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Oilers’ Brown In For Game 1, Ekholm Remains Out

May 21, 2025 at 7:14 pm CDT | by Paul Griser Leave a Comment

Connor Brown will be in the Oilers’ lineup for tonight’s Game 1 against the Dallas Stars, while key defender Mattias Ekholm remains out, per a team release.

Brown missed the team’s gameday skate today, and coach Kris Knoblauch noted he’d be a game-time decision. However, Brown’s undisclosed injury will not keep him from playing in tonight’s contest. Brown will continue to skate next to Evander Kane and Adam Henrique on the team’s third line. Had Brown not been available, Viktor Arvidsson would have likely taken his place in the lineup, per TSN’s Ryan Rishaug.

Brown played every game for the Oilers this season, both during the regular season and the playoffs. He recorded 13 goals and 30 points in the regular season and has stepped up offensively in the playoffs, with four goals and seven points in 11 games. He’s averaging 15:19 of ice time per game in the playoffs.

Ekholm remains out but is progressing toward a return after fully participating in practice today, per Mark Spector of Sportsnet. As Spector notes, the team announced Ekholm will miss Games 1 and 2, but his full participation in practice today sparked speculation that his return could come sooner than expected.

Ekholm has played just once since late March, returning for a single game on April 11 after a seven-game absence, only to aggravate his injury again. The 34-year-old has missed all of the team’s playoff games. In 65 regular-season games, Ekholm recorded nine goals and 33 points while averaging 22:12 of ice time per game.

Snapshots: Tocchet, Stolarz, Stars

May 18, 2025 at 1:32 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

Rick Tocchet landed with the Flyers for his next head coaching gig as many expected, but they weren’t the only team with interest in hiring him after he departed the Canucks organization. One club linked to him was the Bruins, who have yet to fill their vacancy.

After his brief stint on the free agent market came to a close, it appears that having some long-term front office stability was a priority for Tocchet as he decided which clubs to have mutual interest with, according to RG’s James Murphy. With Boston general manager Don Sweeney entering the final season of his contract and the team in a precarious, retooling position, that was enough for Tocchet to essentially withdraw himself from consideration for the role.

“He was concerned for two reasons – Sweeney’s status and Sweeney’s track record with his head coaches,” a source told Murphy. Boston has fired Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery in the last three years, both of whom have gone on to either win a Stanley Cup or vastly improve their team’s outlook in their new roles in Vegas and St. Louis.

As Murphy points out, if true, Sweeney may have spoken too soon when discussing his confidence in landing his preferred candidate during his end-of-season media availability. “I’ll call you up and let you know if somebody turns it down, the invitation to interview for one of the most historic jobs in the National Hockey League,” Sweeney said at the time.

Heiskanen To Miss Game 3 For Stars

May 11, 2025 at 3:38 pm CDT | by Paul Griser Leave a Comment

The Dallas Stars have ruled out top defender Miro Heiskanen for today’s Game 3 matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, per team reporter Mike Heika. Heiskanen has not suited up since having surgery in February to repair a knee injury.

Prior to the series, coach Pete DeBoer listed Heiskanen and forward Jason Robertson as day-to-day. While Robertson returned from his knee injury for Game 1, Heiskanen has yet to rejoin the lineup. DeBoer maintains that Heiskanen is day-to-day, but did tell reporters to quell expectations whenever the defender does return.

“When he comes back, it’s going to be a good day. But even when he comes back, he’s been out for three and a half months. He’s going to help immediately, but we’re going to have to temper our expectations.”

DeBoer noted that the team is excited to have Heiskanen back, but also emphasized that they’ve managed to succeed in his absence. His greater concern seems to be the team’s lack of offensive production. While Miko Rantanen has been on a tear, Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, Mason Marchment, and Mikael Granlund have struggled in the playoffs. With Robertson and Tyler Seguin not at full strength, and the Stars need to dig deep to find ways to light the lamp post.

As DeBoer noted: “We need guys to get on the board, but you also have to understand that Winnipeg is the best defensive team in the league and it’s not going to be easy. We might not get guys lighting it up this series, we might have to win 1-0, 2-1. It would be great if everyone was scoring, but it’s more important that we’re winning games.”

