May 5, 2025
New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt is set to undergo shoulder surgery, as announced by the team on Monday. As a result, he will not play for Sweden at the World Championships. The Devils expect Bratt to recover fully in time for training camp in the fall. Next season, Bratt will hope to record a third consecutive 80-point campaign. He was New Jersey's top scorer for a second consecutive year in 2024-25, amassing 88 points (21 goals, 67 assists) in 81 games. The 26-year-old added three points (one goal, two assists) in five postseason games. Bratt has only just entered his prime and should be a highly productive fantasy piece for years to come.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 5, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes recently underwent successful shoulder surgery, the team announced on Monday. New Jersey finished the season without Hughes after he was injured in the playoff opener against the Carolina Hurricanes. Hughes had his second consecutive 40-point campaign in 2024-25, notching seven goals and 37 assists in 71 appearances. He registered 16 power-play assists, ranking third on the team. Hughes will be 22 next season and still has plenty of potential. The Devils anticipate that he will recover fully before training camp.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 5, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (undisclosed) returned to practice on Monday. The 29-year-old had missed a pair of practice sessions, with Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour saying that Robinson "was not feeling 100 percent." Robinson played in all five games during the first round against the New Jersey Devils, recording one assist, 26 shots, and 22 hits. He is part of the fourth line and is not expected to make a significant impact offensively, although Robinson elevated his game on the attacking end during the regular season, establishing a new career high with 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 82 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Walt Ruff
May 5, 2025
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will start Round 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs with impressive numbers in the matchup. He finished the regular-season series against Toronto with a 3-1-0 record, allowing only 1.77 goals with a .925 save percentage. Furthermore, he has gone 9-4-1, including the playoffs, against the Maple Leafs since 2022-23. The multi-time Vezina Trophy winner will certainly be confident of more success against Toronto after shining in the opening round. Bobrovsky allowed two or fewer goals three times during the five-game series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 5, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz will have a special matchup in Round 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers, as he will be up against his former team. The 31-year-old won the Stanley Cup last year with Florida as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup. After going 16-7-2 during the regular season, Stolarz saw postseason action only in Game 4 of the finals against the Edmonton Oilers. With the Maple Leafs, he was 21-8-3 this year and has logged a 4-2 record in the playoffs, allowing 2.21 goals with a .901 save percentage. Stolarz already saw the Panthers three times during the regular season and lost two of three starts against them. It's a difficult matchup for Stolarz and the Maple Leafs, as Florida cruised past Tampa Bay in the opening round, scoring an average of 3.80 goals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: David Alter
May 5, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (personal) will play in Monday's Game 1 against the Florida Panthers. Toronto didn't have its star winger available for Sunday's practice, as Marner and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed their first child. He returned to the ice for Monday's optional morning skate. In the first round against the Ottawa Senators, Marner racked up eight points (one goal, seven assists) in six games, more than doubling his postseason points tally from last year (3). The Maple Leafs need him to remain hot against the powerful Panthers. Marner, who turned 28 on Monday, amassed three points (two goals, one assist) in four regular-season meetings with Florida.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
May 5, 2025
St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich registered an assist with four shots on goal in Sunday's 4-3 Game 7 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Buchnevich and Colton Parayko combined to help Jordan Kyrou on the scoreboard with only 70 seconds played in the contest. The Russian forward finished the seven-game series with five assists and additionally recorded three goals, all of which were scored in a single game. Overall, it was not a particularly successful series for Buchnevich, as the Jets held him to just one point in the last three games. The season, in general, did not go well for Buchnevich either, as he was limited to 57 points (20 goals, 37 assists) in 76 games, failing to extend his streak of 60-point campaigns to four years.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 5, 2025
St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou opened the scoring in Sunday's 4-3 double-overtime loss in Game 7 against the Winnipeg Jets. The 27-year-old was on target 1:10 into the game, scoring the fastest goal to begin a Game 7 in franchise history. Following Mathieu Joseph's effort, the Blues were soon up 2-0 and took a 3-1 lead into the third period, but the season ended for the team in the first round. Kyrou will be disappointed with his efforts in the matchup against the Jets. He potted three goals in the series but did not register a single assist. The Blues forward cooled off following a prolific regular season, during which he recorded at least 30 goals and 30 assists for a third consecutive year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 5, 2025
Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti found the back of the net twice in Sunday's 4-3 double-overtime Game 7 victory against the St. Louis Blues. A nifty tip from Perfetti during the power play put the Jets on the board in the second period, and he came up clutch with a similar effort in the dying seconds of regulation, sending the game into overtime. Perfetti's second goal, scored at the 19:57 mark of the third period, will go down in the record books as the latest game-tying goal in Game 7 history. The 23-year-old now has power-play goals in back-to-back games and will head into the second round against the Dallas Stars with five points (three goals, two assists).
