Snapshots: Bains, Kovalchuk, Klingsell
Vancouver Canucks forward Arshdeep Bains is entering a significant offseason, one that could determine his chances of becoming a full-time NHLer in Vancouver, writes Thomas Drance of The Athletic. According to Drance, “it’s clear” that Bains is “going to have to change his approach to take a stab at becoming a regular.” The 25-year-old entered 2025-26 on a high. He scored 24 points in 24 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup final to cap off the prior campaign, and got a real chance in the NHL to start this season. But he was unable to translate his strong track record of scoring at the AHL level to Vancouver, and finished the season with just five points in 28 games.
Bains will be an arbitration-eligible RFA at the end of next season, and will play the year on a one-way contract with a $775K salary. His qualities in Abbotsford are not really in question – he has scored as high as 55 points in the AHL – it’s his NHL future that is in question. The former WHL star has always been a player more focused on offense, but this year it became clear that Bains faces a tall task trying to translate his scoring from the AHL to the NHL. To find a way to carve out a long-term NHL role, as Drance wrote, Bains might need to redouble his efforts to provide value in other areas of the game, such as growing his defensive game or even adding some sandpaper to his style. Numerous players have found success turning themselves into valuable bottom-six defensive role players at the NHL level after being top scorers at lower levels (Dallas Stars forward Sam Steel is a great example) and it’s possible that’s the role Bains will have to take to stick at the game’s highest level.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Three-time NHL All-Star and 2004 Rocket Richard Trophy winner Ilya Kovalchuk was named president of the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons yesterday, according to a team announcement. The team also named Evgeny Artukhin as its general manager. Artukhin has spent the last three seasons as a European scout with the Vegas Golden Knights. Kovalchuk does have some prior management experience, as he served as GM of the Russian Olympic Committee men’s hockey team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The Dragons endured a very difficult 2025-26 season, going 21-35-12 and failing to reach the postseason. The club’s playoff drought is now up to nine years, as they have qualified only once in the team’s ten-year history – their debut year in the KHL.
- Winnipeg Jets prospect Viktor Klingsell signed a two-year rookie contract with the SHL’s Skelleftea AIK, according to a team announcement. In addition, the team announced that Klingsell will spend next season on loan in Sweden’s second division, HockeyAllsvenskan, with Kalmar HC. The 19-year-old was selected in the fifth round by the Jets at the 2025 draft and proved himself ready for pro hockey in 2025-26. He scored 17 goals and 43 points in 25 games at the U20 Nationell level, and seven points in eight games on loan with Östersunds IK in HockeyAllsvenskan. That’s the level he’ll get to start the year at in the fall.
Injury Notes: Oilers, Lightning, Wild
Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson is questionable for game two tonight against the Anaheim Ducks as the result of an undisclosed injury, reports Jason Gregor of Sports 1440. Per Gregor, veteran Curtis Lazar will enter head coach Kris Knoblauch’s lineup if Dickinson can’t dress. Dickinson has had some trouble staying healthy in recent weeks, as he missed the final three games of Edmonton’s regular season schedule with a lower-body injury. That didn’t stop him from making a major impact in game one, as he scored two goals in Edmonton’s 4-3 victory over the Ducks.
The 30-year-old veteran was acquired by the Oilers at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, and is a well-respected bottom-six center thanks to his defensive ability. Lazar, 31, is also a bottom-six defensive center, though he is not held in quite as high a regard as the player he may replace in the lineup. Lazar got into 45 games for Edmonton this season, averaging 8:55 time on ice per game, including 0:33 per game on the penalty kill. Dickinson has been Edmonton’s top penalty-killing forward since he was acquired, averaging a team-high 1:51 time on ice per game while short handed.
Other injury updates from around the NHL:
- Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper updated the media on the status of the team’s injured players before the team’s flight to Montreal today, telling team reporter Gabby Shirley that forward Pontus Holmberg is still out on a week-to-week basis, and “definitely” won’t be able to return within the timeframe of the team’s series against the Canadiens. He also said defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous is “progressing” in his recovery from the injury he suffered from game one, and will skate while the team is on the road. He also added that injured captain Victor Hedman is traveling with the team, but there is no firm timeline on his return.