NHL-Affiliated Players in the 2025 World Championship

May 9, 2025 at 9:52 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

After a few days of pre-tournament action, the 2025 World Championship kicks off today in earnest in Denmark and Sweden. There’s a slightly increased contingent of NHLers at this year’s event, with some talents on non-playoff teams looking to prove they belong on Olympic rosters as the league releases its players for the 2026 event for the first time in over a decade.

Leading the pack are Canada and the United States, the only two countries to have their rosters comprised entirely of NHL-signed or NHL-drafted players. This year’s two new faces are Hungary and Slovenia, who were the top two finishers in last year’s Division IA tournament to gain promotion to the top level (Great Britain and Poland were relegated from last year’s Worlds). While Slovenia has a lone NHL representative, Hungary enters without one, as does Kazakhstan. At least one of those countries will stay up for next year’s tournament as they’re both in Group B.

Sorted by country, here’s all the NHLers heading to this year’s Worlds:

* – denotes unsigned/reserve list

Austria

D Gregor Biber (Mammoth)*
F Marco Kasper (Red Wings)
F Vinzenz Rohrer (Canadiens)*

Canada

G Jordan Binnington (Blues)
G Marc-Andre Fleury (Wild)
G Dylan Garand (Rangers)
D Noah Dobson (Islanders)
D Ryker Evans (Kraken)
D Mike Matheson (Canadiens)
D Brandon Montour (Kraken)
D Travis Sanheim (Flyers)
D Jared Spurgeon (Wild)
D MacKenzie Weegar (Flames)
F Macklin Celebrini (Sharks)
F Sidney Crosby (Penguins)
F William Cuylle (Rangers)
F Phillip Danault (Kings)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Tyson Foerster (Flyers)
F Barrett Hayton (Mammoth)
F Bo Horvat (Islanders)
F Kent Johnson (Blue Jackets)
F Travis Konecny (Flyers)
F Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche)
F Ryan O’Reilly (Predators)
F Brayden Schenn (Blues)

Czechia

G Josef Korenar (Mammoth)*
G Karel Vejmelka (Mammoth)
G Daniel Vladar (Flames)
D Filip Hronek (Canucks)
D David Spacek (Wild)
F Adam Klapka (Flames)
F Jakub Lauko (Bruins)
F Martin Necas (Avalanche)
F David Pastrnak (Bruins)

Denmark

F Oscar Fisker Molgaard (Kraken)

Finland

G Justus Annunen (Predators)
G Juuse Saros (Predators)
D Atro Leppanen (Oilers)
D Nikolas Matinpalo (Senators)
F Lenni Hameenaho (Devils)
F Waltteri Merela (Lightning)*
F Juuso Parssinen (Rangers)
F Teuvo Teravainen (Blackhawks)
F Eeli Tolvanen (Kraken)

France

G Antoine Keller (Capitals)*
F Alexandre Texier (Blues)

Germany

G Philipp Grubauer (Kraken)
G Arno Tiefensee (Stars)
D Moritz Seider (Red Wings)
D Maksymilian Szuber (Mammoth)
F Lukas Reichel (Blackhawks)
F Josh Samanski (Oilers)
G Tim Stutzle (Senators)

Hungary

none

Kazakhstan

none

Latvia

F Martins Dzierkals (Golden Knights)*
F Dans Locmelis (Bruins)
F Eduards Tralmaks (Red Wings)

Norway

D Stian Solberg (Ducks)
F Noah Steen (Lightning)*

Slovakia

G Samuel Hlavaj (Wild)
D Samuel Knazko (Blue Jackets)
D Patrik Koch (Mammoth)
F Martin Chromiak (Kings)
F Dalibor Dvorsky (Blues)
F Samuel Honzek (Flames)
F Pavol Regenda (Sharks)
F Adam Sykora (Rangers)

Slovenia

D Jan Golicic (Lightning)*

Sweden

G Samuel Ersson (Flyers)
G Jacob Markstrom (Devils)
G Arvid Soderblom (Blackhawks)
D Rasmus Andersson (Flames)
D Jonas Brodin (Wild)
D Simon Edvinsson (Red Wings)
D Erik Gustafsson (Red Wings)
D Adam Larsson (Kraken)
D Marcus Pettersson (Canucks)
F Mikael Backlund (Flames)
F Leo Carlsson (Ducks)
F Filip Forsberg (Predators)
F Emil Heineman (Canadiens)
F Marcus Johansson (Wild)
F Elias Lindholm (Bruins)
F Isac Lundestrom (Ducks)
F Lucas Raymond (Red Wings)
F Alexander Wennberg (Sharks)
F Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)

