West Notes: Hintz, Mikheyev, Winnipeg
Before their opening night matchup tomorrow night, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News gives some clarification on the status of Dallas Stars’ forward Roope Hintz, sharing that he will be a game-time decision. Since September 27th, during training camp, Hintz has been out of the Stars’ lineup due to an upper-body injury, and Dallas does not seem keen to rush him back for the start of the regular season.
Starting off the first year of an eight-year, $67.6MM extension signed last season, Hintz will surely be a key missing part of the Stars’ lineup if he is unable to play. Dallas will be able to survive for the time being with him out of the lineup but would have a hard time replacing a player of his caliber in the lineup if it is more long-term.
At the very least, with the addition of Matt Duchene this summer and an incredibly affordable one-year, $3MM deal, the Stars appear to have added appropriate depth in case something such as this transpired. Not only do the Stars appear headed for a war with the Colorado Avalanche for the Central Division, but they are also looking to compete as the top team in the Western Conference, and potentially the entire league.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- One player who is confirmed to not be playing opening night is Ilya Mikheyev of the Vancouver Canucks. Relaying on the news from the head coach of the Canucks, Rick Tocchet, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet announces Mikheyev will indeed miss the season opener. Mikheyev is still rehabbing from an ACL injury sustained last season in January, an injury that would prematurely end his season.
- Murat Ates of The Athletic shares that the Winnipeg Jets have sent Simon Kubicek, Mark Liwiski, and Thomas Milic to their ECHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. Last year, Kubicek also played in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose, while Liwiski spent his entire season in the ECHL for the Wichita Thunder. Milic, on the other hand, was the 151st overall selection for the Jets in the 2023 NHL Draft, coming out of the Seattle Thunderbirds organization of the WHL.
Injury Notes: Stars, Avalanche, Martinez, Savoie
Saad Yousuf of The Athletic relayed several injury updates from the Head Coach of the Dallas Stars, Peter DeBoer this morning. All of the injury reports being on the milder side, the Stars could reasonably expect most of the players to be ready for opening night next week.
Being two of the more high-profile players on the list forwards Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston are both working their way back from injuries. Hintz has returned to skating following an upper-body injury, while Johnston had a non-surgical procedure performed, and is expected back skating this weekend.
Following those two, Yousuf reports that Radek Faksa has received stitches, but is not in concussion protocol after receiving a solid check in Tuesday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Not playing in Tuesday night’s game, DeBoer also mentions that defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is out with an undisclosed injury, and is currently being evaluated by the team’s medical staff.
It goes without saying that injury news of any kind is negative news, but luckily for Dallas, a team that could very well win the NHL’s Central Division this season, all should be back in due time.
Other injury notes:
- Staying in the Central Division, Corey Masisak of the Denver Post similarly relayed injury news from the Head Coach of the Avalanche, Jared Bednar. Bednar expects both Mikko Rantanen and Josh Manson to be ready for opening night but is unsure in regards to the status of Andrew Cogliano. For the entirety of this year’s preseason, Rantanen and Manson have each only suited up in one game, while Cogliano is still working his way back from a fractured neck in last year’s opening-round playoff matchup against the Seattle Kraken.
- Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that three-time Cup champion defenseman, Alec Martinez, will not participate in any team activities for the next few days due to a lower-body injury. Losing a step since his time with the Los Angeles Kings, the Vegas Golden Knights will surely use the next few days to make sure Martinez is ready for opening night, as he was a part of the defensive core that was fundamental in the Knights winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history last season.
- With his eligibility still up in the air for the AHL this season, Buffalo Sabres’ prospect, Matthew Savoie is progressing nicely in recovery of an upper-body injury, and will likely be rejoining the team tomorrow morning. Having the talent to crack Buffalo’s roster out of the gates this upcoming season, Savoie’s play to finish up training camp may resolve any questions the Sabres had regarding his eligibility.
Injury Notes: Kurashev, Hintz, Johnston, Guentzel
Relaying a note from the General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, Kyle Davidson, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that forward Philipp Kurashev will be out at least another week due to a wrist injury, and will likely miss the first couple of games of the regular season. On a more positive note, even though he will miss game action, Kurashev has returned to skating for the time being.
