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The Minnesota Wild will be without Ryan Hartman for a while.
On Monday, the league announced that Ryan Hartman has been suspended for 10 games for pushing Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stützle’s head into the ice after a face-off.
Ryan Hartman has been suspended for ten games for roughing Tim Stützle. pic.twitter.com/hDJJQrMMIl
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 4, 2025
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.
TRADE@utahhockeyclub has acquired forward Sammy Walker from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations
Walker will be assigned to the @RoadrunnersAHL pic.twitter.com/loGy8MjgUv
— Utah Hockey Club PR (@UtahHC_PR) February 3, 2025
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.
Miro Heiskanen had knee surgery in New York this morning. He is month-to-month, per Pete DeBoer.
Said surgery was "successful," but no further details for now.
— Robert Tiffin (@RobertTiffin) February 4, 2025
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.
More must-reads:
- Mike Grier’s drafting propelling Sharks to certain future
- Shedeur Sanders gets new chance after Browns QB injury
- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Important trade stalls as Maple Leafs dangle bottom-six forward
The Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking for a solution to their bottom-six surplus, and veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok remains at the center of trade discussions. However, according to The Fourth Period, trade talks surrounding the 33-year-old winger have failed to gain momentum. They write: “He has a $2.1M cap hit and owns a 10-team no-trade list. The market hasn’t been vibrant, to this point, but the Leafs will continue to dangle him.” Why can’t the Maple Leafs find a taker for Jarnkrok? Jarnkrok has quietly been on the trade block for much of the offseason, but general manager Brad Treliving has yet to find a taker. After adding several depth forwards this summer, the Leafs now face a crowded bottom six — and Jarnkrok’s age, injury history and $2.1M cap hit through 2025–26 aren’t helping his value. Since joining Toronto, Jarnkrok has appeared in only 71 games over two seasons, scoring a modest 28 points. While his defensive versatility and penalty-killing ability are assets, his declining offensive production and durability concerns have made teams wary. With training camp approaching, the Maple Leafs may be forced to keep Jarnkrok on the roster — or retain salary in a deal — if they want to create space and flexibility. Dropping his cap hit down to just over $1M would open up the market a little. Until then, the Swedish forward remains a trade candidate in limbo. This isn’t great news as moving Jarnkrok from the roster is an important item on the team’s to-do list. Treliving would like more cap space, and with Jarnkrok and David Kampf both still on the roster, it hampers the GM’s ability to do other things.
Shedeur Sanders gets new chance after Browns QB injury
Shedeur Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns' equipment staff as the No. 4 quarterback this summer. He'll have a new opportunity following troubling injury news for Kenny Pickett. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's practice and will not receive reps until his issue is re-evaluated. "Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week, per sources," Schefter posted on X. "Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett's injury will shake up the quarterback race in Cleveland. Through OTAs and early in training camp, Sanders has been the odd man out as the only signal caller on the roster not to receive reps with the first-team offense. It's unclear if the Browns coaching staff intends to give Sanders reps with the first-team offense now that Pickett is sidelined, but the fifth-round pick will have more chances this week to prove that he deserves an opportunity to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are in a unique situation with their rookie quarterbacks. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was selected before Sanders, but the son of Deion Sanders fell to Day 3 of the draft for reasons other than talent. The majority of draft analysts had Sanders as a better-graded quarterback than Gabriel, and many thought the Colorado product would be taken in the first round. The Browns can use the injury as an excuse to give Sanders reps with the first team, and it's a task they need to take advantage of before the team names a starter. Sanders has the potential to be a starter in the league, and this week is pivotal for his rookie season in Cleveland.
Ex-Lakers Big Man Ready to Cut NBA Ties With New Contract
It was the Lakers who, eight years ago, gave center Thomas Bryant his first crack at the NBA, putting him into the lineup after acquiring him in a draft trade with the Jazz. Bryant's Lakers career did not last that long--he was gone after one season--but he came back to L.A. in the summer of 2022 after a successful stint with the Wizards. That go-round with the Lakers did not go much better than the first, as Bryant averaged 12.3 points but was traded away in a massive deal at the 2023 deadline that saw the Lakers add Mo Bamba and Davon Reed. The Lakers had two cracks at Bryant but were not able to get his best from him. Bryant has since moved on to Denver, Miami and most recently, Indiana, where he has not been a big-time scorer, but has filled a role nicely in each of his stops. But, unable to drum up a new NBA contract, it looks like Bryant's next role will come overseas. That's according to a report from Telesport, which noted that the Greek team Panathinaikos is in direct contact about getting Bryant signed. From Sportando, which points out that Jonas Valanciunas agreed to, then backed out of a contract with the team: "The American center, born in 1997, played last season with the Indiana Pacers. He has appeared in 333 NBA games throughout his career. It would be a high-level addition for Panathinaikos, who, after the breakdown of negotiations with Valanciunas, are looking for a center to further raise the quality of their frontcourt."
'I’m Not Usually Impressed With No.1,2,3. But…': Asante Samuel, For a Change, is Thoroughly Impressed by Tua Tagovailoa
The Miami Dolphins, and to a greater extent, Tua Tagovailoa, have been the beneficiaries of nothing but misfortune throughout the past several seasons. Career-threatening concussions and a 0-1 playoff record have been the hallmarks of the last five seasons, but according to Asante Samuel, the downtrodden Dolphins may finally be on the upswing. In the latest installment of his Say What Needs to be Said YouTube series, the former New England Patriot admitted that the Dolphins’ primary passer “impressed” him with his recent statements towards Tyreek Hill’s relationship with the team. Suffice it to say, it was a rare moment of praise from Samuel. After disclaiming that he is “…not usually impressed” with Tagovailoa as a product, Samuel explained that he was happy to see the 27-year-old “turning a new leaf and being more of a leader, speaking up for the Miami Dolphins as the quarterback at the team.” Although that did leave him to question as to whether or not it is “too late already for Tua to try and insert himself as the leader of the team?” Only time will tell, but for now, Samuel seems content with Tagovailoa’s assertion that “you don’t just come back from” what Tyreek Hill did by just simply saying “my bad.” Hill infamously removed himself from the Dolphins’ final contest of the season. He then proceeded to air several grievances with the organization on Twitter, routinely alluding to talks of a trade throughout the offseason. The star wide receiver has since apologized for his actions and is now “back at it” with the Dolphins at training camp per his most recent tweet. Nevertheless, a rift still remains, and according to Tagovailoa, it may take a while before Hill is able to find himself back in everyone’s good graces. “I would say we’re still continuing to [work on the relationship.] It’s not just with men, it’s with a lot of the guys. I’m not the only one that heard that. You guys aren’t the only people that heard that… You gotta work that relationship up and build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody.” While Tagovailoa was willing to commend Hill for taking the initial step of declaring his goals and extending the olive branch, it’s clear that Hill’s chemistry with the rest of the locker room is still very much in question. Whether or not that turns into anything meaningful, such as a lack of targets during the regular season, remains unlikely, but the situation continues to be one worth monitoring. The Dolphins are still searching for their first playoff win since the turn of the century, and the talents of Hill can certainly go a long way in getting them there. Whether they love him or hate him, Miami still needs him. The 2024 season was the first and only instance in which the Dolphins didn’t appear in the playoffs since they first signed Hill back in 2022, so until something better comes along, both parties will have to begrudgingly work together in order to accomplish their shared goal.
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