Central Notes: Benn, Hyry, Klippenstein
Stars captain Jamie Benn is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the same fate he faced last year before signing a one-year deal to remain in Dallas. While Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News believes that the organization would be willing to bring him back, there would need to be some tough discussions first as he’s now coming off his second straight subpar playoff performance. He’ll be 37 when next season starts so while he could still hold his own in a bottom-six role during the regular season but will those postseason struggles give them enough pause to start the search for a new captain? If not, Benn is eligible to once again sign a bonus-laden deal as long as it’s a one-year pact. He did so last summer, accepting a $1MM base salary with up to $3MM in bonuses, $2MM of which were reached and will count against their salary cap in 2026-27 thanks to them ending the year using LTIR.
More from the Central:
- Still with the Stars, forward Arttu Hyry won’t be available for AHL Texas in their series against Chicago, relays 100 Degree Hockey (Twitter link). The 25-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in the fifth game of the Dallas-Minnesota series earlier this week and while it was initially thought that it was a day-to-day issue, it appears that’s not the case. Hyry was on Texas’ roster at the trade deadline, meaning that Dallas can send him down once he’s cleared to return. He had 19 points in 27 AHL games along with five points in 20 NHL appearances during the regular season.
- Wild prospect Carter Klippenstein will be leaving the WHL next season to make the jump to the NCAA. Providence College announced on its Instagram page that the 19-year-old has committed to playing for them next season. A fifth-round pick last summer, Klippenstein was limited to just 38 games this season due to injury. Still, he was fairly productive, tallying 11 goals and 17 assists in those outings. With the transfer of leagues, Klippenstein’s signing timeline will be extended, giving Minnesota a couple of extra years to determine if they want to sign him. Had he stayed in junior, they’d have had to make that call just over a year from now.
Lineup Notes: Zub, Kleven, Hyry, Hintz, Bunting, D’Astous
The Senators won’t see defenseman Tyler Kleven step back into the lineup tonight as they try to even their first-round series against the Hurricanes at one apiece. Despite shedding his non-contact jersey in this morning’s practice, he’s not quite ready to go and won’t dress, head coach Travis Green told reporters (including Alex Adams of Sportsnet). And, although Artem Zub didn’t take the ice this morning after leaving Game 1 with an apparent mid-body injury, he’ll be a game-time decision, Green said. In the event Zub can’t go, it’ll be Lassi Thomson stepping in on the right side to replace him, per Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News. Nikolas Matinpalo, who had started on the third pairing with Dennis Gilbert in Game 1, will get the elevation to top-pair minutes to serve as Jake Sanderson‘s shutdown complement in place of Zub. It would be the playoff debut for Thomson, a 2019 first-round pick who had three assists and a +3 rating in 11 games in the regular season.
More from around the league ahead of Game 2s kicking off tonight:
- The Stars are making one lineup change after being throttled at home by the Wild in Game 1, Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports reports. Rookie Arttu Hyry will make his playoff debut, stepping into center the third line as the deck gets shuffled. Adam Erne, who had a -1 rating and two hits in 8:07 of ice time as the team’s fourth-line left wing, is headed to the press box. Star center Roope Hintz stays out as expected; he’d been previously ruled out for Games 1 and 2 and was ruled out for Game 3 as well by head coach Glen Gulutzan today (via Michael Russo of The Athletic). Perhaps the more notable absence, given the circumstances, is trade-deadline pickup Michael Bunting. The winger will serve as a healthy scratch for the second game in a row tonight after missing time with a lower-body injury down the stretch. He had just two points and a -7 rating in 13 games for Dallas when healthy after his acquisition from the Predators. He does have five points in 13 career playoff games, all with the Maple Leafs in 2022 and 2023.
- The injury bug hovered around the Lightning all season long. It’s not stopping now. After being checked by a pair of Canadiens forwards in yesterday’s Game 1 and ultimately leaving the contest, defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous is doubtful to step back in for Game 2, head coach Jon Cooper said today (via Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times). He said he hasn’t decided whether Declan Carlile or Maxwell Crozier will be elevated as his replacement, but considering he only mentioned those two by name, it’s a fair guess that captain Victor Hedman will remain out on personal leave as well. D’Astous, 28 tomorrow, had 29 points and a whopping 112 penalty minutes in 70 regular-season games for Tampa as a rookie.
