Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

2025 College Free Agency Preview: Goaltenders And Defensemen

at CDT | by 2 Comments

As is always the case at this time of year, we’ve seen an influx of collegiate signings in recent weeks which is likely to continue over the next little while.  Generally speaking, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

We’re changing things up a bit in our annual preview this time around.  Last month, Gabriel Foley took a closer look at the most prominent players from this year’s class.  Meanwhile, we’re breaking down the rest of the class in two separate columns, one for forwards and one for the rest of the unsigned goaltenders and defensemen, the focus of this last piece.

As always, note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list have already signed or will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.

Goalies

Matt Davis (Denver)

He took over as the starting goaltender last season and led the Pioneers to the NCAA title.  This year, the 23-year-old put up even better numbers and Denver once again made it to the Frozen Four.  While he’s smaller than teams like goalies nowadays (he stands 6’1), the recent track record of success in big games should garner him some interest in free agency.

Cameron Rowe (Western Michigan)

A two-year starter for the Broncos heading into this season, he wound up having to split time this year with Los Angeles prospect Hampton Slukynsky which probably won’t help his value.  Still, the 23-year-old played quite well with a 2.00 GAA and a .924 SV% in his 17 outings while his 6’3 stature helps his appeal as well.

Alex Tracy (Minnesota State Mankato)

The lone goalie to land in the top ten in Hobey Baker voting, Tracy was the CCHA Goalie of the Year following a stellar performance that saw him put up a 1.42 GAA and a .946 SV% along with five shutouts in 38 games; his GAA and SV% led Division I.  However, at 6’0, he’s on the smaller side and we’ve seen smaller Hobey Baker contenders have to settle for AHL contracts before.  Tracy still has a year of eligibility left but his overall value hasn’t been this high before.

Defense

Boston Buckberger (Denver)

After an impressive freshman year, Buckberger showed that his output was no fluke as he landed in the top ten for scoring by a Division I blueliner.  Still just 21, there is still plenty of developmental runway left which should appeal to NHL teams.  However, at 5’11, he’s undersized but Buckberger has shown enough offensively while playing big minutes for a top team that he should be getting some inquiries about leaving with two years of eligibility left.

Frank Djurasevic (Maine)

The decision to transfer after his freshman year at Merrimack was a wise one as he went from a depth role there to a key one at Maine.  He’s a bit of a later bloomer as he played three USHL seasons before going to college but after showing offensive upside at that level, he was in the top 20 for NCAA Division I defenders this season.  A right-shot defender, he could get some interest now but staying in school for one more year might make more sense.

C.J. Foley (Dartmouth)

A lot of what was said about Buckberger could be said here.  He’s an undersized but still-young (21) defender who took a step forward offensively this season with 30 points in 33 games.  He’s only a year removed from being draft-eligible so it would be a bit surprising if he’s signed this spring but his play should have him on the radar after being a unanimous selection to the ECAC’s First-Team All-Conference.

Brandon Holt (Maine)

Holt was on the radar early in the year when he was averaging over a point per game through the first month of the season.  However, he wasn’t able to sustain that over the back half of the season.  That likely takes him off the NHL radar for now but with how strong his start was, you never know.

Jake Livanavage (North Dakota)

One of the youngest players on this list, Liavanage doesn’t turn 21 until next month and was draft-eligible last year.  He had a very impressive freshman year last season but a 5’10 stature likely didn’t help his case.  However, Liavanage flirted with the 30-point mark once again, showing that the strong start wasn’t the outlier.  Like Foley, it would be a bit surprising if he signed so soon after being draft eligible but he should be on more radars now if nothing else.

Michael Mastrodomenico (Notre Dame)

If there’s such a thing as an ‘old 20’, Mastrodomenico might qualify.  Turning 21 next weekend, he has already played three full college seasons and more than doubled his point total from a year ago.  A right-shot defender, the more prudent move for him might be to play his senior season and then test the open market but if nothing else, he’ll be one to keep an eye on next spring.

Ben Robertson (Cornell)

There’s a theme for several players on this list – young and undersized.  This is once again the case for Robertson who was passed up last year in the draft following a quality first NCAA season.  This season, Robertson – who doesn’t turn 21 until September – played at a similar level.  A quality playmaker in the USHL, he’d likely be better off staying in school for at least one more year and hope to take a step forward offensively before looking to sign.  To that end, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal suggests (Twitter link) that Notre Dame, Michigan, and Denver are among the schools interested in him.

