Justus Annunen Starting On Thursday

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen will be the starting goaltender for Thursday's regular-season finale against the visiting Edmonton Oilers. The Avs will give No. 1 netminder Alexandar Georgiev a breather ahead of a first-round matchup with the Winnipeg Jets. For the season, Annunen has been excellent when called upon, working to a 2.35 goals-against average […]

Dustin Wolf Starting Thursday's Series Finale

Calgary Flames netminder Dustin Wolf will be between the pipes for Thursday's contest against the visiting San Jose Sharks. The 23-year-old has appeared in 16 games for the Flames this season, turning in a 3.30 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage while going 6-7-1 in that time. He has been excellent with the American […]

Devin Cooley To Start Regular Season Finale

San Jose Sharks goaltender Devin Cooley will be between the pipes for Thursday's series finale on the road against the Calgary Flames. Cooley and Mackenzie Blackwood have shared the crease of late but it will be the 26-year-old getting the nod on Thursday. It was a tough outing his last time out as Cooley yielded […]

Sidney Crosby To Discuss Extension With Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will discuss a contract extension with the team as he will be on the final season of a 12-year, $104.4 million deal with the team in the 2024-25 season. The average annual value of that deal was a unique $8.7 million, an homage to his No. 87 and his birth […]

Rasmus Ristolainen Undergoes Triceps Surgery

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has undergone surgery to repair a triceps tendon rupture. The veteran blueliner hasn't appeared in a game since Feb. 10 against the Seattle Kraken and endured a career-worst offensive season in the 2023-24 campaign. In his age-29 season, Ristolainen recorded just one goal and four points across 31 games in […]

DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks (4/18/24): Today's Top NHL DFS Lineups

Welcome, RotoBallers! If you do not know me, my name is Brandon and I write both The First-Serve and The Kick-Off for tennis and soccer, respectively. If you have not checked those out, make sure you do! It is the return of the NHL season, which means it's time to sharpen our skills and partake […]

Dougie Hamilton Could Have Returned For Playoffs

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (pectoral) said he could perhaps have made it back to the lineup for the postseason, but the club was unable to qualify for the playoffs. The blue-liner has missed the past 62 games of the regular season due to a torn left pectoral muscle suffered in a Dec. 1 […]

Nikita Kucherov Reaches 100 Assists

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov was able to notch his 100th assist of the season on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, matching Connor McDavid, who did it this season while he became the fifth player in NHL history to reach the milestone. Kucherov's assist came on a Tampa Bay power play in which […]

Auston Matthews Fails To Score Goal No. 70 Wednesday

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was unable to reach the 70-goal plateau in the club's series finale on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The superstar entered the game with 69 goals and 357 shots on goal, and even hit a crossbar, but he was unable to be the first 70-goal scorer in 31 […]

NHL DFS Picks and Heat Map (Premium Content) - April 18, 2024

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Each night, we will be bringing you our award-winning NHL DFS Heat Map with expert research and picks for cash games and GPPs. Here are a few notes about the sheet: Blue means ELITE, Green means GO (good for the player), Yellow means value/supplemental […]

Calvin Pickard Getting The Start Wednesday

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard will likely be between the pipes for Wednesday's game against the hosting Arizona Coyotes. The 32-year-old has done solid work for the Oilers when called upon this season, posting a 2.41 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage across 21 outings (19 starts), going 12-6-1 in that time. The Oilers […]

Matt Tomkins Starting Regular Season Finale Wednesday

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Matt Tomkins will be between the pipes for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. It's just the sixth appearance of the season for the 29-year-old who has turned in a 3.19 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage across his first five appearances in the NHL, all coming […]

Luke Hughes To Play For USA At World Championships

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes will head to Czechia to play for Team USA at the upcoming World Hockey Championship. The 20-year-old enjoyed a big-time rookie season from the blueline, registering nine goals and 47 points on 135 shots while skating in all 82 regular-season games. Unfortunately, the Devils didn't get much in terms […]

Ruslan Iskhakov Could Make NHL Debut Wednesday

New York Islanders forward prospect Ruslan Iskhakov could make his NHL debut on Wednesday when the team hosts the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. The Isles recalled the 23-year-old from AHL Bridgeport on Wednesday which could lead to his NHL debut with the club locked into the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division and perhaps looking […]

Timo Meier Dealt With MCL, Oblique Injuries In 2023-24

New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier said he dealt with a double MCL injury in his knee early in the season while also suffering from an oblique injury later in the year. Perhaps the ailments are an explanation for a down offensive season for the 27-year-old whose production took a significant decline this season. Meier […]