Stars Recall Arttu Hyry
The Stars announced they’ve recalled forward Arttu Hyry from AHL Texas. He was sent down last week to make room for Michael Bunting on the active roster after his acquisition from the Predators. With the roster limit no longer in effect, he can come back up as Dallas still has $1.96MM of cap space left in their LTIR pool.
Unless there’s another forward who’s questionable for tonight’s game against the Blackhawks, Hyry’s recall doesn’t fall under emergency conditions and will take up the first of five allotted post-deadline recalls in Dallas. The Stars do have 13 forwards on the active roster, but only 12 are available after news that top center Roope Hintz is week-to-week with the lower-body injury he sustained Friday night against the Avalanche. Now, Dallas has an extra one on hand to rotate in at will.
Hyry, 24, had spent the entire season in the AHL until being recalled at the end of February, also due to a period of unavailability from Hintz (that time due to illness). The undrafted free agent is in his second year in the organization, which signed him to an entry-level contract out of Kärpät in Finland’s top division, Liiga, in 2024.
The 6’3″, 211-lb forward can play both center and right wing and has appeared in nine games for Dallas over the past two seasons, recording an assist and a +1 rating in 10:17 of average ice time. He’s been exceptional on draws as a stopgap fourth-line piece, winning 65.5% of his faceoffs – including going 25-for-39 in a larger sample this year.
He’s also been nearly an All-Star-level threat in the AHL. Some injuries and his stints on the NHL roster have limited him to 27 appearances this season, but he’s scored nine goals and 19 points with a -1 rating in 27 games when in the lineup. That’s on the heels of a 24-goal, 49-point showing as a rookie in 67 games last year. A pending restricted free agent, he’s been a highly valuable depth piece so far and is almost guaranteed to receive a qualifying offer.
Stars Acquire Michael Bunting
5:05 p.m.: Both teams have announced the trade as reported.
4:23 p.m.: The Dallas Stars are bringing in a formidable middle-six forward for their playoff run. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Stars have acquired Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Predators will receive the Seattle Kraken’s 2026 third-round pick from Dallas. Beat writer Robert Tiffin reported that Dallas has reassigned forward Arttu Hyry in a corresponding move.
Moving to Dallas, Bunting will suit up for his fifth team in the last four seasons. Bunting was acquired by the Predators at last year’s deadline (along with a fourth-round pick) from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Thomas Novak and Luke Schenn.
Bunting, 30, was having a strong year in Nashville, headed into his third trip through free agency. Before the trade, Bunting had scored 13 goals and 31 points in 61 games, averaging 14:48 of ice time per game. If that scoring trend continues with the Stars, Bunting will finish a 41-point campaign.
He’s not the most physical winger in the league, but he brings a strong possession game to Dallas for a team that needed reinforcements. Tyler Seguin has already been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, including the playoffs, while Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen have each been dealing with injuries of late.
Given the injuries to Dallas’ top-six, it’s likely that’s where Bunting will begin his tenure with the Stars. Assuming everyone except for Seguin returns for the playoffs, Bunting can provide additional scoring punch to the team’s third line.
Despite being an expiring asset, a third-round pick as a return must feel underwhelming for the Predators. Only a few days ago, Nashville sent fourth-liner Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick. Yes, McCarron is making $3.6MM less than Bunting, and is a center, but Bunting is outscoring him by more than double.
Regardless, it’s clear that general manager Barry Trotz is intent on accumulating draft capital for the next regime. Assuming the third-round selection is within the next three years, the Predators will have 16 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts. This will provide the next GM with significant control over team building.
Image courtesy of Tim Fuller-Imagn Images.
Stars Recall Arttu Hyry, Reassign Remi Poirier
The Dallas Stars will return to NHL action tonight without several forwards. In need of some depth, the team announced that they’ve recalled Arttu Hyry from the AHL’s Texas Stars, and reassigned netminder Rémi Poirier in a corresponding roster move.