Red Wings Linked To Arvid Holm

at CDT | by 4 Comments

After a strong season in Sweden, it looks as if goaltender Arvid Holm is back on the NHL radar.  Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson recently reported (Twitter link) that the netminder is expected to sign with Detroit for next season.

The 26-year-old spent three seasons in North America before returning to the SHL for this season.  During his time on an NHL deal, he played primarily at the AHL level, compiling a 2.80 GAA and a .897 SV% in 71 games over parts of three seasons.  Holm also got into four contests in the ECHL in 2023-24.  While he briefly had recalls to both Winnipeg and Colorado over that stretch, he has yet to appear in a game at the top level.

The Avs elected to non-tender Holm last summer, resulting in him becoming an unrestricted free agent.  He opted to sign a three-year contract with Rogle BK, a move that worked out quite well for him.  Holm put up a 1.90 GAA and a .925 SV% in 35 games, earning him the Honken Trophy as the SHL’s top goaltender for his efforts.  It appears that was good enough to catch the eye of Detroit.  Holm’s deal back home may contain an NHL out clause while if not, there is a transfer agreement in place between the NHL and the Swedish Federation that would allow Holm to exit his current contract early.

The Red Wings already have their goalie tandem intact for next season with Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot each having one year left on their respective contracts.  They also have top prospect Sebastian Cossa signed for next season and he’ll likely get the bulk of the workload at AHL Grand Rapids.  Assuming Holm puts pen to paper on a deal, he should serve as Cossa’s backup with the Griffins with Carter Gylander, who also has one year left on his contract, remaining at ECHL Toledo.  Meanwhile, veteran Jack Campbell (a pending UFA) and youngster Gage Alexander (a pending RFA but a non-tender candidate) are on expiring contracts and seem unlikely to return.

Greg Millen Passes Away

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Long-time NHL goaltender and broadcaster Greg Millen passed away suddenly today at the age of 67, per an announcement from the NHL’s Alumni Association.

Millen was drafted by Pittsburgh in the sixth round of the 1977 draft, going 102nd overall.  He spent his major junior career in the OMJHL, spending time with Peterborough and Sault Ste. Marie before turning pro with a trio of IHL games late in the 1977-78 season.

Impressively, those were the only minor league games he played until the final season of his career as Millen made the jump to the NHL for the 1978-79 campaign, spending three years with them before signing with Hartford in free agency.  After parts of four seasons with them, it was off to St. Louis where he put up his best performances, including a 1988-89 campaign that saw him lead the NHL in shutouts and finish fifth in Vezina Trophy voting.  Toward the end of his career, Millen also briefly spent time with Quebec, Chicago, and Detroit.

While he wasn’t the tallest goaltender by any stretch standing just 5’9, he still carved out an impressive 14-year NHL career between the six different organizations, playing in 602 regular season games.  In those, Millen had a 215-284-89 record with a 3.88 GAA, a .873 SV%, and 17 shutouts.  Those numbers improved in 59 postseason appearances where he put up a 3.43 GAA and a .885 SV%.

After retiring following the 1991-92 season, Millen moved into broadcasting, spending time as the color commentator for Ottawa, Toronto, and most recently, Calgary, while being a long-time fixture on Hockey Night in Canada for the better part of three decades.  During that time, he covered three Olympic Games, two World Cups of Hockey, twelve Stanley Cup finals, and twelve NHL All-Star games.

PHR sends our condolences to Millen’s family, friends, colleagues, and former teammates.

Kraken Sign Andrei Lashko To Three-Year Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve signed 2023 fourth-round draft pick Andrei Lashko to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal presumably begins next season, though there has been no present indication of if Lashko will finish the year in the AHL. The deal will carry a $950K cap hit at the NHL level. Lashko will turn pro after wrapping up his fourth season in Canada’s CHL.

Lashko – or Loshko, as it’s often spelled – made the move to the OHL this summer, after spending the last three seasons in the QMJHL. Originally a CHL Import Draft pick in 2021, Lashko was placed on waivers by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies this year, opening the door for the Niagara IceDogs to snatch up the productive QMJHL forward. The move worked to great effect, with Lashko potting an impressive 34 goals and 70 points in 64 games this season. That mark ranked third on the IceDogs in scoring, behind hefty 2026 NHL Draft top prospect Ryan Roobroeck and Winnipeg Jets prospect Kevin He.

