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Central Notes: Foligno, Heiskanen, Robertson, Bridgestone Arena

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In an engaging article from Joe Smith at The Athletic, Smith performed a deep dive on the injury-plagued seasons of Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno over the past few years. Foligno’s injuries, largely in his core abdominal muscles, began negatively impacting his life off the ice, leading to doubt concerning his playing career.

As Smith points out in the article, Foligno’s play style has a part to play. He’s been an aggressive forechecker for his entire career, amassing 2,614 hits (2.98 hits/game) in 875 regular-season contests. That aggression only increases in the postseason, where Foligno has delivered 154 hits (5.31 hits/game) in 29 playoff appearances.

Unfortunately, as Foligno puts it in the article, his tenacity on the ice caught up to him off the ice. Smith quoted Foligno saying, “There were some dark days going through that stuff and thinking about the future and thinking about, how are you going to manage through this injury? You’re thinking about it: ‘Will this (surgery) really solve all my problems?’ You’re really banking on coming out of it. There’s always a bit of gray area, little bit of fogginess where it comes to like, ‘Am I going to be the player I once was before these injuries started piling up?’”

Now that his surgery is in the rearview mirror, we know how the surgery turned out for Foligno. The 14-year veteran appeared in 70 or more games for the first time since the 2021-22 season, scoring 14 goals and 29 points. Meanwhile, he set a career-high in hits with 253, placing him in the league’s top 10.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • After splitting the first two games in Dallas, the Stars and Avalanche are headed north for Game 3 and Game 4 of their opening-round matchup. According to Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports, defenseman Miro Heiskanen will travel with the team while forward Jason Robertson will not. Given that he’s already returned to skating, there’s a strong chance that the Stars will welcome Heiskanen back at some point in Colorado. Meanwhile, Robertson’s recovery is only a few days into a week-to-week prognosis, meaning there’s very little chance of him returning during Round One.
  • Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators, is getting a major makeover (Article Link). The arena announced a $1B renovation set to take place over the next 15 to 20 years that “aims to increase seating capacity, introduce new seating options, and create various fan communal areas.” The project will begin after the 2026-27 NHL season and will start with replacing the outer concrete of the building with glass walls facing Broadway.

Jason Robertson Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury

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Stars leading goal-scorer Jason Robertson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and will miss at least Game 1 of their first-round series against the Avalanche tomorrow, head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters today (including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic).

Even just a one-game absence could be enough to tilt what’s set to be one of the most tightly matched series of the postseason. Dallas was already entering at a disadvantage without top defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who won’t be available until late in the first round at the earliest as he tries to recover from the knee surgery that’s kept him out since late January. The absence of their top winger against one of the league’s better scoring chance suppression teams could prove too much to overcome.

Robertson left Dallas’ final regular-season game on Wednesday after an awkward collision with Predators forward Michael McCarron in the second period. He was seen wearing a brace on his right knee following the game, Emma Lingan of The Hockey News reports. The Stars had a pair of healthy extra forwards on hand, Oskar Back and Colin Blackwell, but opted not to rest Robertson or any of their top forwards.

A slow start kept Robertson from hitting the point-per-game mark for the second season in a row. He’s been on a tear coming out of the 4 Nations break, though, posting 15 goals and 29 points in 27 games to end the campaign. His 35-45–80 scoring line was still good enough to finish second on Dallas behind Matt Duchene, although his 17:48 average time on ice was his lowest since his rookie season.

There hasn’t been a ton of injury luck for the Stars this year, but there is a consolation prize in the return of Tyler Seguin to the lineup. He returned for Game 82 after missing over four months after undergoing hip surgery and had an assist to lock in his first season above a point per game in nine years, albeit in only 20 appearances. That means it’s nearly a lateral move in the Stars’ top nine compared to how it looked for much of the stretch run, but Dallas would still love all of their scoring weapons at their disposal to overcome Heiskanen’s absence, which causes strain on their depth defenders.

Robertson’s also been a steady playoff threat for Dallas, even if he hasn’t flashed a postseason peak as high as his regular-season one. He has 14-24–38 in 45 playoff games for the Stars over the past three years as the team looks to make a third straight trip to the Western Conference Final.

