April 17, 2026
St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas skated into the offseason after scoring a hat trick in Thursday's 5-3 road win over the Utah Mammoth. He had two goals in the second period to give St. Louis a 3-2 lead and then added an empty-net goal with less than a minute left in regulation. The 26-year-old celebrated his second career hat trick. Both of his three-goal games came this month. Unfortunately for Thomas, he can't carry this momentum into the playoffs, as the Blues couldn't overcome a horrible start to the season. But Thomas should be full of confidence entering next season, having secured his third consecutive campaign with a scoring pace of at least one point per game. Despite playing in only 64 games, Thomas finished as St. Louis' leader in all the main offensive categories, notching 64 points with 25 goals and 39 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini closed out his sophomore year with a three-point performance in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets, setting a new franchise record for most points scored in a single season. Celebrini had one goal and two assists in the season finale, finishing the campaign with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 contests. The previous record was established by Joe Thornton in 2006-07, with 114 points. San Jose's young superstar finished the year as the league's fourth-highest scorer. Celebrini has all the tools to become a regular Art Ross Trophy contender, and his name even popped up in MVP talks this season. At just 19 years old, his fantasy stock can only go up.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood recorded a 22-save shutout in Thursday's regular-season finale against the Seattle Kraken, backstopping the team to a 2-0 victory. The Avalanche did just enough to close out the campaign with a win, while resting some of its key players, such as Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. Colorado dominated the league during the regular season, finishing with the best record, the most goals scored, and the fewest goals allowed. The latter achievement brought Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood the 2025-26 William M. Jennings Trophy. Including six shootout deciders, the Avalanche netminders gave up only 203 goals during the season. Wedgewood finished the campaign with a 31-6-6 record, a 2.02 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage, and four shutouts.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (rest) has become the second player in franchise history to lead the NHL in goals. He produced 53 goals in 80 games, winning the Rocket Richard Trophy by a two-goal margin over Montreal's Cole Caufield. Milan Hejduk was previously Colorado's lone Rocket Richard Trophy winner, having netted 50 goals in 2002-03. MacKinnon sat out the Avalanche's regular-season finale on Thursday against Seattle, finishing the campaign with 127 points. He will now start a chase for his second Stanley Cup. While Colorado hasn't had much joy in the playoffs since its triumph in 2022, MacKinnon's performance levels have remained high. He has posted 14 goals and 32 points across 25 games in the last three postseasons.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid sealed his sixth Art Ross Trophy win in style on Thursday night, tallying four assists in a 6-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. He finished the regular season with 138 points (48 goals, 90 assists) in 82 games, four more than the second-highest scorer, Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov. McDavid also beat out Kucherov in the race to finish first in assists. The Oilers captain tied Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux for the second most Art Ross Trophy wins in NHL history, behind Wayne Gretzky (10). It's been another special season for McDavid, but he definitely won't fully enjoy it if he can't get his hands on the Stanley Cup for the first time. McDavid will begin his eighth career postseason campaign against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins center Connor Dewar (lower body) will rejoin the lineup for Game 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports. After practicing on Thursday, Lizotte announced he's "ready to go" for the playoffs. The 28-year-old sat out the last four regular-season games due to a lower-body injury. Despite being limited to a fourth-line role, Deward managed a career-high 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 78 games this season. He was also among the team leaders with 144 hits. Dewar's physicality could be a big asset for the Penguins in a playoff series against their state rivals. Blake Lizotte (upper body) has also declared himself available for the postseason, meaning Pittsburgh will have its highly effective fourth line back together for the most important part of the campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: Seth Rorabaugh
April 17, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Nikita Grebenkin (upper body) is not expected to be game-ready at the start of the playoffs, Bill Meltzer of the Flyers' official site reports. The Russian forward sustained an upper-body injury in late March and wasn't in the lineup for the final 13 regular-season contests. He finished his rookie campaign with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists), 32 SOG, and 86 hits in 55 outings. Grebekin's absence has coincided with the emergence of Porter Martone. The sixth pick of last year's draft heads into the postseason with a six-game point streak and is sure to be a popular selection in DFS competitions.
--Taavi PailkSource: Bill Meltzer
April 16, 2026
Calgary Flames goaltender Arsenii Sergeev will be between the sticks on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports. With Devin Cooley (illness) unavailable, the Flames brought Sergeev up from the minors, and he will be thrown straight into action. This will be Sergeev's NHL debut after appearing in 28 AHL and 12 ECHL contests this season. He will go up against a Kings team that has averaged 3.50 goals per game this month and is still fighting for a higher playoff seed, so this could be a long night for Sergeev.
--Taavi PailkSource: Pat Steinberg
April 16, 2026
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (knee) will play for Team Finland in the World Championship, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. The Panthers captain missed the entire 2025-26 NHL campaign due to a knee injury, but he was medically cleared to play by team doctors on Wednesday. The World Championship will be played from May 15 to May 31 in Switzerland. Anton Lundell (ribs), who missed Florida's final 14 games, will also suit up for Finland. Lundell's usage will suffer next season with Barkov back in the lineup. Before his knee injury, Barkov was a point-per-game player for five consecutive campaigns. The missed year might affect his productivity in 2026-27.
--Taavi PailkSource: Emily Kaplan
April 16, 2026
Washington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois fractured his hand in Sunday's win over Pittsburgh, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports reports. He didn't play on Tuesday against Columbus and is expected to need 1-2 months to heal up. The playoff door was shut for Washington, so Dubois will have the entire summer to rehab from the injury. Dubois battled health issues all season and made only 29 appearances. He tallied five goals and 19 points. His production dropped significantly compared with his first season with the Capitals, when Dubois recorded a career-high 66 points (20 goals, 46 assists) in 82 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tarik El-Bashir
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
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