Robertson, Heiskanen Set To Return In Second Round For Stars
The Dallas Stars just knocked off the Colorado Avalanche in a nail-biting seven-game thriller—and they did it without their top goal-scorer and a top defenseman. Now, with Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen set to rejoin the lineup for Round 2, the big question is: what kind of damage can this team do at full strength?
According to Taylor Baird of NHL.com, we should get that answer soon. Both players are set to return at some point in Dallas’ second round series, although coach Pete DeBoer didn’t specify exactly when each player would return.
As DeBoer told reporters Saturday: “I believe you’re going to see them both play in the second round, but I don’t know if it’s going to be Game 1 or Game 3 or Game 5. I consider them both day-to-day now, but there’s still some hurdles. It depends on when we start the series, how much time we have between now and Game 1. We’ll have a little better idea as we get closer.”
Robertson injured his knee in the regular season finale and was listed as week-to-week at the time. The 25-year-old California native was a force all season, suiting up for all 82 games and racking up a team-best 35 goals. Already boasting an eye-popping 394 points in just 374 career games, Robertson has proven he’s more than just a regular-season star. With 38 points in 45 playoff appearances, he’s shown he can shine just as brightly when the stakes are highest. His return will no doubt aid an already potent offense.
Much the same can be said of Heiskanen’s return. Heiskanen’s 25 points in 50 games might not grab headlines like Robertson’s scoring totals, but the Finnish blueliner is still a cornerstone for the Stars when healthy. On the season, he led the team in average ice time, logging over 25 minutes a night. And like Robertson, Heiskanen has shown an ability to produce in the playoffs, as evident by his six goals and 16 points just last season during the team’s 19-game run. He has been out since January with a knee injury.
Blues’ Tyler Tucker To Miss Game 7
The St. Louis Blues will be without defenseman Tyler Tucker for tonight’s decisive Game 7 clash against the Winnipeg Jets—a significant blow to a team counting on its blue line depth in a win-or-go-home matchup. The 25-year-old Tucker has emerged as a reliable presence on the back end this season, providing physicality, poise, and key minutes that have helped stabilize the Blues’ defense.
In a career-high 38 games this season, Tucker recorded just seven points but showcased his strong defensive prowess by recording 81 hits and 39 blocked shots in that limited time. He added a goal and 12 hits in the first three games of the series before going down with a lower-body injury. If the Blues are able to advance, there is no public timeline on Tucker’s potential return outside of his “day-to-day” status.
Ryan Suter is expected to remain in Tucker’s place in the lineup tonight, skating alongside fellow veteran Nick Leddy. A veteran of over 1,500 career-games, Suter produced two goals and 15 points in 82 games this season—maintaining his streak of four consecutive seasons without missing a game—but was a healthy scratch in games two and three of the series. In the four games he has dressed for, Suter has one assist and a minus-one rating while averaging 16:45 of ice time per game.
Addressing the decision to initially scratch Ryan Suter and then reinsert him following Tucker’s injury, Blues head coach Jim Montgomery praised the veteran’s professionalism, noting that the team will benefit from Suter’s penalty-killing ability and wealth of experience. The 40-year-old has logged 137 career playoff games, averaging an impressive 24:52 of ice time. While his days as a top-pairing workhorse are behind him, Suter’s veteran presence could prove invaluable in a high-stakes Game 7.
Team Czechia Announces 2025 World Championship Roster
Team Czechia has named their roster for the 2025 World Championship. The Czechs face the tough task of maintaining their top play after winning Gold at this tournament with a 4-0-2 record last season. Only 10 players from the championship-winning roster will participate this year. That includes goaltender Karel Vejmelka, who operated as the third-string behind Lukáš Dostál and Petr Mrázek last summer. Vejmelka could be in line for the starer’s role this summer, after posting a stout .904 save percentage and 26-22-8 record with the Utah Hockey Club this season. That consistency, in an NHL starting role, should be enough to win a role over Daniel Vladař, who served as the Calgary Flames backup, and Josef Kořenář, a starter in the Czcehia Extraliga.
Czechia’s announcement of the roster made sure to specifically mention that Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrňák will join the team sometime during the tournament. Pastrnak also joined last summer’s tournament midway through, and uncharacteristically scored just one goal in four games en route to the Gold medal. But Pastrnak once again posted an incredible season in the NHL, with 43 goals and 106 points in 82 games. This is his first season not participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2017, which could provide a bit more reason to play hard for his country. Pastrnak will be joined by Roman Červenka, leading scorer of the country’s 2024 squad, on Czechia’s top line. The 39-year-old Cervenka scored 11 points in 10 games last year, and recently posted a dazzling 19 points in 15 games of the Czechia Extraliga’s Playoffs.
