May 29, 2025
Center Jonathan Toews wants to return to the NHL after sitting out for two seasons. According to reports, Toews reached out to his agent, Pat Brisson, on Wednesday to say he's 100 percent ready to pursue a comeback attempt. Toews, who turned 37 in late April, is a free agent and can sign with any team when free agency opens on July 1. The three-time Stanley Cup champion stepped away from the game two years ago due to the effects of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome. In his final year with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-23, Toews posted 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games. During his prime, Toews was one of the best two-way centermen in the league and an All-Star. While it's unlikely he will reach those heights again, Toews could still be a valuable asset to teams if fully healthy. The Winnipeg native has quickly begun to draw links with his hometown Jets.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat is expected to miss four to six weeks due to an ankle injury sustained at the World Championships, general manager Mathieu Darche announced on Thursday. While playing for Team Canada, Horvat was injured toward the end of the group stage. He finished the tournament with eight points (four goals, four assists) in six games. The Islanders will be pleased to learn that Horvat requires weeks, not months, for recovery, suggesting he should be fully healthy in time for the start of training camp in the fall. Horvat took a small step back offensively in 2024-25, but still had a solid season. He led the Islanders with 57 points (28 goals, 29 assists) in 81 games and set a career-high with 100 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
May 29, 2025
Edmonton Oilers left wing Jeff Skinner will return to the lineup on Thursday night for Game 5 against the Dallas Stars. The veteran forward will step in for Zach Hyman (upper body), taking on a third-line role. Skinner has appeared only once this postseason, recording an assist in 11:12 of action during a 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in Edmonton's first playoff game of the year. He finished the regular season with 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 72 appearances, averaging two shots per game. Skinner is a former 40-goal scorer and can certainly cause problems for teams, but he has not been a consistent offensive threat in recent years.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tony Brar
May 29, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed) is set to make his first postseason appearance of the year in Thursday's Game 5 against the Dallas Stars. Ekholm has effectively missed two months of action, having played only 1:52 on April 11 against the San Jose Sharks since suffering an undisclosed injury on March 26. He returned to practice at the start of last week. "I feel like I'm ready, I feel like I can play," Ekholm said Thursday morning. "I haven't played in a while, so it'll be a bit of an adjustment, but I feel great. I don't think I'm playing 26 minutes, but I do think I'm ready to play somewhat of a normal role." Ekholm, who notched 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) with 95 blocks in 65 regular-season appearances, will join Evan Bouchard on Edmonton's first defensive pairing, replacing Troy Stecher in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 29, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (undisclosed) will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday against the Dallas Stars. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters on Wednesday that Brown is "doing well" and there is hope that he can return soon. The 31-year-old has scored five goals and eight points in 14 playoff appearances. With Zach Hyman (upper body) also out, Knoblauch may bring Jeff Skinner back into the lineup. The veteran winger has not played since the postseason opener against the Los Angeles Kings. Another option is to go with seven defensemen, with Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed) finally available for selection.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis recorded a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. Carolina's top line had a strong performance, with Jarvis assisting Sebastian Aho on a goal in the first period before scoring one himself in the third. Unfortunately for the team, it wasn't enough to extend the Eastern Conference Finals. Jarvis will head into the summer break as Carolina's leading scorer from the postseason, finishing with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) over 15 games. The 23-year-old has recorded back-to-back 67-point campaigns during the regular season and will remain a key contributor for the Hurricanes in 2025-25.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho came away with two goals as the team's season ended with a 5-3 defeat against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Facing elimination for the second consecutive game, Aho gave the Hurricanes a dream start with two first-period strikes. However, the Panthers snuck back into the game with a three-goal second period and closed out the series in style. Aho finished the postseason as Carolina's second-highest scorer, with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in as many games. He just missed out on being a point-per-game player during the regular season, posting 29 goals and 45 assists in 79 appearances. At 27, he has entered his prime and is set to lead the Hurricanes attack for many years to come.