NHL rumors: Latest buzz, news from around the league
By Brian Rauf, Chat Sports
The Stanley Cup playoffs are fast approaching with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, and the postseason field is starting to take shape. The Chicago Blackhawks became the latest team to clinch a playoff spot with a 3–2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.
The Carolina Hurricanes also won a crucial wild-card battle in the Eastern Conference on Sunday, defeating the New Jersey Devils 3–2 to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Check out the latest NHL news and rumors below.
• Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux is “fine” after sustaining an apparent head injury in his team’s 2–1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, reports NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman.
• Colorado Avalanche forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene will miss the next two games with knee injuries, the team announced.
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• The Ottawa Senators are shutting down defenseman Dion Phaneuf (oblique) and forward Clarke MacArthur (concussion) for the rest of the season, the team announced.
• Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman will miss the rest of the season with a broken leg, the team announced.
• Edmonton Oilers forward Nail Yakupov asked the team for a trade at the deadline, but “something went wrong,” reports Sports-Express’s Igor Eronko.
• Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr became the oldest player to score 25 goals in a season with his goal against the Lightning on Saturday. He is 44 years old.
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• The Nashville Predators are working on an entry-level contract with Harvard forward Jimmy Vesey, reports the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan.