Dallas Stars Issue Several Injury Updates
There’s no question that the Dallas Stars were severely impacted by injuries throughout the 2025-26 season. The Stars had the fourth-most injuries of any team this season, behind the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and New York Islanders. In today’s end-of-season media availability, the General Manager Jim Nill revealed a laundry list (via Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News) of specific injury information the Stars dealt with throughout the regular season and postseason.
Nill disclosed new injuries or details regarding 18 players on the roster, from the preseason to the present. Some injuries were already known, such as Tyler Seguin‘s ACL tear, Jamie Benn‘s collapsed lung, and Miro Heiskanen‘s torn oblique, but several others were also mentioned.
The biggest news is that star forward Mikko Rantanen suffered a torn MCL in the Olympics. Missing more than a month of action, Rantanen dropped from a 1.27 P/G average before the international tournament to a 0.80 upon his return. His point production went up mildly during the playoffs, but it was clear that Rantanen wasn’t his usual self.
Nill admitted that Rantanen came back as quickly as he could, which likely hurt his recovery process. Fortunately, the Stars aren’t expecting that he’ll need surgery this summer.
Both players that Dallas acquired at the trade deadline were also dealing with injuries. Nill alerted that both Michael Bunting and Tyler Myers were dealing with groin injuries in the regular season. That could be a key reason as to why neither player transitioned well to the team after being acquired by the Stars.
He also offered injury updates on those on the team who suffered longer-term injuries throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Matt Duchene was dealing with a concussion earlier in the season that cost him most of October and all of November.
Roope Hintz, who became ill at the Olympics, suffered a double hamstring tear in his first game back on March 6th. Unfortunately, as he was attempting to make another comeback, Hintz reaggravated the same injury. In a similar vein, Radek Faksa, who was also injured in the Olympics, apparently suffered a concussion. Additionally, while he was recovering from concussion symptoms, Faksa was stepped on by a skate and had a serious laceration in his foot that cut some ligaments. There’s a chance he’ll need surgery again this offseason.
Further down the forward corps, Nill shared that Oskar Back lost 10 games in October due to a wrist injury, Nathan Bastian broke his finger toward the end of the regular season, Adam Erne sprained his MCL in December, Arttu Hyry suffered a high ankle sprain in the playoffs, and Sam Steel endured a groin injury during the regular season.
On defense, the most notable news was the injury specifics to Thomas Harley and Lian Bichsel earlier in the season. According to Nill, Bichsel fractured his leg and ankle in late November, costing him nearly a third of the regular season. Nill added that Bichsel suffered a shoulder sprain in the playoffs, but that isn’t expected to have any long-term consequences.
Meanwhile, Harley, who lost 12 games of the regular season, suffered a broken foot in November. Nils Lundkvist, who hasn’t played since getting a facial laceration against the Minnesota Wild, was also suffering from concussion symptoms from the same play. Additionally, Nill shared that Lundkvist fractured his leg and ankle earlier in the year, costing him 30 games. Lastly, Nill told the media that depth defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin had a shoulder injury throughout the regular season.
Dallas has reached a point where losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in overtime is considered a disappointing year. Still, given the overwhelming amount of injuries the same faced during the regular season and playoffs, it’s impressive that the Stars managed to win 50 games this season and finish third in the league standings. They’ll want to emphasize rest and recovery for their players this offseason and look to get back for the 2026-27 campaign as a healthy group.
Photo courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.
Stars Notes: Seguin, Benn, Heiskanen, Bourque
After an impressive 50-win, 112-point regular season, the Dallas Stars looked like legitimate Cup contenders heading into the postseason. However, their run came to an abrupt and disappointing end after being eliminated in six games by the Minnesota Wild in a Round One divisional matchup back on April 30th. This afternoon, the Stars held their end-of-season press conferences, giving fans their first look at where the organization stands as they begin to shift focus toward the offseason.
Stars center Tyler Seguin provided an update, via Abby Jones of DLLS Sports, on his ACL injury that he sustained back on December 2nd in a game versus the New York Rangers, saying the goal is to be ready by training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season. The recovery diagnosis is around 9 months, but Seguin claims to be feeling good. Stars captain Jamie Benn added his remarks, saying he has all the confidence in the world in Seguin’s recovery. “He is already in the gym, skating and grinding through the rehab process,” said Benn, which is positive news for Stars fans just four days removed from a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of Minnesota.
It will be interesting to monitor how Dallas handles Seguin’s contract situation. While his production remains solid, the 34-year-old has only played in 47 games over the last two seasons. In those 47 games dating back to the 2024-25 campaign, Seguin has 16 goals and 22 assists for a total of 38 points. At a $9.85 MM cap hit through next season, Dallas has little margin for error. If Seguin can stay healthy and return to play a full 82-game season, that number is far easier to justify, but another shortened season due to injury could force the front office to make some difficult decisions regarding Seguin’s future.
Additional Stars notes:
- During today’s press conferences, Benn did not provide any comment on his playing future, saying he will take time to see how his body feels physically and go from there, reported by Brien Rea of Victory+. The 17-year veteran is coming off a frustrating first round against Minnesota, where he was held pointless in the six-game series and finished a -7.
- Jason Robertson was asked about where things stand with his contract, stating he’s somewhat optimistic about negotiations with Dallas, but also reiterated that “it’s a business,” and said he learned that lesson four years ago in his last negotiation, according to Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. Roberston also provided some reflection on his 2025-26 season and said he felt it was the biggest step of his career, via Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. The 26-year-old pending RFA had 45 goals and 51 assists in 82 games played, good for the team lead in scoring.
- The Dallas star defenseman Miro Heiskanen provided an injury update today, informing the press that he suffered a torn oblique muscle in the team’s April 9th matchup against the Wild, toward the end of the regular season. Heiskanen noted the injury was slowly improving each game, but he aims to get healthy and back to 100% over the summer, via Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. Heiskanen had two goals and four assists in the six games against Minnesota.
- Stars pending RFA Mavrik Bourque was asked today about his future with the team, saying he wants nothing but to be a Star heading into the 2026-27 season, as reported by Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports. Borque felt he finally took the big step the team wanted to see six years after drafting him 30th overall back in 2020. Bourque helped fill the production void in the top six with the absence of Seguin, posting career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points (41). Dallas is certainly hopeful this is a sign of bigger things to come for the 24-year-old center.
Stars Place Tyler Seguin On Season-Ending LTIR
3/2: Seguin has officially been moved to season-ending, long-term injured reserve per PuckPedia. This will provide his full, $9.85MM cap hit as salary cap relief, adding $6MM in savings ahead of the Trade Deadline.
2/27: The Stars have filed paperwork declaring forward Tyler Seguin out for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Under this season’s new rules regarding long-term injured reserve, that declaration increases the Stars’ LTIR pool from its current $3.67MM to roughly $9.7MM ahead of next week’s trade deadline, unlocking more than $6MM in additional cap space.
Seguin, 34, underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL back on Dec. 16, but the Stars did not issue a recovery timeline. Later that week, Dallas said they’d re-evaluate him following the Olympic break and make a determination on his status from there. Evidently, this week’s testing revealed he’s at least around four months away from returning, ruling him out of a potential Stanley Cup Final run.
Seguin, whose contract ends following the 2026-27 campaign, will have played just 47 regular-season contests over the past two years, a hair over 25%. He had hip surgery in December 2024 that took out most of his regular season but permitted him to return for the playoffs. He’ll have no such luck this time around, though.
Even as the 2010 second overall pick deals with several severe injuries in the latter half of his career, he’s maintained his status as a consistent top-six producer in the Lone Star State. Since sustaining a hip injury in 2020 that nearly ended his career, he’s averaged 26 goals and 57 points per 82 games while skating around 17 minutes per game. He’s not sniffing the consistent 70-to-80-point production that defined his prime, but he had 17 points in 27 games this season before the ACL tear and produced over a point per game in his truncated showing last season.
It’s a definite blow to a Stars team that isn’t scoring as much as they’d like this season, but it does allow them to address that issue in earnest by next Friday afternoon. After finishing top 10 in the league in goals in each of the last three seasons, they’ve dropped back to 11th place at 3.33 goals per game this year. In The Fourth Period’s latest trade board, David Pagnotta noted Dallas general manager Jim Nill has at least worked the phones on names like Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, and Brayden Schenn up front while displaying interest in Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers, Justin Faulk and others to address their relatively weak right-shot depth on defense.
None of those pickups would have been possible without moving significant money the other way if they didn’t make Seguin ineligible to play again this season. They were already eating into about half their LTIR pool to stay compliant as things were, leaving them with just under $1.94MM in deadline cap space. That number now jumps to nearly $8MM by shifting Seguin to season-ending LTIR.
Tyler Seguin Undergoes ACL Surgery, Not Yet Ruled Out For Season
The Stars announced today that forward Tyler Seguin had surgery to repair his previously reported torn right ACL on Tuesday. They haven’t yet decided on a timeframe for his return, though, leaving the door open for him to return this season. They’ll reevaluate him and issue a more specific timeframe after the Olympic break, general manager Jim Nill said.
Still, the prognosis doesn’t look good. Undergoing the procedure a full two weeks after he sustained the tear shortens the runway as well. At the time, head coach Glen Gulutzan said they were operating under the assumption that Seguin wouldn’t be back this year.
He can almost surely be ruled out for the regular season. Getting him back for Game 82 would require a turnaround time of four months, essentially unheard of for an ACL tear. His postseason availability is what’s in play, a decision that, for the practical purposes of an all-in contender like the Stars, needs to be made before the March 6 trade deadline.
Seguin has already been placed on long-term injured reserve. Under the extended Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Stars can only get a fraction of Seguin’s $9.85MM cap hit in relief. Because they haven’t ruled him out for the season – including the playoffs – he’s only contributing $3.82MM to their LTIR pool, which currently stands at $5.36MM with Lian Bichsel and Adam Erne also on LTIR.
Ruling him out for the playoffs, a process that requires approval from the league, team medical staff, the player, and the NHLPA, would allow the Stars to apply Seguin’s full cap hit to their LTIR pool, giving them nearly $6MM in added flexibility to make trades before the deadline. Since they’re already in LTIR, they’re not accruing cap space, so the timing of making that decision is inconsequential. All that matters is making the call before executing their inevitable pre-deadline pickup.
The 33-year-old Seguin isn’t quite clicking at the point-per-game pace he flashed in similarly limited availability last season, but he was still a valuable second-line asset with seven goals and 17 points in 27 games before the ACL tear. He was averaging 16:40 of ice time per game, notably his highest workload in four years.
Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Stars Place Tyler Seguin And Lian Bichsel On LTIR
The Stars have been hit hard by the injury bug this season and recently lost two more players to longer-term injuries. Today, the team announced (Twitter link) that forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Lian Bichsel have been placed on LTIR.
Seguin’s placement, made retroactively to December 2nd, should come as no surprise as he was diagnosed with a long-term ACL injury. The exact nature of the injury is still being evaluated which will determine if there’s a small chance the 33-year-old could return at some point late in the playoffs or if his entire 2025-26 campaign has come to an early end.
That particular distinction, when made, will be notable. Dallas has placed Seguin on regular LTIR, meaning the potential cap flexibility of the placement is limited to last year’s average salary, or $3.82MM. However, if it’s determined that there is no chance that he can return in the playoffs, the Stars will be able to put him on season-ending LTIR. If they do that, they will be able to get potential cap flexibility of his full AAV of $9.85MM which could open up some opportunities for GM Jim Nill to add to his roster.
As for Bichsel, his placement is retroactive to November 30th. Earlier this week, it was revealed that he’ll miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a lower-body injury. The Stars had been easing him in during his first full NHL campaign, keeping his ice time around the 16-minute mark while he has enough of a lead in the hits department (85, 40 ahead of Nathan Bastian for second) that he will still likely be the team leader in that category when he returns to the lineup next month, assuming his recovery goes as planned.
With the moves, Dallas now has a pair of open roster spots. It seems likely that those could be filled by other players coming off LTIR. Defenseman Nils Lundkvist and center Matt Duchene are believed to be nearing returns and today’s LTIR placements give the Stars enough cap room to formally bring them back onto the active roster. Blueliner Thomas Harley also skated today, per D Magazine’s Robert Tiffin (Twitter link) but he was never moved off the active roster when he was injured.
Tyler Seguin Suffers ACL Injury, Out Long Term
Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan told the media today, including radio analyst Bruce LeVine, that veteran forward Tyler Seguin has suffered an ACL injury and will “probably” be out for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
The news comes after Seguin had to be helped off the ice last night during the team’s overtime loss to the New York Rangers. This unfortunate development comes almost exactly one year after it was announced that Seguin would miss most of the rest of the 2024-25 season due to hip surgery. Seguin ended up returning in time for the Stars’ regular-season finale, and managed to play in 18 playoff games.
So far this season, Seguin had kept up his standard of solid offensive production. While he wasn’t scoring at the point-per-game clip Stars fans grew accustomed to in the late 2010s, his 17 points in 27 games still set an 82-game pace of 52. He currently ranks fifth among Stars forwards in 2025-26 scoring.
Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reported that the Stars “are still awaiting more input from doctors to determine the exact timeline” of Seguin’s recovery, as well as whether he’ll be available to play in the playoffs, which the Stars will almost assuredly qualify for. Assimakopoulos added that “it doesn’t seem like” the Stars “are too optimistic” that Seguin will be available to play again this season.
Seguin had been playing on Dallas’ second line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, and he was succeeding in that capacity. But now for a second straight year, a significant injury will cost him the chance to play in even 30 regular-season games.
Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports relayed word from Gulutzan that veteran forward Matt Duchene, who is dealing with his own injury, is currently “day-to-day” and is inching towards a return to the lineup. It appears likely that whenever Duchene is ready to return, he’ll slot into Seguin’s vacated spot as the team’s second-line right winger behind Mikko Rantanen.
Since Seguin is under contract for another season after this one at a $9.85MM AAV, this injury won’t cost him the chance to put together a healthy, productive platform season. But it will most likely cost Seguin the chance to compete for a second career Stanley Cup championship. The Stars will still chase their franchise’s second title without Seguin, and now that the extent of his injury is all but confirmed, expect focus on potential fits for Dallas on the trade market to increase.
The Stars have been the NHL’s second-best team so far in 2025-26, with their 39 points trailing only the Colorado Avalanche (who have one regulation loss all year) in the standings. The Stars have all the makings of a true Stanley Cup contender this season, and it would be a surprise if GM Jim Nill went the entire season without acquiring additional scoring help.
The Stars traded for both Rantanen and veteran Mikael Granlund to bolster its attack last season, and while a trade on the scale of the Rantanen deal will be almost impossible to complete, expect Dallas to be in the mix for the top rental scoring options. That may have been the case even before this development regarding Seguin, but Seguin’s ACL injury will only further heighten the team’s need to add scoring reinforcements for what it hopes will be a long playoff run.
Assuming Seguin is indeed out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, the team does at least gain a significant amount of financial flexibility. Seguin could be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), which would give the Stars quite a bit of room to make additions without running afoul of the league’s payroll limits.
Photos Courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Injury Notes: Sharks, Power, Seguin
There was some concern for Sharks up-and-comer William Eklund‘s health over the summer after he sustained a wrist laceration while playing in a pre-tournament game for Sweden at the World Championship. He needed surgery, and while the skate cut didn’t damage any vital nerves, it did carry a lengthy three-month recovery window. During that time, he also inked a three-year, $16.8MM extension.
Since Eklund’s injury occurred in May, the expectation was that he’d be ready for training camp. That looks to be the case as he was on the ice for an informal skate Monday and was taking contact, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now relays. That’s great news ahead of what could be even more of a breakthrough season for Eklund. He turns 23 next month and carried a 17-41–58 scoring line through 77 appearances in his sophomore year in 2024-25, up from 45 points in 80 games as a rookie (with a horrifying -45 rating) the year prior.