Switzerland

D Tim Berni (Blue Jackets)*
D J.J. Moser (Lightning)
D Jonas Siegenthaler (Devils)
F Kevin Fiala (Kings)
F Nico Hischier (Devils)
F Simon Knak (Predators)*
F Timo Meier (Devils)

United States

G Joey Daccord (Kraken)
G Hampton Slukynsky (Kings)*
G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)
D Zeev Buium (Wild)
D Cole Hutson (Capitals)*
D Michael Kesselring (Mammoth)
D Jackson LaCombe (Ducks)
D Mason Lohrei (Bruins)
D Andrew Peeke (Bruins)
D Brady Skjei (Predators)
D Alex Vlasic (Blackhawks)
D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)
F Matty Beniers (Kraken)
F Brett Berard (Rangers)
F Logan Cooley (Mammoth)
F Josh Doan (Mammoth)
F Michael Eyssimont (Kraken)
F Conor Garland (Canucks)
F Cutter Gauthier (Ducks)
F Isaac Howard (Lightning)*
F Clayton Keller (Mammoth)
F Michael McCarron (Predators)
F Frank Nazar (Blackhawks)
F Drew O’Connor (Canucks)
F Shane Pinto (Senators)
F Will Smith (Sharks)
F Tage Thompson (Sabres)

Kirill Kaprizov, Marco Rossi Discuss Contract Talks With Wild

May 4, 2025 at 6:05 pm CDT | by Paul Griser 7 Comments

Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov spoke to reporters today and hinted at his interest in signing an extension with the club this summer, per Joe Smith of the Athletic.

The Wild will be eligible to sign Kirill Kaprizov to a contract extension starting July 1, and owner Craig Leipold has made it clear the organization is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep their superstar in Minnesota. Judging by Kaprizov’s comments today, the feeling appears to be mutual.

“This is my agent’s job, so we will see. But I love everything here. It should be all good,” he said. “It’s all about winning. Everything is about winning. But I like everything about here.”

It will be fascinating to see what kind of deal Kaprizov lands—his next contract could rank among the richest ever signed by a winger, or by any player, in NHL history. While Kaprizov could land a massive deal on the open market, the Wild do have a ton of cap space available, making the path even clearer to sign an extension with Minnesota. No matter the cost of his contract, Kaprizov will more than likely prove to be worth it. At just 28, Kaprizov has lit up the league over five sensational seasons, racking up 386 points in 319 games. That production already places him fifth on the Wild’s all-time points list, while his 185 goals rank third, just 34 shy of Marián Gáborík’s franchise record. And the Russian also put to rest any concerns about the injury he sustained this season that required surgery and kept him out of the lineup for three-plus months, as Kaprizov posted five goals and nine points in the team’s 4-2 series defeat to the Golden Knights.

The tone was a little less positive from center Marco Rossi, who, like Kaprizov, deflected questions regarding his contract toward his agent, but also noted his disappointment in being relegated to a fourth-line role in the playoffs, per Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.

“I was very disappointed. But I have been taught to respect those decisions. It’s always the team first,” he said. “We had an honest discussion about (my role). We were both honest. I won’t tell you everything that was said, but I need to respect it.”

Rossi, who is headed for restricted free agency this offseason, quietly put together a strong campaign with 24 goals and 60 points—impressive numbers on a team that often struggled to generate offense. Given that production, his limited role in the playoffs sparks questions about where he fits into the Wild’s long-term plans.

Blues’ Tyler Tucker To Miss Game 7

May 4, 2025 at 3:47 pm CDT | by Paul Griser Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues will be without defenseman Tyler Tucker for tonight’s decisive Game 7 clash against the Winnipeg Jets—a significant blow to a team counting on its blue line depth in a win-or-go-home matchup. The 25-year-old Tucker has emerged as a reliable presence on the back end this season, providing physicality, poise, and key minutes that have helped stabilize the Blues’ defense.

In a career-high 38 games this season, Tucker recorded just seven points but showcased his strong defensive prowess by recording 81 hits and 39 blocked shots in that limited time. He added a goal and 12 hits in the first three games of the series before going down with a lower-body injury. If the Blues are able to advance, there is no public timeline on Tucker’s potential return outside of his “day-to-day” status.