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 5, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk played a crucial role in Sunday's comeback win against the St. Louis Blues, helping the team move into the second round of the playoffs with a three-assist effort in a 4-3 double-overtime win. Pionk picked up a power-play helper in the second period on a Cole Perfetti goal and registered two even-strength assists when the Jets turned a 3-1 deficit into a victory. Following Josh Morrissey's (upper body) early exit, Pionk had a massive workload in the game, setting a new franchise record with 46:15 of ice time. His night at the office included three shots, four blocks, and six hits. Winnipeg will need similar performances from Pionk going forward if Morrissey has to miss additional time.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 5, 2025
Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor finished Sunday's 4-3 double-overtime Game 7 victory against the St. Louis Blues with three assists. He set up Cole Perfetti for a couple of tallies, including the latest game-tying goal in Game 7 history, and capped off his hat trick of assists by helping Adam Lowry score the series clincher in double-overtime. Connor was on fire throughout the series and is now tied with Mikko Rantanen for the most points this postseason. His 12 points (four goals, eight assists) mark a new franchise scoring record for a single playoff series. Connor collected seven points in the final three games alone and should be in a confident mood ahead of Winnipeg's Round 2 matchup against the Dallas Stars. The American star finished the regular-season series against the Stars with four goals and five points in four games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 5, 2025
Winnipeg Jets center Adam Lowry scored the game-winning goal as the team won Game 7 on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in double overtime. Winnipeg managed to extend the game with two goals in the final two minutes of regulation, and it took Lowry 16:10 to score in the second extra frame. Lowry netted the second-latest overtime goal in franchise history and became only the second captain in the NHL to score an overtime goal in a Game 7, joining Steve Yzerman. With Mark Scheifele (undisclosed) on the shelf, Lowry has moved into the top six and may have a huge role to play in Round 2 against the Dallas Stars. He finished the first round with three goals, 14 shots, and 32 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 5, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (upper body) will be re-evaluated on Monday after he was injured in Sunday's Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues. Morrissey was forced to exit the contest after taking a hit from Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist along the boards. He logged only four shifts and 2:09 of ice time. Following Morrissey's exit, Neal Pionk led the blue line and did an incredible job during the team's comeback victory, posting three assists in 46:15 of action. Dylan Samberg also logged over 40 minutes in the double-overtime win. The Jets start their second-round series against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, giving Morrissey some time to recover. However, if he has to miss additional time, Pionk would once again face a heavy workload.
--Taavi PailkSource: John Lu
May 4, 2025
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek is scheduled for core muscle surgery next week. The Swedish forward revealed the news during his exit interview on Sunday. Eriksson Ek added that he battled the ailment throughout the campaign. He was limited to only 46 appearances this season, recording 14 goals and 29 points along with 82 hits. In the first-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Eriksson Ek was held to three assists. It was a tough year for Eriksson Ek following two consecutive 60-point campaigns. He will look to bounce back in 2025-26, entering the fifth year of an eight-year, $42 million contract.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
May 4, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) is set to rejoin the action during the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has been out of commission since undergoing knee surgery on Feb. 4. Dallas also had to cope with the absence of forward Jason Robertson (knee) during Round 1 against the Colorado Avalanche, but the two are on track to return to the lineup soon. "I believe you're going to see them both play in the second round, but I don't know if it's going to be Game 1 or Game 3 or Game 5," Stars head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters on Saturday. "I consider them both day-to-day now, but there's still some hurdles. It depends on when we start the series, how much time we have between now and Game 1. We'll have a little better idea as we get closer." Heiskanen finished the regular season with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists), 108 shots, 85 blocks, and a plus-seven rating in 50 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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