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Chris Tanev

Stars Notes: Dellandrea, Tanev, Carrier

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Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek spoke about the Dallas Stars on the 32 Thoughts podcast today saying that the belief is that the Stars traded Ty Dellandrea to the San Jose Sharks to open up room on their roster for other moves. Dellandrea was dealt to the Sharks for a 2025 fourth-round pick and the speculation is that the Stars feel that Mavrik Bourque is ready to step into a full-time role and that ice-time could come from Dellandrea.

Bourque is a former first-round pick in 2020 (30th overall) and has played just one NHL game to this point in his short career. However, the 22-year-old has good offensive instincts and excellent hockey IQ and has excelled in the AHL posting 26 goals and 51 assists in 71 games last season for the Texas Stars. Given his progression, it seems likely that the Plessisville, Quebec native is ready for an NHL role.

In other Dallas Stars notes:

  • Jeff Marek also noted on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Stars have taken a run this week at re-signing Chris Tanev before he goes to unrestricted free agency. This was also mentioned earlier in the week by Darren Dreger on TSN 1200. Tanev and the Stars have an interest in extending their working relationship as they believe Tanev is an excellent fit on the team’s backend. At 34 years old, Tanev is looking at his last opportunity to secure a lucrative multi-year deal, and the Stars will likely need to up their offer to keep the Toronto, Ontario native in Dallas.
  • Friedman notes on 32 Thoughts that he’s heard rumblings that the Stars have an interest in Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier. The 29-year-old Carrier will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and has played for Stars head coach Pete DeBoer before as a member of the Golden Knights. Carrier doesn’t score much, posting just six goals and two assists in 39 games this season, and has also struggled to remain in the lineup over the years, never playing more than 71 games in a season.

Evening Notes: Tanev, Necas, Heinen

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Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev has revealed the injury that forced him out of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, documented by NHL.com’s Taylor Baird (Twitter link). Per Tanev, he felt a pop in his ankle in his first shift after blocking an Evander Kane shot. The resulting injury was to his peroneal tendons and won’t require surgery to fix.

Tanev is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, having played the final year of a four-year, $18MM deal signed with the Calgary Flames the last time he hit the market. Tanev has solidified his status as one of the staunchest defenders in the league on the contract – averaging over 20 minutes of ice time across 278 games since 2020 despite totaling just 72 points. Tanev’s played with just three teams over 14 years in the NHL and could continue that loyalty with the Stars, with the team interested in re-signing the veteran before he hits the market on July 1st.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Both the Carolina Hurricanes and Martin Necas are still “preferring” to part ways, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the Donie and Dhali Show (Twitter link). Friedman adds that the Hurricanes would likely be targeting top prospects for Necas – adding that he doesn’t envision a swap of Necas and Filip Hronek when speaking to Donnie and Dhali’s Canucks theme. Necas has scored 124 points across 159 games in the last two seasons, emerging as a legitimate scoring threat in a Hurricanes lineup full of offensive talent. Carolina will now look to open up cap  space, and reinforce their depth charts, after trading three top prospects and two draft picks for Jake Guentzel at the Trade Deadline.
  • The Boston Bruins are expected to begin talks with Danton Heinen about contract extension soon, shares The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta (Twitter link). Heinen rejoined the Bruins for this season after a three-year tenure split between the Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 17 goals and 36 points in 74 appearances in the reunion, offering flexible offense from the bottom of the depth charts. He’ll be set for his eighth NHL season, and his sixth with the Bruins, with a new deal this summer.

Stars Want To Re-Sign Matt Duchene, Chris Tanev

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The Stars are expected to try to extend veteran center Matt Duchene and trade deadline pickup Chris Tanev before they reach unrestricted free agency on July 1, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Monday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast.

Duchene, 33, was an unexpected latecomer to the free agent market last summer after the Predators bought out the final three seasons of his seven-year, $56MM contract. He landed with Dallas on a one-year, $3MM pact, a decision that paid dividends for both teams.

[RELATED: The Matt Duchene Buyout Was A Win-Win]

The 2009 third-overall pick continued his standard production level in a slightly limited role in the Lone Star State, putting up 25 goals and 65 points in 80 games while serving in a complementary role to other Stars talents like Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. He was limited to two goals and six points in 19 postseason games, but one of his snipes was a double-overtime winner against Colorado that sent Dallas to its second straight Western Conference Final.

