NHL Notebook: Ryan Hartman suspended for 10 games

Hartman is a repeat offender. Last season, he was suspended on two separate occasions, once for two games for tripping Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat,  and a three-game suspension in early April for unsportsmanlike conduct towards the officials. The year prior, he was suspended for a game due to interfering with Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers.

This is the longest suspension since the 2018-19 season when Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was suspended for 14 games (originally 20) for an illegal check to the head on Oskar Sundqvist in a preseason game. 

So far this season, Hartman has seven goals and 17 points in 48 games for the Wild. He’s coming off a 21-goal, 45-point season in 2023-24, and scored a career-high 34 goals and 65 points in 82 games in 2021-22.

Sammy Walker traded to Utah

Sticking with the Minnesota Wild, they traded Sammy Walker to the Utah Hockey Club for future considerations.

Walker was selected in the seventh round of the 2017 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. After four seasons at the University of Minnesota, he signed with his home state team, the Wild. He played nine games with the team in 2022-23 where he scored a goal and two assists, but primarily played for the American Hockey League team where he scored 27 goals and 48 points in 56 games.

In 2023-24, Walker played just four games with the Wild, playing 70 games with the Iowa Wild where he had 14 goals and 45 points in 70 games. Walker has yet to appear in an NHL game this season, scoring two goals and 11 points in 30 games for the Wild’s AHL team.

Miro Heiskanen had knee surgery

According to Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer, defenceman Miro Heiskanen underwent successful knee surgery and is out month-to-month.

The knee injury occurred on Jan. 28, as Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone was tripped and fell on Heiskanen’s knee. He left the game and was promptly ruled out of Finland’s 4 Nation Face-Off campaign later this month.

It’s a tough loss for the Stars, as the left-shot defenceman is one of the best in the game. Thi season, he has five goals and 25 points in 50 games, coming off a season where he had nine goals and 54 points, and 11 goals and 73 points in 2022-23.

Shortly after the injury, the Stars traded for right-shot defenceman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks in a trade that also netted them Mikael Granlund. With Heiskanen out for a while, one has to wonder what other moves the Stars are planning ahead of the Mar. 7 trade deadline. Tyler Seguin currently sits on the Long-Term Injured Reserve as well.

With a 34-17-1 record, the Stars sit second in the Central Division, eight points back of the Winnipeg Jets with two fewer games played.