1 month agoPittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson notched three assists in Saturday's entertaining 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay. He helped Sidney Crosby on his 40th goal of the campaign early in the contest, set up Evgeni Malkin at the start of the second period, and wrapped up his hat trick of assists when Michael Bunting scored the game-winning goal at the 14:32 mark in the third frame. Karlsson jumped on 51 points with the effort, having dished out 42 assists in 77 games. The former Norris Trophy winner was off his game in March but has started strongly this month. Karlsson will have a chance to get to four games with his point streak in Monday's matchup versus Toronto.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoLos Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe maintained top form in Saturday's 6-3 win over Vancouver, posting two goals and an assist. He had a pair of early power-play points and completed the scoring with a short-handed tally. Kempe is riding a five-game point streak, and this marks his fifth multi-point outing in 10 games. He's reached the 70-point plateau for the first time in his career, with 27 goals and 44 assists through 72 games. The Kings have a very favorable schedule to finish off the campaign, so Kempe should get a further boost to his points total across the final few games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoSt. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk sustained an upper-body injury in Saturday's contest against San Jose. He didn't appear for the third period after being involved in a fight with San Jose's Luke Kunin. Faulk racked up 17 penalty minutes in the contest. He also had three shots, one block, and one hit across 13:20 of action. The 32-year-old has averaged 0.5 points per game, notching two goals and 28 assists in 60 outings. There are also 83 hits and 104 blocks on his account, so Faulk would be missed at both ends of the ice if he's out for a stretch.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Matthew DeFranks
1 month agoSt. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours couldn't finish Saturday's game against San Jose due to an upper-body injury. He logged 10:10 of action before absorbing a hit from San Jose's Luke Kunin, which knocked Neighbours out of the game. St. Louis heads back on the ice Sunday versus Anaheim, and Neighbours should be considered questionable for the game. If he can't play, the Blues would be without one of their top goal-scorers. Neighbours' development has been one of only a few bright spots for St. Louis in 2023-24, as the 22-year-old has scored 27 goals and 38 points across 77 outings. His injury could give Sammy Blais a chance to rejoin the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Matthew DeFranks
1 month agoCalgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington couldn't finish Saturday's Battle of Alberta against Edmonton, exiting the contest late in the third period. He was hurt in a collision with teammate Nazem Kadri. Kylington logged 17:19 of ice time but didn't register any meaningful stats other than two penalty minutes. The Swedish blue-liner, who missed the entire 2022-23 season for personal reasons, has had five points (two goals, three assists) in 28 games during his comeback campaign with 44 blocks. Nikita Okhotiuk could get a place in the lineup if Kylington needs a bit of time to heal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Eric Francis
1 month agoThe San Jose Sharks have signed college free agent Collin Graf to an entry-level contract that begins for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. The 21-year-old will turn pro after two seasons at Quinnipiac University and one at Union College in the NCAA. Graf tallied 43 goals and an impressive 108 points across 75 games over the last two seasons with Quinnipiac after he posted 11 goals and 22 points across 37 games as a Freshman with Union in the 2021-22 season. He will become a key part of the Sharks' rebuild as they sit dead last in the NHL with a 17-50-8 record on the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: TSN Hockey
1 month agoPhiladelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier will not be available to the team for at least the next two games due to an upper-body injury. The center remains day to day and did not travel with the team for a game against the Sabres on Friday and the Blue Jackets on Saturday. "Little nicked up now, hopefully we'll get him back here and get him going down the right road," Flyers bench boss John Tortorella said on Friday. Couturier was injured when he fell hard into the board during a 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders on Monday. The Flyers sit third in the Metropolitan Division but the Islanders, Capitals, and Penguins all sit within two points with the Capitals owning a game in hand.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoVegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (knee) is nearing a return to action but will not be in the lineup for Friday's road game against the Arizona Coyotes. The veteran is back to practicing with the team in a regular jersey after initially skating on his own after he underwent knee surgery to replace loose cartilage on Feb. 12 while still a member of the San Jose Sharks. Hertl was acquired in a March 8 blockbuster trade from the Sharks. The 30-year-old has recorded 15 goals and 34 points on 113 shots on goal across 48 games this season, all with the Sharks. The Golden Knights enter Friday's action sitting third in the Pacific Division with a 42-25-8 record, three points back of the second-place Oilers, but also just a single point ahead of the fourth-place Kings while holding a game in hand.