Already without Tyler Seguin for the foreseeable future, the Stars have also placed Mikko Rantanen and Radek Faksa on injured reserve due to ailments suffered during the Olympics. Additionally, Roope Hintz isn’t expected to be in the lineup tonight, either, as he’s dealing with an illness.
Those absences should allow Hyry to participate in his first NHL contest since last January. He’s in his second year with the team after signing as an international free agent last season. Before his move to North America, Hyry spent several years with the Finnish Liiga’s Kärpät organization.
He has provided encouraging results. Last season, primarily with AHL Texas, Hyry finished his rookie campaign with 24 goals and 49 points in 67 games with a +15 rating. That output was good for sixth on the team in scoring. Furthermore, Hyry added one goal and six points in 14 postseason contests.
This year, he hasn’t been as explosive offensively, largely due to an injury earlier in the year, but he is still having a solid season. At the time of writing, Hyry is 12th on the team in scoring with seven goals and 17 points in 26 games with a -4 rating.
Meanwhile, Poirier will return to the AHL as expected. The Stars called him up a few days ago to serve as practice depth, given that fellow netminder Jake Oettinger remained in Milan with Team USA. He’s played exclusively for AHL Texas this season, managing a 16-14-5 record in 34 games with a .906 SV% and 2.74 GAA.
Dallas Stars Recall Matěj Blümel, Justin Hryckowian
Jan. 16: The team announced that Blümel is back up today as expected, but Hyry isn’t coming with him. He stays in the AHL while forward Justin Hryckowian, who made his NHL debut in Dallas’ final two games of the 2024 calendar year, gets another crack at playing time. Both are expected to play tonight against the Canadiens while Marchment remains out, and center Roope Hintz also sits after sustaining an upper-body injury in the first period of Tuesday’s win over the Maple Leafs, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Hryckowian averaged just 6:40 per game and went without a point or shot on goal last month.
Jan. 15: The Stars organization announced they’ve reassigned Blümel and his linemate, Arttu Hyry to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Dallas doesn’t play until tomorrow night when they take on the Montreal Canadiens so both forwards should be expected back on the roster by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. It largely reads as a paper transaction allowing the Stars to accrue precious cap space.
Jan. 11: The Dallas Stars have recalled forward Matěj Blümel from the minor leagues. He is expected to serve as insurance with the Stars headed for back-to-back games this weekend, shares NHL.com’s Bruce LeVine.
Blümel was recalled for a spot start in the NHL lineup on October 19th. He recorded one hit, two shots, and no scoring in the outing. The game brought Blümel up to seven career games in the NHL, combining with his six games and one goal from the 2022-23 campaign. He’s otherwise been a standout in the minor leagues, standing as one of the Texas Stars’ top scorers in each of the last three seasons. He leads the team in goals (18) and points (32) through 32 games this year. He also led Texas in goals last season, with 31 in 71 games – but his 62 points ranked second behind Mavrik Bourque’s 77-point campaign.
Dallas is dealing with long-term injuries to both Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. Their absences have pushed Arttu Hyry into a routine role, and solidified Bourque and Oskar Back’s spots in the lineup. But Hyry only has one point in four games, while Bourque and Back have nine and 10 points in 35 games respectively. That meager scoring could make Blümel’s change-of-pace speed a valuable asset as the Stars look to continue their hot 7-2-1 record from their last 10 games.
Stars Recall Arttu Hyry For NHL Debut
The Stars have recalled rookie forward Arttu Hyry from AHL Texas, the club announced Thursday morning. He is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Senators as left-winger Mason Marchment remains week-to-week with his facial injury.
Hyry, 23, is in his first season in North America. Dallas signed the undrafted Finn to a two-year, $1.74MM entry-level contract in April after he recorded a career-high 14 goals, 17 assists and 31 points in 55 games for Liiga’s Kärpät in 2023-24.
After signing his rookie deal with the Stars, Finland named Hyry to their roster for the 2024 World Championship. He scored twice and added an assist in eight games, posting a +1 rating, as Finland advanced to the quarterfinals but lost to Sweden in overtime.
The Stars made Hyry a late cut from their training camp roster, waiting until Oct. 5 to assign the waiver-exempt right-winger/center to the AHL. He’s since fit like a glove on one of the AHL’s highest-scoring teams, posting 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points in his first 29 appearances for the Baby Stars. He’s also amid a 10-game point streak, during which time he’s posted eight goals and five assists.
