May 3, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed) will remain out for Round 2 of the playoffs. The Swedish veteran has participated in just one game since March 26, missing the entire first round against the Los Angeles Kings. He will need the Oilers to get back to the Western Conference Finals to have a chance to return to game action this season. Edmonton's defense has struggled without Ekholm in the postseason, as the team has allowed four goals per game. Improvements are necessary in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights. Evan Bouchard has once again been the standout performer at the back for the Oilers, recording seven points (four goals, three assists) in six games. He is one of three defensemen averaging over 21 minutes of ice time for Edmonton, along with Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
May 3, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (undisclosed) sat out Saturday's practice and remains day-to-day. He is nursing an undisclosed injury suffered during Tuesday's Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild. The team was able to finish off Minnesota in Game 6 without Dorofeyev, but he is a significant loss for the Golden Knights. The Russian forward scored a team-high 35 goals and collected 52 points in 82 regular-season games. In five playoff appearances, he has contributed one goal and one assist. With Dorofeyev sidelined for Thursday's Game 6, Victor Olofsson entered the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two contests. He registered his first postseason point with a power-play assist. Olofsson will maintain a spot on the first power-play unit until Dorofeyev returns.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Vince Sapienza
May 3, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (personal) returned to practice on Saturday. He missed Friday's practice session to address a personal matter, and the Hurricanes will be delighted that Aho was able to make a quick return. The team is preparing to begin its second-round series against the Washington Capitals, which will start on Tuesday. Aho starred in the opening round against the New Jersey Devils, recording eight points (three goals, five assists) in five games, and is expected to lead the team again. In four regular-season meetings with the Capitals, Aho collected three assists but failed to score with 10 shots on goal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Henkel
May 3, 2025
Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (undisclosed) has been labeled a game-time decision by head coach Scott Arniel for Sunday's Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues. Scheifele was hurt in Game 5 of the series and missed Friday's big 5-2 loss in St. Louis. However, he was back on the ice for a solo skate on Saturday, and his absence may be limited to just one game. The Jets would certainly welcome Scheifele back with open arms, as he has been very productive in the playoffs, amassing six points (two goals, four assists) in five games. He has averaged two points per game in home outings during the series. Scheifele's return would bump Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Lowry down in the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: John Lu
May 3, 2025
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (lower body) skated on Saturday morning but will not join the lineup for Game 7 against the Dallas Stars. Colton wore a red non-contact jersey during the morning skate. The 28-year-old missed the final four regular-season games and has not played against the Stars since the series opener. Colton averaged close to 0.5 points per game during the regular season, finishing with 16 goals and 13 assists in 61 games. If Colorado wins on Saturday and advances to the second round, Colton will be in contention for a third-line spot when he is ready to return.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Evan Rawal
May 3, 2025
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood will start Saturday's Game 7 against the Dallas Stars, needing to deliver a road win for the team to extend its season. Blackwood opened the first-round series with a 5-1 win in Dallas, but he has since struggled on the road, allowing nine goals over two games. Dating back to the regular season, Blackwood has celebrated victory in only two of his last 10 road starts. It's a tough task to take down the Stars in Texas, but the Avalanche will carry some momentum following their Game 6 victory. Blackwood, who stopped 22 of 24 shots in Thursday's 7-4 win, has allowed 2.65 goals in the series with a .899 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Montano
May 3, 2025
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger will start Game 7 on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, looking to get back on track following a rough outing in Game 6. On Thursday, Oettinger made 41 saves, but still ended up allowing five goals in a 7-4 loss. He has suffered two losses in three games after helping the Stars grab a 2-1 series lead. However, Oettinger has won back-to-back home outings, which should give him confidence for Saturday's do-or-die game. The Stars No. 1 owns the same .909 save percentage in the playoffs as in the regular season but has allowed slightly more goals at 2.99.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Owen Newkirk