His absence will cause the Stars to break up Robertson’s usual first-line mates, Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen. Hintz will center a line with Mikael Granlund and Evgenii Dadonov. Rantanen is expected to slot onto the wing with Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston, according to today’s line rushes (via Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports).

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Stars Notes: Robertson, Oettinger, Benn

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Star Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson will miss the bulk of training camp after undergoing surgery this summer to remove a cyst from his foot, shares NHL.com’s Bruce LeVine. LeVine adds that Robertson just started skating again, and is still expected to join the team for the start of the regular season.

Robertson has emerged as perhaps the top player on a loaded Dallas roster. He crossed the 40-goal mark in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, capping the latter year off with a career-high 109 points. Those numbers came down to Earth last season, though his 80 points still led the Stars by 13 points. He’s proven just as impactful in the postseason, combining for 48 points in 55 games over the last three playoffs.

At 25, Robertson is still a stride away from his prime years but already sits among the league’s top scorers. His health and ability to contribute will be paramount as Dallas prepares for another run toward the Western Conference Finals.

Other notes out of Texas:

  • General manager Jim Nill shared in his opening day press conference that there have been no talks of an extension with goaltender Jake Oettinger, per Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest. Nill added that there are a few goalies on the open market that they’ll use to help price Oettinger, inadvertently mentioning the ongoing holdout between the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman. Oettinger holds the upper hand to Swayman despite the two being the same age, with the former already achieving seasons of 50 and 60 games. He’s held strong in those outings, boasting a career save percentage of .913 through 193 games. Formerly a first-round pick, Oettinger has grabbed full control of Dallas’ starting role. He’ll look to be compensated as such as Dallas approaches a 2025 summer featuring an endless list of key pending-free agents, including Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston, and Jamie Benn.
  • Speaking of Benn, Nill also shared that he’ll be adamant about keeping the Stars’ captain when his deal expires. The GM went as far as saying, “As long as I’m GM, [Benn] is going to be a Dallas Star,” as captured by LeVine. Benn’s average ice time has decreased in the wake of Dallas’ emerging stars, but he remains a productive piece of the lineup – posting 21 goals and 60 points this season, and 33 goals and 78 points last season. He’s also played in every Stars’ regular season game dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season. At 35, Benn’s next deal is likely to carry him to retirement. Nill wants to ensure that happens with the only club that Benn has ever played for.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Dallas Stars.

Who are the Stars thankful for?

Joe Pavelski

There were a number of different ways that we could have gone here, but it is hard to dismiss the agelessness of 39-year-old Joe Pavelski.

Many pundits thought the Dallas Stars had made a big miscalculation back in July 2019 when the club signed a then 34-year-old Pavelski to a three-year $21MM contract just ten days before his 35th birthday. And one season into the deal, it sure looked like the pundits were right. Pavelski looked lost and tired as he suffered through one of the worst seasons of his NHL career. But since that first year, he has registered 91 goals and 142 assists in 242 games.

Now part of those numbers are because Pavelski is playing fewer minutes than his career average, and he is also playing with very skilled teammates, but it is hard to discount all the intangibles Pavelski has brought to the Stars dressing room on top of being a bonafide top-6 forward. Pavelski hasn’t had to sacrifice any of his attention to detail when it comes to his defensive responsibilities and continues to remain in the conversation when it comes to Selke Trophy considerations year after year. All of this in his 18th NHL season, while he continues to play under a very team-friendly cap hit making just $3.5MM this season (plus $2MM in bonuses).

Pavelski might not be the biggest star in Dallas, but his reliability at both ends of the ice, and his ability to make everyone around him better continue to impress as he pushes towards his 40th birthday.

What are the Stars thankful for?

Their scouting staff.

Very few teams have hit on late first-round picks and second-round picks the way the Dallas Stars have over the last decade. The Stars were fortunate to pick the likes of Miro Heiskanen third overall. But most of their depth was built off smart picks later in the draft. All-star goaltender Jake Oettinger was a late first-round pick 26th overall in the 2017 NHL entry draft, Jason Robertson was selected 13 spots later at 39th overall and has emerged as a top-flight offensive talent. Roope Hintz was a late second-round pick in the 2015 draft while Wyatt Johnston was selected 23rd overall in 2021. The list goes on and it goes to show just how Dallas has built a team that can contend year in and year out.