With old and new leading the charge up front, and Vejmelka looking to duplicate Lukas Dostal’s performance in back, Czechia balances out their lineup with an experienced blue-line group. Their defense is headlined by top-pair Vancouver Canucks defender Filip Hronek, who will likely be partnered up with former New York Ranger Libor Hájek. Hronek scored 33 points in 61 NHL games this season, while Hajek scored 10 in 47 Extraliga games.
In the race for their first back-to-back titles since 2000/2001, Czechia’s current roster is as follows:
F Ondřej Beránek (Karlovy Vary, Extraliga)
F Roman Červenka (Padubice, Extraliga)
F Jakub Flek (Brno, Extraliga)
F Adam Klapka (Flames)
F Petr Kodýtek (HIFK, Liiga)
F Jáchym Kondelík (Pardubice, Extraliga)
F Jakub Lauko (Bruins)
F David Pastrňák (Bruins)
F Lukáš Sedlák (Pardubice, Extraliga)
F Matěj Stránský (Davos, NL)
F Daniel Voženílek (Zug, NL)
F Filip Zadina (Davos, NL)
D Daniel Gazda (Ilves, Liiga)
D Libor Hájek (Pardubice, Czechia)
D Filip Hronek (Canucks)
D Jakub Krejčík (Praha, Extraliga)
D Tomáš Kundrátek (Třinec, Extraliga)
D Filip Pyrochta (Mladá Boleslav, Extraliga)
D David Špaček (Wild, AHL)
D Jiří Ticháček (Karpat, Liiga)
G Josef Kořenář (Praha, Extraliga)
G Karel Vejmelka (Hockey Club)
G Daniel Vladař (Flames)
Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek To Undergo Core Muscle Surgery
Minnesota Wild centerman Joel Eriksson Ek shared that he’ll undergo core muscle surgery next week during his end-of-season media availability, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Eriksson Ek added that he had been playing through the injury at the end of the season. It’s unclear if this is connected to the lower-body injury that held the 28-year-old out of 22 games between February and April. He also noted that this surgery shouldn’t impact his readiness for training camp next season.
Off-season surgery will continue the bad luck of an injury-riddled season into the summer. Eriksson Ek sustained countless injuries over the course of the year, including a broken nose and multiple lower-body injuries. In total he appeared in just 46 games – a new career low. Eriksson Ek was still reliably impactful when he was healthy, netting 14 goals and 29 points – an 82-game pace of 25 goals and 52 points. Those numbers would still fall short of the 30 goals and 64 points Eriksson Ek posted last season, though his scoring through injury was nonetheless impressive. He also remained a focal point in the defensive zone and ranked fifth on the team’s forwards in hits-per-game – among those to play at least 20 games in Minnesota.
Minnesota found a silver lining in the play of Marco Rossi while Eriksson Ek was out. Rossi took a major stride forward this year, netting 24 goals and 60 points while playing in all 82 games for a second-straight season. That includes a red-hot streak during Eriksson Ek’s absence when the calendar turned over. Rossi scored 36 points in 51 games between December 1st and March 31st. That was the second-highest on the team during that stretch – behind Matt Boldy‘s 39 points. Rossi seemed to have more offense to give, and could be in store for a major breakout season in 2025-26, after confidently improving from the 40 points he scored last season.
With Eriksson Ek maintaining a strong two-way impact in his healthy games, Minnesota could finally land a top-two center duo to treasure with a wave of good health next season. Eriksson Ek has proven consistently capable of reaching 20 goals and rivaling 50 or 60 points. He’s managed that feat, or scored at an achievable pace, in each of the last five seasons. He is signed to a yearly cap hit of $5.25MM through the 2027-28 season – an expiration date that Minnesota will surely begin sizing up with his performance next season.