Duchene would still have a home in Dallas’ top six next season, especially with the future another pending UFA, 39-year-old Joe Pavelski, hanging in the balance. Pavelski likely wouldn’t sign anywhere else this summer, but whether he returns for a 19th NHL season or heads for retirement is uncertain, Friedman said.

Tanev was also an invaluable piece for the Stars and was relied upon heavily by head coach Peter DeBoer after his acquisition from the Flames at the end of February. The 34-year-old scored seven points and a +13 rating in 38 regular-season and playoff games and averaged over 22 minutes per night in the postseason.

His return would firm up Dallas’ top four on defense next season with Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell. Veteran Ryan Suter also remains under contract for one more year at a $3.95MM cap hit, and 2022 first-round pick Lian Bichsel is expected to compete for a spot on the opening night roster after nearly making his NHL debut during the Western Conference Final.

Evolving Hockey’s contract projections yield a three-year, $7MM AAV deal for Duchene and a two-year, $3.9MM AAV deal for Tanev if they were both to remain in Dallas. That won’t be affordable for a team with just under $16MM in projected cap space with only 13 players on the roster, per CapFriendly, especially considering the 22-year-old Harley needs a new deal after his breakout 15-goal, 47-point season playing top-pairing duties alongside Heiskanen. Perennial GM of the year candidate Jim Nill would need to get creative with some cap-clearing trades or convince Duchene to take a significant discount to stay, something that may be feasible considering he’s still being paid $1.56MM by the Preds through 2029.

Stars’ Chris Tanev Remains Uncertain For Game 5

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The Stars may be without their top shutdown option on defense as they attempt to take a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Final over the Oilers. Chris Tanev will officially be a game-time decision for Game 5 after blocking a shot in the second period of Game 4, head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters this morning.

DeBoer said he was “optimistic” about Tanev’s ability. The veteran blue liner was seen in a walking boot while traveling back to Dallas yesterday.

If Tanev is unable to go, he may not be the only injury-related absence for the Stars tonight. DeBoer also told reporters that multiple forwards are dealing with ailments, and he likely won’t know who’s able to play until after warmup (via the team’s Bruce LeVine).

The Stars acquired Tanev, 34, from the Flames in late February for a package that included a second-round pick and defense prospect Artyom Grushnikov. While he’s only logged one assist in 17 games of postseason play, he’s been an incredibly valuable defensive presence and has averaged over 22 minutes per game.

Tanev’s +6 rating is third on the team behind Thomas Harley and Tyler Seguin (+8). He’s logged 170 minutes with Esa Lindell as his defense partner in the postseason, controlling 50.3% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.

His absence would likely result in Nils Lundkvist entering the lineup for the first time this series. Veteran defensive specialist Jani Hakanpää remains unavailable with the lower-body injury that’s kept him out since mid-March, DeBoer said (via team radio host Owen Newkirk).

Lundkvist, 23, hasn’t played since Game 5 of the second round against the Avalanche and averaged just 4:27 per game in his 12 appearances earlier this postseason. Two other options, 2022 first-round pick Lian Bichsel and minor-league mainstay Derrick Pouliot, are rostered and theoretically available to play, although it would mark Bichsel’s NHL debut and Pouliot’s first playoff game since 2016 with the Penguins. Bichsel has been told to be prepared to play if Tanev is out, though, he told EP Rinkside’s Sean Shapiro.

West Notes: Tanev, Hakanpaa, Oilers, Kylington

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The Dallas Stars didn’t have any positive updates today, with head coach Pete DeBoer sharing that Chris Tanev will see doctors and “go from there”, while Jani Hakanpaa likely won’t be available for Game 5, per NHL.com’s Mike Heika (Twitter link). Tanev left Game 4 midway through the second period, after suffering a lower-body injury while blocking a shot from Evander Kane. Tanev has played in all 17 of Dallas’ playoff games and totaled a league-leading 68 blocked shots. He also leads Dallas defensemen in hits, with 26. Meanwhile, Hakanpaa will miss a 31st-straight game should he miss Game 5.

