Morning Notes: Hedman, Rutherford, Owen Sound
A few days ago, it was announced that the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Victor Hedman, had taken a leave of absence from the team for mental health reasons. Taking the absence on March 25th, Hedman missed Tampa Bay’s last 15 games of the regular season, and their Round One series loss against the Montreal Canadiens.
From a team perspective, it’s a bind in all honesty, as you’re stuck between wanting the best for the player and their long-term health, while also recognizing that your team is better when Hedman is on the ice. Furthermore, there’s no set timeline for how long it takes a player to recover, unlike more objective injuries.
Still, Hedman shared that he’s feeling much better, and there’s not much concern that he won’t begin the 2026-27 season on time. In fact, speaking on 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that there’s a “1000% chance” that Hedman plays next year. Given that there’s a distinct possibility that the Lightning lose defenseman Darren Raddysh in free agency this summer, having Hedman back for the whole year will make that pill go down much easier.
Additional morning notes:
- Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford provided more context behind his decision to step down from his role at the head of Vancouver’s front office. In an interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Rutherford said, “It was time for me before the season even started; I was trending in that direction. But I think we can put something together here in our hockey department that I can feel good about when I step down.“
- According to Greg Cowan of the Owen Sound Sun Times, the OHL’s Board of Governors is preparing to meet to finalize the sale of the Owen Sound Attack. Cowan indicated that an official announcement of the sale is expected in the next few days and that the new ownership group plans to hire a relatively young player agent to lead the hockey operations department.
Victor Hedman Announces Leave Of Absence Was For Mental Health
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed in a statement published Tuesday morning that over the past several months, he stepped away from the team for mental health reasons. A portion of his statement reads:
Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health. It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.
I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be.
I’ve been fortunate to have strong support from my family, my teammates and the organization, my therapist and I’m in a much better place today.
Hedman’s statement can be read in full here. Hedman originally took his leave of absence on March 25, with the Lightning simply stating that it was for “personal reasons.” He last played March 19, leaving a win over the Vancouver Canucks early due to what was originally reported as an illness. Head coach Jon Cooper said at the time, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, that Hedman “wasn’t feeling well.”
Tampa’s captain is a player who requires no introduction. He is one of the defining blueliners of his generation: a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, a Norris Trophy winner, and a six-time Norris Trophy finalist overall. His 1,164 career games played and 811 career points are both the most by a defenseman in franchise history. He is a zero-doubt future Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and someone who will rank as one of the top blueliners in the recent history of the game.
A few days ago, Cooper told the media, including The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, that Hedman would be an option for the team “really soon.” He ended up not being able to return to the lineup as the Lightning’s season ended in game seven against the Montreal Canadiens. But the hope will be that Hedman’s progress can allow him to return to the ice next year.
Hedman is not alone as a player who has taken a leave of absence to focus on mental health. Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark took a leave of absence earlier this season, while other players such as Oliver Kylington and Jonathan Drouin have done the same in years past.
Latest On Victor Hedman, Charle-Edouard D’Astous
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without captain Victor Hedman as they fight to stave off elimination tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Jon Cooper told the media today. Cooper did add that he expects Hedman to be an option “really soon,” hinting that he could potentially be able to dress on Sunday if the Lightning are able to force game seven against the Canadiens.
Cooper didn’t issue a firm update on the status of injured blueliner Charle-Edouard D’Astous, but Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reported that D’Astous is likely to make his return from injury tonight. D’Astous hasn’t played since game one of the series after suffering an undisclosed injury.
If he does end up returning, D’Astous could provide a real boost to Tampa Bay’s blueline. The former SHL, Liiga, ECHL, and QMJHL defenseman of the year had a breakout 2025-26 season, earning a full-time NHL role as an undrafted 28-year-old rookie. D’Astous scored 29 points in 70 games and added 112 penalty minutes.
He averaged 18:45 time on ice per game this season, and could take Emil Lilleberg‘s spot on the team’s third pairing. Lilleberg has averaged 16:59 time on ice per game in this series, including two minutes per game on the penalty kill. He could also take the spot of Maxwell Crozier, though that would require the left-shot defenseman playing on his off-side.
If Hedman is indeed able to return for a potential game seven, or even for the start of the second round (if Tampa Bay is able to make it there,) his return would provide a major boost to Tampa’s lineup.
The Lightning captain is one of the standout blueliners of his generation, a Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. While his injuries slowed him down this season, and he’s potentially no longer a top point producer thanks to Raddysh’s emergence, he remains a central pillar of this era of Lightning hockey.
While Tampa is on the verge of elimination tonight, they remain one of the strongest teams in the postseason. Their combination of skill, ferocity, and veteran experience is one few teams can match, and they have one of the game’s finest goaltenders backstopping them.
If they can find a way to get past Montreal, and get a healthy Hedman back into their lineup, they could pose a serious threat to make their fourth Stanley Cup Final of the decade.