Morning Notes: Marner, Stars, Buium, Lindholm
The Toronto Maple Leafs were without star winger Mitch Marner at Sunday morning’s practice, as Marner attends to the birth of his first child. He isn’t expected to miss any time, helped along by Toronto’s second round matchup against the Florida Panthers beginning at home on Monday. Marner finally broke through the 100-point glass ceiling this season, scoring a career-high 102 points in 81 games played. He also recorded just 14 penalty minutes – a career-low. Those marks have carried into the postseason, with Marner netting one goal, eight points, and no penalties in six games of the first round. He is notably just under two months away from hitting the open market, unless Toronto can manage an eight-figure contract extension before July 1st. Marner is performing at a top mark at the perfect time – but he’ll have to hold onto the scoring role if Toronto wants to get by a Panthers lineup that averaged the fifth-most goals-per-game in the first round.
Other notes from around the league:
- Dallas Stars head coach told the media on Sunday that it is still unlikely Jason Robertson or Miro Heiskanen are ready for the start of the second round, per Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. DeBoer did share a glimmer of hope, though, adding that both players should be good to go at some point during round two. The Stars lineup will undeniably improve when they receive their top goal-scorer and top defender back from prolonged injury – an exciting thought to consider after they beat the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game series. Robertson and Heiskanen – who both have returned to skating at optional practices – will have at least four more games to work their way back into the lineup.
- Star prospect Zeev Buium only appeared in four games before the Minnesota Wild were eliminated from playoff contention. He performed well in those appearances, netting one assist and four penalty minutes from a depth role, and now faces the a transitional summer as he moves from college to the NHL full-time. Buium hasn’t shared too many details of what the summer will look like, but he did announce that he’ll join Team USA at the World Championship, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Buium represented his country at the World U18 Championshp in 2023 – netting six points in seven games – and at each of the last two World Juniors – where he combined for 11 points in 14 games. Now, he’ll get to join the Americans at the top flight – stepping onto a blue-line full of young-and-upcoming defensive talent. Buium will fight for a role over Mason Lohrei, Jackson LaCombe, and Michael Kesselring.
- Speaking of Worlds, the Boston Bruins have shared that centerman Elias Lindholm will join the Team Sweden roster immediately. Lindholm hasn’t played at this tournament since 2019, when he scored six points in eight games. That was Lindholm’s third-consecutive season joining the Swedes at the World Championship. Across the trio of years, he combined for 19 points in 26 games. Lindholm’s only opportunity to represent Sweden since 2020 came earlier this year, when he participated in three games of the 4-Nations Face-Off and managed no scoring. Lindholm totaled 47 points in 82 games of the NHL season, his lowest scoring pace since he recorded 21 points in 58 games as a rookie.
Jets’ Mark Scheifele To Miss Game 7, Logan Stanley Questionable
The Winnipeg Jets received grim news to start their Sunday, as it’s been revealed that star center Mark Scheifele won’t be health enough to dress for Game 7, per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press. Both players were absent from Winnipeg’s morning skate. The details of Scheifele’s injury haven’t been disclosed. He exited Game 5 in the first period a few shifts after receiving a big hit from St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn. Scheifele sat out of Game 6 but took the ice at Saturday morning’s practice, donning a track suit. Wiebe also shares that defenseman Logan Stanley will be a game-time decision.
Scheifele will stick in the track suit as Winnipeg faces a must-win game on Sunday. He’s been a true star for the Jets all season long, having appeared in all 82 games of the regular season and scoring 39 goals and 87 points – both second on the team behind Kyle Connor‘s 41 goals and 97 points. Scheifele’s strong scoring carried nicely into the postseason, where he managed two goals and six points in five games, or 13 periods, of action.
The Jets offense simply doesn’t function the same without their high-motor, high-speed center leading the charge. Winnipeg turned to Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Lowry to fill the roles of top-six center in Game 6, which added plenty of pressure to the shoulders of top wingers Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets only managed two goals with that makeup – both coming on the power-play, where they had the clearest advantage over the Blues. That could be Winnipeg’s silver lining, as St. Louis has recorded the second-most penalty minutes in the postseason so far, with 148 through six games. Unfortunately, the only team above them is indeed the Jets, who have recorded seven more penalties than St. Louis.
Efforts to balance out penalties could be made a bit easier if hard-hitting defender Logan Stanley is forced to sit. He leads the entire postseason with 42 penalty minutes in five games played, and has no scoring and a negative plus-minus to show for it. Stanley is an imposing six-foot-seven and capable of squaring up opponents seemingly every time they try to break into Winnipeg’s zone. That will be a tough role to fill should Stanley indeed be forced out of the lineup. Winnipeg’s next man up would likely be Haydn Fleury, who recorded seven assists and a minus-12 in 39 regular season games.