Ryan Suter is expected to remain in Tucker’s place in the lineup tonight, skating alongside fellow veteran Nick Leddy. A veteran of over 1,500 career-games, Suter produced two goals and 15 points in 82 games this season—maintaining his streak of four consecutive seasons without missing a game—but was a healthy scratch in games two and three of the series. In the four games he has dressed for, Suter has one assist and a minus-one rating while averaging 16:45 of ice time per game.

Addressing the decision to initially scratch Ryan Suter and then reinsert him following Tucker’s injury, Blues head coach Jim Montgomery praised the veteran’s professionalism, noting that the team will benefit from Suter’s penalty-killing ability and wealth of experience. The 40-year-old has logged 137 career playoff games, averaging an impressive 24:52 of ice time. While his days as a top-pairing workhorse are behind him, Suter’s veteran presence could prove invaluable in a high-stakes Game 7.

Ducks Linked To David Carle, Jay Woodcroft, Joel Quenneville

May 1, 2025 at 2:14 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 6 Comments

Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is in the midst of his second search for a head coach after just his third full season in the club’s top role. After failed tenures with Dallas Eakins and Greg Cronin, Verbeek is pulling out all of the stops. Anaheim reportedly interviewed top coaching prospect David Carle and former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft recently, and plan to also hold a second interview with record-holding head coach Joel Quenneville, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. LeBrun added that the trio of heavy-hitters aren’t the only names on Anaheim’s list.

Whoever lands in the Ducks’ head coaching vacancy will have one clear goal for next season: making the postseason. Verbeek put heavy emphasis on that goal in Anaheim’s final press conference of the season, and said he would be aggressive in the coaching circuit and free agency to achieve that goal. The Ducks haven’t made the postseason since 2018, when they closed a six-year run of playoff berths by getting swept by the San Jose Sharks. That Ducks squad leaned on clearly aged veterans – including a 32-year-old Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and a 33-year-old Ryan Kesler. Kesler retired and Perry left after the subsequent season, while Getzlaf hung up the skates in 2022. Those departures thrust the Ducks into a rebuild that Verbeek hopes to end with a return to the playoffs in 2026.

Anaheim will have some dazzling coaching candidates to choose from. Leading the pack is the coach with the second-most wins in NHL history. Quenneville hasn’t been deemed as a clear front-runner for the vacancy, but a second interview is a mighty bode of confidence for a man who was barred from coaching from 2021 to 2024, due to his involvement in assault allegations from the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. There was only one coaching vacancy by the time Quenneville was reinstated late last summer, and he reportedly wasn’t considered for the role. That makes attention from Anaheim particularly notable, marking Quenneville’s first chance to prove himself after not coaching a full, 82-game season since 2019-20. He won three Stanley Cups with the dynasty-era Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

Two strong candidates will headline the competition for Quenneville’s bid. Carle has gained plenty of acclaim from the hockey world after leading the University of Denver to two national championships in 2022 and 2024. Those rings have been intercut by a conference final loss in 2023 and a frozen four loss this season. He also won back-to-back World Juniors gold medals in each of the last two seasons. Carle has staked his claim as one of the most accomplished coaches in college hockey – a remarkable feat considering he is still only 35-years-old, with just seven years of head coach experience under his belt. Carle did withdraw his name from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks coaching vacancy, and is expected to return to the Denver Pioneers next season – but a strong pitch could convince the burgeoning coach to move to Southern California.

Woodcroft doesn’t have the multiple years of championship pedigree of Quenneville and Carle, though he did lead the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to a Calder Cup in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. He was promoted to the NHL partway through the following season and led the Oilers to a pair of playoff berths before being axed after a 3-9-1 start to the 2023-24 season. He is another young head coaching candidate with 20 years of experience behind pro benches. That could serve him well as Anaheim looks to strike a balance between winning now and building for their future.

Jeff Blashill, Jeff Halpern, Jay Leach Drawing Interest For Head Coach Vacancies

April 30, 2025 at 11:15 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 3 Comments

Bruins assistant coach Jay Leach and Lightning assistant coaches Jeff Blashill and Jeff Halpern are among the names under consideration for the eight active head coaching vacancies across the league, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

Leach has another year left on his contract in Boston, Pagnotta relays, but the Bruins have evidently granted him permission to speak to other teams as he’s already begun the interview process for a few positions. He landed with the Bruins last summer after being a finalist for the Kraken’s HC job – he was an internal promotion option there, but they opted for the recently-fired Dan Bylsma instead. He was also a candidate for Boston’s head coach vacancy in 2022 after departing the organization for the Kraken.

