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
May 31, 2025
Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (lower body) is questionable for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday. He sustained a lower-body injury in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes and missed Saturday's practice. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice labeled Greer as day-to-day on Saturday. In the playoffs, Greer has averaged nearly four hits per game while contributing two goals and one assist in 12 appearances. Nico Sturm, Jesper Boqvist, and Mackie Samoskevich are in contention to join the lineup if Greer is declared unfit to play in the Finals opener next week.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 31, 2025
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz played in Games 4 and 5 against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals with a fractured foot. He sustained the injury in Game 2 of the series due to a slash from Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse. Hintz sat out Game 3 before returning to action. The Finnish forward scored one power-play goal over the final two games against the Oilers but struggled to be effective, going minus-three. Hintz is expected to be fully ready for the start of training camp. In 2024-25, he posted a career-high 39 assists while recording his fourth consecutive 60-point campaign. He added 28 goals in 76 regular-season outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
May 31, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker missed the final three postseason games due to a shoulder injury. Walker revealed that he sustained a shoulder injury late in the regular season, which had been improving during the playoffs before he re-aggravated it in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers. The 30-year-old said he was hoping to return to action if Carolina advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. He will not require surgery and should be fully ready for the start of training camp in the fall. Walker played his first season with the Hurricanes in 2024-25, recording 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 82 appearances, along with 145 shots, 90 blocks, and 91 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
May 31, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield missed the end of the postseason due to a hip injury. The 29-year-old was hurt during the second-round series against the Washington Capitals and was initially listed as out due to an undisclosed injury. The team hoped to have him back for the Eastern Conference Finals, but Chatfield missed the entire series. Fortunately for Chatfield and the Hurricanes, no surgery is needed to address the issue, meaning he is expected to be back at 100 percent for the start of next season. Chatfield finished the 2024-25 campaign with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), 114 shots, 64 blocks, 64 hits, and a team-best plus-22 rating through 79 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
May 31, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis admitted that he managed a shoulder injury throughout the season and plans to do the same in 2025-26. Surgery to fix the issue is reportedly inevitable, but Jarvis doesn't want to miss too much of next season to be in contention for Canada's Olympic team. The 23-year-old also dealt with the shoulder issue last season. Instead of having surgery, he has focused on rehabilitation and strengthening his shoulder. Considering his efforts on the ice, the injury does not seem to bother him too much. Jarvis led the Hurricanes in scoring during the playoffs with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 15 games and looked solid throughout the regular season, finishing with 67 points (32 goals, 35 assists) in 73 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
May 31, 2025
New York Islanders defenseman Adam Boqvist has signed a one-year, $850,000 contract to extend his stay with the team. The Swedish rearguard joined the Islanders in late January after being picked up off waivers. Boqvist suited up for 17 games with the team, posting eight points (two goals, six assists). Earlier in the season, he featured 18 times for the Florida Panthers and had six points (two goals, four assists). Throughout his career, Boqvist has been known for his offensive skills but lacks reliability on the defensive end. The 24-year-old is already on his fourth team since debuting in the NHL in 2019-20.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 31, 2025
New York Islanders right wing Kyle Palmieri has signed a two-year, $9.5 million extension. This campaign marked the final season of Palmieri's four-year, $20-million deal with the Islanders. While the veteran forward has battled some health issues, the Islanders have received decent value for money. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with 24 goals and 48 points in 82 games. Last season, Palmieri had his second career 30-goal year. In total, he has made 305 appearances with the Islanders, scoring 172 points (87 goals, 85 assists). The 34-year-old is expected to continue playing an important role in the Islanders offense next season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 30, 2025
Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston recorded two assists in Thursday's season-ending 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. In the first period, he helped Jason Robertson on the scoreboard, and Roope Hintz scored a power-play goal in the second thanks to Johnston's good work. Johnston had a strong start to the playoffs but went missing since the beginning of Round 2, going scoreless in nine of 11 games. He was in the midst of a seven-game scoring drought entering Thursday's action. The 22-year-old finished the playoffs with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 18 games, while matching an NHL postseason record with a minus-16 rating. It marked a significant fall from grace for Johnston, who had a prolific regular-season campaign with 32 goals and 65 points in 82 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 30, 2025
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored two goals in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, which ended the team's season. After Dallas had fallen into a 3-0 hole on home ice in the first period, Robertson gave the crowd some hope by scoring in his third consecutive game midway through the frame. His second goal came early in the third to make it a one-goal game. However, Robertson's efforts weren't enough to keep the series alive. Overall, he netted four of the Stars' final five goals in the Western Conference Finals. The 25-year-old had a strong finish to the postseason after initially struggling on offense following his return from a knee injury. Robertson has been among Dallas' top two scorers each year since his debut campaign in 2020-21 and will continue to be a key cog in the offense next season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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