Lashko offered the perfect middle ground between Roobroeck’s heavy shooting and He’s nimble dekes. Sat in the middle, Lashko was a dynamic two-way forward with the leg speed to be everywhere all at once. He matched the energy of his linemates well and consistently found his way into open ice, no matter if Niagara asked him to play right-wing or center. His performance in the OHL was a strong continuation from his years in the QMJHL, where he managed 26, 70, and 67 points respectively over three seasons. Lashko seems to be missing a step that’ll turn him into a top pro – and will likely begin his career in the minors as a result. But with a six-foot-one, 185-pound frame; lightfoot skating; and a keen instinct of where to be to make an impact, it seems only a matter of time before Lashko makes his NHL debut.

Kings Downgrade Tanner Jeannot To Out Week-To-Week

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Los Angeles Kings winger Tanner Jeannot will take longer than expected to recover from an undisclosed injury that’s held him out of the team’s last six games, per NHL.com’s Zach Dooley. Jeannot was designated as out day-to-day ahead of Los Angeles’ road loss to the Colorado Avalanche on March 27th.

Jeannot sustained the injury in March 25th’s win over the New York Rangers, though it’s not clear when he was hurt. His last shift came with 16 minutes left in the third period, and it appears he could have hurt his ankle on a no-contact injury while setting up to block a shot. But without any confirmation from the team, Kings fans will be forced to trust that the ailment isn’t too severe.

Jeannot was red-hot in the games leading up to his injury, with four points in his last three appearances. That represented nearly a quarter of Jeannot’s scoring all year long, bringing him up to seven goals and 13 points in 67 games this season. He’s fallen to the role of fourth-line bruiser and leads the Kings in hits with 211 – 80 more than anyone else on the roster. But Jeannot has struggled to find the shooting luck that led him to a 24-goal, 41-point season with the Nashville Predators in 2021-22. That scoring upside was certainly what Los Angeles was hoping for when they traded a second-round and fourth-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Jeannot this summer.

Without the shooting luck, Jeannot’s role has become fairly easy to replace. His bruising role has been split between young center Samuel Helenius – who ranks second on the team with 131 hits – and depth winger Jeff Malott. Malott has torched the AHL this year, scoring at a career-high pace to achieve 23 goals and 51 points in 61 games. He’s added to that 80 penalty minutes and plenty of hits; though he’s yet to record an NHL point through six games this season or one game in 2021-22. Helenius hasn’t been productive at the top level either, with just five points in 44 NHL games this summer. The duo will stand as upside scorers in minimal roles as the Kings coast through their final six games of the season.

Snapshots: Demidov, Nystrom, Landeskog, Schuldt

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The KHL season has ended for SKA St. Petersburg after back-to-back overtime losses to Dynamo Moscow last week. That news was meant ot mark celebration for Montreal Canadiens fans eager for top prospect Ivan Demidov to come overseas, but it seems SKA wants to get the most out of their young star before he departs. Demidov is now expected to partake in the playoffs of both the VHL – Russia’s second-tier pro league – and maybe even the MHL – Russia’s under-21 league – per Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gaming.

SKA’s VHL affiliate – SKA Neva – triumphed over Rubin Tyumen in a six-game series to advance from the first round of the postseason. Meanwhile, SKA-1946 swept Krasnaya Armiya in their first round matchup. Should both squads make it through their respective postseasons, Demidov could be playing between the groups through the third week of April at least. If that’s the case, Montreal may need to win the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in order to ice their star prospect this season.

Demidov carries the precedent of a Russian prodigy. He set the record for U20 scoring in the KHL this season with 19 goals and 49 points in 65 games – beating out Kirill Kaprizov’s previous record of 42 points. Demidov has played his way into top-line KHL consideration – far above the levels of either inferior league he may join now. That point was proven by his dazzling 23 goals and 60 points in 30 MHL games last season, and his 62 points in 41 MHL games in the season before. He’ll be a juggernaut addition for SKA’s depth programs, making both much harder to take down in a seven-game series.

