NHL News

Esa Lindell • D • Stars

Esa Lindell Tallies Two Points in Regular-Season Finale

Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell registered one goal and one assist as the team wrapped up the regular season with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. Lindell assisted Mavrick Bourque during even-strength play in the first period and potted a power-play goal in the second. This was LIndell's second multi-point effort in four games. With Miro Heiskanen (lower body) absent from the blue line, Lindell has seen increased power-play time late in the season. Heiskanen is iffy for the start of the postseason, so Lindell could continue to have an expanded role for a few more games. He finished the regular season with a career-high-matching 32 points (six goals, 26 assists), 83 shots, 179 blocks, and a team-best plus-30 rating in 82 games.

Apr 16

Reilly Smith • LW • Golden Knights

Reilly Smith Produces Three-Point Performance Wednesday

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith factored in three goals during Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, lighting the lamp twice and delivering one assist. He helped out Shea Theodore on the game-tying marker and notched a pair of goals himself late in the game. Smith recently had a three-game stint as a healthy scratch, and it appears to have helped him regain form ahead of the postseason. Over the last two games, Smith has recorded three goals and one assist. He finished the regular season with 26 points (16 goals, 10 assists) in 69 games, his lowest scoring total in five years. It's been a disappointing year for Smith, but he will have a chance to post his first three-game goal streak since December 2022 in Vegas' playoff opener.

Apr 16

Shane Wright • C • Kraken

Shane Wright Returns With a Goal Wednesday

Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright (upper body) scored the team's only goal in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He gave Seattle a lead early in the second period, but the Golden Knights eventually picked the visitors apart. Wright had missed the previous eight games due to an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old has one more matchup to go in 2025-26, facing Colorado on Thursday night. Wright has tallied 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 73 outings. This marks a significant step back for him after collecting 44 points a year ago. Heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, Wright should have plenty of motivation to turn things around next season.

Apr 16

Alex Lyon • G • Sabres

Alex Lyon Expected to Miss Playoff Opener

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (lower body) is expected to miss the team's playoff opener against the Boston Bruins, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports. The 33-year-old sustained a lower-body injury earlier this month and won't be available for a fifth straight game on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars. Colten Ellis is expected to start the matchup as Buffalo plans to rest several key players for the regular-season final, including No. 1 goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The Sabres are also likely to be without forward Noah Ostlund (upper body) at the start of the postseason.

Apr 15

Zach Hyman • LW • Oilers

Zach Hyman Set to Return Thursday

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (undisclosed) is expected to play on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks. He has been nursing an undisclosed injury this month, sitting out five games. Luckily for the Oilers, Hyman will be available for the regular-season finale to shake off some rust before the playoffs. The 33-year-old has been Edmonton's third-best goal-scorer this season, scoring 31 times with 158 attempts on net. Additionally, he has tallied 20 assists in 57 contests. Hyman has also been crucial during the team's recent postseason campaigns, scoring 34 goals and 60 points in 68 playoff outings since joining the Oilers in 2021-22.

Apr 15

Sam Steel • C • Stars

Sam Steel Back in Action Wednesday

Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (hip) will play in Wednesday's regular-season finale against the Buffalo Sabres. The 28-year-old had been ever-present in the Stars' lineup this season before landing on the shelf with a hip injury in late March and missing nine games. Steel has bagged a career-high 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 72 outings. He has benefited from Dallas' many injuries, and this might also be the case during the playoffs, as Roope Hintz (lower body) has already been ruled out for at least the first two postseason games. On Wednesday night, Steel will get a look on the top line next to Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen.