May 3, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) will not be ready to return to action on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche. He will miss his 39th straight game as he recovers from knee surgery. Heiskanen was labeled day-to-day a while ago, but since the team is not bringing him back for Game 7, the star defenseman may still be a bit away from being game-ready. Thomas Harley has taken over as the No. 1 defenseman in the playoffs, averaging 28:19 of ice time. He has notched four points (two goals, two assists) in six games, taking seven shots on goal while blocking 19 shots and recording eight hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Lia Assimakopoulos
May 3, 2025
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche. Robertson, who has been nursing a knee injury since the regular season finale, was upgraded to day-to-day earlier in the week. But Saturday's game comes too soon for him to be ready to play. Robertson's absence has been a blow for the Stars, but the team has proven that it can compete with the Avalanche without him. The top line, which currently has Mikael Granlund skating in Robertson's spot alongside Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen, produced a remarkable total of nine combined points in Thursday's 7-4 loss.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Lia Assimakopoulos
May 3, 2025
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had another miserable road outing against the St. Louis Blues on Friday, surrendering five goals on 23 shots in a 5-2 loss. He was pulled for the third straight away game in the series, with Eric Comrie logging four saves in the third period. Due to his road struggles, Hellebuyck's numbers for this postseason make for grim reading. He carries a 3-3 record with a 4.42 goals-against average and a .815 save percentage. Since helping the Jets start the 2023 postseason with a road win at Vegas, Hellebuyck has lost seven consecutive away starts in the playoffs, allowing at least four goals each time. Fortunately for the Jets, Game 7 against the Blues will take place in Winnipeg on Sunday. On home ice, Hellebuyck remains undefeated this postseason, allowing only 2.33 goals per game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti scored his first career postseason goal in Friday's 5-2 defeat against the St. Louis Blues. The 23-year-old lit the lamp on the power play with 5:43 played in the second period, tying the game at one. However, the Blues went on to score four unanswered goals in the period, setting up the series for a big Game 7 on Sunday. Perfetti has averaged 0.5 points per game in the matchup, registering one goal and two assists with 14 shots on goal and a minus-four rating. With him netting his first playoff goal, Friday was a special night for Perfetti, but he struggled during even-strength play, going minus three. Perfetti logged only 8:05 of even-strength ice time, so things were really rough for him in the contest.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington saved 21 of 23 shots in Friday's 5-2 victory against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets only managed to beat him with power-play goals. Home ice advantage has been huge in the series, and Binnington's numbers illustrate this well. The Blues No. 1 has won all three home games while allowing five total goals, but he has yet to taste victory on the road, giving up 10 goals over three games. With the series now heading back to Winnipeg for Game 7, the pressure will be on Binnington to break the trend. A victory on Sunday night would tie him with Vincent Riendeau for the most wins among Blues goalies in elimination scenarios. Binnington improved to 4-2 on Friday in games when facing elimination.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler continued his prolific 2025 postseason run with a goal in Friday's 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Colton Parayko and Alexey Toropchenko set him up for the Blues' fourth goal of the game at the 13:40 mark in the second period. The Jets have yet to keep Fowler off the score sheet, as the 33-year-old has become the first blue-liner in Blues history to score at least 10 points in a single playoff series. He boasts two goals and eight assists. Only Edmonton's Connor McDavid (11) has scored more points this postseason. With Fowler on fire, the Blues have recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the series and have a chance to move on to the second round by winning Game 7 on Sunday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg was one of the main protagonists in Friday's 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, finishing the contest with a goal and an assist. He opened the scoring with a little over six minutes played in the first period and assisted Nathan Walker on St. Louis' second goal in the second frame. Broberg tied for the game high with four shots on goal while blocking one shot in 18:43 of ice time. Although Broberg averaged close to 0.5 points per game in the regular season, he had not managed to score in the first five games against the Jets. Still, he has been a valuable asset for the Blues, logging a league-best plus-nine rating in the postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 2, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (personal) did not practice on Friday. He missed the session for personal reasons, meaning there isn't a serious concern that he might not be available when the Hurricanes begin their second-round series against the Washington Capitals. Aho is Carolina's all-time leader with 78 postseason points (30 goals, 48 assists) in 79 games and has also led the charge in 2025. He collected eight points (three goals, five assists) during the team's five-game series against the New Jersey Devils in Round 1. Jack Roslovic filled in for Aho as the top-line center during Friday's practice.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Walt Ruff
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