Other quick notes around the hockey world:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned defense prospect Joel Nystrom to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves after the end of his SHL season, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Nystrom, 22, recorded six goals and 27 points in 51 games with Farjestads BK this season. That mark was an ever-so-slight bump up from his 26 points in as many games last year. Nystrom has been a fixture of Farjestads’ lineup for the last four seasons, and even supported the team to an SHL championship from a third-pair role in 2021-22. He’s a speedy, undersized defenseman who makes quick plays and creates strong offense from the perimeter. Those attributes might translate best to the minor ranks, but Nystrom’s explosive speed and Carolina’s knack for sheltering undersized players could make for a nice mix as the team looks for an offensive spark. Nystrom was drafted in the seventh-round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
  • Dipping out of prospect news, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar didn’t rule out a possible AHL conditioning stint for captain Gabriel Landeskog when asked about it by Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. Instead, Bednar succinctly replied “we’ll see”. Landeskog is back to taking full contact at practice – a substantial milestone as he looks to return to game action after missing the entirety of the last two seasons with a right-knee injury. He’ll be eligible for a conditioning stint of three AHL games thanks to his placement on long-term injured reserve. The Avalanche will need to make a decision quickly, as the AHL Colorado Eagles only have five games remaining in their regular season. Any AHL action would be the first of Landeskog’s professional career. He joined the Avalanche immediately after his second-overall selection in the 2011 NHL Draft, and planted his feet with 22 goals and 52 points in his rookie season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have reassigned defenseman Jimmy Schuldt. Schuldt appeared in 10 minutes worth of San Jose’s March 29th loss to the New York Rangers. It was just his sixth NHL game this season and he once again failed to manage any scoring or penalties. Schuldt has also served as the captain of the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda this season, netting six goals and 20 points in 59 games with the club. It’s not yet clear if this move is simply a paper transaction. The Sharks learned on Monday that depth defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin will miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury. That could push the Sharks to shore up their AHL blue-line as the Barracuda push for a playoff spot, or it could reaffirm Schuldt’s spot as San Jose’s de facto depth defender through the end of the season. News over the next few days will make that distinction, and lock Schuldt into a hard-fought lineup role one way or another.

Sharks’ Shakir Mukhamadullin Out For Season, Quentin Musty Assigned To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

4:00 PM: In additional news from the Meier trade return, star Sharks prospect Musty has been assigned to the AHL per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. He will join the Barracuda for their final few games of the season and potential postseason run. Musty scored a dazzling 30 goals and 59 points in 33 games with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves this season. His year staggered a bit due to a hand injury suffered in November that forced Musty out of roughly two months of action. But he returned with intent – scoring five points in his first game back from injury and scoring 42 points in 25 games since the start of 2025. Musty is a power-forward with a great drive down the boards and a powerful shot. He’ll slot in as a high-upside addition to the Sharks’ depths for the rest of the season.

3:00 PM: The San Jose Sharks received bad news from their depth on Monday, when the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda announced that defense prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin will miss the rest of the season with an upper-body injury, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. This will include any potential run in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, which the Barracuda seem comfortably headed towards.

Mukhamadullin’s second full season in North American pros will come to an end with quiet results. He recorded nine points in each of the NHL and AHL, reaching the mark in 30 games with the Sharks and 21 with the Barracuda. His NHL scoring included the first two goals of Mukhamadullin’s career, after he managed just one assist in the first three games of his NHL career last season. He scored a much more stout 34 points in 55 AHL games last year. That performance lined up far closer to Mukhamadullin’s break-in to the AHL in 2022-23, when he scored 10 points in 12 games after joining the Barracuda following the end of the KHL season.

Mukhamadullin was an accomplished and young Russian pro in his years before San Jose. His six-foot-four frame lent itself to pro opportunity early on, and earned Mukhamadullin his KHL rookie season at the age of 18. He recorded just one assist in 27 games with Ufa that season – enough to convince the New Jersey Devils to draft him 20th overall in the ensuing NHL Draft, but still an indication of room to grow. Mukhamadullin took the steps towards that growth in his second KHL season, growing to 10 points in 39 games. He staggered back to seven points in 34 games in year three, but followed it with a career-high 25 points in 67 games of the 2022-23 KHL season. Partway through that season, New Jersey traded Mukhamadullin to the Sharks as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Timo Meier to the Devils. Winger Fabian Zetterlund and the first-round pick to select Quentin Musty joined Mukhamadullin in the move out West.

Much of the Sharks’ defensive future seemed staked on Mukhamadullin last season. But other top prospects have joined the pro flanks this season, and hot-scorer Luca Cagnoni has seemingly taken over the title of top defense prospect. That takes some heavy weight off of Mukhamadullin’s back as he looks to recover from a difficult shoulder injury. He’s a smooth-moving puck-handler who’s shown prowess at getting the puck across both blue lines and creating chances. Next season will need to bring a wave of good health and returned scoring should Mukhamadullin was to hold his standing in the Sharks organization.