Jets’ Mark Scheifele Questionable For Game 7
May 3: With the series heading back to Winnipeg after a dominant Blues win in Game 6, Scheifele has been upgraded to a game-time decision for Sunday’s Game 7 (via TSN’s John Lu). He skated on his own today, with Arniel saying Scheifele’s feeling much better today after his presumed upper-body injury.
May 1: Jets star center Mark Scheifele has already been ruled out for Winnipeg’s potential series-clinching Game 6 contest against the Blues on Friday, head coach Scott Arniel announced (via Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press).
The 32-year-old pivot is dealing with an undisclosed injury he sustained in the first period of last night’s Game 5 win. There’s been some contention about which hit caused him to eventually leave the game. Blues head coach Jim Montgomery said postgame that Scheifele obviously sustained the injury on a clean but hard hit from St. Louis center Radek Faksa late in the first (video via Sportsnet), but Scheifele also took a high hit from Blues captain Brayden Schenn earlier in the game that resulted in an interference penalty. Scheifele didn’t miss a shift in the first period but didn’t come out for the second and was unavailable for the rest of the night. Schenn isn’t facing a suspension for the hit, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Scheifele managed an assist before exiting the contest, bringing up to a 2-4–6 scoring line on the series to rank second on the team in points. He’s struggled to get the puck on net with just six shots on goal, though, a full shot per game less than his regular-season average.
The two-time All-Star Game participant scored a career-high 87 points in 2024-25 and tied for the league lead with 11 game-winning goals, a strong bounceback campaign after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign for him in the goal-scoring department. The first draft pick the Jets made after relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta also averaged over 20 minutes per game for the ninth year in a row and is in the first season of a seven-year, $59.5MM extension.
Winnipeg has yet to ice a healthy top six in the postseason. Winger Nikolaj Ehlers hasn’t played in over two weeks with a foot injury and has only recently started skating in a non-contact jersey. It’s unclear if he’ll travel to St. Louis for Game 6, but even if he does, he’s highly unlikely to play. Scheifele isn’t traveling, Arniel said. The Jets are up 3-2, so they’ll either return home to their star center triumphant without him or hope he can return for a Game 7 on Sunday.
Snapshots: Eklund, Colton, Ullmark, ECHL
Sharks winger William Eklund is in stable condition after being taken to the hospital after being cut on the wrist in a tune-up game for the upcoming World Championship, Eklund’s agent, Todd Diamond, told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The incident occurred during a board battle with defenseman Filip Hronek. Diamond noted early indications are that no key tendons or nerves were cut on the play. The tournament begins next week, with Sweden as the event’s co-host. However, given the injury, it wouldn’t be surprising if Eklund didn’t participate now.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Avalanche forward Ross Colton took part in today’s morning skate in a non-contact jersey, relays Ewan Rawal of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). The 28-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in the series opener against Dallas and hasn’t played since; the non-contact restriction today suggests he won’t be available for the series’ final game tonight. Colton got off to a hot start this season before dealing with some injury issues, finishing up with 16 goals and 11 assists in 61 games.
- Speaking at Ottawa’s locker clean-out day, Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark told reporters, including TSN’s Claire Hanna (Twitter link), that while he indicated that he’d have liked to play for Sweden at the upcoming World Championship, the team has decided to go in a different direction. Sweden is a co-host of the event, but they already have their three goalies for the event in Samuel Ersson, Arvid Soderblom, and Arvid Holm.
- On Friday, the ECHL announced it will welcome New Mexico into the league for the 2026-27 season. They will be the 31st franchise, getting closer to being lined up with the 32 in the NHL and AHL. The Stars will serve as hockey operations consultants to help the franchise get up and running, while suggestions for the team’s name are now being taken.
These Players Could Benefit From A Change Of Scenery Trade
The classic change of scenery trade has been around in professional sports for decades and pre-dates salary caps. A change of scenery trade usually occurs when two (or more) teams swap underperforming players relative to their salary, or a single player is moved out for a fresh start elsewhere. In the case of the NHL, the team would make this move to avoid buying out a player or burying them in the minors. The hope is that a different role or a new environment can jumpstart a player’s play and rejuvenate their career. The trade doesn’t always have to involve another player on a bad contract; it can also include a sweetener to entice another team to take on a bad contract or a player to be named later. In any event, teams are gambling on a return to form when they make this transaction, and there is always a risk when trading away an underperforming player or acquiring one.
