The San Jose Sharks will be without Logan Couture for the duration of their Canadian road trip, head coach Pete DeBoer announced Thursday.

Couture, who was taken to hospital after being struck in the face by a puck on March 25, is not in Edmonton for Thursday's game, and will not join the Sharks for subsequent dates in Calgary and Vancouver.

San Jose has won just one of the past seven games, yet remains in a fight for first place in the Central Division. The Sharks will host the same three teams to finish the regular season, with or without Couture.

Couture ranks third on the Sharks with 25 goals and 52 points.

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Zach Parise appears to have escaped a nasty double whammy with minimal damage.

The Minnesota Wild forward skated with the team Thursday morning, less than 48 hours after taking a high stick from Washington Capitals pest Tom Wilson and colliding with Jay Beagle moments later.

The freak incident took place in the first period of Tuesday night's 5-4 overtime win by the Capitals in St. Paul.

Parise had to be helped off the ice after absorbing the two blows, and Wilson was given a double-minor for his role.

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Lesson learned?

Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart addressed his benching for all 60 minutes of Tuesday's loss to the Blue Jackets, suggesting head coach Dan Bylsma's punishment may not have fit the crime of being five minutes late for a morning meeting.

"It's a coach's decision. It's a management decision. From my perspective, I would have rather battled it out with my teammates," he said Thursday, according to John Vogl of the Buffalo News. "I don't think five minutes in the morning is going to influence my preparation for a game, but it was a team stretch and I should have been there on time."

"He was a couple minutes late for a meeting, and that happens," teammate Jack Eichel said. "Just like anything, you handle it like a professional and move on from it, learn from it. We're obviously not going to hold it over his head here. He really didn't do too much wrong."

Reinhart dressed for the game, but was not granted a single shift by Bylsma.

He's expected to hop back over the boards during Sunday's game against the Islanders.

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The Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms with defenseman Tucker Poolman on a one-year entry-level contract with an annual value of $1,775,000.

Poolman recorded seven goals and 23 assists in 38 games as a junior with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks this season, and was also named the National College Hockey Conference defensive defenseman of the year.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Draft, Poolman is set to undergo bilateral shoulder surgery, and may or may not be recovered in time for Jets training camp in September.

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Crisis officially averted.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have goaltender Frederik Andersen back between the pipes for Thursday's game against the Nashville Predators.

Andersen missed one game - a win backstopped by Curtis McElhinney - with an upper-body injury suffered in Buffalo on Saturday. He returns for the first of seven games remaining on the regular-season schedule and with a postseason berth in sight.

In 61 appearances this season, Andersen has posted a record of 30-15-14 with a .918 save percentage.

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Northeastern's Zach Aston-Reese, Denver's Will Butcher, and Union's Mike Vecchione were named the final three candidates for the Hobey Baker Award, the selection committee announced Thursday.

The honor is given annually to the top U.S. college hockey player, and the final three are revealed each year as the 'Hobey Baker Hat Trick.'

Aston-Reese led the nation with 31 goals and tied for top spot on the NCAA Division I points list with 63 in 38 games for the Huskies in his senior season.

He signed an entry-level deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this month, and will spend the rest of this season with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an amateur tryout.

Butcher is the first defenseman to be named a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist since 2009 winner Matt Gilroy. Butcher ranked second in the nation in points (36) by a blue-liner and was named Offensive Defenseman of the Year in the NCHC.

He's a major reason the top-ranked Pioneers are heading to the Frozen Four, and once his NCAA season ends, the Colorado Avalanche will have until Aug. 15 to sign the graduating rearguard to a contract after making him a fifth-round pick in 2013.

Vecchione finished second behind Aston-Reese with 29 goals and tied him for top spot in the country with 63 points. Vecchione was named ECAC Player of the Year and was a finalist for the conference's Best Defensive Forward award.

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Nolan Patrick's junior career may be over.

The Brandon Wheat Kings were swept by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the opening round of the Western Hockey League playoffs, and Patrick - who's expected to be selected first overall at the 2017 NHL Draft - was unable to suit up during the series due to a lower-body injury.

Patrick missed 25 WHL games and the World Junior Championships earlier this season due to an upper-body injury, but recorded 16 goals and 22 assists in 28 appearances following his return to the lineup.