Oilers’ Trent Frederic Re-Injures Ankle

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Oilers deadline pickup Trent Frederic re-aggravated his ankle injury when making his Edmonton debut against the Kings this weekend. He’ll miss tonight’s game against the Ducks as a result, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports. The team’s Tony Brar adds Frederic is expected back when the playoffs begin later this month.

Injuries are piling up for the Oilers, who will remain without Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm, John Klingberg, Connor McDavid, and Stuart Skinner tonight as well. That doesn’t leave them with enough cap space for a call-up from AHL Bakersfield to replace Frederic in the lineup. Since they only have 17 healthy skaters without him, they’ll be down a player for tonight’s game before being able to use a $0 emergency exception to add a 12th forward from the AHL for their next game Wednesday against the Blues.

Frederic skated just 7:10 in his debut, recording two shots on goal and a minus-two rating in a 3-0 loss. The Oilers surrendered forward prospect Shane Lachance, young defenseman Maximus Wanner, and a second-round and fourth-round pick to acquire him from the Bruins in a three-team deal with the Devils the week before the trade deadline.

The Oilers hoped Frederic, a pending unrestricted free agent, could add some tertiary scoring and, more importantly, physicality to their bottom six in the postseason. That’s still tracking to be the case, but he’s not going to have the adjustment period from one of the league’s worst offensive systems in Boston to one of the best in Edmonton that either side hoped for. He’s posted 8-7–15 in 58 showings this year with 29 blocks and 157 hits. That’s a far cry from the career-best 40 points he recorded with the Bruins last year, but the Oilers hope he can rediscover that production in a more scoring-friendly environment.

While dealing with so many short-term injuries is always a difficult situation to juggle, it comes at a rather inconsequential time for Edmonton. They’re a win away and a Flames loss from clinching a playoff berth, and realistically, they stand very little chance of moving up or falling down from third place in the Pacific Division. They have an eight-point lead on Calgary with six games remaining and trail the Kings by four.

Hurricanes Notes: Svechnikov, Staal, Carrier, Kotkaniemi, Robidas

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Hurricanes are getting closer to full health at the right time. They’ve got a trio of forwards on the verge of returning to play, none more important than top-six winger Andrei Svechnikov. He participated fully in today’s practice and is tracking to return to the lineup tomorrow against the Sabres, although head coach Rod Brind’Amour wouldn’t confirm his availability one way or another (via the team’s Walt Ruff).

It’s been an extremely trying recent stretch for Svechnikov. He sustained an upper-body injury back on March 9 and missed seven games. His return only lasted three appearances until he sustained another undisclosed injury in a game against the Capitals last week. He’s missed a pair of games due to that one. The injury troubles come as Svechnikov is doling out his worst offensive performance since his rookie season. His 0.68 points per game pace is decently south of the 0.77 career average he’s set for himself over his seven seasons in the league.

He’s still one of the more important contributors on a Carolina roster that lacks a point-per-game contributor after trading Martin Nečas to the Avalanche earlier this season. Including Nečas, Svechnikov ranks fourth on the Canes with 19-26–45 in 66 showings. His 17:12 average time on ice is up slightly from last year’s 16:59, although his underlying are a tad concerning. While he’s controlling 58.7% of shot attempts at even strength, that’s on an exceptional two-way club in Carolina. He’s tracking to post a negative relative CF% for the first time in his career.

Nonetheless, they’d love to get Svechnikov back into the fold and hopefully on a hot streak entering postseason play. They’ve clinched a postseason berth and are essentially locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division with a first-round matchup against an injury-plagued Devils team, but more scoring from him is needed to make a deep run and advance to the Conference Final or further.

Elsewhere in Carolina’s forward group, captain Jordan Staal practiced ahead of tomorrow’s game and, like Svechnikov, remains questionable. He’s sat out the last four games with a lower-body injury and five of the last eight, so he’s clearly nursing something. The 6’4″ pivot remains a veritable two-way force in his 19th NHL season, posting his best offensive performance in three years while winning 53.9% of his draws, tying for fifth on the team with a +13 rating, and adding 42 blocks and 127 hits.

They’re also on the verge of getting depth winger William Carrier back in the lineup after a months-long absence. The 30-year-old was a full participant in today’s practice along with Staal and Svechnikov. He underwent lower-body surgery in late January and was ruled out indefinitely, although he never landed on injured reserve. He posted 4-5–9 in 39 games with 136 hits before exiting the lineup, averaging 11:37 per game in his first season in Carolina after signing a six-year, $12MM commitment last summer that could see him finish his career in Raleigh.

