1 month agoWashington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has been suspended six games for a high stick to the face of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor during a 7-3 loss on Wednesday. Wilson received a double minor on the play. "That's a huge impact," Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said Friday before the suspension was announced. "I don't need to go into length about what he provides our team from a leadership standpoint, veteran presence standpoint, what he does on the ice. So, huge absence in our lineup." It's the sixth suspension of Wilson's career, all of which have come over the last seven seasons. The veteran has tallied 17 goals and 32 points across 66 games this season, adding 198 hits and 120 penalty minutes to his ledger.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoArizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka is getting the starting nod for Friday's home game against the visiting Seattle Kraken. The 27-year-old has been alternating starts with Connor Ingram of late but he has been the better goaltender over his last handful of starts after Ingram had overtaken the No. 1 job earlier in the season. Vejmelka has allowed two goals or fewer in three of his last four starts and has posted a .933 save percentage in that time. His overall numbers still leave plenty to be desired as he sports a 3.37 goals-against average and an .897 Sv% in 31 games (27 starts) this season but is a decent streaming option against a Seattle team that ranks 29th in overall offense and is playing their second game in as many nights.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Craig Morgan
2 months agoDallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) is set to miss "the near future" after sustaining a lower-body injury in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on March 16. "He's shut down for the near future here," head coach Peter DeBoer said. "He's having some tests done and things like that, so we'll see where that goes. But I don't see him having any availability in the immediate future." The 31-year-old has two goals and 12 points across 64 games on the season while adding a plus-10 rating. He is known for his physical style of play, and his 196 hits rank 14th in the NHL while he has added 123 blocked shots as part of his 18:39 average ice time per game.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoPittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Jack St. Ivany is expected to make his NHL debut when the club visits the Dallas Stars on Friday. The blueliner will take the place of fellow rearguard Ryan Graves who is with his family for the birth of his first child. "Pretty surreal," St. Ivany said Friday. "They told me this morning. I'm just really excited. I can't wait for tonight. My mom and dad, and a couple of friends are going to make the trip. It'll be nice to have them here. The 24-year-old has appeared in 53 games for the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, tallying four goals and 15 points while collecting 30 penalty minutes and a plus-17 rating in that time.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoMinnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) could possibly return for Saturday's contest versus the St. Louis Blues. The veteran pivot has missed the past four games after getting injured against the Arizona Coyotes on March 12. He skated on Friday, but his participation was limited after he skated on his own prior to the main practice. "If Ek for some reason did not go tomorrow, I would anticipate after those four [off] days [against the San Jose Sharks on March 28], it's a possibility," Wild bench boss John Hynes said on Friday. The 27-year-old is in the midst of a career year offensively, racking up a career-high 29 goals and sits just one point shy of matching his career-high of 61 points set just last season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoBoston Bruins left winger James van Riemsdyk (illness) practiced on Friday and could return to the lineup on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The veteran has missed the past two games. "We haven't made final decisions," Montgomery said. "He's feeling better but we'll see how he feels tomorrow." The 34-year-old is in his first season with the Bruins and has tallied 11 goals and 38 points across 64 games, adding 135 shots, 12 power-play points, and a plus-10 rating as part of his 13:40 of average ice time per game. The Bruins enter Saturday's contest with the Flyers sitting atop the NHL standings with a 41-15-15 record, one point ahead of the New York Rangers in the Presidents' Trophy race.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoBoston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is likely to suit up for Saturday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers. The veteran didn't skate on Friday in what was called a maintenance day. "Most likely [going to play]," Bruins bench boss Jim Montgomery said. "I'm not going to say 100 percent. But most likely." The Bruins star has taken a step back offensively by his standards, tallying 27 goals and 62 points on 187 shots across 71 games. He fell below a point per game for the first time in six seasons last year and is set to do so again this season. He had added 91 hits, 64 penalty minutes, 24 power-play points, and a plus-five rating on the season, giving fantasy managers excellent production across the board.