June 5, 2025
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett lit the lamp twice on five shots in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals opener. His two strikes put the Panthers up 3-1 before the Oilers made a comeback and seized the victory, marking a disappointing end to a special night for Bennett. The 28-year-old set a new franchise record with 12 goals in a single postseason. Remarkably, Bennett has tallied 11 of his goals in road games, which is a league record that he now shares with Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets. He has a chance to make it his own in Friday's Game 2. Bennett has also added six assists to his goals in the playoffs, putting him on a point-per-game pace through 18 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 5, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen contributed two assists in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers. He picked up the helpers on goals from Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm, giving Kapanen a three-game point streak. The 28-year-old started the postseason as a healthy scratch but has emerged as an important player for the Oilers, boasting five points (three goals, two assists) in eight playoff appearances. The Finnish winger has settled into a second-line role next to Draisaitl, placing him in an excellent position to make an offensive impact.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 5, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid registered two assists as the team opened the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers with a 4-3 overtime win. The Oilers captain made big plays in key moments. First, he helped Mattias Ekholm tie the game in the third period, and McDavid then picked up another assist on Leon Draisaitl's game-winning power-play goal in overtime. It was McDavid's 32nd career multi-assist game in the playoffs, tying him for the third most all-time. With both McDavid and Draisaitl in hot form, the Oilers will fancy their chances in the series. McDavid has logged multiple points in four consecutive games and has been held off the score sheet only once in his last 15 appearances. He leads the league this postseason with 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 17 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 5, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl kicked off the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals with a two-goal performance in a 4-3 overtime win against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. The German superstar started and finished the scoring in the contest, netting the game-winning goal on the power play with 19:29 played in overtime. Draisaitl's third overtime goal this postseason ties him for the all-time record in a single playoff campaign. The Oilers had a difficult time in front of their fans, going 3-1 behind, but their high-octane offense, led by Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, once again saved the day for the team. Draisaitl is now riding a seven-game point streak, which includes three consecutive multi-point efforts. In total, he has tallied 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 17 playoff appearances this year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 4, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov has won the Ted Lindsay Award for the second time in his career. It's an award handed out annually to the NHL's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players' Association. Kucherov was the league's top scorer for a second consecutive year in 2024-25, recording 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists) in 78 appearances. This marks Kucherov's third consecutive season with at least 100 points, as the 31-year-old continues to make scoring seem effortless. Next season, Kucherov will strive to join a select group of 15 players in NHL history who have recorded at least four consecutive seasons with 100 or more points.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 4, 2025
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Derek Forbort (orbital) has signed a one-year, $2 million extension with the team. The 33-year-old, who missed the last couple of games of the season due to an orbital bone fracture, has received a slight raise from a one-year, $1.5 million contract he signed with the Canucks as a free agent last offseason. Forbort was limited to 54 appearances during his first year in Vancouver, recording 11 points (two goals, nine assists), 39 shots, 77 blocks, 65 hits, and a minus-seven rating. Throughout his 10-year NHL career, Forbort hasn't exceeded 18 points in a season and should remain a free agent in fantasy leagues.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
June 4, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers forward Noah Cates has inked a four-year, $16 million extension with the team. The Flyers locked up the 26-year-old four weeks before Cates was eligible to become a restricted free agent. As a two-way talent, Cates received votes for the Selke Trophy a couple of years back, and he had a solid bounce-back campaign in 2024-25. After finishing the previous season with only 18 points (six goals, 12 assists), Cates amassed 37 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 78 appearances. In total, the former fifth-round pick has posted 40 goals and 102 points in 235 games with the team. Fantasy managers have not seen a lot of production from Cates, but the Flyers clearly view him as an important part of their future.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 4, 2025
Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson signed a three-year, $22.5 million extension on Wednesday. The 33-year-old, who arrived from the New York Islanders in a mid-season trade, was a pending unrestricted free agent. Nelson made 19 appearances with the Avalanche during the regular season, posting 13 points (six goals, seven assists). He went quiet in the playoffs, finishing goalless with four assists in seven games, but the Avalanche have locked up a proven scorer. Nelson just missed his fourth consecutive 30-goal campaign this season, netting 26 times with 193 shots on goal, and he has bagged at least 50 points in six of the past seven years.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 4, 2025
Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (lower body) won't be in the lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. He suffered a lower-body injury in the last game of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 28. The team was hopeful of having Greer available for the Finals opener, but the game comes too soon for him. Jesper Boqvist is set to enter the lineup in Greer's place. The Swedish forward has had a couple of brilliant performances this postseason, including a three-point effort in Game 3 of the East Final. Overall, he has posted five points (two goals, three assists) in 11 outings in the playoffs, while averaging 3.4 hits per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL on TNT
June 4, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (illness) is on track to play in Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Brown missed the last two games in the Western Conference Finals due to an undisclosed injury. He has shaken off the ailment, but Brown's status for Wednesday's game was initially in doubt after an illness forced him to miss Tuesday's practice. Following Wednesday's morning skate, Brown declared that he will be good to go for Game 1. "I feel good," Brown said. "I took a little maintenance day yesterday, but I'm ready to go. I feel excited." Brown, who has eight points (five goals, three assists) in 14 postseason appearances, is expected to replace Jeff Skinner in the lineup. He will join Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic on the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
June 3, 2025
Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven has come to terms on a two-year, $3.2 million contract extension with the team. He was set to become a restricted free agent before the deal was announced. Kleven had his rookie campaign with the Senators in 2024-25, recording 10 points (four goals, six assists), 78 shots, 97 blocks, and 105 hits in 79 outings. The 23-year-old contributed a couple of assists in six games during the playoffs. "Tyler continued to elevate his game in his first NHL season, which was a good sign," Senators general manager Steve Staios said in a statement. "We expect his game will continue to develop." Ottawa is pleased with Kleven's progress, but the former second-round pick lacks fantasy appeal due to his offensive limitations.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
June 3, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson will spend at least one more season with the team, having agreed to a one-year, $800,000 contract extension. Johansson started his second stint with the Wild during the 2022-23 season. He has posted 96 points (34 goals, 62 assists) in 206 games with the team, including 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 72 appearances this season. The Swedish winger has been a solid top-six forward for the Wild, boasting three consecutive 30-point campaigns. Considering Johansson will turn 35 in October, he likely doesn't have much left in the tank, and the 2025-26 campaign could be his final year in the NHL.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 3, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde has signed a six-year, $13.98 million contract extension. The 33-year-old is set to spend the rest of his NHL career in Tampa after rejoining the Lightning in March. Gourde enjoyed a very successful first stint with the team, becoming a Stanley Cup champion in 2020 and 2021. Following the second triumph, Gourde joined the Seattle Kraken after he was selected in the 2021 expansion draft. Gourde's form dipped during his final two seasons in Seattle, but he found some offensive spark again with the Lightning in 2024-25, recording 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 21. He has always performed well with the team and will remain a core middle-six piece for the Lightning moving forward.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
June 3, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast (neck) has announced his retirement from the NHL. The 33-year-old Swedish native missed the entire 2024-25 campaign after undergoing neck surgery. Fast, who was a sixth-round draft pick in 2010, played seven seasons with the New York Rangers before signing with the Hurricanes as a free agent in 2020. He made 703 regular-season appearances during his NHL career, scoring 91 goals and 248 points. The 2024-25 season marked the final year of Fast's two-year $4.8 million contract extension he signed with Carolina in July 2023.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 3, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (undisclosed) is expected to rejoin the lineup for Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. The 31-year-old was unavailable for the final two games of the team's 4-1 triumph in the Western Conference Finals versus the Dallas Stars. However, he returned to practice on Sunday and appears to be ready to go for the Finals. Brown has offered solid production from the third line this postseason, scoring five goals and eight points in 14 games. Due to the absence of Zach Hyman (upper body), Brown may be in contention for a top-six role.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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