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Atlantic Notes: Sacco, Marchand, Kastelic, Jensen

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The Boston Bruins may be in the market for another head coach this summer. In a wide-ranging article about the team’s season, Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe claims the Bruins will likely move on from Joe Sacco this offseason although they’ll want to keep him in a different role on the staff.

In his first head coaching role since his time with the Colorado Avalanche in the early 2010s, Saccos’ Bruins have managed a 22-22-6 record in 50 games. Boston shipped away significant pieces at the trade deadline and appeared poised for their first top 10 draft selection since picking Dougie Hamilton with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.

Dupont believes Sacco’s future with the organization in a different role hinges on whether General Manager Don Sweeney and President Cam Neely retain their positions beyond this season. They want to reward Sacco’s loyalty to the organization for the last 11 years but there’s no guarantee they’ll be around to make that decision after a difficult season.

Other notes from the NHL’s Atlantic Division:

  • Despite being acquired by the team two weeks ago, Brad Marchand has yet to debut with the Florida Panthers. It shouldn’t be too long as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com passed along a note from Panthers’ head coach Paul Maurice saying Marchand should only be a week away from returning. Florida has a light schedule throughout the next week so Marchand may only miss two or three more games. That would allow him to play in the Panthers’ final nine or 10 games of the regular season should his recovery process continue in the right direction.
  • Moving back to eastern Massachusetts, Jim McBride of The Boston Globe reported that Bruins’ forward Mark Kastelic has returned to Boston due to an upper-body injury and will miss the rest of the team’s road trip. Given that their current road trip extends past next week, the news likely ends Kastelic’s availability for the rest of March. The bottom-six forward is enjoying the highest-scoring season of his career with five goals and 14 points in 61 games, leading to a three-year, $4.7MM extension with Boston in January.
  • The Ottawa Senators could have an important right-handed defenseman back in the lineup tonight when they take on the New Jersey Devils. After missing the last three games with a lower-body injury, TSN’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Nick Jensen has been elevated to a game-time decision. Jensen would be an important player to get back into the lineup as the Senators look to correct their two-game losing streak and keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Injury Notes: Red Wings, Romanov, Jensen

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The Red Wings lost both defenseman Erik Gustafsson and winger Elmer Söderblom to undisclosed injuries in Tuesday’s loss to the Capitals, and it doesn’t look like they’re getting either back this weekend against Vegas. Neither practiced during today’s session, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports. The former could be facing a longer-term absence, head coach Todd McLellan said. That’s not good news for a tumbling Red Wings team, whose playoff hopes are close to evaporating after a 2-8-0 run in their last 10 games. Gustafsson is third in points among defenders with 18, trailing Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider. Söderblom, who’s seen time on the top line with Dylan Larkin as of late and has 3-6–9 in 22 games since being recalled in January, is day-to-day. They could be getting veteran defenseman Jeff Petry back in the lineup soon – he’s traveling with the club on their road trip after returning to practice but won’t play this weekend. He’s been out since early January with an undisclosed injury but had just six points in 34 games to begin the year with a minus-seven rating.

More from around the league:

  • Islanders head coach Patrick Roy told reporters he doesn’t expect defenseman Alexander Romanov to draw in against the Canadiens tonight in a game with major postseason implications, per Andrew Gross of Newsday. He’s still dealing with the illness that held him out of Tuesday’s come-from-behind win over the Penguins. The 25-year-old is enjoying a strong season in career-high minutes, posting 4-14–18 with a plus-nine rating while averaging 22:46 per game. New York’s playoff chances could jump to 35% with a regulation win but drop to just 16% with a regulation loss, per MoneyPuck.
  • Senators defenseman Nick Jensen remains unavailable tonight against Colorado, but he practiced with the club anyway, per TSN 1200 Ottawa. The 34-year-old righty will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury. With the Sens having the first wild card spot in the East all but locked up, Travis Hamonic slides into top-four deployment alongside Thomas Chabot with Jensen out. Acquired from the Capitals in last summer’s Jakob Chychrun trade, Jensen is averaging 20:20 per game in Ottawa and leads the team with a +17 rating.

