Dallas Stars before the trade deadline
Saad Yousuf of The Athletic: Dallas has lost four of its last five games and could make moves. Miro Heiskanen will not be rushed back due to mononucleosis. He is week-to-week and puts Dallas in a bind. They are not the same team without him.
Dallas has the seventh easiest schedule, has four games in hand, and is only three points out of a playoff spot. With an injury to Braden Holtby, the Stars now have to double back and look realistically at what they can do. Just hours remain and Jim Hill has to make decisions.
Pittsburgh Penguins Plan B or C?
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey NOW: No Giroux, Deslauriers, etc. does not sit well in Pittsburgh. Many feel the Penguins need to do something. Middle-six help like Zach Sanford is out there. Can Ron Hextall pull the trigger?
Boston boosted its chances with Hampus Lindholm. This makes Pittsburgh’s need for depth that much more profound. Keep an eye on depth pieces as 3:00 pm ET approaches today.
The Support of Owen Power and what it means
Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News: Kevyn Adams looks for a defenseman to pair with Owen Power. This is all while trying to clear the coffers of as many pending free agents as plausible.
“What we’re thinking about is, is there someone externally out there? Is there someone potentially in the summer if it was in free agency, or is there someone internal that we think this guy might be the right one?”
Mark Pysyk is one name to keep an eye on if he is not moved. Perhaps, he gets brought back in the summer too. Troy Stecher is on the radar for the summer after being moved this weekend. Jan Ruuta and Justin Braun are plausible this summer as well.
While Matt Dumba and Shea Theodore both may be too far-fetched via trade, Connor Murphy probably is not. Murphy makes sense because he can shoulder a bigger load and let Power grow and flourish. At the least, Owen Power would be allowed to be sheltered better.