- Minnesota Wild forwards Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin will be game-time decisions in advance of game three tonight against the Dallas Stars, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic. According to Russo, if one of the pair is unable to play, Nico Sturm will draw into the lineup in their place. Zuccarello played game one against the Stars but missed game two with an upper-body injury. He’s one of the Wild’s top offensive players when healthy, having scored 54 points in 59 games this season. Trenin is managing an upper-body injury, and could be at risk of missing a game this season for the first time.
Snapshots: Finley, Hintz, Anastas
Today the New York Islanders revealed that prospect Quinn Finley underwent shoulder surgery, ending his season.
The 21-year-old appeared set to begin his professional career after concluding a strong junior season at the University of Wisconsin, and inking an entry-level deal last week. Instead of joining the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders for the Calder Cup Playoffs though, Finley will look ahead to next fall.
New York’s third round selection in 2022 (78th overall), Finley’s offensive production dipped slightly in 2025-26, 33 points in 36 games, down from last campaign’s 40. It was still enough to lead a strong Badgers team in goals, until falling in the NCAA championship game.
Having proven enough at the collegiate level, the 6’0” lefty winger figures to get started next year in Hamilton, Ontario, as Bridgeport is relocating after 25 years in Connecticut. Ranked 8th among Islanders prospects by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic just last month, the Indiana native brings enough responsibility in both zones to have an NHL future as a complementary bottom-six contributor, but he’ll aim to continue his scoring ways and develop into more once healthy.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Dallas head coach Glen Gulatzan updated reporters on Roope Hintz, including Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News, that he is not traveling with the team to Minnesota. The news effectively rules him out for games 3 and 4, although Gulatzan said he is “very doubtful” for game number four, so perhaps there’s a slight possibility. Hintz has been out since March 6, but he hasn’t been a regular in the lineup since before the Olympics, after dealing with illness as well. An alarming 6-1 defeat at the hands of Minnesota in the series opener showed the impact of missing their vital center, but Dallas fought back to even the series. In order to get through the Wild and have a shot at buying enough time for Hintz to return, they’ll have to continue to lean on Matt Duchene in an elevated role who so far has risen to the occasion.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced that their AHL club the Chicago Wolves’ interim head coach Spiros Anastas has been named official head coach moving forward. Since the assistant Anastas took over for Cam Abbott back in December, he led the club to a 25-14-5-6 record, good for 11th in the league, and back to the AHL playoffs. Anastas, 40, played collegiately at Lebanon Valley College of NCAA Division III from 2006-10 as a four-year captain, and quickly rising up the ranks, once serving as an assistant at the ACHA level. After his playing career, Anastas eventually won a Calder Cup title as an assistant coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013, later serving as a head coach in the ECHL and also gaining international experience leading Greece and China.
Snapshots: Zuccarello, Arniel, Predators, Andrae, Johnston
The Wild found themselves without a key winger in the second game of their series tonight against Dallas. Before the game, the team announced (Twitter link) that Mats Zuccarello is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 38-year-old finished third on the team in scoring this season despite missing 23 games, posting 15 goals and 39 assists in 18:39 per game of playing time. He had a productive start to the playoffs as well, notching three helpers in the opening game of the series but was injured late in the game. Bobby Brink, one of their trade deadline pickups, took Zuccarello’s place in the lineup.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- In his end-of-season press conference today (video link), Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was asked about the future of head coach Scott Arniel. He ultimately didn’t give a definitive answer, citing the need to still meet with the coaching staff and continue to evaluate. Arniel has been Winnipeg’s head coach for two seasons now. The first one went quite well as they finished first overall but fell in the second round. However, this year, they were out of contention early and while they made a push late, they fell short of a Wild Card spot. That has led to some calls for some changes, including from star netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who lamented the team’s complacency. We won’t know for a while yet if one of those changes will be behind the bench.
- Predators outgoing GM Barry Trotz met the media today and noted to those in attendance, including team reporter Brooks Bratten (Twitter link), that he expects the roster to largely remain intact this summer. The hope is that doing so will allow them to get back to the playoffs as soon as possible after a late-season run came up a little short this year. The team appears to be making progress in its GM search so it will be interesting to see if the incoming manager feels the same way about the roster.
- The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Emil Andrae is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old played in 61 games during the regular season, picking up 13 points along with 58 blocks and 68 hits in 15:20 per night of playing time. He played in the first game of their series against Pittsburgh but was limited to just 9:39 of ice time, his lowest TOI in more than a month. Veteran Noah Juulsen took Andrae’s spot on Philadelphia’s third pairing.
