April 10, 2025
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (ankle) will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks. The former Norris Trophy winner is managing an ankle injury, and it seems the Kings want him to be as fresh as possible for the postseason. Doughty's season debut was delayed for months due to a broken ankle, resulting in only 28 appearances in 2024-25, during which he has produced 17 points (three goals, 14 assists). Brandt Clarke has moved to the first defensive pairing and is getting time with the top power-play unit, which has increased his fantasy value.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Russell Morgan
April 10, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (illness) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Seattle Kraken. An illness bug is circulating in the Golden Knights' locker room, and Pietrangelo is among its victims. He will sit out a second consecutive game. Pietrangelo has posted identical numbers to last year, boasting four goals and 33 points through 70 games. His next chance for a comeback will be on Saturday against the Nashville Predators. Losing Pietrangelo is a blow for Vegas, but the team will receive some help in defense on Thursday night, with Nicolas Hague (illness) on track to return. Ben Hutton will likely be a healthy scratch for the contest.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Granger
April 10, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl (shoulder) is expected to return to the lineup for Thursday's matchup against the Seattle Kraken. He has been unavailable for eight games due to a shoulder injury. Hertl is having a strong campaign during his first full year in Vegas, with 31 goals and 59 points over 70 outings. With Jack Eichel (upper body) sidelined, Hertl could see increased usage on Thursday night. He will start the game on the second line alongside Brandon Saad and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Czech forward will also grab a spot on the top power-play unit. Hertl is among the league's leading goal-scorers with the man advantage, having netted 14 power-play goals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 10, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (upper body) will remain sidelined for Thursday's contest against the Seattle Kraken. Vegas' leading scorer, who has amassed 93 points (27 goals, 66 assists) in 76 appearances, will miss a second consecutive game due to an upper-body injury. He is considered day-to-day, with Eichel's next opportunity to return coming on Saturday against the Nashville Predators. Brett Howden replaced Eichel on the first line but had a quiet game on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche, finishing scoreless in nearly 15 minutes of action.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 10, 2025
Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas (upper body) will return from a three-game absence on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. Colorado will get some much-needed help up front after losing several forwards to injury, including leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon (undisclosed). Necas is projected to slot into the second line next to Joel Kiviranta and Charlie Coyle, with Brock Nelson moving up to the top line to take MacKinnon's spot. Since moving to Denver, Necas has registered 11 goals and 26 points in 27 games with 80 shots on goal. The Czech forward has not had much success against the Canucks, going scoreless in five consecutive matchups.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 10, 2025
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. Reports suggest he may even miss the rest of the regular-season schedule. Following Thursday night, Colorado will have two more games remaining. MacKinnon has made 209 consecutive regular-season appearances. He shares the league's scoring lead with Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov, totaling 116 points (32 goals, 84 assists) in 79 contests. Jonathan Drouin (lower body) and Ross Colton (undisclosed) are also out against Vancouver, increasing the fantasy values of players like Brock Nelson and Joel Kiviranta.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 10, 2025
New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad dished out four assists on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers but could not save his team from an 8-5 defeat. Zibanejad's playmaking helped the Rangers take a 4-3 lead in the third period, but the team ultimately allowed five goals in the last 12 minutes of play. The four-point effort marks a season-high for Zibanejad, whose overall form in 2024-25 has been lacking. He has averaged his fewest points since the 2017-18 campaign, notching 17 goals and 39 assists over 56 contests. This will likely be Zibanejad's first season with fewer than 20 goals in eight years.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 10, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers forward Tyson Foerster continued his late-season scoring surge with his first career hat trick in Wednesday's 8-5 triumph over the New York Rangers. After scoring three goals in four games, Foerster lit the lamp three times in a single contest, wrapping up his hat trick with an empty-net goal. He has become the second Flyers player in the past 15 years to record multiple 20-goal seasons at age 23 or younger. Foerster boasts 22 markers and 39 points in 77 games. The young forward will look to keep his hot streak going against the reeling New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 10, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies starred with a hat trick in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He completed his second three-goal game of the season with the decisive tally in the extra frame. Knies is the first Maple Leafs player since Mats Sundin in 2006 to cap off a hat trick in overtime. The 22-year-old has posted multiple points in four of his last eight appearances, reaching 29 goals and 26 assists for the season with 74 games played. Knies is in a strong position to add to his total in the final few games as he continues to roll on the first line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, both of whom also finished Wednesday's win with three points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 10, 2025