Tanev would be a major absence for the Stars, who currently carry Nils Lundkvist, Derrick Pouliot, or prospect Lian Bichsel as their extra defenders. Lundkvist has appeared in 12 postseason games this Spring, recording one assist and averaging just 4:27 in ice time each game. Pouliot could offer a more stout veteran presence, though he’s only appeared in 22 NHL games over the last three seasons combined. Pouliot spent the majority of this season with the AHL’s Texas Stars, recording nine goals and 46 points across 67 games. Regardless of the fill-in, Tanev’s absence will likely mean more ice time for the team’s top pair of Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen. The pair are already averaging 25 and 28 minutes of ice time respectively. Heiskanen has managed six goals and 16 points in 17 postseason games, while Lindell has posted three goals and five points.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers have hired Kalle Larsson as their ‘Senior Director of Player Development’. He will be responsible for overseeing and managing the development of Oilers’ prospects. Larsson moves to the NHL after spending 11 years with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, where he served as both general manager and President of Hockey Operations at various points. Larson built Dubuque into one of the league’s most consistently successful lineups, including supporting them to a championship appearance this season – though Dubuque lost to the nearly flawless Fargo Force, who finished the regular season with just 10 regulation losses. Larsson will now move into the NHL, once again focused on developing young players into playoff-winning talents.
  • The Calgary Flames are reportedly preparing an offer for defenseman Oliver Kylington, shares David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Kylington was a finalist for the Bill Masterton Trophy this season, after taking 18 months away from the team for personal reasons. That absence included missing the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign. Kylington totaled 33 games with Calgary this season, posting eight points, 12 penalty minutes, and a -6. He’s likely due for a cheap deal and will look to resolidify his spot on the team’s daily lineup next season.

West Second Round Notes: Hintz, Tanev, Smith, Toews, Black Aces

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After not issuing an update in yesterday’s media availability, it is now confirmed that the Dallas Stars will be without Roope Hintz for Game 5, according to the team’s radio analyst, Bruce LeVine. Taking Hintz’s spot in the lineup will be veteran forward Radek Faksa, who has scored one goal in four games so far in this year’s playoffs.

Currently dealing with an upper-body injury, Hintz only managed to skate in 6:35 during the Stars’ Game 4 victory on Monday night, leaving the ice early into the second period. In his shift before leaving the game, Hintz was cross-checked on the right side by forward Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. Seemingly laboring through the rest of the shift, Hintz would end up blocking a shot and then was once again cross-checked by Avalanche defenseman Sean Walker.

Although losing out on Hintz for Game 5 is a significant blow to their lineup, the team will not be without defenseman Chris Tanev or forward Craig Smith, as both were cleared to play this evening per LeVine (X Link). Similarly to Hintz, both Tanev and Smith sustained injuries in Game 4, with Tanev also joining Hintz in the locker room before the conclusion of the contest.

Other second-round notes:

  • On the flip side of the series, the Avalanche are expected to see defenseman Devon Toews return to the lineup tonight, according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN. Toews will return to the active roster after missing Game 4 due to an illness, and will now help Colorado stave off elimination for the first time this postseason. In eight playoff games so far this spring, Toews has once again been heavily utilized by the Avalanche, scoring one goal and five assists while averaging 23:46 of ice time per game.
  • Lastly, the Stars organization has recalled a trio from their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, after they were eliminated from the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs this past Sunday. Forward Mavrik Bourque, as well as defensemen Alex Petrovic and Lian Bichsel, will be joining Dallas as depth options for the time being. If the team sustains any more injuries in the coming days, Bourque is the most likely to enter the lineup as the 22-year-old is the recent recipient of the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL’s leading scorer.

West Second Round Notes: Pickard, Toews, Henrique, Stars

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Looking to even up their series against the Vancouver Canucks tonight, the Edmonton Oilers will be making a major change in the crease. As mentioned in a pre-game update from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Oilers will be looking to goaltender Calvin Pickard to backstop their team to a victory tonight.