- Ducks winger Ross Johnston wasn’t in the lineup tonight in the series opener against Edmonton but is expected to play in this series, relays Derek Lee of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The 32-year-old has missed the last month with a lower-body injury, one that carried an expected recovery time of three to four weeks. Johnston had a career-high 14 points in 62 games this season with 107 penalty minutes and 192 hits, also a career-best.
Snapshots: D’Astous, Varlamov, Posch, Malinoski
Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous exited tonight’s game against Montreal and did not return, relays team reporter Benjamin Pierce (Twitter link). The 27-year-old took a hit from Josh Anderson and Jake Evans simultaneously; Anderson was called for a charging minor on the play. D’Astous has been a bright spot on Tampa Bay’s back end this season. Signed out of Sweden, he has played exclusively with Tampa aside from a brief stint in the minors to start the year. He had 29 points and 110 penalty minutes in 70 games during the regular season, a nice find for an undrafted free agent.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Islanders have recalled Semyon Varlamov from his LTIR conditioning stint, per the AHL’s transactions log. He got into two games with AHL Bridgeport, winning both while stopping 46 of 49 shots in his first game action since November 2024. While Varlamov would normally be eligible for a two-game extension, that’s not the case here as he is not eligible to play in the AHL playoffs. Varlamov has one year left on his contract and the team will now have to decide if they think he’s going to be good to go as their backup in 2026-27 or if they’ll want to add extra depth in case he’s not able to get through a full year.
- The Avalanche have recalled Isak Posch to serve as their emergency third goaltender, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 24-year-old spent most of the year with AHL Colorado, posting a 2.78 GAA with a .891 SV% in 28 games in his first full professional season. Posch, who signed as an undrafted free agent last spring, was briefly called up in January but didn’t see any action.
- Maple Leafs prospect Hudson Malinoski will have a new team for his final NCAA season. Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald reports that the center has transferred to the University of North Dakota for the upcoming season. A fifth-round pick by Toronto back in 2023 (153rd overall), the 21-year-old spent the last three years at Providence College. Malinoski’s output dropped this season, going from 23 points to 15 while he found himself in the bottom six as the year went on. He’ll look to play a bigger role for the Fighting Hawks in the hopes of landing an entry-level deal next spring.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Hagens, Ott
Team Canada has secured commitments from several big-name players for the country’s team at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships in Switzerland, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Per Dreger, some of the names include: Mark Scheifele, John Tavares, Robert Thomas, and Ryan O’Reilly, with more set to be named moving forward. This quartet of centers gives the country enviable depth at one of the game’s most important positions, and also means one or two of those names could end up playing on the wing. Canada last won an IIHF Men’s World Championship in 2023.
O’Reilly, who scored 74 points in 81 games for the Nashville Predators this season, has won gold at IIHF Worlds twice in his career, and has also won a silver medal at the tournament. He was also on last year’s Canadian entry into the tournament. Scheifele, 33, scored 103 points this season and won gold in 2016 and silver in 2017, scoring 21 points across 27 career games at IIHF World Championships. Thomas scored 64 points in 64 games for the St. Louis Blues this season but has not previously represented Canada on the country’s senior men’s side. Tavares, who scored 71 points for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year, captained Team Canada at the 2024 edition of the tournament, and also played at worlds in 2010, 2011, and 2012. He led the tournament in goals in 2010.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Boston Bruins star prospect James Hagens will most likely be in the lineup for the first game of the team’s upcoming series against the Buffalo Sabres, head coach Marco Sturm told the media today. Hagens, 19, has gotten into two career NHL games so far and has registered one assist, playing a third-line winger role alongside Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. Hagens scored four points in six games at the AHL level and managed 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games playing for Boston College this year. He’s been widely considered the Bruins’ top prospect since the team selected him No. 7 overall at the 2025 draft.
- The St. Louis Blues are expected to enter negotiations to retain Steve Ott as head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, beyond this season, per GM Doug Armstrong. Ott took over as Thunderbirds head coach in January, replacing Steve Konowalchuk, who began the season 13-18-6. Ott was able to deliver playoff hockey to Springfield, guiding the team to a 31-31-10 record as of writing, good for the final opening-round playoff spot in the league’s Atlantic Division. Ott was formerly an assistant on the Blues’ NHL staff and also had an 848-game NHL career as a player.
