Miro Heiskanen may be headed for another night out, and the Dallas Stars are preparing accordingly.
Head coach Glen Gulutzan told NHL.com’s Robert Tiffin that Heiskanen is “doubtful” for Saturday’s matchup with the San Jose Sharks. The defenseman already missed Thursday’s loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets after leaving Tuesday’s game early with an upper-body injury, and that absence snapped his streak of appearing in every Dallas game this season.
Without Heiskanen on Thursday, the Stars leaned on Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist as their top defensive pair in a shootout loss. The two were on the ice for one goal-for and no goals-against.
Rookie Trey Taylor also got a look, sliding into the third pair alongside Tyler Myers and logging 10 minutes. It was only the second NHL game of Taylor’s career.
He has four points in nine AHL games this season and remains on the Dallas roster, with a chance to play in his third NHL game if Heiskanen sits again Saturday.
Toronto may be getting a key piece back. John Tavares is expected to return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup on Saturday after missing the last nine games with a lower-body injury, according to NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy. Before getting hurt, Tavares had seven points in seven games.
His absence forced Zack MacEwen and Nick Paul further up Toronto’s center depth chart, while reigning first-overall pick Gavin McKenna moved onto the top power-play unit. With Tavares back, both of those players will slide down.
McKenna is set to become the focal point of the second power-play group as he looks to add to his 11 points in 17 games to open his NHL career. Toronto went 5-4-0 and averaged 3.78 goals per game without Tavares, and his return could give an offense that’s starting to click another lift.
Minnesota is also waiting on a pair of familiar names. The Wild will be without brothers Nick Foligno and Marcus Foligno for Friday’s game against San Jose, but head coach John Hynes told play-by-play broadcaster Joe O’Donnell that both could be back Saturday.
The brothers have played only three and four games this season, respectively, and neither has suited up since October 8th. Both are working back from upper-body injuries.
When they return, they’ll settle back into Minnesota’s depth chart and likely push Nico Sturm and Tyler Pitlick out of the daily lineup.
In Other News...
Sharks Desperately Shake Up Lineup As Bigger Questions Start Looming
The Sharks are trying to steady things before facing the Minnesota Wild, and the latest lineup shuffle shows just how much they are searching for the right mix. Michael Misa has been moved to left wing on the top line, a notable tweak for a team still trying to find traction after a rough stretch, while Alexander Wennberg remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury and could be back soon.
Filip Bystedt will sit as a healthy scratch, and Yaroslav Askarov is set to get the start in goal as San Jose leans on a different look in hopes of changing the mood. The players-only meeting after the recent losses underscored the frustration inside the room, but Ryan Warsofsky remains under contract and there are no plans to move on from him, leaving the focus on whether these adjustments can buy the Sharks some immediate relief. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Emerge In Trade Talks That Could Get Very Expensive
The Sharks are still looking for a puck-moving defenseman, and Detroit has surfaced as a possible trade partner in talks that could reshape that search. San Jose has limited salary cap room to work with, so any move would have to be carefully built, but the appeal of adding a young blue liner with upside has clearly pushed the club into deeper discussions.
What makes the conversation tricky is the price tag. Michael Misa has been part of the framework, but Detroit is believed to be pushing for a larger package rather than a one-for-one type of deal, which has widened the list of names being kicked around. For a Sharks team trying to balance immediate needs with long-term value, the next step in these talks could say a lot about how aggressively they want to solve the defense issue. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Deadline Plans May Hinge On One Offensive Fit
The Blackhawks search for offense has kept the trade market busy, and one name that has surfaced in the background is Simon Edvinsson, the Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent defenseman who has been skating in Nashville. Nashville has reportedly shown interest as well, while Edvinssons agency has not commented on any trade chatter, leaving the situation in that familiar pre-deadline gray area where interest is easy to find and clarity is not.
For San Jose, the wrinkle is less about the players availability than the pace of the conversations. The Sharks have shown interest, but talks with Detroit have not moved far enough to suggest a deal is close, even as Ryan Warsofsky remains behind the bench amid the teams own struggles. With Chicago still trying to patch its scoring issues and the market taking shape around it, this is the kind of name that could matter if the discussion ever gets serious. [Read more 🡒]