4 days agoSan Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture said on Saturday that he is optimistic he can return to full health this fall and plans to begin skating again in July. Couture appeared in just six games in the 2023-24 season after suffering a groin injury while off-ice training prior to training camp. He didn't make his season debut until Jan. 20 against the Ducks, recording an assist, before going pointless across his next five games. He was shut down for the rest of the regular season after a Jan. 31 contest against the same Ducks team. The Sharks finished the regular season dead last in the NHL with 47 points and have the best chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Curtis Pashelka
4 days agoTampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev practiced in a regular jersey for the first time on Saturday after suffering a gruesome leg injury on Feb. 7 against the New York Rangers. The Russian blueliner underwent surgery the following day to stabilize fractures in his left tibia and fibula and resumed skating on March 18. He has been practicing in a noncontact jersey since April 8. However, he is not expected to play in the team's first-round series against the rival Florida Panthers. For the season, Sergachev notched two goals and 19 points across 34 games on the campaign after tallying a career-high 64 points in 79 games last season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoWashington Capitals defensemen Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen both practiced in noncontact jerseys on Saturday and are possibilities for Game 1 of their first-round series against the top-seeded New York Rangers on Sunday. Both players have been sidelined with upper-body injuries and skated on their own on Thursday and Friday before joining the team for Saturday's session. "Trending in the right direction," bench boss Spencer Carbery said on Saturday. "Both practiced today and were a part of essentially everything we did on the ice, so it's a good step." Sandin notched three goals and 23 points in 21:07 of average ice time per game while Jensen tallied one goal and 14 points in 19:38 of ice time per game across 78 contests on the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoVegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was a full practice participant on Saturday after undergoing an appendectomy. He is expected to dress for Game 1 of the team's first-round series against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. The veteran notched four goals and 33 points on 141 shots on goal while he also blocked a hefty 160 shots across 64 games on the season. Vegas finished in the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, setting up a road matchup with the top-seeded Stars in the first round.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoVegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone (upper body) is a possibility to return for Game 1 of the postseason against the hosting Dallas Stars. The veteran's potential return is once again a curious situation, as Stone missed the remainder of the regular season due to an upper-body injury suffered in a 5-3 loss to the Predators on Feb. 20 but has been physically cleared for contact just in time for Game 1 of the playoffs, just as he was last season after missing the remainder of the regular season with a back injury. The team had him on long-term injured reserve and would not have been able to afford his salary cap hit in the regular season, but there is no salary cap in the postseason. Stone tallied 16 goals and 53 points in 56 games this season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoColorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin will miss the first round of the team's playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets due to a lower-body injury. The veteran left the team's final regular-season game on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers in the second period and did not return. "Super unfortunate. I feel really bad for him," Avalanche center and often linemate Nathan MacKinnon said. Obviously it [stinks] for the team, but for him as a person it's just so sad. Hopefully we get him back sooner than later, but just more motivation, if we can find a way to win this series, that we get some help coming." Drouin enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Avs this year, noticing 19 goals and 56 points across 79 games.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
5 days agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann (lower body) is a possibility for Game 1 of the postseason on Saturday against the Boston Bruins despite not taking part in practice on Friday, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. He suffered a lower-body injury in an awkward fall while clearing the puck short-handed during a 5-4 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on April 13 and did not return to the game. He sat out the team's final two regular-season contests. McMann broke out in the second half of the season, notching 13 goals across his final 33 games after registering just two goals in his first 23 games of the campaign.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
5 days agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok (hand) practiced with the team on Friday and is a possibility for Game 1 of the postseason Saturday versus the rival Boston Bruins. The veteran has been sidelined since suffering his second hand injury of the season in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on March 14. Jarnkrok missed time earlier in the season with a broken knuckle suffered when he was hit on the hand by a shot in practice. The Swede has recorded 10 goals and 21 points on 92 shots on goal across 52 games this season after posting career highs with 20 goals and 39 points in his first season with the Leafs in 2022-23.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
5 days agoToronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (undisclosed) did not take part in Friday's practice ahead of Saturday's Game 1 of the postseason against the Boston Bruins. No reason has been provided for his absence, while head coach Sheldon Keefe said Nylander was a possibility for Saturday's postseason opener. He had recently been skating on a line with Pontus Holmberg and Matthew Knies as Keefe has spread out his top offensive weapons. Knies was promoted to the line featuring John Tavares and Mitch Marner at Friday's practice. It was a big season the Swedish veteran matched a career-high with 40 goals and notched a career-high 98 points and 316 shots on goal while skating in all 82 regular-season games.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
5 days agoNew York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau is listed as day to day after suffering a lower-body injury during the first period of a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. The veteran didn't take part in practice on Friday and is questionable for Game 1 of the postseason against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday in Raleigh. Kyle MacLean was elevated to the third line while veteran Cal Clutterbuck skated as the team's fourth-line center on Friday. For the season, Pageau recorded 11 goals and 33 points while skating in all 82 of the team's regular-season contests.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
5 days agoFlorida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (lower body) will be back to take on the rival Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the postseason on Sunday in Sunrise. The veteran missed the final six games of the regular season with a lower-body injury and appeared in just four of the team's last 17 regular-season contests. "He would have played in the last game had it been a playoff game," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after practice Friday. "We just did not see a point to it. We had enough healthy and strong defensemen and were in good shape." Ekblad skated with Gustav Forsling on Friday and registered four goals and 18 points in 51 games after a late start to his season due to multiple injuries suffered in last season's playoffs.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
5 days agoNew York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson (upper body) will be back for Game 1 of the postseason on Saturday to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The blue-liner missed the final three regular-season games due to an upper-body injury. "When you leave a game and miss the three games to finish the year, you obviously had some concern with the playoffs coming," Dobson said. "But I've just tried to focus on doing whatever I can to get myself ready. It's been a day-to-day thing, just one day at a time, and I'm just happy to be feeling a little better here." The young defenseman had a big season, notching 10 goals and 70 points across 79 games as part of a team-high 24:31 of ice time per game.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
5 days agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi (undisclosed) said he is ready to go for Game 1 of the postseason on Saturday against the Boston Bruins. The veteran sat out the team's final two regular-season games with an undisclosed injury but will be back in the lineup for another clash with the rival Bruins. Domi got off to a sluggish offensive start but has clicked recently while skating on a line with superstar Auston Matthews, tallying two goals and 17 points across his final 21 regular-season games since the beginning of March. He skated with Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi on Friday morning.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
6 days agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen will be the starting goaltender for Thursday's regular-season finale against the visiting Edmonton Oilers. The Avs will give No. 1 netminder Alexandar Georgiev a breather ahead of a first-round matchup with the Winnipeg Jets. For the season, Annunen has been excellent when called upon, working to a 2.35 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage across 13 outings, 11 of which were starts. The Avalanche will take on the Jets after finishing third in the difficult Central Division but will not rest any other players, according to head coach Jared Bednar.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Boulding
6 days agoCalgary Flames netminder Dustin Wolf will be between the pipes for Thursday's contest against the visiting San Jose Sharks. The 23-year-old has appeared in 16 games for the Flames this season, turning in a 3.30 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage while going 6-7-1 in that time. He has been excellent with the American Hockey League's Calgary Wranglers, however, turning in a 2.43 GAA and a .923 save percentage across 35 games. Wolf is firmly the goaltender of the future in Calgary but Jacob Markstrom still has two years and a $6 million annually left on his contract.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Pat Steinberg
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