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoWashington Capitals forwards T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas will both remain sidelined for Friday's game against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. Both players skated on Friday morning but will both once again sit out as they did for Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The oft-injured Oshie has once again dealt with injuries this season, skating in just 43 games with 11 goals and 19 points on 81 shots on goal in that time. The veteran has played in 58 games or fewer in four straight seasons. Protas, 23, has recorded five goals and 28 points across 65 games as part of his 13:24 of average ice time per game. He has added 90 shots on goal and has a minus-three rating on the campaign.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoDetroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin did not practice on Friday due to an illness but will be available for Saturday's road game against the red-hot Nashville Predators. The Red Wings captain missed nearly three weeks due to a lower-body injury but returned to score two goals in a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday. Larkin will enter Saturday's contest with 28 goals and 56 points on 169 shots across 56 games on the season. He is averaging 19:48 of ice time per game and has added 21 power-play points to this ledger. The Red Wings currently occupy the second and final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, three points up on the Washington Capitals.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Max Bultman
2 months agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (ankle) is progressing well but won't play the next two games, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. The playmaker has been out since falling awkwardly while attempting a shot on goal in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on March 7. The 26-year-old has recorded 25 goals and 76 points on 145 shots on goal across 62 games on the season, adding 24 points on the power play. The Maple Leafs have cycled through a number of wingers to the right of Auston Matthews in Marner's absence, most recently Max Domi who recorded four assists in a 7-3 win over the Capitals on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division with a 39-20-9 record on the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
2 months agoThe New York Islanders have signed college free-agent forward Cam Thiesing to a two-year, entry-level contract. Thiesing will not be joining the Islanders this season. The 22-year-old is currently playing for Ohio State University, where he recorded nine goals and 16 points across 31 games as a junior in the 2023-24 campaign. Through his first three seasons with the Buckeyes, the 6-foot, 178-pound forward has recorded 32 goals and 61 points across 108 games. The Islanders currently sit with a 29-25-15 record, five points back of the Red Wings for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: New York Islanders
2 months agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi was absent from Friday's practice after dealing with an illness of late. Bertuzzi was limited in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Washington Capitals due to a reported illness. His status for Saturday's game against the visiting Edmonton Oilers. After scuffling for a large chunk of the season, the veteran has tallied eight goals and 11 points over his last 12 games. He has returned to the team's top line alongside Auston Matthews but skated just 14:19 against the Capitals due to the illness. For the season, Bertuzzi has recorded 15 goals and 34 points across 67 games while adding 78 hits and 33 penalty minutes in that time.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
2 months agoCalgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (lower body) is expected to start Saturday's game against the Vancouver Canucks. The 34-year-old has been out since March 9 due to a lower-body injury. "He has been (our MVP)," defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. "He's been our backbone. He's a leader for us. It starts with him. I feel us as a D-core feel super confident when he's in the net." Markstrom will enter Saturday's contest with the high-octane Canucks sporting a 2.68 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage across 41 appearances, going 22-17-2 in that time. The Flames also announced on Friday that backup Dan Vladar will undergo season-ending hip surgery, while prospect Dustin Wolf will remain with the Flames on an emergency basis.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoCalgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (hip) will miss the remainder of the season but is expected to be ready for next season. "It's obviously unfortunate for 'Vladdy'," Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. "I think he's been dealing with that (injury) for quite a while. He's a warrior about it. The one thing we do have here is depth at goaltender." The 26-year-old worked to a 3.62 goals-against average and an .882 save percentage across 20 outings (19 starts) this season, going 8-9-2 in the process. He last appeared on March 12 while Dustin Wolfe has started the past two games with both Vladar and No. 1 netminder Jacob Markstrom sidelined, although the latter could return Saturday.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 months agoNashville Predators goaltender Kevin Lankinen put in a big performance in his 14th start of the season on Thursday against Florida, posting a 33-save shutout in an impressive 3-0 road win. It's his first shutout since March 25, 2021, when Lankinen also blanked the Panthers as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Predators' backup is now riding a four-game winning streak. Lankinen has done great behind Juuse Saros all year, going 10-4-0 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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