Hyry’s offensive production ranks third on the team, and his +10 rating is second on the club behind recent call-up Justin Hryckowian. The latter is back in the minors for the time being after averaging 6:40 of time on ice through his first two career NHL games, meaning Hyry gets a chance to skate in a fourth-line role for the big club.
The Stars are down to one open spot on their active roster after recalling Hyry. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility in the summer of 2026, at which point he’ll be due an $813,750 qualifying offer, per PuckPedia.
Team Finland Announces Final 2024 World Championship Roster
Team Finland has finalized their roster for the 2024 IIHF World Championship, with the additions of Jesse Puljujarvi and Valtteri Puustinen bringing the lineup to a full 23 skaters and three goalies. The lineup isn’t too deep with NHL talent, though it does feature top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Konsta Helenius, who joined the Men’s squad after posting seven points, all assists, in five games at the World U18 Championship. Helenius will have a chance to learn from San Jose Sharks centerman Mikael Granlund – who plays a similar pass-first, high-tempo style. Finland will hope the duo can click, with the support of NHL wingers, as they chase their third gold medal over the last five World Championships.
The full roster is as follows:
F Hannes Björninen (Örebro, SHL)
F Mikael Granlund (Sharks, NHL)
F Konsta Helenius (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Arttu Hyry (Kärpät, Liiga)
F Jere Innala (Frölunda, SHL)
F Juha Jääskä (HIFK, Liiga)
F Pekka Jormakka (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Oliver Kapanen (KalPa, Liiga, Canadiens)
F Saku Mäenalanen (SCL, National League)
F Ahti Oksanen (Oskarshamn, SHL)
F Iiro Pakarinen (HIFK, Liiga)
F Patrik Puistola (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Jesse Puljujarvi (Penguins, NHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (Penguins, NHL)
D Oliwer Kaski (HV71, SHL)
D Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC, National League)
D Olli Määttä (Red Wings, NHL)
D Jesper Mattila (KalPa, Liiga)
D Juuso Riikola (SCL, National League)
D Rasmus Rissanen (Örebro, SHL)
D Vili Saarijärvi (SCL, National League)
D Veli-Matti Vittasmäki (Tappara, Liiga)
G Emil Larmi (Växjö, SHL)
G Lassi Lehtinen (MoDo, SHL)
G Harri Säteri (Biel, National League)
The World Championship is set to kick off in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia beginning on May 10. Finland will once again be commanded by head coach Jukka Jalonen set to coach in his 10th World Championship. Jalonen has also manned the Finnish bench at the World Juniors and served as a coach in the KHL and Liiga. He now works with Finland’s Men’s team full-time, building out this year’s roster with general manager Jere Lehtinen. Lehtinen, an 875-game veteran of the NHL and former Stanley Cup winner, has served as the GM for Finland’s men’s team for the last nine seasons.
Stars Sign Arttu Hyry To Entry-Level Deal
The Stars have signed forward Arttu Hyry to a two-year, entry-level deal beginning next season, the team announced. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Hyry, 23, lands his first NHL contract after going undrafted during his eligible period between 2019 and 2022. He’s spent the last six seasons in the Kärpät organization in Finland, making his top-level Liiga debut in 2020-21 before embarking on three seasons in full-team roles with the club.
The speedy 6’2″ forward can play both right-wing and center. He’s coming off a breakout season with Kärpät, recording 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) with a +19 rating in 55 games. That performance was good enough for fifth in team scoring, and his rating was highest among forwards. He added three goals in 11 postseason contests as Kärpät was eliminated in the semifinals by Pelicans last weekend – he scored the lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss in the series-deciding Game 5.
The Oulu native was under contract with Kärpät through next season, but the Stars can buy out the contract thanks to the NHL’s transfer agreement with the Liiga. The Stars now have him inked through 2026, at which point he’ll be an RFA upon the expiry of his deal. They’ll maintain team control until the 2028 offseason, at which point he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency. He’s a long shot to crack a deep Stars forward group next season and should be expected to begin the year with AHL Texas.