April 11, 2026
Seattle Kraken goaltender Niklas Kokko will make his first career start on Saturday against the Calgary Flames, Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network reports. The Kraken have lost all three of their first-choice options in the crease, Joey Daccord (lower body), Philipp Grubauer (lower body), and Matt Murray (personal), and must rely on a rookie netminder to keep them alive in the Western Conference playoff race. Kokko will be backed up by another inexperienced netminder, Victor Ostman. The 22-year-old Finnish native, who was a second-round pick in 2022, made his NHL debut on Feb. 25, allowing two goals in a relief effort during a 7-2 loss to St. Louis. He has posted an 18-10-2 record, a 3.10 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage, and two shutouts in the AHL this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mike Benton
April 11, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (lower body) will miss the last three games of the season. He exited Wednesday's loss to Washington with a lower-body injury, and there's not enough time left in the campaign for Stolarz to play again. The 32-year-old couldn't match last season's success, going 10-10-3. He finished the campaign with a 3.28 goals-against average and a career-low .893 save percentage. Joseph Woll will start Saturday night against the Florida Panthers. Artur Akhtyamov, who made his first career start in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Islanders, may also see some action in the final week of the regular season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 11, 2026
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (lower body) remains week-to-week and is not expected to play until the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs start. Dallas has three regular-season games remaining, starting with Saturday's matchup with the New York Rangers. Hintz has sat out 17 games due to a lower-body injury. He might also miss some postseason action, as Stars general manager Jim Nill told reporters the team isn't sure whether Hintz will be available for Game 1 of the opening round. Hintz will finish the 2025-26 regular season with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 53 games. Justin Hryckowian has done well in an expanded role during Hintz's absence, looking to extend his point streak to three games on Saturday.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
April 11, 2026
New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (undisclosed) will miss the rest of the season. The Swedish netminder is dealing with nagging injuries and won't dress for the final three games of the year. There is no point in playing him, as the Devils have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Markstrom had a tough second campaign in New Jersey, allowing over three goals per game (3.07) with a .883 save percentage. His record was still respectable at 23-19-1, but he will be disappointed not to have helped his team reach the postseason. Jake Allen and Nico Daws will share the final few games, with Allen starting on Saturday against Detroit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 10, 2026
Buffalo Sabres center Sam Carrick (arm) will miss the start of the postseason, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports. The veteran forward injured his left arm late last month and has been sidelined for five games. Before injury struck, Carrick was having a good start at his new club. He scored five goals and six points in 13 games. With Carrick unavailable, Tyson Kozak has begun to re-establish his spot in the lineup. He has played in back-to-back games, collecting an assist in Thursday's 5-0 victory over Columbus. Josh Dunne could also see some action late in the season as the fourth-line center.
--Taavi PailkSource: Rachel Lenzi
April 10, 2026
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (lower body) may not be available for selection at the start of the 2025-26 Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Thursday, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff ruled Lyon out for a week, adding that there's a possibility the 33-year-old netminder won't be available for the start of the postseason. Lyon set a new franchise record with a 10-game winning streak this campaign and has gone 20-10-4 in 34 starts. He has a 2.77 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and three shutouts. While Lyon has mostly shared the crease with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Colten Ellis impressed with a 37-save shutout in Thursday's 5-0 win over Columbus and could also be an option for the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 10, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (upper body) is doubtful to return to action this season, David Alter of The Hockey News reports. He sustained an upper-body injury in Wednesday's loss to Washington and wasn't available for Thursday's clash against the Islanders. It seems his season might have finished prematurely, with Toronto facing three more games. Joshua is set to end the campaign with 18 points (10 goals, eight assists), 52 SOG, and 195 hits in 55 games. Before getting hurt in Wednesday's contest, Joshua was enjoying a late-season offensive surge, picking up one goal and three assists in five games.