Snapshots: Mammoth, Avalanche, Omark
Ahead of tonight’s game against St. Louis, the Utah Mammoth shared that both Dylan Guenther and Sean Durzi wouldn’t play. Guenther has been held out for undisclosed reasons, while Durzi was categorized as having an upper-body injury.
Locked in for their first round matchup against Vegas, the first in their team’s history, Utah has no reason to take any chances in an inconsequential game 82 tonight. The dynamic young team will present a real challenge against the Golden Knights, who’ve found their stride under new head coach John Tortorella.
Guenther, 23, broke out this year with a team-leading 40 goals. Tonight marks just the third game he’s missed all year, and he should be all set for the postseason in his spot as a top winger, which will be his postseason debut.
On the other hand, Durzi left against Winnipeg last Tuesday after playing 9:46. Losing time back in the fall from an IR stint stemming from an upper-body issue, he’s played in 60 games this year, averaging 19:16 a night, a dip from previous years. It’s unknown what his status will be for Game 1, but the 27-year-old will be eager to return to the playoffs for the first time since his time as a Los Angeles King three years ago.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters, including Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports, that he expects the team to be fully healthy for the playoffs. It’s great news for the soon-to-be Presidents’ Trophy winners. A number of notable players have been banged up lately; Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, Josh Manson with various injuries. However, the group is expected to be at full strength as they take the ice for Game 1, with their opponent and dates still to be officially determined.
- Former NHL forward Linus Omark has retired at age 39, confirmed in an interview posted by Expressen, a news outlet in his native Sweden. Selected in the fourth round by Edmonton in the 2007 draft, Omark debuted with the club in the 2010-11 season, and last played with the Buffalo Sabres in February 2014. The winger’s NHL career was limited, 32 points in 79 games, but he’s still a memorable name, with his highlights making the rounds across the internet years ago and still worth a watch. Omark emerged as an electric prospect for the Oilers, and quickly caught the attention of the league with a one-of-a-kind shootout winning goal, in his NHL debut no less, which went viral and can still be seen on the NHL’s Youtube. Despite his incredible skills, Omark offered not enough defensive capabilities, nor strength, to solidify himself as an NHLer. Playing in a middle-ground era of the NHL also did no favors. Even though it didn’t work in North America, he went on to have a tremendous career overseas, as a top scorer in the KHL with Ufa Salavat Yulayev from 2015-2020. The veteran won a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championships, and recorded seven assists in four games at the 2018 Olympic Games. In 2025 he helped his hometown club Luleå HF take home their first Swedish Hockey League title in 29 years. Omark wrapped up his final season with Luleå putting up 16 points in 29 games.
Snapshots: Kadri, Chatfield, Predators
The Colorado Avalanche shared that Nazem Kadri wouldn’t return against St. Louis as a result of an upper-body injury. It was not immediately evident where the ailment occurred.
Since returning to the Avs at the trade deadline, Kadri has served a middle six role, few teams offering a player of his caliber at third line center. In 15 games so far he’s recorded nine points, clearly no longer the elite scorer at age 35, but a strong player nonetheless.
Kadri’s corsi for at five-on-five expectedly jumped to 55%, although his 52% mark in Calgary was already admirable on a struggling team as opposed to the league’s best. Fully evident of his role change, he’s starting just under 52% of shifts in the defensive zone under head coach Jared Bednar, a drastic flip from his nearly 67% on the attack as a Flame.
With this in mind, Kadri plays a crucial role with match-ups, should the Avalanche go on a deep run this spring. Postgame updates will be watched closely, with the hope that he’ll be good to go for the club’s next game, Thursday, as they host his former team of the Flames.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour had no postgame update on Jalen Chatfield, noted by Cory Lavalette of The North State Journal. The defenseman left in the third period, bothered with a lower-body injury, and didn’t return. Carolina clinched their Metropolitan Division crown with a back-and-forth overtime win over Boston, but it would be costly if they lost Chatfield for any extended period. At age 29, the shutdown man is averaging over 20 minutes for the first time in his career, continuing to show outstanding possession metrics in a real second pairing role. The Canes will hope Chatfield is back for one of their four remaining regular season games, as soon as Thursday in Chicago.
