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Carolina Hurricanes Goalie Frederik Andersen makes a glove save of the puck during the third period of the National Hockey League Eastern Conference First Round Game 3 between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NHL Rumours: Stars, Andersen, Hurricanes, Hischier, Devils

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jacob Billington | Last updated May 3, 2025 9:15 AM ET

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Dallas Stars are officially going to be without superstars Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen for the entirety of the first round. Elsewhere, Frederik Andersen has returned to practice and has been seen in the starting end. Finally, Nico Hischier was asked about not being a finalist for the Selke Trophy, and responded by saying that winning that trophy isn’t the reason he plays the game.

Stars Missing Robertson, Heiskanen for Crucial Game 7

It all comes down to one game between the Stars and Colorado Avalanche, and while it was anticipated that they may return, Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson will have officially missed the entire first round.

Heiskanen had knee surgery on Feb. 4 after a collision with Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone, and has not played since. He is a crucial part of the Stars’ defense group. They are lucky enough to have some great defensemen like Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley being able to step up in his absence, but he is a game-breaker.

Heiskanen practiced with the team ahead of Game 1 of the first round, and was labelled as day-to-day by head coach Pete DeBoer, but two weeks and seven games later, he remains out.

As for Robertson, whether it is with fantasy hockey, betting, or just watching hockey in general, nobody likes to see healthy players sitting at the end of the season. There is always a risk with playing them, and from a team perspective, it makes total sense, but the Stars opted not to sit Robertson in their final game, and he suffered a lower-body injury. He also has yet to play in the playoffs and is out for Game 7.

Hurricanes’ Andersen Returns to Starters End

After a difficult season dealing with blood clotting in 2023-24 and a knee injury sidelining him for months in 2024-25, Andersen was finally healthy and playing great hockey. He has been great in the playoffs, but after a collision with New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier, Andersen left Game 4 and missed Game 5 with a lower-body injury, and Pyotr Kochetkov took over the crease.

Though Kochetkov was able to close out the series with a Game 5 victory against the Devils, fans have a lot more comfort in having Andersen lead the way right now.

Andersen has returned to the ice and was in the starter’s crease, signaling that he is ready, or will be ready, to make his return for Game 1 against the Washington Capitals in Round 2.

Anderson spoke with the media after the practice, telling reporters he was feeling good. He added, “Obviously, we were still able to close out the win there. Happy about that, but obviously it [stinks] not being able to be out there.”. Andersen has missed significant time and has done a great job of keeping his composure and not letting the hurdles get the best of him.

Hischier Not Worried About Selke Trophy Snub

We hear from players all the time about the importance, or lack thereof, of individual awards. Connor McDavid is the best case. Any time he is asked about all of his very impressive hardware, he says that none of them actually matter, and that it is just the Stanley Cup he is after.

Nico Hischier is now in the same boat. He is one of the best defensive players in the league, and many know and recognize that. After a great start to the 2024-25 season, he continued his dominance throughout the year and stepped up when the team was missing key pieces like Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. The Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy goes to the forward with the best defensive play, and while it is more subjective than the Art Ross Trophy or Rocket Richard, where there is just one number to look at, Hischier would have been well-deserving to be at least a nominee.

It is impossible to argue against any of the three that were nominated, as Aleksander Barkov, Anthony Cirelli, and Sam Reinhart are all great two-way players, but Hishier was asked about being excluded from the finalists.

When asked about not being a finalist, Hischier told members of the media, “I’m here to play for New Jersey & play for the team. Obviously, it would be a huge honor for me, but I’m not playing for that. I don’t really put too much thought into that.”