Evening Notes: Hedman, Foster, Saarinen, Greig, Davidson
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman was a full participant in practice as he continues to try to work his way back to game readiness, relays NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. However, head coach Jon Cooper noted that his captain is still uncertain to return at some point in their opening-round series against Montreal. Hedman hasn’t played since March 19th when he exited that game early due to illness and then left the team on a leave of absence soon after. He had 17 points in 33 games this season and would be a big addition to Tampa Bay’s lineup if he’s able to get back into one of the final games of the series.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Still with the Lightning, prospect forward Aiden Foster has joined AHL Syracuse, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 19-year-old was drafted in the fourth round last June, going 127th overall and spent this season with WHL Prince George. Foster set new career highs offensively with the Cougars this season, picking up 14 goals and 21 assists in 65 games while surpassing the 100-PIM mark for the third straight year. Foster has yet to sign his entry-level contract and will likely serve as a Black Ace for the Crunch’s playoff run.
- The Kraken have reassigned goaltender Kim Saarinen to AHL Coachella Valley, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 19-year-old spent the season on loan to HPK in Finland and played quite well at the Liiga level. In 38 starts during the regular season, Saarinen posted a 2.11 GAA with a .916 SV% and put up even better numbers in nine playoff appearances at 1.68 and .944, respectively. Saarinen was under contract with Seattle this season but since he didn’t get into ten NHL games, his deal is eligible to slide and will still have three years left on it heading into 2026-27.
- The Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that the disciplinary hearing for Senators forward Ridly Greig will be held on Monday. The incident happened in the final game of their first-round series against Carolina for throwing a sucker punch at Sean Walker. With this being a phone hearing, any supplemental discipline would be capped at five games with Greig serving the suspension next season with Ottawa’s playoff run already over.
- The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that former player Matt Davidson has passed away at the age of 48. Davidson spent three seasons with Columbus, playing in 56 games where he had a dozen points. He had recently kicked off his post-playing career in hockey and was working for WHL Portland as their Director of Player Personnel before his passing.
Lightning’s Victor Hedman Doubtful For First Round
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman has not played since March 19th due to illness. He missed the final 15 games of the regular season and, despite returning to practice in the postseason, the first game of the Lightning’s first round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper provided a bit more clarity on Hedman’s timeline during Tuesday’s practice, specifying that Hedman is doubtful to play in the first round per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Tampa Bay also lost Charle-Edouard D’Astous to injury in Game 1.
This news will keep the Lightning blue-line hobbled through the rest of their matchup against the Canadiens. Tampa Bay rotated their top four defenders heavily in Game 1. The top-pair of J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh played in 23 and 24 minutes of ice time respectively while the second-pair of Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak played 21 minutes. Raddysh and McDonagh both found their way onto the scoresheet but their efforts weren’t enough, and Tampa Bay ultimately dropped Game 1 by a score of 3-4.
That loss will put added pressure onto Tampa Bay’s blue-line next game. Hedman has had a challenging season – playing in only 33 games and scoring only 17 points due to various injuries and illnesses. Even then, his veteran presence is an essential part of the Lightning’s defense corps. Hedman scored 76 and 66 points in his previous two seasons respectively and leads all Bolts defenders with 50 points in 61 playoff games dating back to 2020. He would have been an integral part of this first round race. His absence places that weight onto Raddysh and Moser, two defenders who served minimal roles in the Lightning’s 2025 playoff run.
While the lights will be shining bright, both Raddysh and Moser proved their ability to stand up to the challenge throughout this season. Raddysh’s breakout season was marked by 70 points in 73 games, joining Hedman as the only defensemen in Lightning history to reach 70 points. Moser offered a strong, two-way game behind Raddysh – and played upwards of 27 minutes a night in support of the D-zone. Their stylistic chemistry – backed by Cup-winning experience in McDonagh and Cernak – should be enough for Tampa Bay to fortify their defensive end even without their captain in the lineup. If the weakened Lightning blue-line can push the team past Montreal, they could be due for an X-factor addition if Hedman returns to full health in the second round.
Meanwhile, Declan Carlile will make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in place of the injured D’Astous per NHL.com’s Benjamin Pierce. Carlile played in 42 NHL games this season, marking his first full year in the league after totaling four games over the last two seasons. He has recorded four points and 40 penalty minutes at the NHL level, and added 11 points and 27 penalty minutes in 16 AHL games this season. Carlile will likely suit up next to Lilleberg on a Lightning third-pair that is sure to be sheltered through the first round. In their minutes, Carlile and Lilleberg will have to combine to make up for the 29 points and team-leading 112 penalty minutes that D’Astous racked up as an NHL rookie this season.