Last year, Nolan was named WHL playoff MVP and led the club to a league championship.

Still, Patrick ranks first among North American skaters in NHL.com's final prospect rankings, and his draft stock likely won't take a hit despite not playing this postseason.

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Vladimir Tarasenko made the trip to Arizona well worth it for Arianna Dougan.

Back in February, the St. Louis Blues star winger surprised Arianna, a young fan undergoing cancer treatment, with a trip for two on the team's charter for late-season games in Arizona and Colorado for her 11th birthday.

On Wednesday, during the first of the two games, Tarasenko scored a goal on the Coyotes, an added bonus.

But even before that, he knew he had done more than enough to make it a memorable trip.

"If you look in her eyes right now, me and my wife make the right decision to buy this and make this little present," he said on the flight to Arizona, per Lou Korac of NHL.com. "It's not much, but when you make a kid happy, this means a lot."

To their credit, the Coyotes did their part to welcome Arianna to Gila River Arena.

"This stranger to us who has befriended our family and done so much for us, he just has the biggest heart and is the kindest person," said Arianna's mother, Lori Zucker. "It's just amazing. It renews your belief in humanity when you meet someone that is so nice and generous."

Arianna and her family will also be in attendance when the Blues visit the Avalanche on Saturday.

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Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, March 30 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

• LW Mikkel Boedker (26K) & C Tomas Hertl (42K), Sharks (at Oilers): The Oilers have been expected to allow 2.90 goals per 60 minutes since March 1. While they see more scoring chances than their opponents, they've posted a Corsi For rating of just 46.67 in the past month. San Jose operates at a 51.94 percent possession rate. Hertl hasn't played on a line with a Corsi For rating below 50 percent this season.

• C Derick Brassard (45K) & RW Mark Stone (44K), Senators (at Wild): It's been ill-advised to target the Wild this season due to their excellent team goaltending and overall team defense. They're expected to start third-string G Alex Stalock on Thursday, creating opportunity for the Senators. The line of Brassard, Stone and C Zack Smith have averaged 2.61 expected goals per 60 minutes and a 56 percent possession rate.

• C Valtteri Filppula (29K) & RW Wayne Simmonds (60K), Flyers (vs. Islanders): Filppula set a seven-game high with 18:22 of ice time in Philadelphia's shootout win over the Senators on Tuesday. He has just two goals and two assists with the Flyers, but he tallied multiple shots in each of his past two outings for the first time since his first two games with the team. Simmonds has multiple SOG in 11 of 14 games this month.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Tuukka Rask (114K), Bruins (vs. Stars): The Stars have managed just 2.45 expected goals per 60 minutes over the past month, but they've still maintained an average of 28.50 shots on goal per 60 minutes. They rank just 20th in power-play percentage for the season, while the Bruins sit fourth in penalty-kill percentage.

• BARGAIN - Cam Ward (76K), Hurricanes (vs. Blue Jackets): Ward allowed at least three goals in each of his first seven games this month before receiving a full week off. He returned to make 21 of 22 saves. The Blue Jackets rank 26th in CF% since March 1.

• FADE - Cam Talbot (102K), Oilers (vs. Sharks): The Sharks have averaged more scoring chances per 60 minutes than all but five teams at 9.75 SCF60. They convert those into 2.57 goals per 60 minutes. Talbot has two shutouts this month, but he also allowed four goals on three occasions, including in two of his past three appearances.

• CONTRARIAN - G Alex Stalock (110K), Wild (vs. Senators) - As mentioned above, Stalock's billing as a third-string goalie is a prime target for the opposing offense. He is coming off a 32-save shutout in the AHL, and he does have a .911 career save percentage in 62 NHL games (46 starts) with the San Jose Sharks. This will be his first NHL start of 2016-17.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Bargain Plays

• C Zack Smith (26K), Senators (at Wild): Mentioned above, Smith's averages of nearly two shots on goal and two hits per game offer a stable floor for Squad Up contests, while Brassard and Stone rely much more heavily on offensive contributions. Smith's style lends itself to a productive evening against the Wild's strong defense even if he fails to hit the scoresheet.

