Central Notes: Faksa, Marchment, Stastney, McCarron, Hellebuyck, Dillon
The Stars still don’t know if banged-up forwards Radek Faksa and Mason Marchment can play in Game 3 against the Golden Knights as they try to overcome a 2-0 series deficit. As relayed by The Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos, they’re both game-time decisions after sustaining undisclosed injuries in Game 2.
Dallas lost their services in the third period of Wednesday’s game, as neither player took a shift in the final 10 minutes of the 3-1 loss. The potential loss of Marchment is an especially large blow to the Stars’ elite secondary scoring, which Vegas has managed to keep quiet through two games. He’s one of three Stars with a goal in the series so far and set career highs across the board in the regular season with 22 goals and 53 points in 81 games. He’d been skating on their second line with Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin.
While dragged down by his late-game absence Wednesday, Faksa’s only averaged 9:01 through two playoff games and has a -1 rating. The fourth-line shutdown pivot has gone 6/10 in the faceoff dot with nine hits and was centering a line with Evgenii Dadonov and Sam Steel. Dallas recalled top forward prospect Mavrik Bourque from AHL Texas yesterday, and he could slot into the lineup if Faksa and Marchment are unavailable and make his postseason debut just days after being awarded the MVP for the 2023-24 AHL season. The more experienced Ty Dellandrea and Craig Smith are also available to enter the lineup.
Other Central Division updates from a busy day of playoff hockey:
- The Predators lost defenseman Spencer Stastney to an upper-body injury in last night’s Game 3 loss to the Canucks, and he won’t be back anytime soon. He’s been ruled out on a week-to-week basis, per The Tennessean’s Paul Skrbina, potentially sidelining him for the rest of the first round. The 24-year-old was on the receiving end of a hard hit from Canucks forward Dakota Joshua that was initially declared a major penalty for boarding, causing his head to hit the glass. He remained on the ice for a few seconds after the collision but skated off under his own power. Officials downgraded the penalty to a two-minute minor upon review. The first three games of this series were the first of Stastney’s playoff career, posting a -1 rating and unfavorable possession metrics in bottom-pairing minutes. Stastney, a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Preds, made a career-high 20 appearances in the regular season with two goals, two assists and a +9 rating. That wasn’t the only piece of news stemming from a controversial first-period collision last night, either. Preds center Michael McCarron was fined $2K by the Department of Player Safety today for his interference penalty (video link) on Canucks goalie Casey DeSmith, per the league. He was assessed a minor penalty on the play.
- Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is the odds-on favorite to take home the Vezina Trophy, but you wouldn’t know it based on his early playoff showing. While the team in front of him is conceding nearly 40 shots per game, his .871 SV% through three games is far below expectations, and his -2.3 goals saved above expected (MoneyPuck) rank 17th out of 19 playoff goalies. That led to some remote speculation that Winnipeg may turn to above-average backup option Laurent Brossoit to tie the series in Game 4, but head coach Rick Bowness confirmed today that won’t be the case (via Sportsnet’s Eric Engels). Hellebuyck has a .913 SV% in 43 career postseason starts. Additionally, the team has avoided the worst with defenseman Brenden Dillon, who sustained a hand laceration from Avs winger Brandon Duhaime‘s skate at the end of last night’s loss. He’s only been ruled out day-to-day, Bowness said, and has avoided major ligament damage. If he’s unable to go for tomorrow’s Game 4, expect the 6’7″ Logan Stanley to re-enter the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch last night.
Mason Marchment Fined For Interference
Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment has been fined $5,000 by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for interference on Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe. The incident happened in the second period of Toronto’s 5-4 win over Dallas last night. On the play, McCabe picked up the puck in the defensive zone and reversed it up the boards to a teammate and then turned and was hit late by Marchment. No penalty was assessed on the play and a bloodied McCabe skated to the bench under his own power in obvious displeasure with the officials.
The $5,000 fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and is not the first time Marchment has faced discipline from the league. The 28-year-old was fined $2,000 by the league back in December 2022 under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment) after an incident against the Ottawa Senators resulted in a hooking penalty to Derick Brassard. Marchment was hit by the league for embellishing Brassard’s hook to draw a penalty which was the second time he had been disciplined by the league for such an offense. The first embellishment incident occurred the month before and resulted in a warning being given to Marchment.
Despite the discipline, Marchment is having a fantastic year for the Stars as he has registered 16 goals and 23 assists in 50 games. He has been red hot as of late with two goals and four assists in his past five games.
