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
April 15, 2026
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (personal) will return from a four-game absence on Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. The star forward has been away from the team after becoming a father for the first time in early April. Tkachuk has appeared in 30 games this season, producing 13 goals and 19 assists. Last month, he rocked the Red Wings with five points (three goals, two assists) in two games. Tkachuk is projected to skate with Mackie Samoskevich and Eetu Luostarinen on the first line, replacing Tomas Nosek (leg) in the lineup. He will also be one of Florida's primary weapons on the power play.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
April 15, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Max Crozier (abdomen) has been cleared to return to action on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. He has been out since Feb. 1 due to core muscle surgery. Crozier played well when he was available earlier in the season, recording 10 points (one goal, nine assists), 44 SOG, 31 blocks, 38 hits, and a plus-seven rating in 34 games. With Darren Raddysh (undisclosed) out for a third consecutive game, Crozier could have an expanded role in Wednesday's game. Emil Lilleberg is expected to make way for him in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 15, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (lower body) will rejoin the lineup on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. The prolific forward has sat out six of the Lightning's last seven games, but will suit up for the regular-season finale. Hagel has had a special campaign, with a career-high 36 goals and 74 points in 70 games. He is expected to join his usual partners, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov, on the top line and will skate on the first power-play unit. Over his last 10 appearances, Hagel has racked up 15 points (six goals, nine assists).
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 15, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) racked up three assists as he returned from a seven-game absence in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames. The Presidents' Trophy winners celebrated a road win after Artturi Lehkonen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon scored. This was Makar's second consecutive three-assist outing. With one more regular-season game to go, Makar has already secured a sixth consecutive campaign with a scoring average of at least one point per game. In 74 outings, he has tallied 20 goals and 58 assists. By his standards, Makar had a quiet postseason a year ago, with five points (one goal, four assists) in seven games, but only two blue-liners all-time have averaged more playoff points than him (1.08). An underwhelming postseason showing last year should serve as fuel for Makar to elevate his game this time.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 15, 2026
St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud was extraordinary in the team's final home game of the season on Tuesday, notching two goals and two assists in a 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 21-year-old recorded his first career four-point game and became only the third rookie in franchise history to have multiple goals and multiple assists in the same contest. Snuggerud has recently made up for a disappointing start to his rookie campaign. 26 of his 50 points have come since the start of March. This scoring surge includes seven multi-point performances, and Snuggerud has scored in three consecutive games. He can further build his reputation ahead of next season's fantasy drafts on Thursday against Utah. Snuggerud will enter the matchup with 21 goals and 29 assists in 69 appearances this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 15, 2026
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman returned to winning ways with a 21-save shutout in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The 2026 Olympic champion had gone winless in all four prior starts this month. However, the late losing run didn't make much of an impact on Swayman's numbers. He registered his first career 30-win season with a 31-18-4 record and finished the regular season with a 2.71 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and two shutouts. Swayman has been a strong postseason performer and should be full of confidence after a successful regular-season campaign. The 27-year-old has allowed 2.38 goals with a .922 save percentage during his playoff career.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 15, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks center Oliver Moore (lower body) will sit out Wednesday's regular-season finale against the San Jose Sharks, Vinnie Parise of The Hockey News reports. Moore has missed more than a month due to a lower-body injury. There was a chance he would return for the final game of the season, but the team has decided against it. Moore finishes his rookie campaign with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 51 games. The 2023 first-round pick will hope to take a sophomore leap in 2026-27 as part of Chicago's young core.
--Taavi PailkSource: Vinnie Parise
April 15, 2026
Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist (personal) will be in the lineup on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres. Last week, it was reported that Lundkvist exited the lineup due to illness, but he was actually away from the team for the birth of his first child. Lundkvist has made 51 appearances this season, recording 11 points (three goals, eight assists), 46 SOG, 47 blocks, and a plus-11 rating. With Miro Heiskanen (lower body) on the shelf, Lundkvist figures to have a more prominent role in Wednesday's regular-season finale. He might also see more ice time during the postseason, as Heiskanen is questionable for the start of the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 15, 2026
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (lower body) will miss the team's first two playoff games, and these might not be his only absences during the postseason. "Certainly, Roope won't be in Games 1 or 2," Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said on Tuesday. "We don't know when he could come back or if he could come back. We'll see." Hintz is dealing with a lower-body injury and has appeared in only one game since the Olympic break ended. Before his injury, the Finnish forward was playing well, recording 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 53 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 15, 2026
Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha (personal) will be available for the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Matt Vautour of MassLive reports. Zacha left Tuesday's 4-0 victory over New Jersey after the first period to attend to a personal matter. After the game, Bruins head coach Marco Strum said Zacha will be available for Game 1 against Buffalo in the first round of the postseason. Casey Mittelstadt (undisclosed) is also expected to return for the playoff opener. Before his premature exit on Tuesday, Zacha recorded an assist to get to 65 points for the year. He has achieved a new scoring record with 30 goals and 35 assists in 78 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 14, 2026
Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (upper body) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's tilt against the Winnipeg Jets. An upper-body injury has kept Marino sidelined for two games. However, he has a chance to return against Winnipeg after skating in a regular jersey on Tuesday morning. Marino boasts a team-best plus-39 rating and has set a new scoring record this season, with 35 points (four goals, 31 assists) in 78 games. Dmitri Simashev has played in the last two games but will likely make way for Marino if he's ready to return.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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