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoOttawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot could return from a lower-body injury this weekend, according to interim head coach Jacques Martin. The team hosts the New Jersey Devils on Saturday before traveling to Washington to take on the Capitals on Sunday. Chabot hasn't appeared since departing a 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on March 27. "Thomas is getting close," Martin said. "I think he's had some good skates yesterday and today." The eight-year NHL veteran has recorded eight goals and 28 points across 44 games on the season, missing time due to various ailments. The Senators are set to miss the postseason again in 2023-24 as they sit 13 points back of the Islanders for the second and final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoFlorida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is likely out for the remainder of the regular season due to an undisclosed injury suffered in a loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. He skated just 7:16 in the 5-3 loss before departing. Ekblad has been limited to just 51 games this season as he missed time to begin the season due to injuries suffered during Florida's run to the Stanley Cup Final last spring. "This is not new and it's not unknown to us, what it is," Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice said. "He's a real good handle on how long it's going to take and he's progressing really well today from it, so we're getting there. We're going to miss him." The former No. 1 overall pick has recorded four goals and 18 points in his 51 contests this season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoDallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin may come out of the lineup for rest when the team takes on the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Seguin suffered an upper-body injury on Feb. 22 and missed the team's next 11 games. He could come out to manage his workload as the Western Conference-leading Stars look to embark on a deep postseason run. "It's management between the sports science and the trainers and [coaches]," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said Friday. "Depending on how he's feeling, obviously back to backs you have to think about whether you want to play him." The veteran has posted 23 goals and 50 points on 143 shots across 64 games on the season, his 14th in the NHL.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (ankle) is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday in Montreal against the Canadiens. The right winger has missed the past 12 games due to a high-ankle sprain suffered in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on March 7, although he ended up finishing that contest. "I just want to get back, get back in the rhythm of things and try to contribute to help our team win games," Marner said on Friday. "Just getting up to game speed (is the biggest challenge) regardless of how many skates or workouts you do, It's always tough to get back into game speed, especially the game speed at the level we are at right now." The veteran has recorded 25 goals and 76 points across 62 games on the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoVegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy is battling an undisclosed ailment and won't feature against the Coyotes on Friday. He was injured in Tuesday's contest against Vancouver. Roy has played a big part in the Golden Knights' success in 2023-24, posting 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 66 outings. He will be desperate to make a quick recovery and rejoin the lineup, as Roy is just two points short of setting his new scoring record for a single season. The 27-year-old will have his first opportunity to return on Monday in a rematch with the Canucks. Brendan Brisson is projected to fill Roy's spot in the lineup on Friday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Danny Webster
2 months agoMontreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday's battle with the Lightning. The talented rearguard played only 1:14 in the contest, exiting after absorbing a big hit along the boards early in the game. Guhle entered Thursday's action with a four-game point streak. He's totaled 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) across 70 games overall in 2023-24, adding 116 hits and 178 blocks to his account. Johnathan Kovacevic will likely replace Guhle in the lineup on Saturday against Toronto if he can't play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
2 months agoColumbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov sustained an upper-body injury in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Islanders. He came out of the contest after stopping 13 of 15 shots across 17:53 of action. With Elvis Merzlikins (lower body) already unavailable, Jet Greaves finished the task, allowing one goal on 25 shots. Greaves could now see quite a bit of action over the final stretch of the season, with his colleagues battling health issues. The 23-year-old carries a 1-3-0 record and has posted a good .917 save percentage despite allowing 3.04 goals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Svoboda
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