The money from today’s fine will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Injury Notes: Marchment, Sprong, Walker
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment will play in tonight’s Game 6 against the Seattle Kraken. Marchment was hit in the head by an inadvertent elbow from Kraken forward Alex Wennberg in Game 4. He missed most of that game and sat out Game 5 with the injury that resulted from that hit.
The Stars winger is playing the first year of a four-year contract that pays him $4.5MM per season. The physical winger stands at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and also adds some scoring punch to the Stars lineup. He put up 12 goals and 31 points in 68 regular season games with the Stars and added five points in ten playoff games before being injured. He will add some depth to the forward group that is looking to eliminate the Kraken in Game 6 and move on to the Western Conference Final.
- While the Kraken will look to stay alive tonight, they will have to do so without one of their depth forwards. According to Alison Lukan of NHL.com, Seattle will not have the services of Daniel Sprong tonight. Head Coach Dave Hakstol says although Sprong skated and is listed as day-to-day, he does not expect the 26-year-old winger to play again in this series. Sprong scored 21 goals and 46 points in 66 regular season games, but left Game 3 of this series with an upper-body injury and remains out of the lineup.
- Michael Russo of The Athletic reports Minnesota Wild forward Samuel Walker was injured at the World Championships and is out for the remainder of the tournament. Russo goes on to explain that Walker injured his shoulder in USA’s first game of the tournament and though he is already on his way home, he will be ready for training camp in September. Walker just wrapped up his first pro season, scoring two points in nine games for the Wild while piling up 27 goals and 48 points in 56 games for the Iowa Wild of the AHL.
Snapshots: Brossoit, Maggio, Marchment
Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal gave some updates from the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy, this afternoon, mentioning that injured goaltender Laurent Brossoit will remain out for Game Five. Brossoit has been out since the team’s victory in Game Three during their second-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers.
Although averaging some very solid numbers in limited regular season games this year, Brossoit has left a lot to be desired for Vegas so far in this year’s playoffs. In eight games played, he does have a very good record at 5-2-0 but is also carrying a .894 SV% and a GAA of 3.18. Working out well for the Golden Knights up to this point, it is hard to imagine overall success as the team gets deeper into the playoffs with those numbers.
Picking up for Brossoit after leaving Game Three early was netminder Adin Hill. Playing for nearly the last 50 minutes of Game Three, Hill stopped 24 of 24 shots, helping his team take the lead in the series. Unfortunately in Game Four, Hill did not impress as much, giving up four goals on 33 shots. With veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick still at their disposal, the Golden Knights will surely be looking for more consistent goaltending as they look to take back the series lead against the Oilers in Game Five.
Other snapshots:
- The OHL announced today that New York Islanders prospect, Matthew Maggio, has been awarded the Red Tilson Trophy, given annually to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player. Earlier this month, the Islanders signed their 142nd overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft to an entry-level contract. Although his team, the Windsor Spitfires, was eliminated in the first round by the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL playoffs, Maggio had an unbelievable season nonetheless. In 66 games played, the young forward scored 54 goals and 57 assists, helping his team secure first place in the Western Conference.
- Missing last night’s Game Five victory against the Seattle Kraken, Dallas Stars’ forward Mason Marchment will be available for Game Six according to Joey Hayden of Dallas Morning News. Although the team played well in his absence, Marchment would be a welcomed return as the Stars look to move on to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2019-20 season. In 10 games played so far in this year’s playoffs, Marchment has scored three goals and provided two assists.
Stars Notes: Marchment, Hakanpaa, Dellandrea
The Dallas Stars will be without a key forward as they take on the Seattle Kraken in Game 5 of their second round series. Mike Heika of NHL.com reports Mason Marchment will not play tonight in a pivotal game as one team will split the deadlock and take a 3-2 series lead. Marchment left Game 4 early after taking an elbow to the face from Kraken forward Alex Wennberg, which appeared to be accidental.
Marchment put up decent numbers for the Stars in his first season in Dallas, scoring 12 goals and 31 points in 68 regular season games as well as five points in ten postseason contests. The 6-foot-4 and 210 pound winger also brings a physical presence that teams are always searching for to find an edge in a lengthy playoff series.
- In better news for the Stars, Heika also reports defenseman Jani Hakanpaa will be back in the lineup. He missed Game 4 of this series with a lower-body injury but will be back on the ice as the Stars look to take a series lead. Hakanpaa has quietly earned a big role with the Stars, playing over 20 minutes per game in this postseason and taking care of business in the defensive end.
