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.
Senators’ Ridly Greig Suspended Two Games
5/4: Greig has been suspended for two games for his sucker punch on Walker, per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. With Ottawa’s season wrapped up, Greig will need to serve the suspended games at the start of the 2026-27 regular season. That will require that he is on Ottawa’s active roster, rather than assigned to the AHL. Greig signed a four-year, $13MM contract extension in January.
4/26: Senators forward Ridly Greig‘s season is over following Ottawa’s sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes, which was finished off yesterday. He’ll now be facing a delayed start to his 2026-27 campaign as well. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Sunday that Greig will have a hearing for roughing Carolina defenseman Sean Walker in their Game 4 loss.
Obviously, there’s no rush to make the decision. Still, it shouldn’t be more than a few days until Greig learns his fate. It’s not an in-person hearing, so his looming supplemental discipline won’t be any longer than five games.
Greig wasn’t penalized on the play, which was largely missed in the moment. At the midpoint of the second period in one of the many after-the-whistle scrums on Saturday, Walker and Ottawa winger Warren Foegele were engaged in a pseudo-fight near center ice. Greig, who didn’t have a sparring partner, came over and delivered a sucker punch square to Walker’s chin while he had his head down (video via Sportsnet).
In what was a silent series offensively for the Sens, Greig was one of only seven Ottawa skaters to record a point. His primary assist on Dylan Cozens‘ game-tying goal late in regulation in Game 2 was only the second postseason point of his career. He had a goal in six games against the Maple Leafs last season.
The 23-year-old will be kicking off his fourth full NHL season in the fall, whenever he does end up getting into the lineup. He’s already established himself as one of the Sens’ most physical forwards while posting some remarkably consistent offensive totals. He’s hit exactly 13 goals in each of his three full-time campaigns, with his point totals ranging from 26 to a career-high 35 this season.
Walker didn’t sustain an injury on the play, which certainly contributed to the non-call on the play. Walker took matters into his own hands later in the frame, earning a minor penalty for boarding Greig.
Korbinian Holzer Announces Retirement
According to an announcement from the ICEHL’s Graz99ers, former NHL defenseman Korbinian Holzer has officially hung up his skates. He spent nine years in the NHL playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators.
Holzer’s professional career in North America began nearly two decades ago, being selected with the 111th overall pick (fourth round) of the Maple Leafs in the 2006 NHL Draft. Before joining North American ice, Holzer played several seasons with the DEL’s DEG Metro Stars, finishing the 2009-10 season with six goals and 22 points.
Finally making the jump, Holzer spent most of the 2010-11 campaign with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, registering three goals and 13 points in 73 games with a +10 rating. Still, he managed to debut with the Maple Leafs, earning a -1 rating in two contests.
After spending the 2011-12 season exclusively with the Marlies, Holzer became a more consistent precense on the Maple Leafs’ blue line. Between 2012 and 2015, Holzer appeared in 56 games for Toronto, scoring two goals and nine points, averaging 17:39 of ice time.
Unfortunately, the team that drafted him wasn’t convinced of his staying power. Toronto passed Holzer through waivers ahead of the 2014-15 season, and eventually traded him to the Ducks the following season.
Orange County is where Holzer enjoyed the best seasons of his NHL career. Remaining a seventh defenseman with Anaheim, Holzer spent five years with the Ducks organization, scoring four goals and 18 points in 145 games with a -2 rating, averaging 14:48 of ice time per game. Failing to provide much offense, Holzer was a responsible player in the defensive zone, earning a 92.5% on-ice SV% at even strength while beginning 53.6% of his shifts in the defensive zone.
After a trade to the Predators toward the 2020 trade deadline, Holzer’s career in North America concluded. He has had multiple pit stops since then, playing for the KHL’s Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the DEL’s Adler Mannheim, before finally concluding his professional career with the Graz99ers.
Over eight years, Holzer scored six goals and 27 points in 206 NHL contests, with another 12 goals and 79 points in 297 AHL appearances. We at PHR congratulate Holzer on his career and wish him the best in his next chapter.