East Notes: Hedman, James, Dobson
Prior to tonight’s game, Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper told reporters, including Eduardo A. Encina of The Tampa Bay Times, that Victor Hedman is still a ways from returning. The Bolts’ captain has resumed skating, and will be joining the team when they head to Montreal, but it’s still unclear when he could be back.
2025-26 has been a year marred by absences for the 35-year-old, as his just 33 games played is a career low for the 17-year veteran. Hedman missed nearly two months in the winter, and again, hasn’t played since March 19 due to illness and personal reasons.
A number of Lightning defensemen have stepped up this year, primarily Darren Raddysh and his incredible 70-point campaign, as well as J.J. Moser whose strong efforts fetched an eight-year contract extension. Their performances continue to show the resilience of the Lightning.
Still, Tampa Bay hasn’t won a playoff round since 2022, and Montreal presents another tall task, especially without their captain and his 170 games of playoff experience, good for sixth among active NHL players.
Elsewhere across the conference:
- Also in Tampa Bay, forward Dominic James returned to the lineup for the opening game of the Canadiens series, while Oliver Bjorkstrand was healthy scratched, noted by Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider. James, playing for the first time since late February, had a rough start to his playoff debut. On his first shift, he collided knee-on-knee with Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj and went to the bench in serious pain. It appeared that the rookie had re-aggravated his injury, but thankfully, he eventually returned to the game, back to his role as fourth line center.
- Injured Montreal Canadiens defender Noah Dobson traveled with the team for Game 1 in Tampa Bay, reported by Guillaume Lepage of NHL.com. The first-year Hab injured his hand against Columbus and had to miss the club’s two remaining regular season games. Without the ailment, he could have played in all 82 this season. Nonetheless, it will likely require an extended series against Tampa Bay for the righty to return by the first round, as he’s just traveling to remain with the team in support. Until he can heal up, Montreal is leaning on Alexandre Carrier in a top pairing role alongside Mike Matheson.
Atlantic Notes: Hedman, James, Lyon, Kleven
The Lightning have been without Victor Hedman for some extended stretches this season, including the past month when he was out due to illness and then away from the team for personal reasons. However, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters today including NHL.com’s Bill Price that the defenseman is back with the team and has been skating in recent days although he hasn’t taken part in practice as of yet. Cooper noted that Hedman is expected to accompany the team on the road for the third and fourth games of the series which suggests that the veteran may be able to return at some point in the round. Hedman had 17 points in 33 games this season but his playing time has been a bit more managed, checking in at just under 19 minutes a night, down more than four minutes from 2024-25.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Still with the Lightning, center Dominic James appears to be ready to return to the lineup. Cooper mentioned (via Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times) that he expects the rookie to be available to start the series on Sunday. James sustained a leg injury at the end of February and was initially expected to miss eight to ten weeks. Sunday would be a little before the seven-week mark so he’s clearly a little ahead of schedule. He had seven goals and eight assists in 43 games in his rookie season.
- Originally thought to be unavailable for the start of the playoffs, Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon was at practice today and indicated to reporters including WGR 550’s Paul Hamilton (Twitter link) that he’s ready to go. The veteran had missed the last week with a lower-body injury. Lyon had a 2.77 GAA with a .906 SV% in 36 games this season but has a SV% of just .881 since the Olympic break, resulting in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen picking up more playing time down the stretch.
- Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven wasn’t in the series opener today against Carolina but could be nearing a return. Pregame, head coach Travis Green told reporters including Julian McKenzie of The Athletic (Twitter link) that he’s hopeful the blueliner could return in this series. The 24-year-old has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury and is one of two regular blueliners still sidelined, joining Nick Jensen. Kleven had a career-best 18 points in 70 games this season while leading all Ottawa defenders in hits with 126.
Lightning Place Victor Hedman On LTIR
April 2nd: According to PuckPedia, the Lightning have placed Hedman on long-term injured reserve. Per the requirements for activation, Hedman must miss 10 games and 24 days before he’s eligible to return. That means that Hedman won’t be able to play until their penultimate regular-season matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on April 13th.
March 25th: The Lightning announced Wednesday that captain Victor Hedman will be out for at least one additional game as he takes a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons.
Hedman has already missed Tampa Bay’s last three contests. He left their game against the Canucks last Thursday after less than five minutes of ice time and didn’t return due to what the team labeled an illness.
That, plus a whole host of other injuries, has limited the usually durable Hedman to under half of the Bolts’ games this season. He has only managed 33 appearances, currently tracking for a career low, including lockout and COVID-shortened seasons.
Hedman, who finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting just last year, hasn’t had nearly the same effect when dressed, either. At 18:52 of ice time per game, he’s averaging under 20 minutes for the first time in his 17-year career, and his 0.52 points per game is his worst output since his early 20s.