The decision has little mystery, as Edmonton has received a completely different version of Stuart Skinner in their Round Two matchup. Against the Los Angeles Kings, Skinner stopped 132 of 145 shots en route to a solid .910 save percentage after Round One. However, in the team’s first three games against Vancouver, Skinner has only stopped 46 of 58 total shots, leading to a dismal .793 SV%.

Stepping in for a little over 16 minutes of Game 3, Pickard will take the crease for the first playoff start of his career. Getting an opportunity as the backup after the Oilers waived Jack Campbell in early November, Pickard helped stabilize the goaltending situation in Edmonton over the course of the regular season. Over 23 games played, Pickard earned a 12-7-1 record, posting a .909 SV% and 2.45 goals against average in the process.

Other second-round notes:

  • After missing the team’s Game 4 matchup against the Dallas Stars last night, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews will be traveling with the team to Texas, and the organization is hopeful that he can return to the lineup for Game 5 (X Link). Head coach of the Avalanche, Jared Bednar, reiterated to reporters that Toews missed Game 4 due to illness and that his absence was not related to the hit delivered by Stars’ forward Jamie Benn in the second period of Game 2. On the brink of elimination for the first time this postseason, Colorado’s chances of extending the series will increase if Toews is able to crack the lineup for Game 5.
  • Moving back to Alberta, Oilers TV reporter Tony Brar confirmed that forward Adam Henrique will not be in Edmonton’s lineup for Game 4. In his first postseason appearance since the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Henrique had been a valuable defensive presence in the Oilers’ forward core through the first six games of the playoffs. Scoring only one goal and two points while averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time per night, Henrique has been extremely physical, averaging 3.7 hits a game against the Kings and the Canucks.
  • While both were shaken up in the Stars’ Game 4 victory against the Avalanche last night, head coach Peter DeBoer did not offer any updates on the status of Roope Hintz or Chris Tanev (X Link). Hintz, who was only able to manage 6:35 of ice time, left the game during the first period and would not return. Tanev, on the other hand, managed over 21 minutes of ice time and left the game in the third period after getting shaken up by a hit. However, as in the case of most teams in the playoffs, both players could be ready to return for Game 5, and the update could be some gamesmanship on behalf of the Stars organization.

Central Notes: Wood, Snuggerud, Tanev, Makar

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In recent days, reports indicated that Nashville Predators’ prospect, Matthew Wood, would be entering the transfer portal to move on from the University of Connecticut. Having now made his decision, we can independently confirm that Wood is expected to choose the University of Minnesota as his new destination.

Over two years in Connecticut, Wood appeared in a total of 70 games, scoring 27 goals and 62 points overall, leading to his selection as the 15th overall pick of the Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, outside of some personal success, Connecticut has failed to compete with other schools within the Hockey East Conference, likely leading to Wood’s decision to move on.

Moving to Minnesota, Wood will be joining a better program, and arguably joining a stronger Conference too in the Big Ten. This year, the Gophers finished with a 23-11-5 record, losing to Boston University in the Regional Finals of the Frozen Four Tournament.

Other Central notes:

  • Staying at the University of Minnesota, the team will carry a familiar face on the roster next season, with the St. Louis Blues announcing that Jimmy Snuggerud would spend another year with the program. After being selected 23rd overall by the Blues back in the 2022 NHL Draft, Snuggerud has been on the Gophers roster ever since. This past season, Snuggerud was once again one of the best players in the NCAA, scoring 21 goals and 34 points in 39 games.
  • Moving back to the NHL, Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports that Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev was a full participant at practice today making his return imminent. Although Tanev did not miss any time, there was some cause for concern as Tanev left the team’s most recent game against the Seattle Kraken early due to an arm injury. Luckily, now that Tanev was a full participant in today’s practice, he should be able to play in the team’s game tomorrow night against the Edmonton Oilers.
  • In more movement at the NCAA level, Taylor Makar, brother of Colorado Avalanche phenom Cale Makar, will be transferring away from the University of Massachusetts (X Link). Being the 220th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, Taylor has not lived up to the standard set by his brother. In 36 games for Massachusetts this past season, Taylor scored four goals and nine points in total.

