Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Roope Hintz

Offseason Notes: Trade Board, Canadiens, Stars

at CDT | by 3 Comments

TSN’s Chris Johnston published his annual offseason trade board in The Athletic in the middle of last week which sees a surprising name at the top of the list. At the top of the board, Johnston indicates that Mitch Marner is the top name on the trade block, even after cold water has been dumped on the likelihood of a Marner trade in recent weeks.

The rest of the names on Johnston’s list are unsurprising, as Boston Bruins’ Linus Ullmark, Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, Winnipeg Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers, and Ottawa Senators’ Jakob Chychrun round out the top five. Although the movement of any of these players is far from a guarantee, the NHL is expected to see a major shakeup in the summer months.

Nevertheless, the reality of a Marner trade is becoming less and less possible by the day, even after a dismal playoff performance and the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brendan Shanahan, indicating that “everything is on the table” with Toronto’s roster this summer. Marner holds a full no-movement clause in his contract; allowing him to control his destiny with the Maple Leafs’ organization. Marner can ride out the last year of his contract on Toronto’s roster and become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he chooses to do so.

Other notes:

  • Another day has passed, which means another team has been directly linked to Martin Necas. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported yesterday that the Montreal Canadiens are looking to add a scoring forward before next Friday’s NHL Draft, and have been looking into Necas and Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks. There are several options available to General Manager Kent Hughes heading into the offseason, outside of just Necas and Zegras. Throughout his tenure as General Manager of the Canadiens organization, Hughes has dived much more into the trade market to improve his club rather than bring in free-agent talent.
  • The Dallas Stars received solid news on the injury front as General Manager Jim Nill stated that no injured member of the club requires surgery in the offseason (Article Link). During the Stars’ postseason run in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, all of Jani Hakanpää, Chris Tanev, Tyler Seguin, and Roope Hintz dealt with varying levels of injuries throughout the playoffs but should have an entire offseason to train and recover. Surprisingly, Hakanpää will not require a procedure this summer as a lower-body injury kept him out of the entirety of the postseason as his season concluded on March 16th.

Snapshots: Flames, Hintz, Konecny

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Throughout the 2023-24 NHL seasons, the Calgary Flames went through a re-tooling year, selling off Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Chris Tanev before they eventually made it to unrestricted free agency this summer. However, rumors are beginning to arise indicating that the Flames may be going for a change of course this offseason.

In an article from TheFourthPeriod, writers Anthony Di Marco and David Pagnotta indicated that Calgary will be interested in adding forward Martin Necas from the Carolina Hurricanes, or forward Tanner Jeannot from the Tampa Bay Lightning. With both players reportedly on the trade block, Di Marco and Pagnotta suggest that both Necas and Jeannot fit the exact mold of players that General Manager Craig Conroy would like to add to the roster.

Nevertheless, Conroy and the Flames still have to deal with the future of goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who may be headed to the New Jersey Devils after talks with the two teams cooled off at this year’s trade deadline. With that being said, expect the Flames to be both buyers and sellers this offseason as Conroy looks to mold the team into his image moving forward.

Other snapshots:

  • Before Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals kicks off between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers, one major change in the lineup was made for the Stars. Earlier today it was alluded that forward Roope Hintz would be a game-time decision for Dallas, but Stars radio host Owen Newkirk confirmed that Hintz is now officially back in the lineup. Hintz has been out of the lineup for Dallas for the last two weeks with an upper-body injury, but will now look to add to his six points already earned in this year’s postseason.
  • In a little over 13 months, forward for the Philadelphia Flyers, Travis Konecny will become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. With Philadelphia already adamant about their desire to extend Konecny, the look of his next contract has come into question. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic mentions that the best extension comparable for Konecny would be the eight-year, $70.4MM extension Timo Meier signed with the New Jersey Devils last offseason. At similar ages and production throughout their careers, Meier’s extension appears to be a good place to start for Konecny’s camp and the Flyers’ brass.

Afternoon Notes: Hintz, Goldobin, Sharks Coaching

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Dallas Stars will once again be left with a game-time decision on centerman Roope Hintz, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Hintz has missed Dallas’ last four games with an upper-body injury sustained in Game 4 of the second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Hintz was an integral piece of the Stars lineup through the regular season, posting 30 goals and 65 points – both marks he’s also reached in the last two seasons. He’s maintained that strong presence into the postseason, posting six points through the 11 games he’s been healthy for. Maybe more importantly, Dallas hasn’t yet found their de facto fill-in for Hintz’s injury.

Radek Faksa was previously filling the vacancy, but head coach Pete DeBoer decided to switch to Ty Dellandrea for Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. Dellandrea recorded three shots on goal through 11:39 in ice time but did little to command the lineup spot as his own. Hintz should return to the team’s top six immediately upon his return. But Dallas will be left with a tricky lineup decision should he once again be unavailable.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Former San Jose Sharks first-round pick Nikolay Goldobin has signed a two-year extension with Moscow Spartak of the KHL (Twitter link). The 28-year-old forward is coming off a career year, posting a career-high 37 goals and 78 points through 67 games this season and adding nine points in 11 playoff games. His regular season scoring tied him for second in the KHL in scoring behind Reid Boucher, who posted 44 goals and 78 points of his own. It was Goldobin’s third full-time season in the KHL, having posted 39 and 36 points over the last two years, respectively. He’ll look to build off a dazzling season, now re-upped in Russia.
  • The San Jose Sharks are advancing their search for their next head coach, providing second interviews to both Jeff Blashill and Ryan Warsofsky, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the recent 32 Thoughts Podcast. Warsofsky has been an assistant coach in San Jose for the last two seasons, moving to the NHL after leading the AHL’s Chicago Wolves to a Calder Cup win in 2022. Meanwhile, Blashill has been an assistant to Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning for his last two seasons – proceeding his seven-year tenure as the Detroit Red Wings head coach.

Evening Notes: Hintz, Hakanpää, Arvidsson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Dallas Stars radio host Owen Newkirk is reporting that Stars forward Roope Hintz is travelling with the team to Edmonton and will be a game-time decision for Game 3 tomorrow night. Stars head coach Pete Deboer told reporters today that he’s optimistic that Hintz will play in the next two games and added that he was close to playing in Game 2.

Hintz suffered an upper-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round back on May 13th and has had a quiet playoff thus far by his standards with just two goals and four assists in 11 games. The Tampere, Finland native had a strong regular season with 30 goals and 35 assists in 80 games but has seen his play drop off considerably in the playoffs, particularly his possession numbers as his CF% has dropped more than 10 percent from the regular season.

In other evening notes:

  • Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää won’t play in Games 3 or 4 and is not on the trip with Dallas (as per Newkirk). DeBoer told reporters that Hakanpää won’t join the team until he’s close to returning, which indicates that he likely isn’t close to returning to game action. The 32-year-old hasn’t played since March 16th and has not been practicing with the team. At this point, he’s missed 28 consecutive games and has no timetable for a potential return.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson is expected to test the free-agent market on July 1st. The Skelleftea, Sweden native dealt with injuries this season and dressed in just 18 games. While he was limited in playing time, the 31-year-old had solid numbers in a low sample size, posting six goals and nine assists. Arvidsson has been a good point producer since joining the Kings via trade in July 2021, in 161 games as a King he has registered 52 goals and 71 assists.

West Notes: Sharks, Stauber, Hintz

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Considering where the Sharks are in their rebuild, it might not make sense on the surface for them to be buyers this summer.  However, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now suggests in a piece for NBC Sports Bay Area that it would be advisable for San Jose to be buyers in certain circumstances, such as adding insurance down the middle with some uncertainty surrounding Logan Couture which could also take a bit of pressure off expected top pick Macklin Celebrini.

Additionally, there’s a case to be made that the Sharks should add multiple defenders to a group that struggled considerably this season.  That would allow someone like Mario Ferraro to play in a more optimal spot on the depth chart which could help from a possible future trade standpoint while ideally creating a more competitive environment.  With more than $38MM in cap room this summer per CapFriendly, GM Mike Grier can look to be active in free agency, take on some unwanted contracts while adding more future pieces or, more likely, a combination of both options will be utilized in the coming weeks.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that the Blackhawks may opt to move on from goalie Jaxson Stauber this fall. The 25-year-old held his own in six NHL appearances in 2022-23 but spent all of this year with AHL Rockford, posting a 2.85 GAA with a .902 SV% in 31 games.  A pending restricted free agent, it’s possible that Chicago would look to bring in more of an experienced netminder to work alongside Drew Commesso while also giving them some insurance if Arvid Soderblom struggles again next season.
  • The decision on Roope Hintz’s availability for tonight’s second game against Edmonton will come down to the wire. Stars head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters including Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News that the center is listed as a game-time decision.  The 27-year-old has been out since suffering an upper-body injury in the fourth game last round.  He took part in the morning skate today but was also skating with the projected scratches so it appears he’ll be a true game-time call.

Evening Notes: Pospisil, Henrique, Hintz

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy shared that winger Martin Pospisil’s shoulder injury isn’t a long-term concern during the Flames Talk segment of Sportsnet 960 The Fan. Pospisil sustained the injury in Team Slovakia’s May 21st matchup against Team Sweden – Slovakia’s final game of the group stage. He’d miss the team’s quarter-finals matchup against Team Canada, a game that’d end in a 6-3 Canada victory and Slovakia’s elimination form the World Championship.

Pospisil was a force to be reckoned with during Worlds, posting three goals and seven points across seven tournament games. He added six penalty minutes – though that’s certainly not representative of the fast and heavy physical presence Pospisil brought to the tourney. It was his first time skating with Slovakia’s men’s team, after representing the team at the 2019 World Juniors and 2017 World U-18 Championships.

The World Championship was a continuation of Pospisil’s breakout season. He made his NHL debut and earned a defiant role on the Calgary Flames this season, recording 24 points and 109 penalty minutes through 63 games. It was just his third season in North American pros, having spent the last two years with Calgary’s AHL affiliate. Pospisil posted 35 points and 119 penalty minutes in 67 AHL games prior to this season – adding six points in six games with the Calgary Wranglers this year. With this injury not expected to linger beyond this summer, Pospisil should be set up to engrain his spot on the Flames lineup even more adamantly next season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch described forward Adam Henrique as “98 per cent” to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Knoblauch added that it will be a bit more time before Henrique is fully ready to go, leaving his availability for the Western Conference Finals Game 2 up in the air. Henrique has missed Edmonton’s last six games with an ankle injury. He’s posted 11 points in 28 combined games with the Oilers since joining them at the Trade Deadline. With ample veteran experience, Henrique should be set to return to the lineup as soon as he’s ready – likely bumping Sam Carrick or Connor Brown out of a spot.
  • The Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer described centerman Roope Hintz (upper-body) as a possibility for Game 2, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News (Twitter link). Hintz joined the Stars practice on Friday, his first appearance since being injured in Game 4 of Dallas’ series against the Colorado Avalanche. Hintz will step immediately back into a top-six role when he’s ready to return, likely bumping Radek Faksa out of the lineup and returning a 65-point scorer to Dallas’ lineup amidst a tough Western Conference Finals matchup.

West Notes: Hintz, Drouin, Tucson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Stars will remain without first-line center Roope Hintz as they kick off the Western Conference Final against the Oilers tonight, head coach Peter DeBoer said (via Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet). He remains day-to-day and is an option to return for Game 2 on Saturday.

Hintz sustained an upper-body injury in Game 4 of the second round against the Avalanche and hasn’t played since. The Finnish pivot had struggled to produce up to expectations with two goals and six points in 11 games, but the re-emergence of 21-year-old Wyatt Johnston as a post-season x-factor has canceled that out.

Just capping off his sixth NHL season, Hintz had 65 points in 80 regular season contests. Matt Duchene takes his place on the top line between Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski, while Johnston and Logan Stankoven form a formidable depth attack alongside veteran Jamie Benn. Dallas has gotten scoring from everywhere – Craig Smith is their only forward without a goal thus far – a trend that will need to continue to offset Edmonton’s superior star power.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland would like to bring back pending unrestricted free agent winger Jonathan Drouin, saying during today’s end-of-season media availability that, as of today, it won’t be a challenge with their offseason cap cushion (via Meghan Angley of DNVR Sports). However, it would be extremely difficult to fit him in if he signed at market value once Gabriel Landeskog comes off long-term injured reserve and Valeri Nichushkin is activated from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, both of which are expected to happen at some point in the 2024-25 season. Evolving Hockey pegs a Drouin extension in Colorado to come in at $4.75MM annually for four seasons. Playing a significant chunk of the season alongside former major junior teammate Nathan MacKinnon, Drouin had a career-high 37 assists and 56 points in 79 games.
  • Professional hockey may stay in Tempe’s Mullett Arena next season, at least on a temporary basis. The AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, the former affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes, are filing a proposal to split their 2024-25 home games between Mullett and the Tucson Convention Center, reports Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. The Roadrunners are expected to re-affiliate with the NHL Utah franchise next season after they purchased the Coyotes’ hockey operations, moving them to Salt Lake City after a nearly three-decade stint in the desert. Coyotes/Roadrunners owner Alex Meruelo, who still owns the branding and naming rights to the club and can re-activate the franchise with a new arena built within five years, previously said it was a priority to have the AHL club maintain a connection to the Phoenix metro area by playing games at Mullett. The AHL’s Board of Governors will vote to approve the plan next Thursday, Morgan said.

Afternoon Notes: Stars, Ovchinikov, ECHL

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer has designated both Roope Hintz and Jani Hakanpaa as day-to-day with injuries ahead of the Western Conference Finals, per Lia Assimakopoulous of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Hintz suffered an upper-body injury during Game 4 of the Second Round, since missing Dallas’ last two games, while Hakanpaa has missed the team’s last 26 games with a lower-body injury.

Dallas managed to pull past the Colorado Avalanche in Hintz’s absence, though there’s no doubt that he’s sorely missed. Hintz has managed six points in 11 postseason appearances while commanding a strong line of Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. Hintz hit the 30-goal mark for the third consecutive season this year, posting 30 goals and 65 points through 80 games. He’s emerged as a core pillar of the Stars lineup over the last three seasons, and could be a pivotal piece of Dallas’ push to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Hintz’s injury has made space for Radek Faksa, while Hakanpaa has opened a spot for Nils Lundkvist and Alexander Petrovic to compete for a role. Hintz will slot immediately into the lineup when he’s ready to return, while Hakanpaa’s status could be more up in the air after such a long absence.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Minnesota Wild prospect Dmitry Ovchinikov has signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk, per Kyle Cush,am of The Score (Twitter link). Ovchinikov has spent parts of the last three seasons with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, though each season has been limited – totaling 12 points across 32 career games in the AHL. He’ll now return to the KHL, where he played he’s already appeared in 103 career games and scored 17 points. Ovchinikov was part of a Trade Deadline swap that sent Connor Dewar to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but stayed loaned to the Marlies for the remainder of the season.
  • The ECHL has announced that Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Ernst will depart from the league at the end of the postseason. The news will end Ernst’s storied career in the ECHL, stretching across 33 of the league’s 36 years of existence. He originally served in 16 seasons as a referee before being promoted to Vice President of Hockey Operations in 2011 and to his current role in 2018. Ernst’s role in the league runs so deep that he is not only in the ECHL Hall of Fame – inducted in 2011 – but also serves on the ECHL Hall of Fame Committee. He is stepping away to take on a senior management role with Zawyer Sports and Entertainment, who own and operate four different ECHL clubs – the Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates, upcoming Tahoe Knight Monsters, and Allen Americans.