The list of reasons a team might do it can extend beyond someone’s performance, but that is usually the main driver for the move. Some recent changes in scenery trades include the Milan Lucic for James Neal trade of 2019, when the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames linked up for a rare Alberta trade. Another example is the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade between Vancouver and Arizona that sent Larsson to the Canucks and Loui Eriksson to the Arizona Coyotes (plus many other pieces). Finally, a recent change of scenery was between Buffalo and Ottawa at the NHL Trade Deadline when Buffalo swapped Dylan Cozens for Joshua Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Here are the top NHL players who could benefit from a change-of-scenery trade.
First up is Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson. There might not be any name on this list that sparks more of a response than Pettersson, who just completed the first year of an eight-year $92.8MM extension. The 26-year-old had just 15 goals and 30 assists in 64 games this season and became a lightning rod of criticism for many reasons. Pettersson’s uneven play added fuel to a firestorm that brewed from Pettersson’s deteriorating relationship with former Canucks teammate J.T. Miller. Eventually, Miller was dealt to the Rangers, but at this stage, it might be best for Pettersson and the Canucks if he was moved as well.
A trade of that magnitude will be tough to pull off and would no doubt require the Canucks to either retain (unlikely) or bring significant salary back in the move. The Norris/Cozens swap showed that moving significant money is possible. Still, the Canucks will have to hunt for another team with a player (or players) who need to kickstart their careers with a fresh start in a new organization.
Now, transitioning to Anaheim and forward Trevor Zegras. A few years ago, people were projecting Zegras to become a franchise cornerstone for the Ducks, but those expectations were likely overstated due to the flair with which Zegras was putting up offense. The 24-year-old is undoubtedly talented, but he does too little away from the puck and doesn’t do enough with it these days to make up for his shortcomings. A former ninth-overall pick, Zegras could still be very productive in a different role on a team where he isn’t a focal point.
A team like Pittsburgh might make sense for Zegras, as the Penguins have been stockpiling young, talented forwards who have underperformed and would likely be interested. The problem for the Penguins is that they also have players underperforming under big contracts and might not want to take on another problematic cap hit if they can’t get Zegras to buy in and make the changes necessary to flourish. There are plenty of markets in which Zegras could be a fit, and there should be interest in him if Anaheim opts to move him. Something that would be beneficial for both sides.
Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier is another player who could use a fresh start in a new city. The 32-year-old has been relatively healthy the last few seasons, and while he hasn’t produced the same level of offense as he did earlier in his career, he has become a productive player once again. The issue with Couturier is that he will not live up to his $7.75MM price tag at this stage in his career and will likely never. Even if Couturier were to get back to his previous level of play, he doesn’t fit Philadelphia’s timeline, and his play may not even be at its current level when the team is ready to contend.
A Couturier trade would benefit both the player and the team. Still, it would be a complicated move requiring Philadelphia to eat a large portion of the AAV, something they may not want to do with five years left on the deal and over $36MM in actual cash left on the tab. A team with a strong forward group could look at Couturier as a potential candidate to bounce back if he can play with better players than he has in Philadelphia. Still, he would be an expensive risk even if Philly were to eat a significant portion of his salary.
Next up is defenseman Damon Severson of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who is just two years into an eight-year $50MM deal and has not been a good fit in Columbus. The 30-year-old was once a solid offensive defenseman for the New Jersey Devils but has fallen on hard times in Columbus and was a healthy scratch at times this past season in favor of 38-year-old Jack Johnson. Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, Severson (and his contract) have become an issue for the Blue Jackets.
Perhaps Columbus could link up with a division rival to facilitate a genuine change of scenery trade for another former Devils defenseman who has struggled, Ryan Graves of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Graves also just completed the second year of his contract, a six-year deal with an AAV of $4.5MM. Graves has been an unmitigated disaster for the Penguins, playing under a virtually buyout-proof contract. Since signing with Pittsburgh on July 1st, 2023, Graves has dressed in 131 games and has posted just four goals and 14 assists total. Last year was especially tough as the 29-year-old had just four points in 61 games. Perhaps no one needs a change of scenery more than Graves, and it feels unlikely he will get one anytime soon as Pittsburgh enters another retooling season. The Penguins aren’t going to use assets to get rid of his contract (at this time), which leaves a demotion to the AHL or a trade to another team as the likelier option. A swap for a player like Severson makes sense in theory, but Pittsburgh probably doesn’t have an appetite to take on a bigger cap hit for an older player for a more extended period.
