick up where he left off in Game 1, when he registered three assists in 16:41 of ice time.
- Unfortunately, it’s not all good news on the injury front for the Wild. In the same report from Morreale, the senior draft writer indicated that Yakov Trenin has been ruled out for Game 4. Throughout the entire regular season, Trenin played all 82 games and has not missed back-to-back games since last year. Still, he was fairly quiet during the first two games of the series, going scoreless in 16:38 of ice time, but he did deliver 16 hits.