The 45-year-old Leach now has a decade of coaching experience after retiring as a player in 2013, including four years as head coach of the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence from 2017-18 through 2020-21. The New York native was an assistant coach for Adler Mannheim in 2014-15 when the German club won the DEL championship with a roster featuring former NHLers Jochen Hecht, Glen Metropolit, and Brandon Yip, among others.

Pagnotta also implied Blashill, still active in the playoffs with Tampa, has already completed some interviews. He’s taken a back seat to Jon Cooper with the Bolts since being let go by the Red Wings in 2022 following an unceremonious tenure as head coach there. Blashill only made the playoffs once in his first season with the rebuilding Wings, compiling a 204-261-72 (.447) record. He was a candidate for the Sharks’ vacancy last year and even had a second interview, but was passed over for rookie bench boss Ryan Warsofsky.

As for Halpern, teams are waiting until the Lightning’s postseason comes to an end before being given permission to talk to him. Halpern has been on Cooper’s staff as an assistant since 2018 and has only ever coached within the Lightning organization, serving as a development and assistant coach with AHL Syracuse from 2015-16 through 2017-18. The veteran of nearly 1,000 NHL games as a player was interviewed by the Capitals during their hiring cycle in 2023, but they opted to go with Spencer Carbery instead.

Western Conference Notes: Landeskog, Pickard, Poturalski

April 25, 2025 at 8:45 pm CDT | by Paul Griser 3 Comments

After recently playing for the first time in 1,032 days, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is set for a bigger role in game four of their matchup with against the Dallas Stars, per an NHL release.

The veteran is expected to join the top power-play unit and slot in on a line alongside Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin. In his game three return, a 2-1 lost, Landeskog remarkably led all players with six hits in 13:16 of total ice time. He skated on the Avs third line next to Charlie Coyle and Joel Kiviranta.

After captaining the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, the winger, 32, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which put his career in jeopardy. But after nearly three years of intense rehab, the Swedish-born forward has made his return, something that has greatly inspired the organization.

As head coach Avalanche Jared Bednar stated today: “It’s remarkable, really. When you think about the time he’s been away, and then you see the way he played the other night, I thought he was incredible under those circumstances.”

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

The Edmonton Oilers have announced goalie Calvin Pickard will start game three of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, per TSN. Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner in the third period of the team’s 6-2 loss in game two. Coach Kris Knoblauch noted the team will need a big game from Pickard, adding that the Oilers need “big saves at big times.” Pickard had a solid showing in the regular season, finishing with 22-10-1 record and .900 save percentage. Skinner, meanwhile, struggled for a starter with a .896 save percentage on the year through 51 appearances. And through two playoff starts, the 26-year-old holds a rough .810 save percentage and staggering 6.11 goals against average. If the Oilers have any hope of making another deep playoff run, they’ll need significantly better play between the pipes.
While not much went right for the San Jose Sharks this season, their AHL-affiliate does have something big to celebrate. San Jose Barracuda forward Andrew Poturalski was announced as the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player, per a league release. Poturalski, 31, scored 73 points in 59 games to lead the Barracuda to their best record since 2019 (while missing the final three weeks of the regular season due to injury). Poturalski has had a phenomenal AHL career, securing three scoring titles and two Calder Cup championships. However, he has never been able to showcase that success in the NHL, appearing in just nine games with three assists.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

April 24, 2025 at 5:45 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 19 Comments

The playoffs have arrived while half of the teams in the NHL have started their offseason. Several teams will have a viable chance to win the Stanley Cup while several others will be embarking on some big changes in the coming months, some of which have already started in the form of coaching changes.

With all that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again. Our last call for questions yielded enough for three separate columns. Among the topics in the first were Devon Levi’s time with Buffalo and if he can one day live up to expectations and going over the big changes for the Rangers and what moves could be coming this summer. The second included Joel Hofer’s strong season in St. Louis and Nashville’s season that was anything but strong. Lastly, the third included thoughts on the thin goalie market this offseason, Detroit’s back end, and the possibility of Mackie Samoskevich being an offer sheet candidate in July.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on Saturday.

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