Apr 15

Gustav Forsling • D • Panthers

Gustav Forsling Sits Out Season Finale

Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (back) won't play on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. The Swedish rearguard is dealing with a back issue, finishing the season with 28 points (two goals, 26 assists), 112 SOG, and 98 blocks in 80 games. During the Panthers' injury-hit season, Forsling ended up being the only player to make at least 80 appearances. Mikulas Hovorka will take Forsling's place on the blue line, suiting up for only the fourth time in the NHL. The 24-year-old is still searching for his first points in the big league,

Apr 15

Matthew Tkachuk • LW • Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk Rejoins Panthers Lineup Wednesday

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (personal) will return from a four-game absence on Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. The star forward has been away from the team after becoming a father for the first time in early April. Tkachuk has appeared in 30 games this season, producing 13 goals and 19 assists. Last month, he rocked the Red Wings with five points (three goals, two assists) in two games. Tkachuk is projected to skate with Mackie Samoskevich and Eetu Luostarinen on the first line, replacing Tomas Nosek (leg) in the lineup. He will also be one of Florida's primary weapons on the power play.

Apr 15

Brandon Hagel • LW • Lightning

Brandon Hagel Returns for Regular-Season Finale

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (lower body) will rejoin the lineup on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. The prolific forward has sat out six of the Lightning's last seven games, but will suit up for the regular-season finale. Hagel has had a special campaign, with a career-high 36 goals and 74 points in 70 games. He is expected to join his usual partners, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov, on the top line and will skate on the first power-play unit. Over his last 10 appearances, Hagel has racked up 15 points (six goals, nine assists).

Apr 15

Cale Makar • D • Avalanche

Cale Makar Returns With Three-Assist Performance

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) racked up three assists as he returned from a seven-game absence in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames. The Presidents' Trophy winners celebrated a road win after Artturi Lehkonen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon scored. This was Makar's second consecutive three-assist outing. With one more regular-season game to go, Makar has already secured a sixth consecutive campaign with a scoring average of at least one point per game. In 74 outings, he has tallied 20 goals and 58 assists. By his standards, Makar had a quiet postseason a year ago, with five points (one goal, four assists) in seven games, but only two blue-liners all-time have averaged more playoff points than him (1.08). An underwhelming postseason showing last year should serve as fuel for Makar to elevate his game this time.

Apr 15

Jimmy Snuggerud • RW • Blues

Jimmy Snuggerud Records First Career Four-Point Game

St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud was extraordinary in the team's final home game of the season on Tuesday, notching two goals and two assists in a 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 21-year-old recorded his first career four-point game and became only the third rookie in franchise history to have multiple goals and multiple assists in the same contest. Snuggerud has recently made up for a disappointing start to his rookie campaign. 26 of his 50 points have come since the start of March. This scoring surge includes seven multi-point performances, and Snuggerud has scored in three consecutive games. He can further build his reputation ahead of next season's fantasy drafts on Thursday against Utah. Snuggerud will enter the matchup with 21 goals and 29 assists in 69 appearances this season.

Apr 15

Jeremy Swayman • G • Bruins

Jeremy Swayman Ends Losing Run With Shutout Performance

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman returned to winning ways with a 21-save shutout in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The 2026 Olympic champion had gone winless in all four prior starts this month. However, the late losing run didn't make much of an impact on Swayman's numbers. He registered his first career 30-win season with a 31-18-4 record and finished the regular season with a 2.71 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and two shutouts. Swayman has been a strong postseason performer and should be full of confidence after a successful regular-season campaign. The 27-year-old has allowed 2.38 goals with a .922 save percentage during his playoff career.

Apr 15

Oliver Moore • C • Blackhawks

Oliver Moore Won't Play Wednesday

Chicago Blackhawks center Oliver Moore (lower body) will sit out Wednesday's regular-season finale against the San Jose Sharks, Vinnie Parise of The Hockey News reports. Moore has missed more than a month due to a lower-body injury. There was a chance he would return for the final game of the season, but the team has decided against it. Moore finishes his rookie campaign with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 51 games. The 2023 first-round pick will hope to take a sophomore leap in 2026-27 as part of Chicago's young core.