• LW Nick Ritchie (27K), Ducks (at Jets): Ritchie's ice time has been on the decline, as he has been held below 13 minutes in four of his past five games. He has still totaled two goals, two assists, 15 hits and three blocked shots in those five games. The Jets allow 31.68 shots and 10.41 scoring chances per 60 minutes. Ritchie remains opposite RW Corey Perry on Anaheim's balanced third line.

• RW Anthony Mantha (26K), Red Wings (at Lighting): Mantha's ice time has been volatile during Detroit's 3-1-1 run over its past five games. He has three goals but no assists during the stretch, playing a low of 9:47 and a high of 15:42. He tallied seven SOG in his most recent outing and remains the primary shot taker on a line with C Dylan Larkin and LW Justin Abdelkader.

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

Top Fades

• RW Corey Perry (56K), Ducks (at Jets): There has been little difference between the production of Perry and the aforementioned Ritchie since being separated from C Ryan Getzlaf. He has two goals and an assist over his past five games, but he has just 11 SOG. He hit the 18-minute mark just once, falling short of 17 minutes in each of the other four.

• C Tyler Seguin (62K), Stars (at Bruins): Boston has allowed a league-low 25.03 shots on goal per 60 minutes since March 1. Opponents have turned these into an adequate 8.04 scoring chances per 60 but just 2.16 expected goals. Seguin has two games with one or fewer SOG out of his past five contests.

• LW Max Pacioretty (74K), Canadiens (vs. Panthers): Pacioretty has been held below 18 minutes in two of his past three games. He has gone point-less in three consecutive outings, though he has totaled eight SOG. While the Panthers are expected to deploy G Reto Berra, Pacioretty's salary is much too high relative to his recent performances.

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

Contrarian Options

• LW Filip Forsberg (62K), Predators (vs. Maple Leafs): Forsberg has struggled of late, notching just one assist over his past five games. He has notched at least three SOG in three of the five games, but tallied just one in each of the other two. The Maple Leafs' road defense has been porous over the past month, allowing 10.50 scoring chances and 2.91 expected goals per 60 minutes.

• C Patrice Bergeron (77K), Bruins (vs. Stars): Bergeron -- typically a pass-first center -- has tallied 19 SOG over his past five games. He has just one goal and one assist and is an uncharacteristic minus-5 over his past three games.

• D Cam Fowler (35K), Ducks (at Jets): Fowler has notched an impressive 18 SOG over his past five games, registering three assists. He played at least 23 minutes in each of his past four games. The Jets rank in the bottom-half of the league with 30.36 SOG allowed per 60 minutes over the past month.

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Jarome Iginla was happy with the Los Angeles Kings' response to Matthew Tkachuk, but he wishes the kid would limit his antics to within the games themselves.

The 39-year-old appeared to hint at comments made by the Calgary Flames rookie earlier this week after the Kings dispatched the Flames 4-1 on Wednesday night.

"We were trying to play hard and send a message," Iginla told Bo Hamby of LAKingsInsider.com. "... Hopefully most of that stuff is done and I'm sure there'll be battles for years, but hopefully it'll just be out on the ice."

Tkachuk called out Kings defenseman Drew Doughty on Tuesday, telling Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun that he "expected more from (Doughty), honestly, than to go right to the media and start complaining after a loss."

Doughty called Tkachuk "a pretty dirty player" after he was elbowed in the head by the Flames forward on March 19, an incident that earned Tkachuk a two-game suspension.

The Kings retaliated early in Wednesday's contest, as Brayden McNabb dropped the gloves with the 19-year-old just over three minutes into the game.

Related - Watch: Kings, Tkachuk settle score with 1st-period scrap

Iginla, a former Flame and the longest-serving captain in team history, knows how important the first-year player is to the success of the club, but again encouraged Tkachuk to keep his aggressiveness within the playing surface.

"Well, I don't know if I agree with all of it. So we'll just leave it at that," he said.

"He's had a good rookie season. Playing well on the team, an important part, and he looks like he's going to be a really good player but it'd be nice just to see the battles on the ice as opposed to the other stuff and it'll be fun to watch. Obviously our fans are not going to like him for a long time or ever and vice versa but that's part of the fun part of sports."

Iginla posted a Gordie Howe hat trick in Wednesday's victory, his possible final game in Calgary, preventing the Flames from clinching a playoff berth.

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