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Roope Hintz

Dallas Notes: Benn, Hintz, Lundkvist, Oettinger

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For the first time in his career, longtime Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn is heading for free agency. That said, Benn told reporters he intends to play next season — and plans to do so with the Stars, per Taylor Baird of NHL.com.

The Stars’ captain said, “I’m going into the summer planning on playing next year. I don’t see myself going anywhere else. This is all I know. Hopefully, we can figure something out.”

Benn has played all 1,192 of his games in Dallas. The soon-to-be 36-year-old ranks second only to franchise legend Mike Modano in several key categories, including games played, points, goals, and shots on goal. He also secured the franchise’s only Art Ross Trophy when he posted 87 points during the 2014-15 season.

This past season, Benn proved he can still contribute in a bottom-six role, finishing with a respectable 16 goals and 49 points. However, his production dipped in the postseason, where he managed just three points in 18 games.

Elsewhere with the Stars:

  • GM Jim Nill confirmed that forward Roope Hintz sustained a foot fracture after being slashed by Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Darnell Nurse in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. The injury kept Hintz out of Game 3, and while he was on the ice for Games 4 and 5, the injury limited the defensively responsible forward. The slash was originally called a major penalty; however, the referees later downgraded it to a minor, much to the frustration of coach Pete DeBoer. Nill also confirmed that defenseman Nils Lundkvist was recently cleared by his surgeon for full contact in practice. Lundkvist underwent shoulder surgery in February that was originally labeled as a season-ending procedure. However, DeBoer noted at the start of the playoffs that Lundkvist could have potentially returned if the Stars made a deep enough run. While Lundkvist ultimately wasn’t able to return, it appears he’ll have a clean bill of health heading into next season.
  • DeBoer also noted that the coaching staff discussed potentially sitting goalie Jake Oettinger for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, citing his heavy playoff workload (more than any other goalie) and the fact that he was dealing with an “upper-respiratory thing,” per Assimakopoulos. The 26-year-old started strong in the playoffs but cooled off considerably against the Oilers. His postseason ended abruptly in Game 5, when he allowed two goals on the first two shots he faced in a 6–3 loss that eliminated the Stars.

Central Notes: Marchessault, Ylonen, Hintz, Blackhawks

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Jonathan Marchessault’s first season in Nashville didn’t exactly go as planned.  Like many Predators who underachieved, his offensive numbers dipped, with his goal total being cut in half from 42 to 21 while his 56 points were his lowest since the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.  With things not going well this year, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the belief is that the 34-year-old is open to moving on.  He’d be an intriguing addition for teams looking to add some firepower up front but the fact he has four years left on his contract (even at a reasonable $5.5MM price tag) could scare some suitors off, while Marchessault can also partially control his fate with a 15-team no-trade clause.

More from the Central:

  • As expected, Predators pending RFA Jesse Ylonen has officially signed with SHL Djurgarden, per a team release. He was linked to landing a deal in Sweden last week.  The 25-year-old was on Montreal’s roster full-time last season but he played exclusively in the minors this year, splitting time between farm teams in Tampa Bay and Nashville.  Between the two squads, Ylonen put 12 goals and 23 assists in 66 games.  Ylonen has two years of team control remaining but with arbitration eligibility.  Considering the term of this agreement is two years, the likeliest outcome is that the Preds simply non-tender Ylonen next month.
  • After missing Sunday’s game with a leg injury, Stars center Roope Hintz was back in the lineup tonight against Edmonton. He took the place of Evgenii Dadonov who was a healthy scratch.  Hintz entered the night tied for second on Dallas in points with 11 through 15 games after putting up 67 in 76 games during the regular season.
  • The Blackhawks made it official today that Anders Sorensen and Michael Peca will serve as assistants on Jeff Blashill’s staff, moves that were reported last week. Meanwhile, it appears the third and final spot is close to being filled as well as Blashill told reporters today including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link) that they’re close to getting that vacancy filled.  Whoever is hired will be taking the place of Kevin Dean who is not returning next season and will likely be tasked with working with their young defensive group.

Snapshots: Brown, Hintz, Koppanen

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Oilers winger Connor Brown left today’s victory over Dallas with an upper-body injury.  He was injured late in the second period on a hit from Alex Petrovic.  Speaking with reporters postgame (video link), head coach Kris Knoblauch indicated that there was no immediate update on Brown’s status.  The 31-year-old has been a quality secondary scorer in the playoffs with five goals and three assists in 14 games despite being questionable for a few games with another injury.  If Brown isn’t available for Tuesday’s matchup, one of Viktor Arvidsson or Jeff Skinner would likely take his place in the lineup.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • With Roope Hintz being a late scratch against Edmonton, Stars head coach Peter DeBoer was asked after today’s game about his status. He noted (video link) that the center wasn’t particularly close to being able to play and had he been close, he would have played.  Hintz took the pregame warmup but left only a few minutes in and DeBoer’s comments appear to call into question Hintz’s potential availability on Tuesday.  Hintz has five goals and six assists through 15 playoff games, good for a share of second in team scoring heading into today’s loss.
  • Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests that pending UFA winger Joona Koppanen would be wise to move on in free agency this summer in a move that could work well for him and the Penguins. The 27-year-old played in 11 games with Pittsburgh this season, scoring once while adding 23 points in 56 AHL contests with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  While Koppanen can kill penalties, Kyle Dubas tends to prefer a lot of depth which could put him further down the depth chart if he were to re-sign compared to some other teams where a path to a recall could be easier to reach.

Roope Hintz Unavailable For Game 3

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2:03 p.m.: Hintz is out for Game 3, the Stars’ Bruce LeVine relays. Back will re-enter the lineup in his place.

1:01 p.m.: The Stars may have center Roope Hintz in their lineup for today’s matinee Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Oilers after all. He’s a game-time decision after taking a slash to the left skate from Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse that prematurely ended his Game 2, head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters today (including Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News).

Hintz needed assistance getting off the ice after the slash from Nurse early in the third period, which initially yielded a major penalty but was reduced to a minor upon review. Nurse was also not subject to supplemental discipline for the play.

After a tough postseason showing in last year’s run to the WCF, Hintz has looked more like his usual self in the 2025 playoffs. He’s put up a 5-6–11 scoring line through 15 games, tied for second on the team in scoring with Thomas Harley, and is tied for the league lead in playoff power-play goals with three alongside teammate Mikael Granlund. Only Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston are seeing more ice time per game among Stars forwards than Hintz, who’s logging 17:47 on a nightly basis.

Most of Hintz’s scoring came in the first round against the Avalanche, though, namely a four-point effort in Game 6. He’s managed just one assist in his last five games dating back to Game 4 of the second round against the Jets. They’d prefer him healthy and effective to break a true deadlock so far in the West Final, which is tied 1-1 with the Oilers and Stars also tied in aggregate scoring at 6-6.

If Hintz can’t play, either Mavrik Bourque or Oskar Back will enter the lineup in his stead. Bourque hasn’t played since Game 4 of the first round, while Back has just three appearances in the second round and WCF combined – he did play in Game 1 before being replaced by Colin Blackwell in Friday’s loss.

West Notes: Nurse, Hintz, Connelly, Wakely

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According to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety isn’t expected to bestow supplemental discipline to Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse for slashing Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. Nurse was assessed a minor penalty on the play.

The news is disconcerting for a few reasons. The penalty was retaliatory, and Hintz was visibly injured after the play. Not only did Hintz leave Game 2 early in the third period, but it’s unknown if he’ll play in Games 3 or 4.

According to independent writer Robert Tiffin, Dallas head coach Peter DeBoer was noncommittal when asked if Hintz would travel with the team to Edmonton. Hintz’s absence would likely prove a major loss for the Stars, as he’s scored five goals and 11 points in their 15 postseason contests this year.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

  • One of the Vegas Golden Knights’ top prospects is on the move in the WHL. The new Penticton Vees selected Trevor Connelly from the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL Expansion Draft and will own his rights for the foreseeable future. It won’t matter much, however. Connelly played for the NCAA’s Providence College last season before signing his entry-level contract on the first day of April. Since he will not be returning to the NCAA, it is highly unlikely that Connelly will move back to the Canadian major junior leagues anytime soon.
  • Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reported that Oilers prospect Dalyn Wakely has secured a school in the NCAA. He’ll join the University of Massachusetts-Lowell after spending one year with the OHL’s Barrie Colts. The former 2024 sixth-round pick scored 23 goals and 58 points in 55 games for the Colts this past season.

Central Notes: O’Brien, Brodin, Hintz, Bichsel

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Utah Hockey Club forward Liam O’Brien was injured in the third period of Friday night’s game against the Kraken. After a quick 17-second shift to test the injury, O’Brien left for the locker room and did not return. Following the game, Utah Head Coach André Tourigny didn’t provide an update on O’Brien and the extent of the injury isn’t known, per Brogan Houston of the Deseret News. The rough and tumble O’Brien was hit awkwardly into the boards by Seattle’s Tye Kartye, and the injury appears to be of the upper-body variety. O’Brien isn’t unfamiliar with laying hits of his own, as he the 30-year-old has registered 98 hits in 27 games this season and is coming off of back-to-back 200-plus hit seasons. He has been a fixture on Utah’s fourth line during the team’s recent jump up the standings. If O’Brien is to miss time, veteran Nick Bjugstad could slide back into the lineup after recently being activated from the IR.

More from the Central Division:

  • In other injury news, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin has skated three straight days as he seeks to return from a lower-body injury, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. The veteran of 841 career games, Brodin had been a key contributor for the Wild, aided by his plus-10 rating and 22:42 of ice time per game. Brodin, 31, left the Wild’s game against the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 28 and GM Bill Guerin announced soon after that Brodin would be sidelined on a week-to-week basis. The injury was believed to be caused by a shot block. Regardless of the cause, Brodin’s return to the lineup will no doubt support Minnesota’s efforts in solidifying their position in the playoff seedings. The team currently finds themselves in the first wildcard spot in the west, but has sputtered to a 4-5-1 record over their last 10 contests.
  • The Stars are also getting a few key players back in the fold, as left winger Roope Hintz (face) and defender Lian Bichsel (illness) skated with the team today, per Stars reporter Mike Heika. The return of Hintz is an obvious boost to the lineup, as the 28-year-old is on his way to his fourth-straight 30-plus goal season. Hintz was injured when he took a puck to the face during a contest against the Oilers on March 8. In 59 contests this season, Hintz has 25 goals, 26 assists, and 51 points. Bichsel missed the Stars’ Friday night matchup against the Wild due to illness and was replaced in the lineup by veteran Brendan Smith. The 20-year-old Bichsel has looked the part of an NHL-ready player, posting five points and a plus-6 rating in his first 22 career contests. Bichsel was the organization’s first-round selection in the 2021 draft (18th overall). It remains to be seen if Hintz and/or Bichsel will be available for tomorrow’s matchup against the Ducks.

Snapshots: Peterka, Kulich, Hintz, Werenski

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The Buffalo Sabres will exchange young forwards in Wednesday night’s lineup. Centerman Jiri Kulich is expected to return to the ice after missing Buffalo’s last game with an illness, while top-line winger JJ Peterka is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

Adding Kulich back to the fold is a positive step for the Sabres. The 20-year-old centerman has recorded two points and eight shots on net in his last four games, bringing his year-long totals up to 12 goals and 19 points in 48 games. Kulich has taken on more-and-more role in the second half of the season, and appeared in a season-high 19 minutes of ice time in his most recent appearance. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff made no indication of what line Kulich would play on in his return, but he could be set to head back to the top-six with Buffalo down one of their top players.

To that end, losing Peterka for even a short time is a hard blow for the Sabres. He’s confidently led the team over their latest stretch, with 10 points in nine games since returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break. Peterka is quickly evolving into a star – with 19 goals and 51 points in 61 games this season putting him on a year-long pace of 26 goals and 69 points in 82 games. He’s already lapped his career-high of 50 points scored last season, with no signs of slowing down. Peterka’s absence should lead to increased minutes for wingers like Jason Zucker and Zach Benson – though Buffalo could also opt to move Ryan McLeod or Peyton Krebs to the wing with Kulich back in the fold.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • Top Dallas Stars centerman Roope Hintz is progressing well after taking an Adam Henrique shot to the face on Saturday. Hintz sat out of Dallas’ Sunday win over the Vancouver Canucks and is set to miss Friday’s game against Winnipeg – but head coach Pete DeBoer shared that Hintz could return as soon as Sunday, per NHL.com’s Mike Heika. Hintz has been red-hot since the end of the 4-Nations break, with 16 points in his last eight games. That includes back-to-back four-point games on February 28th and March 2nd. Dallas managed a confident win over Vancouver in his absence, but will undoubtedly be eager to bring their second-line centerman back before his scoring touch cools off. With Hintz out, Dallas has awarded more minutes to Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston, and Matt Duchene.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has become the Norris Trophy favorite in NHL.com’s recent poll of their staff writers. Werenski has been lights out this season after being held to just 83 games combined over the last two years. Now back to full health, he has a team-leading 69 points in 63 games on the year. That includes 20 goals, making Werenski the first 20-goal-scoring defenseman in Blue Jackets history. His 2024-25 campaign marked the most goals from a Blue Jackets defenseman in February, when he passed Seth Jones’ previous record of 16 goals set int he 2017-18 season. Werenski’s 69 points are also a club record. He has shown everything Columbus could ask for and then some. His performances are a key reason why Columbus is one of five teams in the race for the Eastern Conference Wild Cards, and could soon earn Werenski the first Norris Trophy of his nine-year NHL career. He previously received Norris votes in 2019-20 (eighth-place finish) and in his rookie season of 2016-17 (18th-place finish).

Snapshots: Hintz, Lavoie, Canucks, Husso

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Stars forward Roope Hintz has returned to Dallas to be further evaluated after sustaining an upper-body injury on Saturday against Edmonton, notes Robert Tiffin of D Magazine (Twitter link).  Head coach Peter DeBoer stated that the early indications are that the injury isn’t a long-term one while it appears as if a fracture has been ruled out as well.  Hintz had been on quite the hot streak recently; going into yesterday’s game, he had 17 points in his last eight appearances and was anchoring the top line.  While it appears the worst-case scenarios are going to be avoided, they’ll be without him tonight against Vancouver and likely a little longer than that.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Golden Knights have placed winger Raphael Lavoie on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). After an adventurous stint on the waiver wire to start the year, the 24-year-old has played primarily with AHL Henderson, tallying 21 points in 32 games.  Lavoie has made nine appearances with Vegas on a pair of recalls but has been held off the scoresheet while logging just over 10 minutes a game.  Lavoie’s placement will keep him out of the lineup until at least Thursday.
  • The Canucks have reversed their goalie move from yesterday, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Arturs Silovs from AHL Abbotsford while sending Nikita Tolopilo to Abbotsford. The move allowed Silovs to start yesterday against San Jose where he allowed four goals on 28 shots.  Silovs has a 3.85 GAA with a .858 SV% in nine outings with Vancouver and is set to be the primary backup with Thatcher Demko back on injured reserve.  But to keep him fresh, the Canucks could send him down periodically to get a spot start in with Abbotsford.
  • A day after sending him back to the minors, Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego announced that the Ducks have once again recalled goaltender Ville Husso to the big club. He was acquired for future considerations last month to add some goalie depth and has a 2.84 GAA along with a .908 SV% in 17 AHL contests this season while compiling a 3.69 GAA and a .866 SV% in nine NHL contests.  Husso is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Central Notes: Brossoit, Hintz, Lundkvist, Stankoven, Lamoureux, Bortuzzo

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Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Laurent Brossoit will need to wait at least six more weeks to make his team debut, after undergoing a second surgery on his knee per Scott Powers of The Athletic. Brossoit signed a two-year, $6.6MM contract with the Blackhawks this summer, but began the year on season-opening injured reserve after a late-summer surgery on his right meniscus. He didn’t return to skating until late October, and hasn’t had a clear timeline until today.

