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Sam Malinski Set to Return Wednesday
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski (upper body) is on track to return to the lineup on Wednesday night in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. He missed the last two games of the second-round series against Minnesota due to an upper-body injury. Malinski's return on Wednesday is a major boost for the Avalanche, who will be without Cale Makar (undisclosed). As a result, Malinski could take on additional duties on the blue line. Devon Toews and Brent Burns might also see more action without Makar, especially on the power play.
Source: Emily Kaplan
Source: Emily Kaplan
Artturi Lehkonen Expected to Play Wednesday Night
Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen (upper body) is expected to be available for Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. The Finnish forward has missed two games due to an upper-body injury. However, Lehkonen returned to practice with a regular jersey on Tuesday, indicating that he's ready to rejoin the lineup. Lehkonen is a player who can make an impact in all situations and has bagged six points (three goals, three assists) in seven postseason outings. He is slated to grab a second-line role and will also strengthen the second power-play unit.
Source: Emily Kaplan
Source: Emily Kaplan
Cale Makar Will Miss Game 1 Against Golden Knights
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (undisclosed) won't be available for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. He is considered day-to-day. According to Kaplan, Makar is dealing with several health issues. The two-time Norris Trophy winner was on the ice Wednesday morning, but he's missed several practices since Colorado's second-round matchup against Minnesota ended a week ago. With the Avalanche's blue line banged up, Jack Ahcan has played in back-to-back games and is set to remain in the lineup Wednesday night. However, he is expected to have a limited role.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mattias Samuelsson Picks Up an Assist in Season-Ending Loss
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson collected an assist in Monday's 3-2 Game 7 defeat in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens. 13:19 into the second period, Samuelsson initially celebrated scoring a goal, but he had to settle for an assist when it was determined that the puck went into the Canadiens' net off a deflection by Jordan Greenway. Alex Newhook's overtime goal delivered a cruel end to the campaign for the Sabres, but Samuelsson should enter the offseason in high spirits. He had a breakout year in 2025-26, with 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists) in 78 games, proving he can be much more than a shutdown defenseman. Across his first five NHL campaigns, Samuelsson had managed only 43 points (seven goals, 36 assists).
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Rasmus Dahlin Nets Fourth Postseason Goal
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin scored his fourth postseason goal in Monday's 3-2 Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Sabres captain tied the game at two with 6:27 played in the third period. Buffalo had all the momentum in the third frame, yet they couldn't find the game-winning goal and were burned in overtime by Alex Newhook. Dahlin had a career-high 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists) in 77 regular-season games and finished the playoffs strongly, putting together a five-game point streak. Overall, he notched 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 13 games during the postseason. At 26, Dahlin is still very young for a defenseman and is poised to remain a high-level fantasy performer for a long time.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jakub Dobes Records 37 Saves in Game 7 Win
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes finished Monday's 3-2 Game 7 victory against the Buffalo Sabres with 37 saves. Dobes couldn't hold a 2-0 lead on the road, but the Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to an overtime tally from Alex Newhook. Montreal's young netminder rebounded well from a poor Game 6 outing, in which Dobes was lit up for six goals. He has done a great job responding to defeats throughout the postseason and hasn't yet lost back-to-back starts. Dobes has an 8-6 record in the playoffs, allowing 2.52 goals with a .910 save percentage. The Canadiens enter the next series as huge underdogs, but they won all three regular-season games against the Hurricanes with Dobes in net.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Lane Hutson Contributes Power-Play Assist in Game 7 Victory
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson registered a power-play assist as the team won Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime on Monday night. Hutson had an assist in a sixth consecutive game when Zack Bolduc scored with the man advantage at the 14:29 mark in the first period. In the Conference Finals against Carolina, he has a chance to set a new franchise record for the longest postseason assist streak, currently held by Jacques Lemaire, who had an eight-game run in 1973. Hutson leads Montreal in scoring in the playoffs with 14 points in as many games. All but two of his points have come via assists.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nick Suzuki Extends Road Point Streak
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki contributed a power-play assist in Monday's series-clinching 3-2 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. He set up Zack Bolduc for the Canadiens' second goal late in the first period, becoming only the second player in franchise history to open a postseason with an eight-game road point streak. Suzuki has posted four goals and seven assists on the road during Montreal's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. At home, he has zero goals and two assists in six games this postseason. With the Canadiens on the road to start the Conference Finals against Carolina, we might see a couple more big performances from Suzuki this week.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Alex Newhook Scores Series-Clincher in Overtime
Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook scored the decisive goal in Monday's 3-2 Game 7 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. He found the back of the net at the 11:22 mark in the extra frame after Montreal had let a 2-0 lead slip. Newhook also scored a Game 7 series-clincher in Round 1 against Tampa Bay and has seven goals this postseason -- only two players have scored more. In 14 outings, Newhook has also tallied two assists, making him one of Montreal's highest-scoring forwards in the playoffs. Impressively, Newhook has potted all seven goals at even strength, while star forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky have combined for only three such goals.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Set to Start Game 7
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News reports. The Sabres are returning to the Finnish netminder after Alex Lyon allowed three goals on three SOG to start Game 6. Lyon took over the crease after Luukkonen struggled in Game 5, giving up five goals through two periods with a .783 save percentage. He played a perfect game in Lyon's relief on Saturday, stopping 18 pucks. Luukkonen has been leaky throughout the playoffs, but given Lyon's performance over the weekend, there's really no other option for the Sabres on Monday night. In five postseason appearances, Luukkonen has a 3-2 record, a 3.36 goals-against average, and a .875 save percentage.
Source: Lance Lysowski
Source: Lance Lysowski
Tage Thompson Can Match Franchise Record With Another Multi-Point Game
Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson sits among the top scorers in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and can match a franchise record with another productive outing on Monday night in Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens. After erupting for four points in Game 6, Thompson boasts five multi-point games in the playoffs, one shy of tying Daniel Briere, Dale Hawerchuk, and Gilbert Perreault for Buffalo's record in a single postseason. Three of Thompson's multi-point performances have come in the last four games, during which he's racked up three goals and five assists. Across the entire postseason, Thompson has notched a team-high 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 12 games -- only Vegas' Mitchell Marner has more (18).
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nick Suzuki Seeks More Road Success Monday
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki has been a true road warrior in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing on the score sheet in all seven away outings so far. In Monday's Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres, he can join Mats Naslund as the second Canadiens player to start a postseason with an eight-game road point streak. In the 21st century, only five players in the entire league have recorded at least one point in each of their first eight road games of a playoff run. Bizarrely, Suzuki has gone scoreless in four of six home games. Yet he still ranks second on his team in the playoffs with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 13 games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Lane Hutson Riding a Five-Game Assist Streak Into Game 7
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson will enter Monday's Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres with a five-game assist streak. He's been a huge creative force for the Canadiens and could become only the sixth player in franchise history to record a six-game assist streak during the postseason. Larry Robinson was the last player to achieve it in 1978. In total, Hutson boasts 11 assists this postseason, tied for the second most behind Vegas superstar Jack Eichel (14). Montreal's prospects tend to rely heavily on Hutson, who leads the team with 13 points in 13 playoff outings. We should see him have a heavy workload on Monday night.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Filip Gustavsson Needs Offseason Surgery
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson will undergo hip surgery in the offseason, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. Wild general manager Bill Guerin is unsure whether Gustavsson will be ready for the start of next season. Gustavsson had to settle for a backup role in the 2026 playoffs, and this is another blow to him. He lost his starting position to Jesper Wallstedt despite showing fine form during the regular season. In 49 starts, Gustavsson registered a 28-15-6 record, a 2.69 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage, and four shutouts. If he isn't ready to play at the start of the 2026-27 campaign, Gustavsson's streak of four straight 20-win seasons could be in jeopardy.
Source: Michael Russo
Source: Michael Russo
Quinn Hughes Open to Signing Extension This Offseason
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes said he is "definitely open" to signing a contract extension in the offseason, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reports. Hughes will finish a six-year, $47.1 million contract at the end of the 2026-27 campaign, and Minnesota will want to lock him up with a new deal after acquiring him from the Vancouver Canucks in December. The 26-year-old proved to be a great fit in Minnesota, amassing 53 points (five goals, 48 assists) in 48 regular-season games. He added 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 11 postseason outings. Since his debut campaign in 2019-20, Hughes has been among the most productive defensemen in the league and will aim for a fifth consecutive 70-point campaign next season.
Source: Greg Wyshynski
Source: Greg Wyshynski