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk finished Wednesday's series-clinching 5-3 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes with a goal and an assist. Tkachuk's work allowed the Panthers to spark a comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the second period. He scored a power-play goal by redirecting a shot from Aaron Ekblad and helped Evan Rodrigues score his first postseason goal just 30 seconds later. At times, Tkachuk has been quiet during the postseason, but he will take significant momentum into the Stanley Cup Finals, having logged three multi-point efforts over his past four outings. Overall, he has scored 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 17 games, tying him for the second most on the team in the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov registered two assists as the team booked its place in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. He set the plate for Carter Verhaeghe to score the game-winning goal 12:21 into the third period, and Barkov collected another assist when Sam Bennett iced the game with an empty-netter. Barkov had a great series against Carolina, posting three goals and seven points in five games. He has heated up nicely for the Finals, entering the action as Florida's leading scorer. The Panthers captain has notched 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 17 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen (undisclosed) will likely be good to go for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Per Michael Russo of The Athletic, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice believes the 26-year-old will be fine for the start of the series, despite exiting Wednesday's series-clinching 5-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes due to an undisclosed injury. Luostarinen has at least a week to recover, with the Finals not scheduled to start before June 4. If the Dallas Stars win Game 5 against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, the Finals will kick off on June 7. Luostarinen has played a big role in Florida's success this postseason as a member of a highly effective third line. He has scored four goals and 11 points in 17 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Michael Russo
May 28, 2025
Winnipeg Jets center Adam Lowry underwent hip surgery on Tuesday and will likely miss the start of the 2025-26 season. It was announced that he will require 5-6 months to recover from the procedure, meaning it's unlikely the 32-year-old will be ready to play before November. If his season debut is delayed due to the hip surgery, Lowry may find it challenging to record a fourth consecutive 30-point campaign. He registered 16 goals and 34 points with 140 hits in 73 appearances this season. The Jets captain will enter the final season of a five-year, $16.25 million contract in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 28, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (undisclosed) will remain absent for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Florida Panthers, missing a third consecutive contest. On Tuesday, there was optimism that either Walker or Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed) could return for Wednesday's elimination game, but both are still unavailable for the Hurricanes. Rookies Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow will continue to play, with the former looking like the better option for DFS competitions. Alexander Nikishin finished Monday's 3-0 win in Game 4 against the Panthers with one assist, one block, and five hits across 18:53 of ice time.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 28, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed) will miss a sixth straight game on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers. He has yet to feature in the Eastern Conference Finals due to an undisclosed ailment. Before departing the lineup, Chatfield registered one goal, eight shots, 11 blocks, and nine hits in nine playoff appearances with a plus-six rating. Scott Morrow will continue to fill in for him on Wednesday, although he received minimal usage in Monday's Game 4. The 22-year-old led the Hurricanes blue line with 2:15 of power-play time in a 3-0 win but logged only 6:18 of ice time during even-strength play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 28, 2025
Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) is poised to re-enter the lineup for Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. Due to an upper-body injury, he was unavailable for Monday's Game 4. Skating alongside Seth Jones on the second defensive pairing, Mikkola has been exceptional in the Eastern Conference Finals, recording four points (two goals, two assists) in three appearances. In his prior 12 playoff outings, the Finnish rearguard had picked up only one point. Additionally, Mikkola has racked up 33 penalty minutes and 40 hits in 15 games. His return will send Uvis Balinskis back to the press box on Wednesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 28, 2025
Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (undisclosed) is ready to return from a one-game absence on Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. He was banged up late in Game 3 of the series on Saturday and sat out Monday's Game 4 as a result. Greer is expected to replace Nico Sturm on the fourth line. While he averages only 8:05 of ice time, Greer has chipped in with two goals and one assist in this year's playoffs. He has formed an effective fourth line with Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich, averaging one shot on goal and four hits per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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