- Youngster Ty Dellandrea also missed Game 4 with what was called a sickness, but Heika also mentions the 22-year-old forward is returning to the ice for Game 5. He will slot in on the fourth line after his first full NHL season saw him score nine goals and 28 points in 82 games. Dellandrea has one point in nine playoff games this spring as well.
Stars Injury Notes: Marchment, Dellandrea, Hakanpaa
Dallas Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine tweeted today that after a conversation with Stars head coach Pete DeBoer he put a 10% chance that Mason Marchment dresses tonight for game 5 against the Seattle Kraken. DeBoer said Marchment was a game time decision after the forward took part in the team’s gameday skate. However, LeVine also tweeted that Marchment and DeBoer had a conversation on the ice and the 27-year-old did not participate in the hard skating portions of the team’s practice.
Marchment left game 4 of this series after taking an elbow to the face from Kraken forward Alexander Wennberg. Dallas offered little information up after the game and just deemed his status as questionable for game 5. Should Marchment sit out tonight it would be a big blow for the Stars as Marchment has provided a little bit of everything for Dallas in these playoffs. In ten games the Uxbridge native has put up three goals and two assists while playing 14 minutes a night.
In other Dallas Stars injury notes:
- Bruce LeVine also speculated that forward Ty Dellandrea had a 90% chance of dressing for game 5 tonight. The young center was one of the first arrivals to the Stars practice and took part in it. DeBoer called Dellandrea a game time decision, but it appears he will dress after missing game 4 with what was described as a flu. Dellandrea has struggled in these playoffs with just a single goal in nine games while playing 15:31 a game. He has seen his faceoff numbers dip as well as he is winning just 38.7% of the draws he takes, a far cry from his 51% average in the regular season.
- LeVine put Jani Hakanpaa’s availability for tonight’s game at 50/50 after Pete DeBoer called the defenseman a gametime decision. The 31-year-old missed game 4 with what was described as a lower body injury. No information was released on how Hakanpaa suffered the injury but he appeared okay when he last dressed on Sunday night as he put up six hits, scored a goal, and played over 20 minutes. In these playoffs the 6’6” defender has a goal and an assist in nine games for the Stars.
Central Injury Notes: Marchment, Lehkonen, Helm
Senior Staff Writer for the Dallas Stars, Mike Heika, is reporting that Mason Marchment will likely return to the Stars’ lineup on Thursday as they take on the St.Louis Blues for their season finale. The Stars have been without Marchment since their March 13th game against the Seattle Kraken.
Aside from their terrific play throughout the regular season, one of the major storylines in Dallas was addressing the second line centered by Tyler Seguin. The team found their answer at the trade deadline, acquiring Max Domi from the Chicago Blackhawks to play with Marchment and Seguin.
Unfortunately for Dallas, they have been unable to see much action with those three on the same line. Since the trade deadline, the Stars have only been able to field a complete second line for three games. Although nothing has been confirmed from the team in regard to his activation, the addition of Marchment back into the lineup will make the Stars an even more difficult team to face in the first round.
As the season comes to a close, Dallas currently sits in second place in the Central Division of the Western Conference. With two games remaining, each against the Blues, Dallas sits one point back of the division-leading Avalanche, who have the same amount of games played.
Other injury updates from the Central Division:
- Although it has come seldomly this season, the Colorado Avalanche may have a positive injury update before the season is over. Ryan Boulding, a correspondent for the NHL, is reporting that Artturi Lehkonen may be back for the final two games of the regular season. The forward has been out since the team’s March 13th game against the Montreal Canadiens. Even after missing a month of the season, Lehkonen is enjoying a career year in his first full year in Colorado. In 62 games for the Avalanche, the Finnish forward has scored 20 goals and 29 assists. If the Avalanche are to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, Lehkonen will be an important piece to that puzzle.
- On the negative side of the injury front for Colorado, Ryan Boulding is also reporting that Darren Helm may not be ready for the playoffs. Helm has been injured for most of this year, only suiting up in 11 games for the Avalanche. Although his contributions are low this season, Helm can be an important piece come playoff time. Not a top threat in any lineup, he has scored big game-winning playoff goals, most notably in Game 5 of the 2009 Western Conference Finals, and Game 6 of the 2022 Western Conference semi-finals.