Atlantic Notes: Domi, Jensen, Guhle

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Toronto Maple Leaf head coach Craig Berube stated today that forward Max Domi has taken his game to “another level,” per The Hockey News Toronto’s Nick Barden.

While Domi has struggled this season to the tune of 28 points in 59 games, he has shown signs of offensive improvement of late. Since March 1, Domi has recorded five points in eight games. This pairs with his usual tenacity, hitting prowess, and solid 51.2 faceoff percentage on the season.

Aided by his improved play, Toronto’s third line of Domi, Bobby McMann, and Nick Robertson are beginning to click as the playoffs loom. The three combined for seven points in Monday’s game against the Flames.

Domi, a veteran of 720 games, has scored 445 points in his career, including 47 points over 80 games last season. He has added 26 points in 50 career playoff games. Domi has three years left on his contract and comes with a $3.75 MM AAV, so his improved play is a welcomed sight for the Maple Leafs as they look ahead to this year’s playoffs and beyond.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Senators’ Nick Jensen missed his second straight game tonight due to a lower body injury, per The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie. The 34-year-old defender has been a key figure in his first season in Ottawa, posting 19 points and a plus-17 rating. He averages a hefty 20:20 average ice time per game and has recorded 74 blocked shots. Ottawa received Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick in a trade with the Capitals that saw defenseman Jakob Chychrun head to Washington. Jensen’s availability will be key to Ottawa as they fight for a place in the playoffs down the stretch run. Prior to tonight’s 6-3 loss to against the Canadians, the Senators were winners of their last six games and find themselves in the first wild card spot in the east.
  • Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle skated prior to the team’s practice today, per TSN. The 23-year-old underwent surgery for a lacerated quadriceps muscle in late January. He returned to skating on March 7, but he remains out indefinitely. In 44 games on the season, he recorded 14 points, 100 blocked shots, and 67 hits.

Senators’ Nick Cousins To Miss 6-8 Weeks

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Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins will be out through at least early March after suffering a knee injury in the team’s Saturday win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cousins suffered the injury on a knee-to-knee collision with Leafs rookie Jacob Quillan. Both players needed help off the ice after the hit, though Quillian ultimately avoided an injury. Senators head coach Travis Green shared that Cousins would miss significant time immediately after the game. Now the forward could be a candidate for long-term injured reserve, though Cousins is getting different opinions on the severity of his injury, per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch.

Cousins has been a reliable bottom-six forward for the Senators, appearing in 46 of the team’s 48 games and averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time prior to his injury. He has five goals and 13 points on the year, just shy of the 15 points he managed in 69 games with the Florida Panthers last season. Cousins continues to sit off of his team’s special teams units – which should make his role a bit less of a headache to replace.

Since Cousins’ injury, top forward Joshua Norris has made his return to the Senators lineup. That addition should fill their hole for the time being, with Adam Gaudette and Matthew Highmore securing routine roles on the fourth line. Ottawa also successfully passed winger Cole Reinhardt through waivers on Wednesday, which grants him a 30-day waiver exemption and gives Ottawa a movable extra forward. Reinhardt has two points, a goal and an assist through 12 games this season. They’re the first points of his career, in some of his first NHL games, though he made his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season. Reinhardt has since been a productive member of the AHL’s Belleville Senators. He leads that team in points-per-game this season, with 16 points in 13 games. Ottawa could also turn towards rookie Stephen Halliday – Belleville’s leading scorer with 27 points – should they need additional support over the next two months.