Golden Knights’ Jeremy Lauzon Out With Injury
The Vegas Golden Knights will be down a defenseman in their second round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Jeremy Lauzon will be out of the lineup after taking a shot to the head in the third period of Friday night’s win, head coach John Tortorella told Sin Bin Vegas. Lauzon is rumored to be out for the remainder of the series, adds Sin Bin Vegas, though Tortorella refused to comment on his timeline further. Lauzon left under his own power after a wrist-shot from Pavel Dorofeyev hit him in the side of the head.
Lauzon has filled an important depth role through the start of Vegas’ playoff run. He managed no scoring and averaged 16:33 in ice time in the six-game series against Utah but stepped up to 19 and 20 minutes of ice time in Vegas’ overtime wins in Game 4 and 5.
Physical defense continues to headline Lauzon’s role in the lineup. He reached 13 points and 89 penalty minutes through 68 games this season. Those marks put him were a career-high pace across 82 games, just narrowly beating out the 14 points and 98 penalty minutes he recorded in 79 games of the 2023-24 season. Lauzon’s 251 hits were also the second-highest of his career, behind the 386 hits he recorded in 2023-24.
This is Lauzon’s first chance to join the recent Stanley Cup-winning Golden Knights. He spent the last three seasons with the Nashville Predators, who he joined on postseason runs in 2022 and 2024. Between two series with the Predators, Lauzon racked up one assist, six penalty minutes, and 32 hits.
Flames’ Matthew Coronato To Play At 2026 World Championship
Team USA has made a major addition to their roster for the 2026 World Championship. Calgary Flames winger, and leading scorer, Matthew Coronato is expected to play in the tournament per Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. Coronato played in the World Championship at the age of 20 in 2023. He was one of America’s top scorers with eight points in 10 games. That scoring tied NHL peers Alex Tuch, Drew O’Connor, and Conor Garland.
Coronato’s last taste of international competition came at the front-end of his pro hockey career. He has since worked his way up Calgary’s depth chart on the back of red-hot scoring in minor and major leagues. Coronato began the 2023-24 season with the Flames but was reassigned to the AHL after netting just two points in the first 10 games of the season. He proceeded to tear up the minor-leagues in his first stint with the Wranglers, netting 18 points in the first 14 AHL games of his career. That performance launched Coronato into the Wranglers’ top-six but only rewarded him with brief stints in the NHL, until he was promoted for a 19-game run in March. Even with the extended look, Coronato’s first pro season ended with just nine points in 34 NHL games and 42 points in 41 AHL games.
His hot-hand cooled down a bit in the 2024-25 season, which saw Coronato spend the entire year in the minor-leagues, save for two games in the NHL. His year closed with two points in two games with the Flames and 47 points in 77 games with the Wranglers.
A full year in the minors built up the anticipation around Coronato’s 2025-26 season. He more than paid it off, often looking like the Flames’ most consistent forward through some of their quietest stints. His season closed with 45 points in 80 games, including a point-per-game pace through the final 15 games of the season. Coronato played upwards of 22 minutes a night through points this season – but his best value was in his ability to produce from a middle-six role in the lineup. He only averaged 16:39 in ice time, sixth-most on the Flames roster.
That will be the value that Coronato now brings to Team USA’s lineup. He will offer invaluable depth scoring, with the boost of having performed at a high-level at this tournament before. With a bit more experience and maturity under his belt, he could end up an X-factor addition for the American side.
Flames Sign Theo Stockselius To Entry-Level Contract
The Calgary Flames have put pen to paper with their 2025 second-round pick. Forward Theo Stockselius has signed a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $1.016MM per the Flames press release.
Stockselius had a red-hot start to the 2025-26 season. After beginning the year with four points in three exhibitions with Sweden’s U20 lineup, he kicked off the regular season with seven points in six games. That earned him the first SHL call-up of his career in early-October. He was returned to the junior league after one game with Djurgårdens IF and tacked on another two points in two U20 games, before he was cut by a skate and forced to miss the next three months of action.