Although injuries have not been a focal point in his young career up to this point, this will be the second time in the calendar year that Kurashev is set to miss regular season games due to an injury. In late March of last season, suffering from a shoulder injury, Kurashev would miss the remainder of the regular season, thankfully not needing surgery to repair the damage.
When healthy, Kurashev is largely projected to participate in the Blackhawks’ top-six forward group on a weak roster, and will likely factor into the middle-six once Chicago is set to contend. Last year, Kurashev played in 70 games overall, scoring nine goals and 16 assists, as well as a -32 rating. This summer, the Blackhawks added heavily to their forward core, drafting Connor Bedard, as well as acquiring Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, and Corey Perry to surround some of their younger forward core, such as Kurashev.
Other injury notes:
- Having yet to play in a preseason game up to this point in training camp, it has become incredibly unlikely that Dallas Stars’ forward, Roope Hintz, will participate in any exhibition games. According to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic, Hintz is still out of action due to an upper-body injury, and his first game of the year is going to be the Stars’ opening night matchup against the St. Louis Blues next Thursday. He will be an important piece for Dallas to get back into the lineup, scoring 37 goals and 38 assists last year, finishing fourth on the team in scoring.
- Continuing on with the Stars, Yousuf also reports that Wyatt Johnston had a minor setback with his upper-body injury, and will miss today’s practice and preseason game against the Colorado Avalanche. Similarly to Hintz, Johnston is another forward that the Stars will need to stay healthy, as they are looking for Johnston to improve on his 24-goal, 17-assist rookie performance last year.
- Inching his way back from offseason ankle surgery, Jake Guentzel was seen this morning wearing a full-contact jersey (X Link). For the majority of training camp, Guentzel had been seen wearing a non-contact jersey, but it is clear the Pittsburgh Penguins are confident with his recovery timeline, allowing him to fully participate in the team’s practices. Going into a massive contract year for both he and the organization, Guentzel will benefit greatly from a full season of action if he is able to be ready for opening night next week.
West Snapshots: Duclair, Tippett, Hintz
Speaking with offseason acquisition, Anthony Duclair of the San Jose Sharks, Sharks beat writer, Curtis Pashelka, reports that the new forward may have some interest in signing an extension in San Jose. Duclair did indicate that there have been contract talks up to this point, as he looks to remain focused for the upcoming season.
Largely a salary dump addition by the Sharks this summer, Duclair is coming off a largely successful three-year run with the Florida Panthers. In 137 games in Sunrise since the start of the 2020-21 NHL season, Duclair has 43 goals and 56 assists, which amounts to the most points scored for any team he has played on throughout his career. Nevertheless, there is some injury concern along with him, as he was unable to play in the regular season last year until late February due to an Achilles injury.
Acquired at the start of free agency by the Sharks for forward Steven Lorentz and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick, Duclair should get plenty of opportunity in San Jose this year. Clearly in a rebuilding effort, Duclair is one of eight expiring contracts on the roster and should see an ample amount of time in the team’s top six. If Duclair remains healthy and continues to perform well, he is poised to be a probable mover at next year’s trade deadline if the two parties cannot come to a contract extension.
Other snapshots:
- Before accepting the position as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers from 2019-22, Dave Tippett was working as a Senior Advisor for the upstart Seattle expansion franchise, before they had even been given a formal name. After taking a year away from the game, the Seattle Kraken announced that Tippett would rejoin the organization, this time as a Coaching Consultant. A head coach of nearly 1,300 games, Tippett will bring a wealth of experience to the coaching staff of the Kraken, who are hoping to return to the playoffs for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
- Mike Heika, a Senior Staff Writer for the Dallas Stars, reports that forward Roope Hintz is to be considered day-to-day, with the Stars remaining cautious on his timeline. Dealing with an upper-body injury, Hintz was unable to practice with the team today. The organization has only played two preseason matchups up to this point, one against the Arizona Coyotes, and the other against the Minnesota Wild, with Hintz being scratched for both matchups.
Evening Notes: Dadonov, Luostarinen, Senators
Dallas Stars radio host Owen Newkirk has confirmed that Dallas Stars forward Evgenii Dadonov will miss game 6 tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. Dadonov continues to be sidelined by a lower body injury and hasn’t dressed for the Stars since suffering the injury in a game 3 loss. Dadonov fell awkwardly after colliding with teammate Roope Hintz in the first period of that game and didn’t return. Very little is known about the injury other than Pete DeBoer telling the media that Dadonov would be out longer than day-to-day but not for the rest of the playoffs.
