April 16, 2026
Calgary Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud (face) will be in the lineup on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. He took a puck to the face in Tuesday's loss to Colorado, leaving Whitecloud questionable for the season finale. However, he is ready to play with a full shield against the Kings. Since his midseason move from Vegas, Whitecloud has made 30 appearances with the Flames. He has yet to score for the team but does have eight assists. The 29-year-old has been a great addition to the defense, registering 78 blocks and 48 hits. Whitecloud's ice time has jumped to 22:44 per game in Calgary, and it will be interesting to see what he can do next year during his first full season as a Flame.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 16, 2026
Calgary Flames right wing Matt Coronato (undisclosed) will play in Thursday's season finale against the Los Angeles Kings. He was out on Tuesday against Colorado due to an undisclosed injury, but is available for his 80th appearance of the season on Thursday night. Thanks to a late scoring surge, Coronato has posted his second straight 40-point season. He has tallied 44 points (19 goals, 26 assists) in 79 outings. The 23-year-old has finished only three of his last 14 appearances without scoring any points. Facing a Kings team that is tied for the seventh-best defensive record in the league, Coronato and the Flames are in for a difficult night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 16, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) is expected to rejoin the lineup at the start of the postseason, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. Colorado will wrap up its regular-season schedule on Thursday night against Seattle, and Mason will remain out for a third consecutive game due to an upper-body injury. However, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar believes the team will be at full strength for Game 1 of the playoffs. Manson had his second 30-point campaign in 2025-26, with five goals and 26 assists in 79 outings. He finishes among the team leaders with a plus-42 rating, 99 blocks, and 174 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: Aarif Deen
April 16, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forwards Nathan MacKinnon (rest) and Martin Necas (rest) won't suit up on Thursday against the Seattle Kraken, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. Colorado has decided to rest its two highest scorers for the regular season finale. Gabriel Landeskog might also join them on the sidelines, while Nazem Kadri (finger) has been ruled out for a fifth straight game. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar expects everyone to be ready for the start of the playoffs. Artturi Lehkonen, Brock Nelson, and Valeri Nichushkin are expected to form the first line on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the likes of Parker Kelly and Nicolas Roy could also take on more responsibilities.
--Taavi PailkSource: Aarif Deen
April 16, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard wrapped up his third NHL campaign with a two-assist effort in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. His playmaking ability fueled Chicago's four-goal third period, which turned a 2-1 deficit into a comfortable win for the home team. Bedard joined Denis Savard and Eddie Olczyk as the third Blackhawks player to record a 75-point campaign at age 20 or younger. A midseason shoulder injury kept Bedard sidelined for a significant portion of the campaign, but he still finished as Chicago's top scorer, with 75 points (30 goals, 45 assists) in 69 outings. The top pick of the 2023 draft averaged at least a point per game for the first time in his young career. It should be the first of many, as the 20-year-old has firmly established himself among the NHL's new generation of superstars.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux contributed two assists as the team won this season's final Battle of Ontario 3-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. Giroux picked up a power-play assist when Drake Batherson scored in the first period and had his second helper on Dylan Cozens' empty-net goal late in the third. The veteran forward played a key role in this victory, but he will be frustrated not to have reached 50 points for the season. Giroux fell one point short of the plateau, finishing with 14 goals and 35 assists in 82 contests. A late-season six-game scoring drought proved costly for him. The good news for Giroux is that he found his offensive stride in the closing games of the regular season, giving him momentum heading into the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
New York Rangers left wing Tye Kartye had his first career three-point game in Wednesday's matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, contributing two goals and one assist in a 4-2 road win. He scored the first two goals of the game, striking early in the first and second periods. The 24-year-old finished the campaign with a career-high 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 64 games. 