The stars currently boast some of the best depth in the NHL evidenced by Johnston centering a third line that features Jamie Benn. They haven’t just hit on draft picks as they’ve also been able to make smart free-agent signings (see Pavelski above) and craft trades along the way. The scouts in Dallas at both the amateur and pro level have done a commendable job identifying available talent that other NHL clubs are undervaluing.

What would the Stars be even more thankful for?

Ryan Suter dialing it back.

At 39 years old it is unlikely that Ryan Suter is going to find another gear suddenly. The 11-time all-star defenseman has seen his offensive game fall into a decline since 2020, while his defensive game has been slipping away since 2015. Suter was once considered one of the top two-way defensemen in the NHL, but time has caught up to the Madison, Wisconsin native.

In Dallas, Suter has been thrust into a role that is probably outside of his current skillset as he has played significant minutes with Miro Heiskanen. Suter is averaging over 20 minutes a night, and while that is a steep decline from last season, it is still a rather large number for one of the oldest defensemen in the NHL.

The drop-in ice time has mostly come from Suter being removed from the Stars’ power play. With his speed and footwork in decline, the Stars have made the call to primarily use Suter at even strength on their top pairing. The good news for Suter is that he is partnered up with Heiskanen and can benefit from the youngster’s strong skillset. Suter hasn’t been terrible this year and has mostly been fine, but given the Stars’ Stanley Cup aspirations, it will be important that Suter finds another gear, or the Stars look for someone who can better log Suter’s minutes and perhaps bump him down the depth chart.

What should be on the Stars holiday wish list?

A defenseman.

As mentioned above, Suter could probably benefit from a more sheltered role in the Stars’ defense core. Esa Lindell could also use some help as well as he too has had his struggles. All this points to the Stars needing to shop for another defender.

Dallas is in the fortunate position to have a decent farm system from which they could trade, and also have some young roster players that could entice teams to part with a defenseman. Although I would avoid trading Johnston if possible.

The Stars could benefit from a right-side defenseman, and while it wouldn’t improve Suter’s position on the depth chart, it would allow Jani Hakanpää to slide down into the bottom pairing. Hakanpää has had a rough start to the season and would likely welcome some sheltered minutes on a 5-6 pairing.

If Dallas opts to trade for right-shot defensemen there will certainly be options available to them. Tyson Barrie of the Nashville Predators is out there, as is Chris Tanev of the Calgary Flames. If the Stars wanted to be bolder, they could take a run at Noah Hanifin as he would slot in beautifully on their top pair next to Heiskanen.

Cap space will be an issue for the Stars, but as we inch closer and closer to the trade deadline it will become less of an issue. Dallas is on the cusp of breaking through in the playoffs and one more defenseman could be just the thing that gets them over the hump and back to the Stanley Cup finals.

NHL Announces 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy Nominees

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In an announcement made Tuesday afternoon, the NHL unveiled the list of nominees for the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice, as well as making a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to their community.

The list of nominees for this year’s award is an impressive one, featuring some of the league’s most well-respected captains, such as Boston’s Patrice Bergeron and Florida’s Aleksander Barkov.

One notable nominee is one of the youngest captains in the league – Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk, in a few short years as a Senator, has already implanted himself in the community, especially in recent seasons. Working with the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, Tkachuk hosts the ’Tkachuk’s Captains’ program, which works with kids at club locations across Ottawa to help develop leadership skills.

That’s not to diminish the off-ice efforts of anyone else named on the full list of nominees, found below. While an often-overlooked award, it’s a great way to highlight some players who focus on making positive contributions to their communities.