Apr 15

Nils Lundkvist • D • Stars

Nils Lundkvist Returns for Regular-Season Finale

Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist (personal) will be in the lineup on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres. Last week, it was reported that Lundkvist exited the lineup due to illness, but he was actually away from the team for the birth of his first child. Lundkvist has made 51 appearances this season, recording 11 points (three goals, eight assists), 46 SOG, 47 blocks, and a plus-11 rating. With Miro Heiskanen (lower body) on the shelf, Lundkvist figures to have a more prominent role in Wednesday's regular-season finale. He might also see more ice time during the postseason, as Heiskanen is questionable for the start of the playoffs.

Apr 15

Roope Hintz • C • Stars

Roope Hintz to Miss First Two Playoff Games

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (lower body) will miss the team's first two playoff games, and these might not be his only absences during the postseason. "Certainly, Roope won't be in Games 1 or 2," Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said on Tuesday. "We don't know when he could come back or if he could come back. We'll see." Hintz is dealing with a lower-body injury and has appeared in only one game since the Olympic break ended. Before his injury, the Finnish forward was playing well, recording 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 53 games.

Apr 15

Pavel Zacha • C • Bruins

Pavel Zacha Will Be Available for Start of Playoffs

Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha (personal) will be available for the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Matt Vautour of MassLive reports. Zacha left Tuesday's 4-0 victory over New Jersey after the first period to attend to a personal matter. After the game, Bruins head coach Marco Strum said Zacha will be available for Game 1 against Buffalo in the first round of the postseason. Casey Mittelstadt (undisclosed) is also expected to return for the playoff opener. Before his premature exit on Tuesday, Zacha recorded an assist to get to 65 points for the year. He has achieved a new scoring record with 30 goals and 35 assists in 78 games.

Apr 15

John Marino • D • Mammoth

John Marino a Game-Time Call Tuesday

Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (upper body) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's tilt against the Winnipeg Jets. An upper-body injury has kept Marino sidelined for two games. However, he has a chance to return against Winnipeg after skating in a regular jersey on Tuesday morning. Marino boasts a team-best plus-39 rating and has set a new scoring record this season, with 35 points (four goals, 31 assists) in 78 games. Dmitri Simashev has played in the last two games but will likely make way for Marino if he's ready to return.

Apr 14

Pyotr Kochetkov • G • Hurricanes

Pyotr Kochetkov Starting for Hurricanes Tuesday

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (hip) will return to action on Tuesday against the New York Islanders, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. The Russian netminder underwent a hip procedure in December and was declared "probably out for the year." Yet Kochetkov will make his comeback in Carolina's regular-season finale after having a conditioning stint in the AHL. Before injuring his hip, Kochetkov had a fine start to the season. He holds a 6-2-0 record with a 2.33 goals-against average, a .899 save percentage, and one shutout. On Tuesday, Kochetkov faces an out-of-form team that has gone 1-6-0 to end the year, scoring just once in the last two games.

Apr 14

Matvei Gridin • RW • Flames

Matvei Gridin Returns to Action Tuesday

Calgary Flames right wing Matvei Gridin (illness) will rejoin the lineup on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche. He wasn't available for Sunday's matchup with Utah due to illness. Gridin has been among Calgary's best performers late in the season, tallying 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in his last 18 appearances. Overall, he has scored six goals and 19 points in 35 games this season. The 20-year-old Russian looks like an exciting talent and will get some much-needed experience under his belt during the final week of regular-season action. He's set to play a big role on Tuesday, with Matt Coronato (undisclosed) sidelined.

Apr 14

Ryan Pulock • D • Islanders

Ryan Pulock Unavailable for Season Finale

New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (undisclosed) will miss Tuesday's season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes. The team announced that Pulock has recently played through several injuries. With the team now out of the playoff race, Pulock can drop out of the lineup to focus on his health. The 31-year-old will finish the campaign with 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) in 76 outings, marking his best offensive return in six seasons. Defensively, he contributed a team-high 147 blocks. Isaiah George will replace Pulock on defense, making his fourth appearance of the season.

Apr 14

NHL News

LEGEND