Snapshots: Tanev, Bunting, Butler, Aston-Reese

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The Dallas Stars could be without their newest defenseman for an extended time, with Trade Deadline acquisition Chris Tanev leaving the team’s Saturday night game early after taking an elbow to the head from Seattle Kraken Adam Larsson. Larsson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit, while Tanev exited after 17 minutes of ice time. Tanev will be re-evaluated on Sunday, with the Stars hoping for an update early this week, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning Star (Web link).

Tanev is 12 games into his time with the Stars, recording one goal, two points, and 10 penalty minutes. The Stars sent away prospect Artem Grushnikov, a conditional second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to land Tanev – and they’re getting their money’s worth, with Tanev stepping into an immediate impact role and averaging over 18 minutes of ice time each game. He’s served as much-needed depth behind star Miro Heiskanen, elevating the impact of depth defenseman Esa Lindell. Dallas would normally turn towards Jani Hakanpaa in the event of Tanev’s absence, though he’s also bearing through a day-to-day injury. The Stars aren’t carrying any other defenders, meaning they’ll need to make a call-up if neither Tanev nor Hakanpaa can go.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Michael Bunting left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Saturday night game due to illness, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the game (Twitter link). Bunting played in nearly 10 minutes of ice time before exiting, with a -1 representing his only stat change. He’s found a strong scoring groove through his first 12 games in Pittsburgh, with three goals and seven points – though he’s still finding where he fits best in the lineup. There’s been no update on Bunting’s availability moving forward, though healthy scratch Emil Bemstrom is available to slot in if needed.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent right-winger Cameron Butler back to the minor leagues, after awarding him with his NHL debut on Saturday (Twitter link). He played in just one shift – staying on the ice for 54 seconds – during the eventual shootout-win. Butler, who is in his first year of pro hockey, will now return to the AHL, where he’s already managed two goals, eight points, and 63 penalty minutes in 46 games. He signed with the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free-agent in March of 2023.
  • Zach Aston-Reese has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings after being recalled on Friday (Twitter link). Aston-Reese didn’t appear in any NHL action during the call-up, making his sole game in December his only NHL game of the season. He’s managed 13 goals, 28 points, and 47 penalty minutes in 56 AHL games this season – his first year in the league since 2018-19.

Central Notes: Tanev, Stastney, Avalanche

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Chris Tanev’s time in Dallas has been limited so far – just five games since being acquired – but GM Jim Nill already knows he’d like to have the veteran in the fold for the long haul.  Speaking with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Nill expressed a desire to re-sign the pending UFA after the season:

Whenever you make a move for somebody you like, and you’ve done your research on, and I’ve seen Chris Tanev play a lot, heard all the stories about him, and now we get to live it and stuff. And he has everything we’ve heard, living up to the billing, so we think he’s a great fit for us. Let’s get the games going, let’s get the playoffs going. And but he’s definitely a guy that if we can make it work, we’d love to bring him back here.

The 34-year-old rarely puts up points but is known as one of the better defensive blueliners in the NHL.  Accordingly, he is well-positioned to earn a raise on his current $4.5MM price tag in the summer, one that will be tricky for the Stars to afford within their salary structure.

More from the Central Division:

  • The Predators announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Spencer Stastney is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old was injured on Thursday, his first game with Nashville since mid-December.  Stastney has a goal in ten NHL contests so far this season while he has chipped in with 20 points in 44 appearances with AHL Milwaukee.  With Dante Fabbro also injured, Nashville is down to just six healthy defensemen so they may recall someone before today’s game against Seattle.
  • Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen is expected to return tonight versus Edmonton after missing the last two games due to illness, relays play-by-play voice Conor McGahey (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been limited to just 30 games so far this season but has done well when he has been in the lineup, collecting 11 goals and 11 assists.  Meanwhile, McGahey adds that wingers Zach Parise and Jonathan Drouin are also expected to return tonight.  Parise has missed two straight with a lower-body injury while Drouin missed Wednesday’s contest with a lower-body injury of his own.  Parise has seven points in 15 games in his final NHL season while Drouin has done well, picking up 38 points in 64 appearances so far.
  • With those returns, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned forward Fredrik Olofsson to AHL Colorado. The 27-year-old played in two games on this recall to bring his season total to 57.  Olofsson has nine points in those appearances while averaging 9:45 per contest.

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