Brossoit moved to Chicago with sights on challenging Petr Mrazek for the starting role. He had built plenty of momentum over the last two seasons – stepping up as a playoff starter for the Stanley Cup-winning Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, and partnering with Connor Hellebuyck to win the Winnipeg Jets last year’s William M. Jennings Trophy for the highest save percentage. Brossoit set a .927 save percentage in 34 games across the pair of years, bringing his career totals up to a .911 save percentage in 140 games, and 10 seasons, in the NHL. But he’s still yet to play 25 or more games in a season despite performing consistently well.

Mrazek has performed surprisingly well in Chicago’s starting role this season, recording a .912 save percentage in 16 games. He’s played in 72 percent of the team’s games this season, putting him on pace for 60 starts. All other ice time has gone to Arvid Soderblom, who’s posted an impressive .926 in six starts. The pair will have at least a month and a half to further plant their feet in the Hawks’ lineup, giving Brossoit a steep hill to overcome when he’s back to full health.

Other notes out of the Midwest:

  • The Dallas Stars will see the return of both forward Roope Hintz (undisclosed) and defenseman Nils Lundkvist (lower-body) on Friday night per NHL.com’s Mike Heika. Hintz sat out of Dallas’ Wednesday loss to Chicago, while Lundkvist has missed the last three games. Lundkvist will replace Brendan Smith, while Hintz will tag out with Logan Stankoven, who’s injured with “a little thing from last game,” per Heika. Hintz has eight goals and 13 points in 20 games this season, two fewer points than Stankoven has managed in 21 games. While they swap out in the top six, Lundkvist will search for his first goal of the season – currently boasting just one assist in 15 games.
  • The Utah Hockey Club is also making some injury-related swaps, with Maveric Lamoureux out four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury, per a team announcement.  Meanwhile, Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune shares that Juuso Valimaki will step into Lamoureux’s absence, and that Robert Bortuzzo will reenter the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game early with injury. Lamoureux has one goal and three points in 15 games this season – the first of his NHL career. He’s also recorded a team-leading 42 penalty minutes. That’s a bleak stat line, but still more than Bortuzzo or Valimaki have managed – with both vets still without a point through nine and 16 games respectively. They’ll each get another chance to find the scoresheet on Friday.

Central Notes: Hintz, Lundkvist, Colton, Bortuzzo

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Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will miss tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an undisclosed injury (as per Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika). Hoope reportedly tweaked something and was replaced in the Stars lineup by Colin Blackwell. Hintz has eight goals and five assists in 20 games this season and is on pace to top 30 goals for the third consecutive season, provided he doesn’t miss too much time due to injury.

In other Central Division notes:

  • Mike Heika also provided a short update on Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist who is skating at the moment but isn’t ready to return to the lineup. Lundkvist has missed three straight games with a lower-body injury that he suffered a week ago in a 5-2 win over San Jose Sharks. The 24-year-old has never been one to produce much offense but has been particularly quiet this season with just a single assist in 15 games. His underlying numbers this season have been quite good, particularly his CF% which is at a solid 60%.
  • Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton is expected to begin skating soon (as per Mile High Hockey). Colton has been out of action since October 28th with a broken foot and is likely on schedule given the original six-to-eight-week recovery timeline that he was given. Colton was having a terrific season prior to going down to injury, as he has eight goals and an assist in ten games this season. The 28-year-old is in his second season with the Avalanche and is coming off a career year last season in which he posted 40 points in 80 games.
  • Utah Hockey Club defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was forced to leave last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury (as per Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports). The team hasn’t offered an update on the 35-year-old, but it is expected they will have an update before they take to the ice Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers. Bortuzzo has been in and out of the lineup for much of this season and cleared waivers less than a week ago. The 14-year NHL veteran signed a one-year two-way deal in the offseason with Utah and has served as a depth defenseman.

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