April 19, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (upper body) is poised to re-enter the lineup for Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. Due to an upper-body injury, McCabe could not play in the final seven regular-season games. McCabe has enjoyed a highly effective campaign in 2024-25, recording 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 66 appearances, along with 135 blocks, 118 hits, and a plus-23 rating. In Saturday's practice, McCabe partnered with Chris Tanev on the second defensive pairing. The Maple Leafs defense may also see Oliver Ekman-Larsson (upper body) return on Sunday. The Swedish blue-liner was present in Saturday's practice after sitting out four games at the end of the regular season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
April 19, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (lower body) has been ruled out for the team's first-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers. Bjorkstrand sustained a lower-body injury on April 11 and is considered week-to-week. While splitting the season between Tampa Bay and the Seattle Kraken, Bjorkstrand posted 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) in 79 appearances. Conor Geekie has enjoyed a productive spell as Bjorkstrand's replacement in the lineup, scoring twice in three games. He looks set to remain on the third line for Tuesday's postseason opener against the Panthers.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 19, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) fully participated in Saturday's practice. This marked Tkachuk's first practice with the Panthers since he suffered a groin injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Panthers star seems to be on track to return to the lineup for Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. During the regular season, Tkachuk played in only 52 contests, yet he finished as Florida's third-highest scorer with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists). On Saturday, Tkachuk practiced on the second line alongside Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich, while Brad Marchand dropped to the third line.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 19, 2025
Colorado Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin (lower body) will be available for Saturday's Game 1 against the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche finished the regular season without Drouin, as he missed six games due to a lower-body injury. Drouin has struggled to stay in the lineup throughout the season, making only 43 appearances. He registered 11 goals and 37 points during the regular season. Drouin is set to join Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin on the second line for Saturday's game and is likely to be utilized on the first power-play unit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Aarif Deen
April 19, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) has been upgraded to day-to-day as the team gets ready to open its playoff campaign against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Heiskanen skated on Saturday morning but wore a non-contact jersey and has been ruled out for Game 1 of the series. However, he is making progress and appears to be on track to return to the lineup soon. Next, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer wants to see the Finnish blue-liner participate in a full-contact practice session. Heiskanen underwent knee surgery in February, finishing the regular season with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) and 85 blocks in 50 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 19, 2025
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) will not be available for Saturday's Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues. The 25-year-old sat out the final 11 regular-season games with an upper-body injury and still needs more time to recover. Vilardi was Winnipeg's third-highest goal-scorer during the regular season, finding the back of the net 27 times in 71 games and adding 34 assists. The Jets are also without Nikolaj Ehlers (foot) for the start of the playoffs, which adds fantasy value to Alex Iafallo and Nino Niederreiter.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Winnipeg Jets
April 18, 2025
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) is expected to be in the lineup for Saturday's postseason opener against the Dallas Stars. He was unavailable for the final three games of the regular season due to an upper-body injury. Manson registered three points (two goals, one assist), 26 blocks, and 21 hits in 18 appearances with the Avalanche. Combined with his time with the New York Rangers, he had 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) with 102 blocks and 59 hits in 54 outings. Lindgren is set to operate on the third defensive pairing alongside Erik Johnson.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Meghan Angley
April 18, 2025
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve on Friday and is expected to re-enter the lineup for Saturday's Game 1 against the Dallas Stars. Manson sat out the final 15 regular-season games due to an upper-body injury. He has been dealing with health issues all year, skating in only 48 games. The 33-year-old logged 15 points (one goal, 14 assists), 59 blocks, and 105 hits during the regular season. Manson's offensive arsenal is lacking; however, he has proven himself to be an effective postseason performer, helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Meghan Angley
April 18, 2025
New Jersey Devils left wing Ondrej Palat (undisclosed) will rejoin the lineup for Sunday's Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The two-time Stanley Cup winner suffered an undisclosed injury during the final week of the regular season and did not play on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings. However, he has been cleared to return for the postseason and practiced on the fourth line on Friday. Palat completed the 2024-25 regular season with 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 77 games. He is tied for 12th place in postseason points among active players with 101.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Amanda Stein
April 18, 2025
Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard announced on Friday that he will end his NHL career following the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Savard helped Montreal reach the postseason for the first time since 2021 and will wrap up his career after skating in 870 regular-season contests. He registered 242 points (54 goals, 188 assists), 1,624 blocks, and 1,474 hits during his time in the league. The 34-year-old has made 57 postseason appearances, including five in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals against the Canadiens with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Savard is in the final season of a four-year, $14 million contract.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 18, 2025
St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (lower body) practiced on Friday and will be in the lineup for Saturday's playoff opener against the Winnipeg Jets. Thomas' status for the game was initially uncertain after he sustained a lower-body injury in Tuesday's regular-season finale against the Utah Hockey Club. Thomas will head into the playoffs in red-hot form, having capped off the regular season with a 12-game point streak. He tied his career high with 60 assists and registered 81 points in 70 games during the campaign. The 25-year-old will continue to play a major role in the Blues offense in the playoffs as a member of the first line and the top power-play unit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
April 18, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) is on track to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday's Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tkachuk has been out since the 4 Nations Face-Off because of a groin injury. However, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said on Thursday that "everyone is available for Game 1," suggesting Tkachuk will likely be ready to return to action. Over 52 regular-season appearances, Tkachuk potted 22 goals and had 57 points. He finished with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 24 games last year in the playoffs as the Panthers won their first Stanley Cup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: George Richards
April 18, 2025
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (knee) will not be in the lineup when the team begins its first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. The star forward is considered week-to-week with a right knee injury. Robertson was Dallas' top goal-scorer during the regular season, netting 35 goals and finishing with 80 points in 82 games. Speaking about Robertson's injury on Friday, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said there is hope Robertson will play against Colorado "if the series goes more than a week." With Robertson unavailable, Mikael Granlund, Roope Hintz, and Evgenii Dadonov worked as the first line at Friday's practice.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 18, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed) has taken home the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal-scorer in 2024-25. He finished at the top of the pile for the first time in his career, potting 52 goals in 71 contests. The German superstar missed the final seven regular-season games due to an undisclosed injury, but still comfortably ended up as the league's top goal-scorer, with William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs finishing second on 45 goals. Draisaitl lit the lamp in 42 of his 71 outings and set a single-season NHL record with six overtime goals. He now also holds the NHL record for the most games missed (11) in a season by a Rocket Richard Trophy winner. Over the course of the campaign, Draisaitl added 54 assists to his tally, finishing with 106 points. This marks his fourth consecutive season with at least 100 points, and his sixth overall.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 18, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov has won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer in 2024-25. He finished the regular season with 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists) in 78 games, five more than Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, who also lost the scoring race to Kucherov last year. Overall, the Tampa Bay superstar captured the Art Ross Trophy for the third time, becoming the 10th player in NHL history to win it as many times. Kucherov was on the score sheet in 65 of his 78 appearances, producing multiple points 33 times and three-plus points on 17 occasions. He had 46 points (eight goals, 38 assists) on the power play, which is also a league-high mark for the season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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