With the 2021 No. 7 overall pick on the mend, another first-rounder in their system also skated after ending last season on injured reserve. Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin was on the ice yesterday “without obvious limitation,” Peng wrote. The 23-year-old had shoulder surgery in the closing days of the regular season after logging nine points and a -7 rating in 30 regular-season appearances, a career-high. The 2020 first-rounder, previously acquired from the Devils, will be in a tight battle with fellow first-rounder Sam Dickinson and depth righty Jack Thompson for a roster spot in camp. He’ll need waivers to head to AHL San Jose, likely a matter of high concern to the Sharks’ front office.
Other injury updates as players begin to return to their team bases for training camp:
- Sabres defender Owen Power is fully healthy after rehabbing a lower-body injury that ended his 2024-25 season prematurely, telling the team’s Justin Alpert he’s “back to doing everything” and is “ready to go.” He said he’s looking forward to how the increased time in the gym over the summer due to his rehab affects his game as he heads into his fourth full NHL season. The 2021 top pick hit a career-high in points with 40 last year, but also saw career lows in plus/minus (-13) and time on ice (21:19 per game).
- After telling reporters following the Stars’ playoff elimination that he was dealing with a shoulder injury, Tyler Seguin is 100% after some “relatively easy” rehab, he tells Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. He told Tiffin the injury was caused by a hit from Oilers defender Darnell Nurse in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Seguin had 29 points in 38 combined regular-season and playoff games last year, losing most of his regular season to a significant hip procedure.
Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference Finals?
The Western Conference finals are set, as the defending conference champion Edmonton Oilers will take on the Dallas Stars, led by the phenomenal play of Mikko Rantanen. It’s a rematch from last season’s conference final, where the Oilers came out on top in six games.
The Oilers have been on a heater since starting round one with a 2-0 series deficit against the Los Angeles Kings. Since then, the Oilers have lost just one game, winning four in a row against the Kings before taking down the Golden Knights in five games. Unsurprisingly, the team is being led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have combined for 33 points in 11 games. The Oilers lead all teams with 43 playoff goals, averaging nearly 4 goals per game.
The Oilers have also benefited from standout play by defenseman Evan Bouchard, who leads the team with 26:24 of ice time per game in the playoffs, while contributing 12 points and a team-high 13 takeaways. This continues Bouchard’s tremendous playoff run from last season, when he recorded 32 points and a plus-14 rating, helping the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
An intriguing storyline for the Oilers heading into the Western Conference Final is the performance of their goaltenders. Despite the team cruising through two rounds, Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner have combined for just an .886 save percentage, which doesn’t inspire much confidence during a playoff run. At some point, it stands to reason that the Oilers may struggle to sustain their momentum with that level of goaltending. That said, Pickard has been perfect since stepping in as the starter, posting a 6-0 record and providing timely saves when needed.
The Stars are being carried by Rantanen, whose league-leading 19 playoff points have been nothing short of spectacular. However, offensive support from the rest of the roster has been inconsistent. Wyatt Johnston, who tallied 71 points during the regular season, has managed just eight in the playoffs and carries a troubling minus-13 rating. Veterans Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have struggled to make an impact, while 20-goal scorers Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund have failed to replicate their regular-season production. Despite Rantanen’s heroics, Dallas enters the Western Conference Final with a minus-four goal differential.
That also includes the exceptional goaltending of Jake Oettinger, who has posted a .919 save percentage through 13 playoff games. The 26-year-old has been a consistently reliable performer in the postseason, carrying a .913 save percentage over 60 career appearances. His steady presence in the net will be critical as Dallas prepares to face Edmonton’s high-powered offense.
So, what will win out: the Oilers’ explosive offense, or the Stars’ stout goaltending and the heroics of Rantanen? It’s a clash of strengths that could define the rematch. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thinking!
Who will win the Western Conference Finals?