Anaheim: Kevin Shattenkirk
Arizona: Travis Boyd
Boston: Patrice Bergeron
Buffalo: Alex Tuch
Calgary: Mikael Backlund
Carolina: Jordan Staal
Chicago: Connor Murphy
Colorado: Devon Toews
Columbus: Zach Werenski
Dallas: Jason Robertson
Detroit: Dylan Larkin
Edmonton: Darnell Nurse
Florida: Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles: Mikey Anderson
Minnesota: Matt Dumba
Montreal: Jordan Harris
Nashville: Juuse Saros
New Jersey: Jack Hughes
NY Islanders: Anders Lee
NY Rangers: Jacob Trouba
Ottawa: Brady Tkachuk
Philadelphia: Scott Laughton
Pittsburgh: Evgeni Malkin
San Jose: Luke Kunin
Seattle: Chris Driedger
St. Louis: Brayden Schenn
Tampa Bay: Victor Hedman
Toronto: Morgan Rielly
Vancouver: Elias Pettersson
Vegas: Reilly Smith
Washington: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg: Blake Wheeler

PHR Playoff Primer: Dallas Stars vs. Seattle Kraken

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With the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs now underway, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We begin our second-round coverage with the Western Conference matchup between the Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken.

The Seattle fanbase waited a long time for a team to cheer for and the Seattle Kraken have given them something to cheer about in just their second season by knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champions in seven games. The Dallas Stars on the other hand were able to dispatch of the Minnesota Wild in just six games on the back of incredible goaltending from Jake Oettinger. Their second-round matchup will mark the first time the two teams have met in the playoffs.

What a difference a season makes. A year ago, Kraken general manager Ron Francis looked as though he’d butchered the expansion draft as Seattle finished near the bottom of the NHL standings. But, fast forward one year later and the Kraken have their first 100-point season, a playoff series victory, and the opportunity for more.  For Dallas, they are just three years removed from a Stanley Cup finals appearance in which they lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the Stars do still have several of the core pieces from that 2020 team, they’ve added a lot of elite young talent to mix in with their older core pieces.

It’s hard to get excited for a series in which the two teams have never met in the playoffs before, but Dallas quietly had one of the most exciting series of the first round, and Seattle provided ample fireworks of their own. This series might not have the draw that some other series may have, but there will be plenty of star power on the ice for Dallas, while Seattle has one of the most balanced lineups in the entire NHL and can outwork almost any team.

Regular Season Performance

Dallas Stars: 51-22-9, 111 points, +43 goal differential
Seattle Kraken: 46-28-8, 100 points, +33 goal differential.

Head-To-Head

March 11, 2023: Dallas 4, Seattle 3 (OT)

March 13, 2023: Dallas 5, Seattle 2

March 21, 2023: Seattle 5, Dallas 4 (OT)

Dallas takes the season series 2-0-1

Team Storylines

One might not think these teams would have much in the way of a rivalry, however for ten days in mid-March they saw a lot of each other. The teams played three times and developed a bit of hate in that time. While a lot has happened since then, there could be carryover.

The biggest storyline in this series will be the high-end skill of the Dallas Stars against the workmanlike attitude of the Seattle Kraken. Dallas has the offense and the goaltending to make a deep run in these playoffs and have much higher expectations than the Kraken, however Seattle has shown an incredible amount of heart this season and are playing with house money at this point. Sometimes the pressure can cause a team to wilt, and sometimes no pressure at all can make a team play fast and loose. It’ll be interesting to see it play out.

The Dallas Stars play with a ton of skill and a ton of speed, led by Jason Robertson, they can put the puck in your net in several ways and can push the pace, or slow down the game if they need to grind out a win. They still possess Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and a few other players from the 2020 run to the finals that know how to get the job done in the playoffs. They have the confidence in their group and their goalie to get it done. Seattle on the other can also play with a lot of pace, they come at you in waves, line after line can contribute on the offensive end. Every line can score, but they don’t have the gamebreakers that Dallas has.

On the backend, both teams have strong blue lines that can help generate offense. Seattle has the size advantage with a couple of towering forces that can crash and bang and clear the front of the net, but Dallas may possess the strength advantage with a physically imposing lineup in which every man in the unit is over six foot. Dallas has the most elite puck mover in Miro Heiskanen, but this year’s version of Vince Dunn isn’t far off, and Seattle has a better collection of point producers and a deeper unit of six. While the Stars defense can do it all, Seattle’s defense can all do it. Coach Dave Hakstol has somehow managed to spread his defensive minutes about as evenly as you will ever see for a defensive unit. I would give the advantage to Seattle in this area as they seem to find an extra gear late in games and have a good track record of shutting the door on their opponents.