--Taavi PailkSource: David Alter
April 10, 2026
Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson exited Thursday's 6-3 win over Philadelphia early due to neck stiffness, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports. Gibson left the game midway through the second period after allowing two goals with a .867 save percentage. Cam Talbot finished the job with 11 saves on 12 SOG. Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan confirmed after the game that Gibson hasn't entered concussion protocol, so he doesn't appear to be dealing with a serious issue. However, the veteran netminder could still sit out some action. Detroit will return to work on Saturday against New Jersey. Gibson is two wins short of matching his career-high, going 29-20-4 this season. He has registered a 2.64 goals-against average with a .904 save percentage and four shutouts.
--Taavi PailkSource: Helene St. James
April 10, 2026
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (lower body) could be unavailable for the start of the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The star rearguard sustained a lower-body injury in Thursday's win over Minnesota. After the game, Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan told reporters he doesn't yet know Heiskanen's playoff status. Heiskanen is considered unlikely to play on Saturday against the New York Rangers. Overall, Dallas has three regular-season games remaining. During a career year, Heiskanen has been the NHL's ninth-highest scoring defenseman. He has tallied 63 points (nine goals, 54 assists) in 77 games. Thomas Harley will have an increased workload with Heiskanen on the shelf, giving him more fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 10, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (lower body) is expected to be back in the lineup before the end of the regular season, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Hagel was unavailable for a fifth consecutive game on Thursday against Montreal as he continues to work his way back from a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old has had an outstanding year with 73 points (35 goals, 38 assists) and a plus-33 rating in 69 games. Hagel's absence has given Gage Goncalves an expanded role. He has played well, contributing three assists over the past five games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Eduardo A. Encina
April 10, 2026
Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi was a late scratch on Thursday against the Utah Mammoth due to an upper-body injury. The Predators captain took part in the pregame warmups but wasn't healthy enough to play. Nashville announced that Josi is considered day-to-day. Losing Josi is a tough blow for the Predators, who are one point away from a playoff spot after losing Thursday's game 4-1. Josi has logged points in each of his last four appearances, improving his total for the season to 54 points (13 goals, 41 assists) in 66 games. Jordan Oesterle replaced him in the lineup against Utah, while Ryan Ufko led all Predators defensemen in power-play time with 2:20.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 9, 2026
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider scored one goal and assisted four times in a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. He became the first defenseman this year to reach five points in a single game, and the first person since Quinn Hughes achieved the feat in December of 2024. Seider now has 10 goals, 60 points, and a plus-21 rating in 79 games played this year and has a chance to win the Norris trophy.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 9, 2026
Montreal Canadiens right winger Cole Caufield scored his 50th goal of the season in a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. He becomes the first Montreal player since Stephane Richer in 1989-90 to score 50 goals in a season, and just the second this year after Nathan Mackinnon. Caufield now has 50 goals, 87 points, and a plus-30 rating in 78 games played this season.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 9, 2026
Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman (personal) will miss Thursday's encounter with the Colorado Avalanche. The team is in the midst of a six-game road trip, but Coleman has returned home for the birth of his son. Coleman has been among Calgary's top goal-scorers this season, finding the back of the net 19 times with 166 attempts on net. In 65 outings, he has also contributed 14 assists, while logging a team-best plus-13 rating. John Beecher will play instead of Coleman on Thursday, but he isn't expected to make a fantasy impact. Victor Olofsson will also rejoin the frontline against his former team, with Martin Pospisil sitting as a healthy scratch.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 9, 2026
Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield (undisclosed) will play on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks. It was initially unclear whether Byfield would be available for the matchup after he missed Wednesday's practice. The 23-year-old is trying to record his third straight 50-point campaign in 2025-26, but he will have to improve his scoring form in the final games to achieve it. In 74 games, Byfield has tallied 20 goals and 24 assists. Thursday's clash against the NHL's worst team is a great opportunity for Byfield to make up some ground. He will center the second line and the second power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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