In other Senators news, defenseman Nick Jensen returned to the team’s practice in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday. Jensen has missed the team’s last two games with an undisclosed injury. His status for Ottawa’s Thursday matchup against the Washington Capitals is undetermined, but Jensen is expected to return soon, per Sportsnet’s Alex Adams. Jensen has 18 points in 48 games this season – the second-highest scoring pace of his 10-year career behind his 29 points in 77 games of the 2022-23 season.

Finally, star goaltender Linus Ullmark should return within the next few games, per Garrioch. Ullmark has missed the last 16 games with a back injury. He’s been an integral piece to the Senators’ lineup in his first year with the club, boasting a 12-7-2 record and .915 save percentage through 23 games this season. He’ll be a critical addition when he’s back to full health.

Atlantic Notes: Ekblad, Ullmark, Jensen, Knies

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The Panthers will welcome back a key blueliner to their lineup tonight in San Jose.  Team reporter Jameson Olive mentions that Aaron Ekblad has been cleared to return from the upper-body injury that has kept him out for seven straight games and eight of the last nine.  While the 28-year-old isn’t quite the two-way defender he was earlier in his career, he still leads all Florida rearguards in assists with 18 in 41 games while logging 23:32 per night, a team-high which certainly won’t hurt his case heading into unrestricted free agency this summer.  With his return, Tobias Bjornfot is expected to be a healthy scratch.  Ekblad remained on the active roster while injured so no roster moves need to be made on Florida’s end to accommodate his return.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • While goaltender Linus Ullmark was a full participant in today’s game day skate, he won’t suit up tonight or tomorrow, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The 31-year-old has been out for a little more than a month with a back injury and recently landed on LTIR to allow Ottawa to remain cap-compliant in the short term.  Ullmark has a 2.38 GAA and a .915 SV% in 23 games so far this season and his eventual return will certainly be welcomed with the Senators squarely in the battle for playoff positioning.
  • Still with the Senators, defenseman Nick Jensen won’t play in either game this weekend, relays TSN 1200 (Twitter link). He suffered an undisclosed injury on Thursday versus Boston, leaving the game late and not returning.  Jensen has been a nice addition to Ottawa after coming over in an early July trade from Washington, putting up 18 points in 48 games while logging a career-high 20:49 per game of ice time.  There’s no word on how much longer he might miss beyond these next two games.
  • Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies briefly skated before practice on Friday with head coach Craig Berube telling reporters including Nick Barden of The Hockey News that Knies is listed as day-to-day. He sustained an upper-body injury on Wednesday against Columbus.  The 22-year-old has already set a new career best for goals this season with 18 in 47 games, positioning him well when it comes to contract discussions this summer when he’ll be a restricted free agent.

Senators Trade Jakob Chychrun To Capitals

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The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, per a team announcement. Ottawa is receiving defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick in return. The deal comes nearly a year and a half after the Senators acquired Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick.

Chychrun should immediately step into a top-four position on the Capitals blue line next to a shutdown defenseman. On a subpar Senators team, Chychrun put up 14 goals and 41 points in 82 games with 16 of those points coming while on the team’s powerplay.

There is some critique of Chychrun’s game on the defensive side of the puck as he finished the 2023-24 season with a -30 rating on the team’s top-pairing. In Chychrun’s defense, Ottawa was plagued by uniquely bad goaltending during the regular season which could have also factored into Chychrun’s 88.0% on-ice save percentage in all situations. The young defenseman finished the year with an expected +/- of 0.4 according to HockeyReference which shows some of Chychrun’s poor defensive metrics were in part due to the Senators’ style of play.

Heading to Ottawa is Jensen who has two years remaining on a three-year, $12.12MM extension signed with Washington towards the end of the 2022-23 regular season. Heading into the 2023-24 season, Jensen was coming off a stretch of 153 games with the Capitals in which he scored 10 goals and 50 points from the blue line. Jensen would only score one goal and 14 points in 79 games for the Capitals this season in a disappointing follow-up.