That injury derailed Stockselius’ hopes of playing with Team Sweden at the 2026 World Junior Championships, a role he seemed to have locked-up after netting five points in seven games of the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. Luckily, the injury did not derail Stockselius’ scoring. He notched five points in his first two games back from injury in mid-January. It was clear that Stockselius was a core component of Djurgårdens’ U20 lineup, a role that earned him his first extended look in the SHL in February. The theme of his season continued through the end of the year – quiet performances and fourth-line deployment in the SHL coupled with dominant offense in the U20 league.
By the end of the season, Stockselius had racked up 16 points in 11 U20 games to go with just one assist in 16 SHL games. He also combined for 41 penalty minutes between the two leagues, though 29 of those came from one U20 game in January. His season was capped off by a four-point
Stockselius’ ability to stay hot through injury and adversity headlined his game – traits that have long stood out in his game. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 15 and underwent three procedures to address the concern. Stockselius told reporters at Calgary’s 2025 training camp that he used hockey as a positive through that moment of his life. The results shined through, as Stockselius’ point scoring in Sweden’s U16 league skyrocketed from 16 points to 60 points between his age-15 and age-16 season. He was quickly in the mix of future star NHL prospects like Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund, climbing up a high-value Djurgårdens program.
While Stockselius’ scoresheet didn’t shine at the pro level this season, his growth was clear. He became much more poised in puck battles as the year went on and found better ways to use his strong stick and skating ability on defense. At 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds, Stockselius’ mobility can be overwhelming for opponents to deal with. Combined with an instinct for scoring chances and a strong shot, he stands clear as one of Calgary’s top prospects. The Flames will vindicate that standing by making him the first to sign from their 2025 draft class. Stockselius should carve out a role with the Calgary Wranglers next season.
Central Notes: Nabokov, Makar, Klinkhammer
Colorado Avalanche goalie prospect Ilya Nabokov‘s KHL season ended with Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s loss to Ak Bars Kazan yesterday. The Denver Gazette’s Evan Rawal reports that the “original plan” for Nabokov was for him to come to North America at the end of his KHL campaign. Nabokov signed his entry-level contract in May of last year and played 2025-26 on a loan, meaning the team could reassign him to North America. Rawal noted that even if Nabokov doesn’t end up playing in what remains of this season, (it would most likely be in the AHL as Colorado’s goalie tandem is all but set in stone at the NHL level) there is still value in bringing Nabokov over to “get him used to [North America] and coaching staff.”
Nabokov, 23, was a second-round pick by the team at the 2024 draft, No. 38 overall. He is Colorado’s highest draft selection since the 2023 class. The Avalanche picked Nabokov off the back of an incredible rookie campaign in the KHL, where he went 23-13-3 in the regular season with a .930 save percentage. He was even better in the playoffs, going 16-6-0 in 23 games with a .942 save percentage to lead Magnitogorsk to a KHL title. He put up similarly strong numbers last season (without the playoff run) but saw his form dip in 2025-26, posting a .901 save percentage across 38 games. He is ranked by most outlets as Colorado’s top goalie prospect and one of their top prospects overall.
Other notes from the Central Division:
- Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is all set to play in game two of the team’s second-round series against the Minnesota Wild, head coach Jared Bednar announced today. Makar missed a substantial amount of the early portion of the game and there was concern he may have suffered an injury that could sideline him, but that proved not to be the case. He ended up scoring two goals and adding an assist in Colorado’s game one victory. As one of the top defensemen in the world, Makar’s health is a key factor for both teams in this series.
- The Rockford IceHogs, who are AHL affiliates of the Chicago Blackhawks, announced that assistant coach Rob Klinkhammer was relieved of his duties. Rockford endured a difficult 2025-26 season, going 28-39-5, good for 61 points. They were just one point clear of having tied for the fewest in the AHL. Klinkhammer, who is a veteran of 193 NHL games from his playing days, ends his time in Rockford after four seasons. The IceHogs reached the playoffs in every other year he was behind the bench, and helped deliver NHL players to the Blackhawks such as Artyom Levshunov, Louis Crevier, Alex Vlasic, Colton Dach, and Landon Slaggert.
Latest On Sam Carrick, Noah Ostlund
5/4/26: The Sabres received some good news today regarding Carrick. Despite it being announced yesterday that he was expected to miss the team’s second-round playoff series, Carrick said today that he has progressed rapidly in his recovery and could be back on the ice in short order.
Ruff said that Carrick is “going to see our doctors today and thinks he’s further along than maybe I portrayed yesterday,” and that he could join our team back in practice tomorrow.”
It’s unclear whether Carrick is going to be ready in time for when the Sabres take on the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night. But it’s looking increasingly likely that he will be able to play against Montreal at some point in the second round, especially if the series extends beyond the minimum of four games.
5/3/26: The Buffalo Sabres expect to be without centers Noah Ostlund and Sam Carrick for their upcoming second-round series, head coach Lindy Ruff announced today.
Carrick hasn’t played since March. He is sidelined with an upper-body injury, one he sustained in a fight with New York Islanders captain Anders Lee. Ostlund has been out since suffering his lower-body injury in game five against the Bruins.
This pair of injuries puts some strain on the Sabres’ center depth in advance of their series. The Sabres’ No. 4 center spot would typically be occupied by Carrick, but in his absence, the team has relied upon 23-year-old Tyson Kozak. Kozak is a hard-working, energetic player, but not someone who has the same level of experience or detail to his game when compared to Carrick. Carrick, 34, went to a Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers and brings a level of reliability Kozak hasn’t yet established.
But while swapping out Carrick for Kozak is a downgrade in some respects, one could argue the loss of Ostlund is more significant. The 2022 first-rounder is one of Buffalo’s top prospects and showed flashes this season, scoring 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games. He even had his moments in the playoffs, scoring a goal and an assist in three games. Like Carrick, Ostlund is also a natural center.
As mentioned, while the Carrick injury has cost the Sabres a veteran fourth-line center, the real, more pressing risk posed by these absences is what would happen to the Sabres at the position if another center goes down.
No. 3 pivot Josh Norris is one of the team’s most talented players at the position, but has, unfortunately, been quite injury-prone in recent years. He missed three games in the first round due to an undisclosed injury, was limited to just 44 games in the regular season, and has reached 60 games played in a single campaign just once in his NHL career.
If Norris’ injury issues resurface in the second round (a series that is likely to be extremely physical given how the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens have competed their first-round series,) the Sabres could be left in a tough spot. They would potentially need to dress both Kozak and Josh Dunne or consider alternate options. Those options include shifting natural center Peyton Krebs back to the middle, breaking up a Tage Thompson line that has worked so well this year, or dressing talented rookie Konsta Helenius.
The options available to the Sabres if Norris or another center gets injured are not entirely ideal for a team looking to win a Stanley Cup. As a result, today’s two injury updates only further emphasize the importance of the health of Norris, Thompson, and Ryan McLeod for the Sabres.
William Karlsson To Return To Golden Knights’ Lineup
Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella revealed today that veteran center William Karlsson will return to the team’s lineup tonight for game one against the Anaheim Ducks.
Karlsson has been sidelined since early November with a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old was limited, as a result, to just 14 games played this year, scoring seven points. Karlsson is one of the original Golden Knights, a selection by the team in its 2017 Expansion Draft. He has been a steady presence down the middle for the club on all of its many deep playoff runs, including when he scored 17 points in 22 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023.
Once the Golden Knights’ No. 1 center, Karlsson is no longer at that stage of his career. Not only has he declined from his peak – his total of 29 points last season was well below his career standards – but the Golden Knights have added significant talent at the position in recent years.
Superstar Jack Eichel is firmly entrenched as the team’s top pivot, and Tomas Hertl has been a strong No. 2 center throughout his career. Tortorella has most recently played Mitch Marner, who has largely been a winger throughout his NHL career, down the middle.
With Karlsson returning to the lineup, Tortorella now has some options as to how he could adjust his lineup. Tortorella may not want to make dramatic changes to a lineup that worked quite well in the first round against the Utah Mammoth, which could mean Marner sticks at center so the second line can remain intact. Karlsson could find a landing spot on the third line with Hertl, though that would mean one natural center is forced to the wing.
In any case, Karlsson’s return at this point is somewhat surprising – it was originally believed that it would take a very deep playoff run for Golden Knights fans to see him hit the ice again in 2025-26. But he’s set to return at the start of the second round, a real boost for Vegas, especially within a forward lineup already bursting at the seams with depth.
Hurricanes Reassign Charles-Alexis Legault
5/4/26: The Hurricanes announced today that Legault has been reassigned back to Chicago. The Wolves have an extremely important game tomorrow – a game five against the Texas Stars. Win, and they advance to the Central Division Finals. Lose, and they are eliminated. With the stakes that high, the Hurricanes have elected to reassign Legault, a key penalty killer for the Wolves, back to the AHL.
Of course, if the Hurricanes still felt a pressing need for Legault as an NHL option, they’d keep him on their roster, regardless of the situation in Chicago. Their playoff run comes first, just as it does for any other NHL team as it deals with its AHL affiliate.
But as Alexander Nikishin gets closer to returning from his concussion, and Reilly proves himself as a capable fill-in, it appears increasingly unlikely Carolina will be in a position to dress Legault for playoff games. As a result, the most efficient move, the one the team has elected to take, is to reassign Legault and give the Wolves a boost.
4/27/26: The Carolina Hurricanes shared earlier today that Charles-Alexis Legault has been recalled from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
With Chicago currently in the Calder Cup playoffs, it’s an inopportune time. There’s a real need to add a defenseman to the team’s stock, although Legault’s chances to get into the playoff action are slim. The transaction is likely stemming from Alexander Nikishin‘s concussion, suffered in the fourth and deciding game of the opening round versus Ottawa.
Luckily for the Hurricanes, they made quick work of the Senators, and will have several days to rest up prior to Round Two. Still, if Nikishin will miss any time, Mike Reilly will be set to enter the lineup, needing an extra blueliner, leaving Legault to take duty. Reilly, 32, has 21 games of playoff experience, his last tenure coming as an Islander, where his club were sent packing in five games, interestingly against the Hurricanes themselves.
Legault, 22, broke into the NHL for the first time this season, his second campaign as a professional, skating in 12 games. After an eight game stint early in the year, the defender had to wait until mid-April for another look, making four more appearances to close out the regular season, benefiting from top players getting rest. Such circumstances resulted in an uptick in ice time, as he played 22:01 in game 82 against the Islanders, by far a career high.
Standing at 6’4″, the righty has made his mark physically across the NHL and AHL this year, 63 penalty minutes across both leagues. A strong penalty killer still working to put together a more complete offensive game, Legault was a steal in the fifth round of the 2023 draft out of Quinnipiac University, with real NHL third pairing upside. As a small note worth mentioning depending on his eventual development, the pick was acquired from Vancouver in the Ethan Bear trade.
The Wolves will hope he can return for their playoff matchup against the Texas Stars shortly. Yet with the puck dropping on game one tomorrow night, their series could very well be concluded by the time Nikishin’s fate is known, directly affecting the Wolves in a domino effect of sorts.
As for the big club, Carolina’s second round opponent could be finalized tonight, as they await the winner of the Flyers/Penguins series. Either way, they’ll get started on home ice, with Legault expectedly taking in the experience from the press box. As his teammate Reilly’s contract ends this summer, the Montreal native could be in for a bigger role next year, even if he doesn’t skate on the biggest stage this spring.