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Edmonton Oilers 67% (2,220)
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Dallas Stars 33% (1,098)
Total votes: 3,318
Minor Transactions: 4/18/25
There will be several small roster moves today as playoff teams recall their required third goalie for practice and emergency backup purposes, and non-playoff teams conduct some end-of-season roster trimming. We’ll cover all those moves here:
- The Blues announced they’ve recalled goaltender Will Cranley from ECHL Florida to serve as their emergency backup. St. Louis selected the 23-year-old in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He was previously added to the Blues’ practice roster for a day during the 4 Nations break while Jordan Binnington was traveling back from the tournament. He finished his second professional season with a 2.71 GAA, .896 SV%, two shutouts, and an 11-9-3 record in 23 ECHL games. He also logged a .867 SV% in a pair of appearances for AHL Springfield, the first of his career.
- The Stars added defensemen Lian Bichsel and Alexander Petrovic back to the active roster after reassigning them to AHL Texas yesterday for cap purposes. They needed the space to activate Tyler Seguin from long-term injured reserve for the final game of the regular season. They’re expected to serve as the third pairing in Game 1 of the first round against the Avalanche tomorrow, per Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports. It’ll be the postseason debut for Bichsel, Dallas’ first-round draft choice in 2022. They also recalled goaltender Ben Kraws from ECHL Idaho as their EBUG. An undrafted free agent signing out of St. Lawrence last year, the 24-year-old impressed with a 2.88 GAA, .910 SV%, five shutouts, and a 23-12-5 record in 40 games for Idaho. He also posted a 3.01 GAA and .889 SV% in three appearances for AHL Texas, logging a 2-1-0 record.
- Serving as the Avalanche’s EBUG will be Kevin Mandolese, the team announced. The 24-year-old has spent the year as Trent Miner‘s backup with AHL Colorado after being acquired from the Senators over the offseason. He has a 2.87 GAA, .903 SV%, 11-6-0 record, and one shutout in 19 games.
- Since the Wild’s AHL affiliate is one of the few to miss the cut for the Calder Cup Playoffs, they’re going with a higher-profile option for their EBUG. Top prospect Jesper Wallstedt will fill the role for them, according to a club announcement. The 2021 first-rounder is expected to succeed the retiring Marc-André Fleury as Filip Gustavsson‘s backup next season, but is coming off a disastrous injury-plagued campaign with Iowa. He finished the year with a 3.59 GAA, .879 SV%, one shutout, and a 9-14-4 record in 27 showings.
- The Panthers summoned Evan Cormier from ECHL Savannah to be their EBUG, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. The 27-year-old struggled with a 3.38 GAA, .887 SV%, one shutout, and a 17-13-4 record in 36 showings in 2024-25. He filled the same duties for the Cats in the first half of last year’s playoff run, signing a two-way deal at the trade deadline for the second season in a row.
- The Penguins returned forwards Ville Koivunen, Joona Koppanen, Vasiliy Ponomarev, Samuel Poulin, Valtteri Puustinen, and defenseman Filip Král to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after their late-season call-ups. They’ll aid the Baby Pens as they aim to capture a Calder Cup. Not joining them is top prospect Rutger McGroarty, who sustained a lower-body injury last week and isn’t yet ready to return.
- The Flames assigned forward Sam Morton and defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz to AHL Calgary after they made their NHL debuts in last night’s regular-season finale. Morton scored his first NHL goal in the outing, while Brzustewicz impressed with a plus-two rating. They’ll join the Wranglers for the postseason.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled enforcer Ryan Reaves from the minor leagues. Reaves recently played in his first AHL games since the 2010-11 season. He recorded one goal and, surprisingly, no penalty minutes in three games of play. The 38-year-old also recorded two assists and 28 penalty minutes in 35 NHL games this season. He’ll provide a boost of muscle to the Leafs lineup as they head towards a First Round matchup against the Ottawa Senators.