Becoming more apparent by the day that Chychrun was unwilling to sign an extension with the Senators, the team can get out from under his contract while keeping their defensive structure in place. Chychrun will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season as the 26-year-old defenseman is approaching the end of a six-year, $27.6MM contract originally signed with the Arizona Coyotes.

Morning Snapshots: Matthews, Team Canada, Capitals

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The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled star Auston Matthews ahead of Game Four’s third period last night. When asked about it postgame, head coach Sheldon Keefe said it was the team doctor’s that made the decision, pulling Matthews because of illness. Toronto went on to lose the game 3-1, a scorecard that also matches Boston’s lead on the series. Matthews has played through the illness for the last two games, taking maintenance days at Toronto’s practices in between to try and regain energy. No indication has been made about his availability for Game Five, though it could be dependent on how he’s feeling each day moving forward.

Matthews, like the rest of the Maple Leafs lineup, hasn’t had a particularly strong first round – managing one goal and three points in four games and adding one penalty. It’s a tremendous step down from a historic regular-season that saw Matthews become the first player to score 69 goals since Mario Lemieux, who pulled off the feat in just 70 games in 1996. Matthews wasn’t able to crack the illustrious 70-goal mark, but still managed unprecedented scoring in this day-and-age. Unfortunately, something about that scoring hasn’t translated to the playoffs, and Matthews now finds his Leafs on the brink of elimination. While his illness has clearly not improved much, it’s hard to imagine Matthews will sit out of a chance to save Toronto’s season.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Roger McQueen will miss the remaining U18 World Championship with an injury suffered in the first period of  Canada’s latest game against Team Czechia, shares FloHockey’s Chris Peters (Twitter link). McQueen managed one point across three games this tournament, including his early exit against Czechia. Canada has added fellow 2025 prospect Caleb Desnoyers to the roster in McQueen’s absences. Desnoyers is one of the draft’s top names out of the eastern Canada and posted 20 goals and 56 points in 60 games as a QMJHL rookie this season. He also scored three goals and five points in eight games during the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Desnoyers will now get to run with the big dogs in U18s, and is expected to draw in right away, with Canadian forward Carson Wetsch receiving a one-game suspension for a hit-from-behind. Wetsch, a 2024 Draft prospect, has scored two goals in two tournament games.
  • The Washington Capitals saw three defensemen progress from injury at Sunday morning’s practice. Most notably, defenders Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen both returned to full contact, with Sandin even taking reps on the team’s power-play, shares The Hockey News (Twitter link). At least one of them is expected to return to the lineup ahead of Game Four, with Trevor van Riemsdyk ruled out with an upper-body injury, per Ben Raby of Capitals Radio (Twitter link). Lucas Johansen also skated as a healthy scratch, opening up room should both Sandin and Jensen be ready. Rookie defender Vincent Iorio also returned to the team’s practice in a no-contact jersey after suffering an upper-body injury in Game One. These moves should give Washington a new-look on defense, after they’ve allowed the New York Rangers to average 3.67 goals through Round One’s first three games.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals Defensemen, Martin, Ciernik

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The Capitals lost another defenseman yesterday when Trevor van Riemsdyk sustained an upper-body injury.  Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News that the veteran won’t be available for a must-win Game Four with Washington now on the brink of elimination.  While Vincent Iorio skated today, he was in a non-contact jersey and won’t be available tomorrow either.  However, Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen both took part in practice and haven’t been ruled out yet for Sunday’s contest.  If one of them can’t play, Hardy Haman Aktell will make his NHL playoff debut.  Carbery indicated that, for now, the team isn’t planning to recall Chase Priskie, the only defenseman left on an NHL contract, from AHL Hershey.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Islanders will be making a lineup change today up front as they look to stay alive versus Carolina. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Matt Martin is unavailable due to a lower-body injury so winger Ruslan Iskhakov will make his NHL playoff debut.  Martin has been a long-time mainstay on New York’s fourth line but saw his production wane this season as he was limited to just eight points in 57 games.  Iskhakov, meanwhile, was a quality producer in the minors for the second straight year, notching 50 points in 69 games while recording an assist in his NHL debut earlier this month.  While the team will be missing some physicality with Martin out, Iskhakov might give them a better shot at scoring, an area of concern as they’re averaging just two goals per game through the first three games of the series.
  • Flyers prospect Alex Ciernik has inked a one-year deal with Nybro of Sweden’s Allsvenskan, per a team release. The 19-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Philadelphia last June, going 120th overall.  Ciernik had a decent showing this season in his first full professional campaign, notching 14 points in 26 games with Vasterviks along with three assists in six contests in a relegation series.  The Flyers hold Ciernik’s rights through June 1st, 2027 so they have plenty of time still before they need to sign him.