In goal, Dallas boasts one of the best goaltenders in the world in Jake Oettinger. His playoff resume is short, but it is strong. He was dominant in the first round, and should he play at that level in this series, Dallas will be tough to beat. Regular season numbers would tell us that Oettinger gives Dallas a huge advantage over Seattle in net, but in round one Seattle received elite goaltending as well. Philipp Grubauer finally gave Seattle the goaltending they thought they were getting when they signed the former Avalanche goalie to a six year $35.4MM contract in 2021. The German netminder hasn’t been able to sustain much success over his two years with the Kraken, but if he can build on his impressive stretch of play in round one, Seattle will have a punchers chance to advance.

Prediction

Anytime an elite goaltender is involved in a series it is always difficult to bet against them. Jake Oettinger has proven himself to be one of the best in the world and so far, has shown an ability to rise to the occasion when the games mean the most. If he can steal a game or two in this series, it will give Dallas a sizeable advantage and could be the difference in the series.

The other element that comes into play is experience. Dallas has a ton of players who have been here before, and while Seattle has some veterans with Stanley Cup playoff experience, it isn’t on the same level. This small detail could be the difference maker for the Stars if they can draw on that experience and find that extra push.

The prediction: Dallas win in seven games.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Stone, Bear, Murray

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It was a short week in the NHL, as the regular season came to a close, but there were still some fantastic performances around the league. The NHL announced its Three Stars for the week and Jason Robertson was atop the list as the league’s First Star of the final week of the regular season. The Dallas Stars winger played three games, scoring one goal and five assists for six points. This helped the 23 year old finish the season with 46 goals and 109 points.

In second and third place last week were Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit. Burns scored goals in all three of the Hurricanes games last week as they held off the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division. He added a second goal against the Florida Panthers to give him four goals in three contests last week. Brossoit suited up for two games between the pipes for the Golden Knights and allowed just one goal in each game, winning them both while stopping 50 of the 52 shots he faced during the week.

  • Per a team release, Vegas Golden Knights Head Coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned Mark Stone has been cleared for contact. This is a step in the right direction for the star two-way winger as he tries to return from an injury that has kept him out of the lineup since January 12. Stone has been dealing with back issues for three months, but his status was changed to day-to-day today as he is now able to join his teammates for practice as a full participant. The Golden Knights begin their first round series with the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
  • Ethan Bear of the Vancouver Canucks was on Canucks Central radio show with Dan Riccio and Satiar Shah and spoke confidently about returning to the Canucks next season. Bear was acquired early in the season from the Carolina Hurricanes and will be a restricted free agent this offseason. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent if he is not given a qualifying offer of one year at $2.2MM but it sounds like Bear will be signing an extension without much drama involved. He openly stated he will be back and anyone worrying about the situation can relax. After being cast aside by the Hurricanes essentially as a cap dump, Bear played well for the Canucks and has deserved an extension to stay.
  • Chris Johnston of TSN reports Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray has begun skating in recent days. Murray is recovering from a concussion suffered in an accidental collision on April 2. Murray has battled injuries most of the season, only suiting up for 26 games for the Maple Leafs. Even if he is healthy in time for Game 1 of the first round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Murray will likely serve as the backup to Ilya Samsonov who has been more consistent and reliable for the Leafs this season.

NHL Announces 2023 All-Star Player Assignments

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The 2023 NHL All-Star Skills competition will take place tomorrow night, and today the league announced the full lineup of participants. Players from around the league will get to show off their unique abilities in several events, with each individual winner taking home $30,000.

Fastest Skater

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Chandler Stephenson, Vegas Golden Knights
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes

Breakaway Challenge

Roberto Luongo, Celebrity goaltender
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals*
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins*
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

*Ovechkin and Crosby are listed as “teaming up”

Tendy Tandem

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Splash Shot

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Accuracy Shooting

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Kevin Hayes, Philadelphia Flyers
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues

Pitch ’n Puck

Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

Hardest Shot

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

NHL Announces Initial All-Star Rosters

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According to a league release, the NHL has named the first eight selections to the four divisional All-Star teams for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.

The league names one player to represent each team at the game, a rule in standing since the league switched to a divisional format for its mid-season talent showcase. A public fan vote will decide the three remaining players per division next week.