Dallas will get some good news as they look to extend their Western Conference Finals series to a seventh and deciding game. Captain Jamie Benn will return to the lineup after serving his two-game suspension for his cross check on Mark Stone.
In other evening news:
David Dwork of The Hockey News tweeted that Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is confident that the club will have center Eetu Luostarinen in the lineup when they take to the ice for game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. Luostarinen was injured in game 4 of the conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes but isn’t expected to miss any games. The 24-year-old set career highs this season with 17 goals and 26 assists in 82 games and has been one of the Panthers top defensive forwards.
Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that league sources believe that there will be an agreement in place for the sale of the Ottawa Senators by this Friday. Garrioch quotes a league source that was told one of the bidders believes that Steve Apostolopoulos has the highest bid right now. Once a winning bid is selected and an agreement is made, the next step would be to have the deal be approved by the NHL’s executive committee. This step could drag the process into the summer making for an interesting draft and free agency period for Senators management. This comes at a crucial time for the on-ice product as the clubs young core will be looking to take that next step come the 2023-24 season.
Snapshots: Hintz, Comrie, CHL Trades
The Dallas Stars and new head coach Peter DeBoer have picked up right where they left off after the departure of former coach Rick Bowness, with the team sitting comfortably in playoff position atop the Central Division standings. A major reason for the Stars’ success this season, beyond the obvious storylines of Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger, has been the play of number-one center Roope Hintz. Hintz, 26, has scored 19 goals and 44 points in just 39 games this season, and is on pace to have his third straight season scoring around the point-per-game mark.
Hintz is a player of such significant importance to the Stars’ success that were the team forced to play without him, they would be at a major disadvantage. That makes this news from today’s stars game notable. As reported by The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf, Hintz suffered an upper-body injury and is questionable to return to today’s game. While it’s possible that this is only a precautionary measure and Hintz’s injury is inconsequential, this overall situation will be one to monitor for Stars fans and hockey fans alike who have come to enjoy watching Hintz play on a regular basis.
Some other notes from across the hockey world:
- Buffalo Sabres goaltender Eric Comrie‘s conditioning stint with the AHL’s Rochester Americans has ended, per Noted Hockey’s Joe Yerdon. Comrie had been in Rochester as part of his recovery process for the lower-body injury he suffered in November. Comrie signed a two-year, $1.8MM AAV deal with the Sabres in the offseason, and has had an up-and-down season, with a hot start and some games he’d like to have back. Overall, his numbers aren’t great (.887 save percentage through 11 games) but the Sabres as a whole seem to have turned a corner from their slow start to the season, so perhaps a healthy Comrie can benefit from the team’s overall improvement.
- Two top prospects in the Canadian Hockey League could be on the move. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that Olen Zellweger, a top defensive prospect of the Anaheim Ducks, is being traded to the Kamloops Blazers as part of a massive deal involving as many as four first-round picks in the WHL Bantam Draft headed back to Zellweger’s current team, the Everett Silvertips. Additionally, Hockey Unfiltered’s Ken Campbell reports rumblings that 2022 fourth-overall pick Shane Wright could be headed to the London Knights as part of a major trade. Neither deal has been officially announced, so it’s still possible that things shift, but at the moment it seems the destinations of two of the CHL’s biggest-name players have been settled.
Dallas Stars Extend Roope Hintz
The Dallas Stars have locked up another piece of their core, signing Roope Hintz to an eight-year extension. The deal keeps him under contract through 2030-31 and includes an average annual value of $8.45MM. Hintz was scheduled for restricted free agency next summer when his current three-year, $9.45MM ($3.15MM AAV) contract expired. PuckPedia reports the full breakdown:
- 2023-24: $7.5MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $8.25MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $7.0MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
- 2026-27: $5.25MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2027-28: $6.9MM salary
- 2028-29: $6.9MM salary
- 2029-30: $6.9MM salary
- 2030-31: $6.9MM salary
Hintz, 26, will now match Miro Heiskanen in terms of cap hit, coming in just ahead of the four-year deal that Jason Robertson signed this fall and behind the two big-ticket veterans in Tyler Seguin ($9.85MM) and Jamie Benn ($9.5MM).