East Notes: Senators, Lomberg, Capitals

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The Ottawa Senators have hit a snag in their pursuit of moving to the LeBreton Flats, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The Senators have been working with the National Capital Commission to facilitate the move for the last two years, establishing a memorandum of understanding with the NCC that dedicated a parcel of land for a new arena. But the parcel is just seven acres, compared to the Senators’ current 75-acre plot, leading the team to worry they may not have room for public parking.

Still, Senators’ CEO Tobi Nussbaum shared with Garrioch that the NCC has room for flexibility, and that the team remains confident that LeBreton is the right spot for them. The two sides will face a soft-deadline of September to decide if they are going to move forward with the LeBreton arena, though Nussbaum added, “Should (the rink) not happen, there is a Plan B for those parcels within LeBreton Flats. If the two sides aren’t able to come to an agreement or the Senators make a decision that they’re not going to build there, then we’ll move to our second option”

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Forward Ryan Lomberg will remain out of the Florida Panthers lineup in Game Three due to illness, head coach Paul Maurice told Florida Hockey Now’s Colby Guy (Twitter link). Guy added that Lomberg traveled with the team, but needs another day of feeling good before returning to their facilities. Kyle Okposo will step into the lineup in his place, set to play in his first postseason game since 2016, when he scored eight points in 11 games with the New York Islanders. Okposo has yet to record his first point as a Panther, despite appearing in six games. Pending a big Game Three performance, he’ll likely step back out of the lineup when Lomberg is back to full health.
  • The Washington Capitals could be without forward Sonny Milano in Game Three due to an upper-body injury, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Milano appeared in both of Washington’s postseason games so far, recording no scoring and a -2. Silber also shared that defenders Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen are each continuing to progress from the injuries that’s so far held them out of the postseason lineup. That means Alexander Alexeyev and Dylan McIlrath will remain in the lineup, after rookie Vincent Iorio was also sidelined with injury.

Washington Capitals Recall Hardy Häman Aktell

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With defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin still out of the lineup for Game 2, the Washington Capitals were put in a position to recall some depth from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. According to a team announcement, the Capitals recalled defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell earlier today, and he was with the team for practice.

Even after the recall, it is more than unlikely that he will play this evening against the New York Rangers, as all signs indicate defenseman Lucas Johansen will enter the lineup instead. Johansen, who only has Calder Cup playoff experience under his belt, suited up in six games for the Capitals this season, tallying one assist in total.

If there are any more injuries to the blue line, Washington may find themselves in a precarious enough position to require Aktell to make his postseason debut with the team in his first year playing for the organization. Even though Aktell was drafted with the 108th overall pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2016 NHL Draft, he decided to play professional hockey in his native Sweden before signing an entry-level deal with the Capitals towards the end of last summer.

Aktell’s first season in North America has been decent but he has seen his scoring drop precipitously compared to his last season in the SHL. Over 55 games spent with the Bears this year, Aktell scored two goals and 11 points in total, sitting sixth on the team in scoring amongst defensemen. In early October, Aktell made his NHL debut, scoring one assist in six games for the Capitals.

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