Each division’s leader in points percentage after gameplay concludes on January 11 will determine coaches for these teams. The Boston Bruins have already clinched the best such number in the Atlantic at that time, meaning Jim Montgomery will be behind the bench for the star-studded Atlantic Division, arguably the league’s best contingent of talent.

The initial rosters for each division are as follows:

Atlantic Division

Boston: G Linus Ullmark (1st appearance)
Buffalo: C Tage Thompson (1st appearance)
Detroit: C Dylan Larkin (3rd appearance)
Florida: RW Matthew Tkachuk (2nd appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (2nd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (3rd appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (4th appearance)
Toronto: RW Mitch Marner (2nd appearance)

Metropolitan Division

Carolina: LW Andrei Svechnikov (1st appearance)
Columbus: LW Johnny Gaudreau (7th appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (2nd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Brock Nelson (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (1st appearance)
Philadelphia: C Kevin Hayes (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (5th appearance)
Washington: LW Alex Ovechkin (8th appearance)

Central Division

Arizona: LW Clayton Keller (3rd appearance)
Chicago: RD Seth Jones (4th appearance)
Colorado: RD Cale Makar (2nd appearance)
Dallas: LW Jason Robertson (1st appearance)
Minnesota: LW Kirill Kaprizov (2nd appearance)
Nashville: G Juuse Saros (2nd appearance)
St. Louis: RW Vladimir Tarasenko (injured) (4th appearance)
Winnipeg: LD Josh Morrissey (1st appearance)

Pacific Division

Anaheim: RW Troy Terry (2nd appearance)
Calgary: C Nazem Kadri (2nd appearance)
Edmonton: C Connor McDavid (6th appearance)
Los Angeles: LW Kevin Fiala (1st appearance)
San Jose: RD Erik Karlsson (7th appearance)
Seattle: C Matthew Beniers (1st appearance)
Vancouver: C Elias Pettersson (3rd appearance)
Vegas: G Logan Thompson (1st appearance)

The most important note on these rosters is obviously that of Tarasenko’s status. The 31-year-old is on injured reserve with a hand injury, and likely won’t be able to suit up. His replacement will be named shortly.

More to come…

Snapshots: Three Stars, Gallagher, Brodzinski

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is back on top. With 11 points in four games, McDavid has extended his league scoring lead to five over teammate Leon Draisaitl and is approaching a level not seen in the league for quite some time. Mario Lemieux is the only player in the last 30 years to score at a pace better than McDavid’s current 1.88 P/GP rate over a full season. If he can keep it up, the Oilers’ captain could join a very select club that has scored more than 150 points in a single season. Only Wayne Gretzky (nine times), Lemieux (four), Steve Yzerman (one), Phil Esposito (one), and Bernie Nicholls (one) have reached that mark.

Second and third went to Dylan Cozens and Jason Robertson, a pair of youngsters that are vying for their own place among the league’s best. The Buffalo Sabres forward had nine points in four games and now has 24 in 25 games during his third season in the league. The 6’3″ center won’t turn 22 until February. Robertson, meanwhile, has been the talk of the hockey world for weeks, as he continues to pace the league in goals with 23 in 25 games. That puts him on pace to score 75, which would be the highest total since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny both hit 76 in 1992-93.

  • The Montreal Canadiens will be without Brendan Gallagher for the next two weeks, ruling him out with a lower-body injury. He’s going to be joined on the sideline by David Savard, who is listed as day-to-day but continues to be evaluated. While in years past Gallagher’s absence would be a devastating blow to the Canadiens’ forward group, the proverbial torch has been passed this season, with the 30-year-old playing the fewest minutes of his career and subsequently producing at a pedestrian pace. Gallagher has just three goals and eight points in 22 games so far.
  • The up-and-down season continues for Jonny Brodzinski, who is back with the New York Rangers after being sent down yesterday. That’s three transactions in three days for the minor league forward, who has yet to actually play in a game for New York. Through 17 matches with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the 29-year-old has two goals and nine points, not exactly the production he’s used to. Last season, Brodzinski scored 39 in 36 for Hartford while suiting up 22 times in the NHL.

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