If you haven’t been paying attention to the Stars, you might have missed the development of Hintz into one of the league’s premier two-way players. Last season he scored 37 goals and 72 points as the anchor between Robertson and Joe Pavelski, earning Selke Trophy votes along the way as one of the league’s best defensive forwards. This year things have gone even better, with eight goals and 24 points in 22 games.
Even with Robertson’s dynamic offense and Heiskanen’s brilliant defending, there have been some that argue Hintz is actually the team’s best – or at least most valuable – player, because of all the things he does through the middle of the ice. You can practically hear the excitement in general manager Jim Nill‘s statement about the deal:
Roope is a dynamic two-way centerman who has proven to be one of the best at his position in the NHL. He’s developed into one of our most versatile players, making an impact on special teams and at even strength, and can be counted on by our coaching staff in every situation. We are fortunate to have him in Victory Green for an additional eight years and look forward to his continued growth as a player.
Big, versatile centers are one of the most difficult things in the league to come by, and the Stars have avoided what could have been a tricky negotiation in a few months. While an $8.45MM cap hit is certainly not a small number, there’s reason to believe he could have demanded more, had he been coming off another near-40-goal season. Because of his age, this deal is only buying out a single RFA year, meaning Dallas is locking up basically all of Hintz’ productive UFA seasons in one shot.
There is certainly some risk here though, given the breakout that happened once Robertson and Pavelski were put in place. Hintz was good but not great in his first two seasons, and a return to that level would mean another underperforming big contract on the books. Dallas is willing to make that bet, though, and it appears like a good one given how consistent Hintz has been for more than two years now.
It also simplifies the Stars’ offseason considerably, leaving only Denis Gurianov and Ty Dellandrea as RFAs among the regular group. Pavelski’s future is unclear, given his UFA status and age (he’ll turn 39 just after free agency kicks off next summer), but the team now has some understanding of what they have to work with.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Stars Notes: Tocchet, Savard, Hintz
While the Rick Bowness era in Dallas officially came to a close two days ago, it could have ended far sooner. On the 32 Thoughts segment of last night’s Sportsnet broadcast of the Avalanche-Blues game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Dallas Stars “considered a coaching change” around the All-Star break, and had “zeroed in on” former Arizona Coyotes head coach and current TNT analyst Rick Tocchet as their next bench boss. Friedman states that the two parties could not come to terms on a deal at the time, but speculates that he could be a name the team circles back to for their current vacancy.
Tocchet, 58, last coached the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21 and has most recently been working as an analyst for Turner Sports’ NHL coverage, primarily on TNT. Tocchet also coached the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons from 2008-09 and 2009-10. Tocchet’s results as a head coach are mixed, with his teams only making the playoffs once, in the unique bubble situation of the 2019-20 season. But with those mixed results comes the two Stanley Cup rings Tocchet won as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and there are many coaches who have difficult early tenures only to finally figure things out in a second or third job. While Tocchet never played for the Stars during his illustrious 1144-game NHL career, it seems that he may end up there as their next head coach.
Now, for some other notes regarding the Dallas Stars:
- Another former player is, like Tocchet, on the Stars’ radar for their vacant head coaching job. Marc Savard, the rookie head coach of the Windsor Spitfires who now has his team in the semifinals of the OHL playoffs, is “on Dallas’ radar,” per Marek. Savard’s Spitfires posted a 44-17-7 record this season, and his connection to prized prospect Wyatt Johnston, who tore the OHL apart this season to the tune of 124 points, could prove useful should he choose to pursue the job.
- The Stars’ offseason is a crucial one for reasons beyond just their coaching search. Star forward Jason Robertson and goaltender Jake Oettinger, the team’s playoff hero, are out of contract and are eligible for restricted free agency. The direction the team goes in terms of their extensions could dictate what the Stars are able to do in terms of adding other players. Another crucial Star, Roope Hintz, is not out of a contract but eligible for an extension thanks to there only being one season left on his current deal. Per Marek, the Stars want to get an extension “done early” and lock up Hintz along with their other core players. Given Hintz’s play these past two seasons, the Stars’ reported desire to extend him now seems wise, because his price is likely only going up as he gets more productive seasons under his belt.