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had the best game of his young career on Wednesday night, finishing an 8-7 overtime loss against the Minnesota Wild with five points. He registered his first career hat trick and had two assists. Celebrini became the first rookie in franchise history to post at least five points in a single game. Additionally, he is now one of only six 18-year-olds in NHL history with a five-point game. Wednesday's monster effort helped Celebrini move past Philadelphia's Matvei Michkov in the rookie scoring race. He has amassed 62 points (24 goals, 38 assists) in 66 contests. Montreal's Lane Hutson leads the pack among first-year players with 64 points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 10, 2025
Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy finished Wednesday's 8-7 overtime victory against the San Jose Sharks with four assists. Despite blowing a 7-4 lead in the third period, the Wild managed to boost their playoff chances with the win. The team has now picked up two vital overtime wins in a row, with Boldy playing a key role in both contests. He has amassed seven points (one goal, six assists) over these games. The young winger leads his team in scoring with 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists) in 76 contests for the campaign. Kirill Kaprizov's (lower body) return sent Boldy back to the second line on Wednesday, but he will still have a major role to play for the team over the final stretch of the regular season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 10, 2025
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) scored a career-high four goals as he ended a 21-game absence on Wednesday in a thrilling 8-7 overtime victory against the San Jose Sharks. Marian Gaborik is the only player in Wild history to score more goals in a single game, having netted five times against the New York Rangers in 2007. Minnesota also welcomed back Kirill Kaprizov (lower body), who enjoyed a three-point night, capped off by his second goal of the game in overtime. Eriksson Ek notched two goals on the power play. He has now lit the lamp 13 times over the course of the season, recording 28 points in 43 games. The Wild are in a fierce battle for a playoff spot and will need more big efforts from Eriksson Ek over the final few games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 10, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (lower body) recorded three assists in a surprising return to the lineup during Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Pregame reports indicated that McDavid would remain sidelined for the matchup, but he made an unexpected comeback after an eight-game absence. The Oilers captain became the seventh player in NHL history to record at least five consecutive seasons with 65 or more assists. Despite missing more than two weeks of action, McDavid is currently tied for sixth in scoring with 93 points (26 goals, 67 assists) in 64 games. He has made it onto the score sheet in each of his last 14 appearances and aims to secure his fifth consecutive 100-point campaign in the final stretch of the regular season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 9, 2025
Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers (foot) will be a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup against the Dallas Stars. A foot injury has kept Ehlers sidelined for two games, and it remains uncertain whether he can rejoin the lineup on Thursday. The Danish forward has recorded 24 goals and 63 points in 67 games in 2024-25. David Gustafsson has re-entered the lineup in Ehlers' absence, though he provides significantly less fantasy value as a fourth-liner. The Jets have used Nino Niederreiter on the second line with Vladimir Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti, but the Swiss forward has not made an offensive impact.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ken Wiebe
April 9, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (lower body) could be ready to hop back into the lineup when the Stanley Cup Playoffs start. The Devils still have some work to do to secure their playoff berth but are well-placed to extend their season. When Hamilton suffered a lower-body injury in March, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald mentioned that the team was "not planning on" having Hamilton back for the second round of the postseason. However, Hamilton appears to be making good progress, and Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on Tuesday that "there's a chance" the veteran blue-liner could return for the first round. Hamilton finished the regular season with 40 points (nine goals, 31 assists) in 63 games. In his absence, Luke Hughes has had additional fantasy value, becoming the Devils' top-scoring defenseman with 42 points (seven goals, 35 assists) in 68 contests.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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