Central Notes: Landeskog, Hakanpaa, Hintz

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Speaking with reporters including NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link) following their elimination, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar indicated that winger Gabriel Landeskog wasn’t particularly close to returning and had already been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs had Colorado advanced.  However, he’s optimistic that his captain will be able to return next season.  Landeskog hasn’t played since the 2022 playoffs and underwent a knee cartilage transplant procedure last May.  He was ruled out for the entire regular season soon after, allowing the Avs to put his $7MM contract on LTIR which gave them some spending flexibility.  If they’re expecting Landeskog to return in 2024-25, however, they won’t have that option this time around.

More from the Central Division:

  • The Stars have been without defenseman Jani Hakanpaa for more than two months after initially being listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. However, it appears he could be available in the somewhat near future as Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News relays that the 32-year-old has been skating on his own and accompanied the team to Colorado for their series-clinching victory on Friday.  While he still needs to get in some practices with the team before getting the green light to return, the fact he’s skating and traveling now suggests he could be cleared at some point next round.
  • Still with the Stars, head coach Peter DeBoer told team reporter Mike Heika (Twitter link) that center Roope Hintz would have been doubtful to play in Game Seven had the series gotten that far. Hintz suffered an upper-body injury in the fourth game of their series against Colorado and was designated as out day-to-day at the time.  Now, he’ll have a few more days to rest up for the Western Conference Final.  Hintz has had a quiet playoff performance, notching six points in 11 games but four of those came in one contest in the second round.

Injury Notes: Hintz, Marchand, Trenin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Stars will be without first-line center Roope Hintz again as they try to dispatch the Avalanche in Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed (via Corey Masisak of The Denver Post). He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and DeBoer is “hopeful” he could play in a Game 7 or Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, depending on the result of tonight’s contest.

While he’s been centering the team’s de facto first line between Jason Robertson and a rotation of Joe Pavelski and rookie Logan Stankoven on his right wing, he hasn’t been their best center in terms of production or ice time. That honor goes to sophomore sensation Wyatt Johnston, who’s exploded for seven goals and 11 points in 12 games while averaging over 20 minutes per game. Hintz has still been serviceable, logging two goals and four assists in 11 games, but his lines have struggled to control possession quality. That’s not a huge issue on a Stars team that boasts the deepest attack in the West, however. The 27-year-old had 30 goals and 65 points in 80 games in the regular season after recording over a point per game last year.

Other updates as the second round nears its end:

  • Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains a game-time decision for tonight’s Game 6 against the Panthers but seems to be trending upward, per head coach Jim Montgomery (per The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan). He’s missed the past two contests after sustaining an upper-body hit on a hit from Florida center Sam Bennett, which the Bruins managed to split with the Cats to stay alive. They head into Game 6 after an impressive road win to reduce Florida’s series lead to 3-2 with a chance to tie at home. Despite the multi-game absence, Marchand is still tied with Jake DeBrusk for the Bruins lead in playoff scoring with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games.
  • Avalanche winger Yakov Trenin will not play in Game 6 against Dallas after sustaining an upper-body injury on Wednesday, head coach Jared Bednar said (via NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding). He’s been given a day-to-day designation and hasn’t been ruled out for a potential Game 7 should Colorado win its second straight game tonight. Line rushes at this morning’s practice confirmed that veteran pivot Chris Wagner is likely to replace Trenin as the team’s fourth-line center as they try to draw the series even at three games apiece. Trenin, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent and has one goal in 10 playoff games after being picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top