Stars Notes: Klingberg, Bowness, Injuries
As things currently stand, Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg is arguably the best defenseman set to be available in this summer’s free agent market. But according to Klingberg, he hopes he doesn’t get there. In today’s season-ending meeting with the media, Klingberg, who has been the subject of many trade rumors in the past, emphasized his desire to remain in Dallas, saying:
At the end of the day, I always want to stay here. We’ve been trying to find different ways to get it done. Year length, money-wise, just trying to get something we’re both happy with.
The factors that could potentially block a Klingberg return are the ones he mentioned, the cost and length of his extension. On May 7th, Stars GM Jim Nill said that he would love to keep Klingberg. But it may not be possible given the team’s cap situation and the other offers Klingberg could receive on the open market. The Stars already have Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Ryan Suter under contract for at least the next three seasons, and with extensions for Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Denis Gurianov, and Roope Hintz to consider over the next two offseasons, it’s difficult to imagine that the Stars will be able to match the kinds of offers Klingberg could receive from elsewhere. So, despite the mutual interest in a return that was communicated today, it looks as though some serious creativity will be required if Klingberg is to remain with the only NHL team he has ever known.
Now, for some other notes regarding the Stars:
- Stars head coach Rick Bowness coached this season on an expiring contract, a deal that has now ended thanks to the Stars’ defeat at the hands of the Calgary Flames. Per Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas Morning News, Bowness stated today that he would prefer a one-year contract at this stage of his career and that he may consider retirement if that’s the path he chooses to go down. Nill did praise Bowness’ work today, emphasizing that Bowness has “done a good job” in this 98-point campaign. He did also say, though, that they will need to “reassess everything.” So with both Bowness and Nill’s comments in mind, it’s certainly possible that the Stars join the multitude of teams seeking a new head coach this offseason.
- On exit days across the NHL, it is common for the numerous injuries a team’s players have been playing through to be revealed publicly for the first time. The Stars’ end-of-season press conferences were no different, and we learned today of a multitude of ailments that Stars players were battling during the season. As relayed by Saad Yousuf of The Athletic, Tyler Seguin fractured his foot in Game One of the series, Hintz strained his oblique in Game Six, and Luke Glendening had a concussion and both knee and groin issues that would have kept him out on a week-to-week basis. While it’s certain that all three players would rather be taking on the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night, one small benefit of the Stars’ loss is that they now get to begin the recovery process in earnest.
Snapshots: Tkachuk, Stars, Garland
With Drake Batherson now signed, the Senators can squarely turn their focus to getting a new deal done with RFA winger Brady Tkachuk. Speaking with reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, GM Pierre Dorion declined to comment on the status of negotiations, only stating that “We’ve had productive, positive discussions with Brady’s camp” which would contrast a recent report from TSN1200’s Shawn Simpson who relayed (Twitter link) that there is some frustration setting in with Tkachuk’s camp.
The 21-year-old could be eyeing Andrei Svechnikov’s eight-year, $62MM deal with Carolina as a legitimate comparable contract which would make him Ottawa’s highest-paid forward but would still keep him below Thomas Chabot’s $8MM AAV for the highest-paid player on the team. As some of Ottawa’s top youngsters come up for new deals, trying to keep all of those below Chabot’s price tag would seem like a viable strategy for the Senators in an effort to keep their window for contention open as long as possible.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Stars head coach Rick Bowness told Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that forwards Tyler Seguin (hip and knee), Roope Hintz (groin), Alexander Radulov (core), and defenseman Joel Hanley (core) have all recovered from their respective injuries and surgeries and will be ready for training camp. Seguin, in particular, will be a welcome return as he was only able to suit up in three games last season, managing a pair of goals in those contests. They’re still not fully healthy, however, as there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding goalie Ben Bishop’s future which is why Braden Holtby was surprisingly signed in free agency this summer.
- While winger Conor Garland believed the Bruins might show interest in him, he told Matt Porter of the Boston Globe that his camp never heard from Boston when Arizona was shopping him around the league. The 25-year-old Scituate native had identified Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles as potential fits but he wound up being moved to Vancouver instead where he quickly signed a five-year, $24.75MM contract. Garland wouldn’t rule out the idea of playing for his hometown team down the road but it won’t be happening anytime soon.