Hertl was forced to leave Thursday's game in Anaheim with a knee injury but it won't cost him any games. This is obviously huge news for the Sharks because Hertl comes in on a five-game goal-scoring streak and has seven goals in his last seven games.
Marner was forced to leave Saturday's game vs. the Flyers with an ankle injury that he suffered after getting tangled up and falling awkwardly on a face-off. Marner did not travel to Chicago for Sunday's game and could potentially be out for an extended period of time. Marner will undergo an MRI and the Maple Leafs should release a timetable early next week.
Hagg was a healthy scratch on Sunday but will replace Samuel Morin on Tuesday. Hagg has very little offensive ability, posting just one assist and seven shots in nine games this season.
After four years and 276 NHL games with the Canucks, Hutton is going to the Kings on a one-year deal. The 26-year-old left-shot defenseman had 20 points (5G / 15A) in 69 games last season and provides Los Angeles with a little depth while Derek Forbort recovers from a back injury.
After just one day of training camp, the Maple Leafs and Marner were able to come to terms on a six-year contract extension that makes him the seventh highest paid player in the NHL (by AAV). Marner had 94 points (26G / 68A) last season and comes into 2020 with 90-point potential as a staple next to John Tavares.
Barbashev had 14 goals and 12 assists (26 points) in 80 games in 2019. The 23-year-old also chipped in during the postseason, picking up six points (3G / 3A) in 25 games en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Barbashev is back but is buried on the depth chart behind Brayden Schenn, Ryan O’Reilly, and Tyler Bozak.
Hill spent most of the 2019 in the AHL, but also went 7-5-0 with a 2.76 GAA, .901 SV% and one shutout in 13 NHL contests. The former third-round pick was 16-19-2 with a 2.61 GAA and .906 SV% in 36 games in Tucson (AHL). With Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper firmly ahead of him on the depth chart, Hill will open the 2020 season with the Roadrunners.
Kallionkieli was a fifth-round pick in this summer’s draft after scoring 29 goals and 24 assists (53 points) in 58 games with Sioux City (USHL).
Sissons set career-bests in goals (15) and points (30) in 75 games a season go. Sissons is an integral part of the Predators bottom-6, ranking second on the team in faceoffs (53.1 percent), first among Predators forwards in SH TOI/GM (1:59) and hits (109). It is the type of contract you don’t see very often for a player with Sissons role but the Predators are making a long-term commitment to him.
In his second season with the Golden Knights, Karlsson expectedly saw his shooting percentage drop from 23.4% to 14.2% which led to him scoring just 24 goals with 32 assists (56 points) in 82 games. Over the last two seasons, Karlsson ranks 17th in goals (67) and tied for 45th in points (134). His new cap-hit is the same last Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, which is tied for 109th highest in the NHL—extremely reasonable for a player who is in the top-50 in scoring.
While Johansson was taking a shot, Barbashev caught him in the head with his shoulder and the NHL deemed it was worthy of a one-game suspension. Robert Thomas, if he’s healthy, will likely replace Barbashev in Game 6, but if he can’t play it will be Robby Fabbri.
Rondbjerg, 20, was selected in the third-round (No.65 overall) in 2017 and had two goals and four assists (six points) in 45 games with Vaxjo HC of the Swedish Elite League.
Hertl suffered a hand injury in Tuesday’s practice and today’s morning skate but head coach Pete DeBoer said that Hertl will be in the lineup for Game 1. Hertl has enjoyed a career year, setting career-highs in goals (35), assists (39) and points (74) in 77 games. The 25-year-old has six goals and three assists in 10 playoff games a year ago.
Darcy Kuemper was forced to leave Tuesday’s game after taking a stick in the face vs. the Kings, so Hill comes back up in case Kuemper isn’t available for Thursday’s game. Hill has gone 15-12-2 with a 2.46 GAA and .911 SV% in 32 AHL games this season.
Hutton suffered an apparent foot injury late in Sunday’s loss in Vegas. Since the start of February, Hutton ranks third in the NHL in TOI/GP (26:42) trailing just Drew Doughty and Ryan Suter, so this is a huge loss for the Canucks blueline. Vancouver recalled Guillaume Brisebois from Utica (AHL) to replace Hutton on Tuesday.