- Defenseman Emil Andrae has been reassigned to the minor leagues after holding down a routine role on the Philadelphia Flyers lineup since early March. Andrae split his time between the major and minor rosters this season, with seven points in 42 NHL games and 16 points in 25 AHL games. He was primarily a minor-leaguer last season and managed a stout 32 points, 66 penalty minutes, and minus-10 in 61 games. With the Flyers season over, Andrae will look to again support the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a late-season push.
- The Edmonton Oilers have recalled depth forward Derek Ryan from the minor leagues. Ryan split time between the NHL and AHL this year, with one goal and six points in 36 games in the Oilers lineup. He also managed eight points in 13 AHL games. Ryan has played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on five different occasions, racking up 10 points in 60 games. That includes appearing in 19 games of Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Ryan contributed one assist to the effort. He’ll now be returned to the NHL roster to support another long run.
- The Rochester Americans are getting a wave of strong recruits, as the Buffalo Sabres have reassigned each of Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak, Noah Ostlund, and Isak Rosen back to the minor leagues. Rosen leads Rochester in scoring this season with 28 goals and 55 points in 60 games. Ostlund has 36 points in 44 games, while Kozak has 14 points in 31 games. Kulich has been the only of the bunch to spend the bulk of the season in the NHL. He carved out a top-six role through points of the season. Kulich finished what was his rookie NHL season with 15 goals and 24 points in 62 games.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Stars Activate Tyler Seguin From Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Stars have activated center Tyler Seguin from long-term injured reserve, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports. He’s expected to play in tonight’s season finale against the Predators. Dallas assigned defensemen Lian Bichsel and Alexander Petrovic to AHL Texas to remain cap-compliant for their final regular-season contest.
Seguin returns after a four and a half month absence due to a pair of procedures on his left hip. Stars fans held their breath after the announcement – Seguin had similar surgeries done on his right hip in 2020, during which his recovery spiraled and nearly threatened his career. He was given a four-to-six-month recovery timeline, so while today’s news comes at the earlier end of that timeframe, it’s not entirely unexpected. He began practicing last month, and head coach Peter DeBoer said they were expecting him back for their first-round series.
The 33-year-old started the season on a tear before going under the knife, posting 9-11–20 through 19 contests while averaging 16:13 per game. Despite Dallas ranking fourth in the league in goals, Seguin remains the Stars’ only player to notch above a point per game this year. However, Matt Duchene has 81 in 81 and could join him with a multi-point effort tonight. Youngster Logan Stankoven initially stepped into Seguin’s spot on a line with Duchene and Mason Marchment after he exited the lineup. Still, they found a more experienced man for the job when they acquired Mikael Granlund from the Sharks in early February. Stankoven was later traded to the Hurricanes in the second Mikko Rantanen blockbuster of the year.
It’s not clear where Seguin slots into the lineup tonight. DeBoer told the team’s Mike Heika earlier today that there will be some game-time decisions at forward. But when the playoffs begin, it stands to reason Seguin will reclaim his top-six spot and push Granlund down the depth chart. Not only is Granlund’s points-per-game production a downgrade (7-14–21 in 30 GP since the trade), but his possession numbers with Duchene and Marchment are quite underwhelming compared to when Seguin was on the line. The trio has controlled just 37% of expected goals with Granlund compared to 58.9% with Seguin, according to MoneyPuck.
Seguin’s health gives the Stars an even deeper forward lineup, a necessity entering their first-round series against the Avalanche with star defenseman Miro Heiskanen remaining unavailable for the first few games at least. An on-time recovery is also a good sign for his career at large, with two years left on his contract at a $9.85MM cap hit.
As for Bichsel and Petrovic, they’ll presumably be back up with Dallas once the regular season ends and salary-cap restrictions are lifted. Bichsel should be penciled into their Game 1 lineup. The 2022 first-rounder hasn’t served as a healthy scratch since his most recent recall from Texas in February, only exiting the lineup a few times due to concussion protocols and illness. With 4-5–9 and a plus-two rating in 38 appearances this year, he’s been a far more stable depth presence than what Mathew Dumba and Brendan Smith have offered in similar deployment.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.