The Bolts have maintained a 27-7-3 record without Hedman dressed this season, including a 2-0-1 stretch in their last three without him. They certainly miss his presence, even lower in the lineup, with depth options Declan Carlile and Maxwell Crozier sidelined, but they’ve been able to keep their system rolling and intact this season amid a bevy of other injuries on defense.
At this point in the season, the Lightning have essentially locked up home ice in the first round with a 89.5% chance of finishing in the top two in the Atlantic Division, per MoneyPuck. A playoff spot is all but clinched, but the race with the Sabres for the division title is still wide open.
Morning Notes: Sandin Pellikka, Hedman, Erixon
Red Wings rookie defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka was scratched for a sixth straight game in last night’s 3-1 win over the Canadiens. While the 2023 #17 overall pick hit the ground running this season as Detroit’s second-pairing righty behind Moritz Seider, his complete lack of usage after the team acquired Justin Faulk to fill that role at the deadline was weeks in the making. He has 19 points in 63 appearances but has seen his ice time slashed significantly dating back to New Year’s, averaging 13:27 per game in a 22-match stretch. He’ll no doubt make a push to leapfrog pending RFA Jacob Bernard-Docker on the depth chart next season to step back into a regular role, but his defensive results this year – a -21 rating, a 47.8% expected goals share, and a 45.2% scoring chance share at 5-on-5 – aren’t great.
Here’s more from around the NHL:
- Lightning captain Victor Hedman didn’t play the last two periods of the Bolts’ 6-2 drubbing of the Canucks last night, but there isn’t a huge cause for concern. Head coach Jon Cooper told reporters postgame that while he is a bit banged up, the decision to pull him was illness-related, per Benjamin Pierce of NHL.com. It’s long been known that the 35-year-old isn’t at 100% this season – he’s missed over 30 games due to elbow surgery and an undisclosed lower-body issue. It shows in his performance, averaging a career-low 18:52 per game while limited to a 1-16–17 scoring line and a -1 rating in 33 outings.
- Former NHL depth piece Tim Erixon has retired, he told Nathalie Vinroth of Swedish newspaper Sundsvalls Tidning this week. The 23rd overall pick by the Flames in the 2009 draft, he went on to play 93 games in parts of four years with the Rangers, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, and Maple Leafs. He last saw NHL ice in 2015 and last played in the minors in 2019 before returning home to bookend his career in the Swedish Hockey League. The 35-year-old won an SHL championship with the Växjö Lakers in 2021 and has been with Timrå IK ever since, although he’s played just six games since the beginning of 2024-25 due to ongoing back issues aggravated by a foot fracture.
Lightning’s Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Two Others Set To Return
Tampa Bay assistant coach Rob Zettler told reporters, including Benjamin Pierce, Beat Writer for the team, that Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Charle-Edouard D’Astous, and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg are all expected to return tomorrow against Toronto.
Hedman, who already dealt with a nearly two-month long IR stint after elbow surgery, returned for the Bolts’ epic Stadium Series win over Boston on February 1, the first of his three games before the Olympic Break.
The Tampa captain then went off to Milan as a pillar of Team Sweden, where he sustained an apparent lower-body injury in warmups prior to last Wednesday’s game against the United States, ending his Olympic action. The 35-year-old won’t miss any more time, as he’ll look to settle in after just 21 games on the campaign so far, where he’s recorded 13 points (all assists) on 20:15 a night.
Also with ties to the Olympics, Point suffered a knee injury on January 12 that had fans fearing for the worst. Thankfully avoiding a long term recovery, Tampa’s top center attempted to get back in time for Milan and Team Canada, however, on February 5 the 29-year-old made the commendable decision to pass his spot, which was taken by Seth Jarvis.
Able to utilize the break to return to form, Point will give another boost to Tampa Bay, who maintained their elite play even without him. After a slower start to the year relative to his standards, with injuries a factor, Point was on a heater prior to his injury with 19 points in 16 games. All told, he has 30 in 37 on the season, good for sixth on the club despite missing considerable time.
Meanwhile, Lilleberg and D’Astous, both young defenseman who round out Tampa’s blueline, have been on injured reserve and are expected to be activated for tomorrow.
Lilleberg hasn’t played since mid-December, dealing with an undisclosed lingering injury. The 25-year-old had six points in 32 games before going down, averaging a career high 17:21 after emerging as a regular in the lineup in 2024-25.
D’Astous was placed on IR in late January, after a collision against Columbus on the 24th left him with a lower-body injury. The undrafted 27-year-old latched on with Tampa after three seasons in Sweden, and he looks to be the next under-the-radar contributor in the blue and white. The 6’2” lefty has 17 points in 43 games, playing over 19 minutes a night with a strong 53.4% corsi for at even strength.
The Lightning host the Maple Leafs tomorrow, and having won five in a row going into the break, it’s hard to imagine they’ll stop anytime soon, with several players back into the fold. Tampa is five points behind Colorado for first in the league.