As they land some returnees, there might still be a departure from the lineup. Center Jesperi Kotkaniemi “tweaked something” in Saturday’s loss to the Bruins, Brind’Amour said, and he’s still being evaluated. It’s likely he’ll at least miss the Buffalo game after going without a point in his last six appearances. The 24-year-old has 11-20–31 in 76 games, an improvement from last year’s totals while averaging 14 minutes per game.

It stands to reason Carolina expects at least a net positive in terms of lineup influx for tomorrow’s contest. They returned rookie center Justin Robidas to AHL Chicago last night, per Ruff. The 22-year-old came up under emergency conditions late last week and recorded a point in each of his first two career NHL appearances, including Carolina’s lone goal in the loss to Boston. It was quite the initial showing from the 5’8″ centerman, who the Canes picked up in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. He has 17-31–48 in 65 AHL appearances after spending all of 2023-24 on assignment to ECHL Norfolk.

Jets Notes: Ehlers, Vilardi, Pionk, Miller, Kupari

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be a game-time decision against the Blues tonight, head coach Scott Arniel told Mitchell Clinton of the team’s official site. The 29-year-old is day-to-day with a foot injury and sat out Saturday’s 4-1 loss as a result. He left their previous game, a win over the Golden Knights on Thursday, after taking a shot to the foot in the first period – returning only to leave for a second time in the third period after a shot from teammate Cole Perfetti inadvertently hit him in the knee. Such a short-term absence is welcome news for a Winnipeg forward group already down Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari (more on them later) as they try to stave off the Capitals for the President’s Trophy and the Stars for the Western Conference and Central Division titles.

Ehlers’ health will be a crucial factor in winning those races and, ideally, multiple playoff series. The Danish forward is having one of the better seasons of his 10-year career, placing third on the team in scoring with 24-39–63 through 67 games. That’s despite continued inexplicably limited deployment by Arniel – among players with 60 or more points this season, Ehlers’ 15:56 ATOI ranks last. He’s one of just four players to hit the mark while averaging under 17 minutes per game. This spring is also an important one for Ehlers to rebuild his damaged postseason reputation. While he’s produced 0.77 points per game over his regular-season career, he’s clicked at just a 0.38 points per game rate in the playoffs (4-10–14 in 37 GP).

As for Vilardi, Arniel said the first-line fixture has returned to the team and will return to practice soon. The 25-year-old hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury on March 23, missing Winnipeg’s last six games. They’ve managed to go 4-2-0 without him in what marked their first games of the campaign without his services. He’s lined up with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele in all 71 of his appearances this season and has shattered his previous career-high in points, logging a 27-34–61 scoring line in his second season in Manitoba. He’s also averaging a career-high 18:08 per game. It remains unclear if he’ll return for any of the Jets’ final five regular-season games, but the statement bodes well for his availability for Game 1 of an increasingly likely first-round date with the Wild.

The Jets aren’t just banged up on offense. They’ve also been without second-pair defenseman Neal Pionk since March 14 with a lower-body injury. He remains week-to-week but skated in practice today with the extras, per Clinton. That indicates his return is ahead of Vilardi’s, and he could very well get a couple of games of action before the playoffs to get back to game pace. The pending unrestricted free agent has 9-28–37 in 66 games from the Winnipeg blue line, the second-highest offensive production of his career. He boasts a career-best +21 rating while averaging over 22 minutes per contest, improving his possession play to reestablish himself as the Jets’ unquestionable No. 2 defenseman behind Josh Morrissey.

He won’t be returning against St. Louis, though, and they may be down an additional rearguard in veteran Colin Miller. He wasn’t at practice this morning and will be a game-time decision due to illness, Arniel said. With Pionk out, the depth piece has skated in 11 straight contests. He has 4-10–14 with a +11 rating in 59 appearances after re-signing with the Jets on a two-year, $3MM deal last offseason, missing time with a fractured larynx back in January.

Arniel also said Kupari skated before practice today as the 25-year-old pivot remains in concussion protocol. He’s played just three times since the beginning of last month, sustaining a concussion against the Isles on March 4. He exited protocols after three games but remained on the sidelines as a healthy scratch until March 25 against the Capitals. He had a setback in his post-concussion symptoms after that contest and will remain unavailable for a sixth straight contest tonight as a result. He’s posted 5-3–8 in 59 contests while winning 52.5% of his draws.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top