Finally, we have goaltender Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry is a former two-time NHL All-Star but has not played remotely close to that level since inking a five-year, $26.88MM contract on July 1st, 2023. The 30-year-old was demoted to the AHL twice this past season but returned at the end to go on a solid run to close out the year. Jarry could benefit from a blank slate more than anyone in the NHL and would be ideally suited to operate with another solid netminder. Jarry’s inconsistency makes it nearly impossible to rely on him as your sole starter, but if he has a safety net, he could regain the form he showed early in his career.
As much as a fresh start would do him some good, Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes there is a very good chance that Jarry starts next season in Pittsburgh, which likely indicates there isn’t a trade market for Jarry’s services now. The Penguins aren’t interested in paying to get rid of his contract, and it may be best to hold on and let him either play out of his funk and get some trade value again or have him tank next season and allow them to get a top draft pick in a strong draft. For Jarry, though, a fresh start would give him room to breathe and remove the pressure of a fan base calling for him to be moved for quite some time.
Photo by Brett Holmes-USA TODAY Sports
Senators Notes: Tkachuk, Giroux, Jensen, Pinto, Worlds
While the Senators are disappointed by a first-round loss in the Battle of Ontario, there are plenty of reasons for optimism in the future after ending a seven-year playoff drought. One is the continued top-end play of captain Brady Tkachuk, who was still dealing with the hip injury he sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off during the postseason, he told Claire Hanna of TSN.
“The hip happened that Sweden game, took some time coming back to try to get it as good as possible,” Tkachuk said. “Now it’s just, take the time to get that all healed up… it could heal up in the next couple of weeks.”
Entering a pivotal 2025-26 campaign for the Sens as they look to establish themselves in the upper echelon of the Atlantic Division, it’s good news that their leading goal-scorer doesn’t expect any lingering effects and should head into training camp at full health. Signed through 2027-28 at an $8.2MM cap hit, he still led the Sens in playoff scoring with a 4-3–7 line and a plus-two rating through six games. While his 0.76 points per game in the regular season were his lowest in four years, he still topped Ottawa’s roster with 29 goals and would have registered his fourth straight 30-goal campaign if not for missing 10 games.
Here’s more on the Senators:
- Veteran pending unrestricted free agent winger Claude Giroux wants to continue his career in his hometown of Ottawa. He hasn’t talked to Sens general manager Steve Staios about a contract extension yet, but still feels that he can be an impact player, he told Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. He’s been extremely durable since signing a three-year, $19.5MM contract with Ottawa in 2022, only missing one game. His point totals have steadily tailed off, though, and the 37-year-old scored 50 points in 81 games in 2024-25 for the second-lowest per-game output of his career over a full season. AFP Analytics projects a two-year extension for Giroux just north of his current cap hit, but it stands to reason he’ll be happy to re-up for the same number or slightly less. He only made $5.5MM in salary this year, so a marginal decrease wouldn’t even be a pay cut compared to the final season of his expiring contract.
- Defenseman Nick Jensen may need offseason surgery for the undisclosed injury that plagued him down the stretch, he told Garrioch. Ottawa sat Jensen for two of its last four regular-season games, and he missed a couple of multi-game stretches earlier in the campaign. The 34-year-old was still an effective shutdown presence in his first season with the Sens, posting 21 points and a +18 rating in 71 regular-season games. He averaged nearly 21 minutes per game in the playoffs and controlled 57.6% of shot attempts when he was on the ice at 5-on-5 despite not recording a point.
- Young center Shane Pinto is entering the back half of his two-year, $7.5MM contract and is interested in discussing a long-term extension after he becomes eligible to sign one on July 1, he told TSN 1200 Ottawa. After sitting out half of the 2023-24 campaign due to a suspension for violating the league’s sports wagering policy, he posted a career-best 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games in 2024-25 while shouldering top-six minutes.
- Defensemen Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot declined invites from USA Hockey and Hockey Canada, respectively, to join their national teams for the 2025 World Championship in Denmark and Sweden, with the former citing rest as his reasoning (per Hanna and TSN 1200). Germany hasn’t yet approached star center Tim Stützle, he said, but will say yes once they reach out in the coming days (according to Garrioch). Dylan Cozens also said he’d welcome being added to Canada’s roster if asked, per TSN 1200.