Canadiens Exercise Two-Year Option On Martin St. Louis

The Montreal Canadiens have exercised a two-year option on head coach Martin St. Louis, meaning the bench boss will coach the team for the next three seasons. St. Louis had one year remaining on his contract prior to having his two-year option exercised. The former NHL star finished his second full season at the helm […]

Evgenii Dadonov To Return Wednesday

Dallas Stars forward Evgenii Dadonov (lower body) will return to the lineup for the club's regular-season finale against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. The veteran has missed the past 29 games after suffering a lower-body injury in a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 10. "I'm excited to play, but at […]

Marc-Andre Fleury Signs One-Year Extension With Wild

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract extension with the Wild for the 2024-25 season. The 39-year-old contemplated retirement following the end of the team's regular season but decided to return for one more year. The 2024-25 season will be his final campaign in the NHL. "I've been asked a […]

Free NHL Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (04/17/24)

The NHL regular season is nearing its end, and while it might not be the most exciting night in hockey with the Eastern Conference's playoff picture set in stone and the West knowing its eight playoff clubs, there is still money to be made! Attention, fellow sports bettors! We have some exciting news to share […]

Lane Hutson Records First NHL Point Tuesday

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson recorded his first career NHL point during Tuesday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Huston tallied an assist on the club's fourth goal of the game, 12:26 into the third period. While the Wings tied it late and eventually won the contest in a shootout, they were eliminated […]

Cutter Gauthier To Make NHL Debut Thursday

Anaheim Ducks forward prospect Cutter Gauthier is expected to make his NHL debut on Thursday when the team visits the Vegas Golden Knights. The 20-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Ducks on Sunday and practiced with the team in Anaheim on Tuesday. Gauthier's college career with Boston College came to a conclusion with […]

Jets Clinch Second Place In Central Tuesday

The Winnipeg Jets clinched the No. 2 seed in the Central Division on Tuesday with a 4-3 win over the visiting Seattle Kraken. The Jets moved three points ahead of the third-place Colorado Avalanche with the win with both clubs having one more game on their regular-season schedule. The Jets host the Vancouver Canucks on […]

Capitals Clinch Final Postseason Spot In The East

The Washington Capitals have claimed the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference thanks to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. The Capitals were in a win-and-in scenario thanks to holding the tiebreaker over the Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. The Flyers, needing a regulation […]

Panthers Clinch Atlantic Division, Will Face Tampa Bay In Round 1

The Florida Panthers clinched the Atlantic Division title on Tuesday with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, combined with a Boston Bruins loss to the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers trailed the Maple Leafs by a 2-0 score after the first period but rallied with four second-period tallies followed by an empty-netter in the third […]

Bruins, Maple Leafs To Meet In First Round

The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs will meet in the first round of the postseason. The Bruins lost to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, while the Maple Leafs lost to the Florida Panthers, giving the Panthers the Atlantic Division title and a first-round matchup with the rival Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs and […]

NHL DFS Picks and Heat Map (Premium Content) - April 17, 2024

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Each night, we will be bringing you our award-winning NHL DFS Heat Map with expert research and picks for cash games and GPPs. Here are a few notes about the sheet: Blue means ELITE, Green means GO (good for the player), Yellow means value/supplemental […]

Jet Greaves Making Fourth Straight Start Tuesday

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves will make his fourth consecutive start in Tuesday's regular-season finale against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. The 23-year-old has been given a strong look down the home stretch of the regular season with Elvis Merzlikins sidelined with a lower-body injury (although returning to back up Tuesday). He's had a tough […]

Spencer Martin Starting Regular-Season Finale

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Spencer Martin will be between the pipes for Tuesday's regular-season finale versus the hosting Columbus Blue Jackets. Both Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov will get a break with the club locked into the two-seed in the Metropolitan Division. The 28-year-old Martin was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jackets earlier in the […]

Anthony Stolarz Between The Pipes Tuesday

Florida Panthers goaltender Anthony Stolarz is getting the start on Tuesday night against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Sergei Bobrovsky is getting a breather despite the Panthers sitting just one point back of the Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division with one game to go for each club. The decision was aided by the […]

James Reimer Starting Must-Win Game Tuesday

Detroit Red Wings goaltender James Reimer is starting Tuesday's must-win game on the road against the Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings need a win and a Capitals loss to the Flyers on Tuesday to get into the postseason. They are tied with Washington with 89 points, but the Caps hold the regulation-wins tiebreaker, therefore holding […]