- Insider Frank Seravalli of Frankly Hockey believes the Nashville Predators will explore former Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald as a candidate, as noted in the April 7 edition of the podcast. Fired by New Jersey just yesterday, Seravalli suspects that the timing was with this in mind. The 57-year-old is a natural fit with the Predators, having served as their inaugural captain, playing alongside current head coach Andrew Brunette, under the departing general manager Barry Trotz, no less. Fitzgerald stands out as a candidate with over five years of general manager experience at the NHL level, a trait favorable compared to other options. The Predators are thought to be seeking an entirely new voice, but at the very least, Fitzgerald will garner consideration.
Snapshots: Bogosian, O’Rourke, Kvasnicka
Minnesota Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian left the team’s game yesterday with an undisclosed injury, and will miss today’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, per a team announcement. Bogosian played just over 14 minutes in the Wild’s win over the Ottawa Senators yesterday. He’s been the Wild’s No. 7 defenseman in terms of average time on ice per game this season, registering 14:02 per game, including about 45 seconds per game on the penalty kill.
The Wild have two options on their roster who could replace Bogosian in the lineup: veteran Jeff Petry and 23-year-old Daemon Hunt. Since Petry is a right-shot defenseman, he seems to be the more likely candidate to claim Bogosian’s spot on the right side of Minnesota’s third pairing. Petry was acquired from the Florida Panthers earlier in the season, and has played in three games for the Wild so far. He’s averaged just over 12 minutes per game in Minnesota so far. The stakes for the Wild remain high in their upcoming games, as they still possess a slim chance at overtaking the Dallas Stars and earning home-ice advantage for the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Other notes from around the world of hockey:
- Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on yesterday’s “Saturday Headlines” segment of Hockey Night in Canada that Texas-born Kade O’Rourke has applied for exceptional status to join the OHL next season. Friedman cited several conversations he had with people who believe there is “no question” O’Rourke is ready to play in the OHL next season. O’Rourke, a 6’1″ right-shot defenseman, scored four goals and 10 points in the OHL Cup, leading the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to the Final.
- While the New York Islanders have had a difficult week that has thrown their playoff odds into question, their organizational future remains one of the league’s brightest. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer has taken the league by storm, and The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked the team’s prospect pool No. 12 in the NHL, up a whopping 13 spots from where it ranked last season, at No. 25. According to Wheeler, of the biggest risers in the team’s prospect pool is WHL forward Jacob Kvasnicka. The Minnesota-born winger was drafted in the seventh round by the Islanders at the 2025 draft, 202nd overall. He’s led the expansion Penticton Vees in scoring with 35 goals and 85 points in 65 games this season.
Snapshots: Winterton, Buchnevich, Vaakanainen, Rangers Goaltending
Kraken winger Ryan Winterton has returned to the team, relays Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. He stepped away for a leave of absence following the death of his brother following a cancer battle. However, since he hadn’t been on the ice for two weeks before rejoining the team Thursday, he was a scratch against Utah and it’s unclear when he will ultimately return to Seattle’s lineup. Winterton is in his first full NHL season and has four goals and 14 assists in 62 games while logging 11:47 per night of playing time.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich was a surprise scratch as St. Louis made four lineup changes for tonight’s game against Anaheim. However, the team announced that Buchnevich’s absence was for maintenance reasons. The Blues play Colorado in their next two games and the team is prioritizing getting him as healthy as possible for those two contests. Buchnevich has seen his point total drop for the fourth straight season and has 17 goals and 27 assists through 74 games.
- Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen took part in practice today in a regular (contact) jersey, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post (Twitter link). That suggests that the 27-year-old is getting closer to returning from an upper-body injury that has kept him out for the past two weeks. Vaakanainen was ruled out week-to-week at the time. He has played in 33 games this season, picking up six assists and 26 blocks while averaging a little under 14 minutes per game of playing time.
- Still with the Rangers, goaltender Jonathan Quick returned to the lineup yesterday, serving as New York’s backup. He had missed the previous seven games due to an upper-body injury. In doing so, the team has converted Dylan Garand’s previous recall from an emergency one to a regular recall as emergency conditions no longer exist. That means he will be one of their five allowable post-deadline promotions. Garand has made two starts so far, turning aside 62 of 65 shots in his first taste of NHL action.