14 of his points, including five goals, came in 24 outings since the Rangers claimed him off waivers in late February. Kartye was a good fit for the Rangers and remains under contract for one more campaign after agreeing to a two-year, $2.5 million deal with the Seattle Kraken last offseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power recorded two assists in Wednesday's regular-season ending 4-3 shootout loss against the Dallas Stars. With Rasmus Dahlin (rest) and Mattias Samuelsson (rest) sitting out the game, Power had more responsibilities on the blue line and helped Buffalo score two even-strength goals. Unfortunately for Power, this wasn't enough for him to reach 30 points for a fourth consecutive season. The 2021 first-overall pick ended the campaign with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists), 120 SOG, 95 blocks, and a plus-nine rating in 81 outings. Power hasn't met his usual standards in 2025-26, but he will enter the playoffs with some momentum, having posted assists in back-to-back games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell registered one goal and one assist as the team wrapped up the regular season with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. Lindell assisted Mavrick Bourque during even-strength play in the first period and potted a power-play goal in the second. This was LIndell's second multi-point effort in four games. With Miro Heiskanen (lower body) absent from the blue line, Lindell has seen increased power-play time late in the season. Heiskanen is iffy for the start of the postseason, so Lindell could continue to have an expanded role for a few more games. He finished the regular season with a career-high-matching 32 points (six goals, 26 assists), 83 shots, 179 blocks, and a team-best plus-30 rating in 82 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith factored in three goals during Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, lighting the lamp twice and delivering one assist. He helped out Shea Theodore on the game-tying marker and notched a pair of goals himself late in the game. Smith recently had a three-game stint as a healthy scratch, and it appears to have helped him regain form ahead of the postseason. Over the last two games, Smith has recorded three goals and one assist. He finished the regular season with 26 points (16 goals, 10 assists) in 69 games, his lowest scoring total in five years. It's been a disappointing year for Smith, but he will have a chance to post his first three-game goal streak since December 2022 in Vegas' playoff opener.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright (upper body) scored the team's only goal in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He gave Seattle a lead early in the second period, but the Golden Knights eventually picked the visitors apart. Wright had missed the previous eight games due to an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old has one more matchup to go in 2025-26, facing Colorado on Thursday night. Wright has tallied 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 73 outings. This marks a significant step back for him after collecting 44 points a year ago. Heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, Wright should have plenty of motivation to turn things around next season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 15, 2026
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (lower body) is expected to miss the team's playoff opener against the Boston Bruins, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports. The 33-year-old sustained a lower-body injury earlier this month and won't be available for a fifth straight game on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars. Colten Ellis is expected to start the matchup as Buffalo plans to rest several key players for the regular-season final, including No. 1 goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The Sabres are also likely to be without forward Noah Ostlund (upper body) at the start of the postseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mike Harrington
April 15, 2026
Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (undisclosed) is expected to play on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks. He has been nursing an undisclosed injury this month, sitting out five games. Luckily for the Oilers, Hyman will be available for the regular-season finale to shake off some rust before the playoffs. The 33-year-old has been Edmonton's third-best goal-scorer this season, scoring 31 times with 158 attempts on net. Additionally, he has tallied 20 assists in 57 contests. Hyman has also been crucial during the team's recent postseason campaigns, scoring 34 goals and 60 points in 68 playoff outings since joining the Oilers in 2021-22.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 15, 2026
Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (hip) will play in Wednesday's regular-season finale against the Buffalo Sabres. The 28-year-old had been ever-present in the Stars' lineup this season before landing on the shelf with a hip injury in late March and missing nine games. Steel has bagged a career-high 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 72 outings. He has benefited from Dallas' many injuries, and this might also be the case during the playoffs, as Roope Hintz (lower body) has already been ruled out for at least the first two postseason games. On Wednesday night, Steel will get a look on the top line next to Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 15, 2026
Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (back) won't play on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. The Swedish rearguard is dealing with a back issue, finishing the season with 28 points (two goals, 26 assists), 112 SOG, and 98 blocks in 80 games. During the Panthers' injury-hit season, Forsling ended up being the only player to make at least 80 appearances. Mikulas Hovorka will take Forsling's place on the blue line, suiting up for only the fourth time in the NHL. The 24-year-old is still searching for his first points in the big league,
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
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