West Notes: Eichel, Marchment, Shaw
The Golden Knights have a chance to clinch the Pacific Division for the third time in their six-year history today but had to try to do so without their top center in the lineup. The team announced (Twitter link) that Jack Eichel is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury which kept him out of the lineup against Dallas. The 26-year-old has had a good first full season with Vegas, notching 27 goals and 38 assists in 66 games to lead the team in scoring but this will be the third separate instance that he’ll miss time due to injury after dealing with a pair of lower-body issues earlier in the year.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Stars winger Mason Marchment returned to practice for the first time yesterday as he works his way back from a knee injury, reports Saad Yousuf of The Athletic (subscription link). Head coach Peter DeBoer indicated that he’s hopeful that the 27-year-old will be able to play at least once before the playoffs start. With Dallas in the middle of a three-way battle for seeding in the Central, his return would certainly be a welcome one. Marchment has 12 goals and 19 assists in 67 games this season, his first in Dallas.
- Wild winger Mason Shaw will have his ACL surgery next week, relays Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). It will be the fourth such procedure that the 24-year-old has had. The recovery timeline is typically eight to nine months which means he won’t be available for training camp in the fall but will be tendered a qualifying offer this spring. Shaw finished with 17 points and 87 hits in 59 games this season.
Snapshots: Stars, Stalock, Gaber, Caulfield
While the Stars are in a tight battle for seeding in the Central Division, they’re doing so without some key veterans in their lineup. Saad Yousuf of The Athletic provided (Twitter link) some updates on those injured players. Veteran center Tyler Seguin has resumed skating while his stitches have been removed with head coach Peter DeBoer indicating he could be an option to return later this week. The 31-year-old has been an important secondary scorer for Dallas this season, notching 42 points in 65 games so far.
Meanwhile, Mason Marchment isn’t as far along in his recovery although DeBoer hopes that they’ll be able to get him back before the playoffs. The winger has 31 points in 67 contests in his first season with the Stars and his grit would certainly be useful in the postseason when things get more physical. As for Scott Wedgewood, while his day-to-day injury has dragged on for more than a month, DeBoer noted that the goaltender is progressing and is expected to be back sooner than later. Wedgewood has posted a solid .913 SV% in 18 appearances as the second-stringer this season.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Although Alex Stalock has had an impressive season with Chicago, John Dietz of The Daily Herald suggests that the Blackhawks might not be the best fit for him. The 35-year-old has been a nice story this year, posting a .915 SV% in 21 games. However, with Petr Mrazek signed for another season and youngsters Arvid Soderblom and Jaxson Stauber showing they’re worthy of NHL looks as well, there just might not be a viable opportunity for Stalock to stick around.
- One of the top college free agent forwards is off the market. No, Riese Gaber didn’t sign anywhere but instead, Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that the winger informed North Dakota that he’ll remain with them next year for his senior season. Gaber had a productive junior year, notching 37 points in 39 games, equaling his output from 2021-22. He indicated that he did have interest from NHL teams but instead will give it one more go with the Fighting Hawks.
- Schlossman also notes that Penguins prospect Judd Caulfield has not yet made a decision about turning pro or opting for his bonus year; players impacted by the pandemic have a fifth year of eligibility. The 22-year-old winger was a fifth-round pick by Pittsburgh back in 2019 (145th overall) and put up nearly identical numbers this season (10 goals, nine assists) compared to a year ago (11 goals and nine helpers). Caulfield has reached the double-digit point mark in each of his four college seasons but hasn’t recorded more than 20 in a single campaign either.
Dallas Stars Notes: Seguin, Marchment
Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill gave an update on two injury situations for the team, according to Mike Heika, senior staff writer for dallasstars.com. Forward Tyler Seguin is recovering from the leg laceration he sustained on March 9 against the Buffalo Sabres, as he was skating on his own at the team’s practice facility. He is expected to practice with the team on Monday before being re-evaluated.
Seguin is an important cog in the Stars offensive machine, despite seeing his production drop off in recent seasons. Seguin has 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in 65 games, and will be important to the Stars’ hopes of making a deep playoff run.
- Nill also announced forward Mason Marchment will be out around 3-4 weeks with a knee injury. Marchment last played March 13 against the Seattle Kraken, but flew back to Dallas on his own while the team continues its road trip. Marchment enjoyed a breakout performance last season for the Florida Panthers, with 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points in 54 games. He had just 11 points total in his first 37 games in the NHL, and signed a four-year contract worth an AAV of $4.5MM with Dallas last summer. He has 12 goals and 19 assists in 67 games this season for the Stars.