EPL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings And FanDuel (5/9/26) - English Premier League Soccer Matchweek 36

Welcome back to "The Kick-Off," and welcome to the 2025-26 season! Fixture congestion is gone, and we are at the final homestretch of the season. Who will qualify for the UEFA Champions League and Europa League? The end is near, with a few fixtures left, and then we begin the World Cup Watch! The final […]

Rasmus Dahlin Ready to Go Friday

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (undisclosed) looks good to go for Game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports. Dahlin was hurt late in Game 1 while blocking a shot, but he said he's not injured. Dahlin's availability is crucial for the Sabres. The 26-year-old has […]

Alexander Nikishin Set to Return Thursday

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) is expected to draw into the lineup for Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. Earlier this week, the Russian blue-liner was cleared to return to action after recovering from a concussion. Nikishin worked with Shayne Gostisbehere on the third […]

Bowen Byram Ties Franchise Record With Fourth Postseason Goal

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram potted a power-play goal in Wednesday's 4-2 Game 1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, tying the franchise record for most goals scored in a postseason by a defenseman. Byram has found the back of the net four times on 17 SOG, adding two assists in seven outings. He is tied […]

Rasmus Dahlin "Seems Fine" After Early Exit on Wednesday

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (undisclosed) looks to have avoided a serious injury in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. He didn't play in the final few minutes after blocking a shot. Speaking to reporters after the game, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin "seems fine" but added that he had not […]

Arber Xhekaj Rejoins Canadiens Lineup Wednesday

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj will re-enter the lineup on Wednesday in Game 1 against the Buffalo Sabres, Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com reports. Montreal scratched the heavy-hitting blue-liner for Sunday's Game 7 against Tampa Bay, with Noah Dobson making his 2026 postseason debut. Xhekaj played in each of the first six games of the […]

Logan Stanley Returns to Action Wednesday

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley (illness) will return from a one-game absence on Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens, Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com reports. Stanley is projected to rejoin Connor Timmins on the third defensive pairing. He didn't play in Game 6 against Boston on Friday. Michael Kesselring filled in for Stanley and will be […]

Radko Gudas to Remain Sidelined Wednesday

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (lower body) won't play in Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports. The Czech veteran will sit out a seventh consecutive contest. However, Gudas has resumed skating, and Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville expects him to return to action "at some […]

Alexander Nikishin Cleared to Play in Game 3 Against Flyers

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) has been cleared to return to the lineup, Kurt Dusterberg of NHL.com reports. He will be an option to play in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. Nikishin missed the first two games of the series due to a concussion sustained in a matchup with Ottawa on […]

Josh Manson Expected to Remain Out Tuesday

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) is expected to miss a third consecutive game on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports. The veteran continues to nurse an upper-body injury sustained during Colorado's first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. Nick Blankenburg has played in Manson's absence, but the Avalanche may […]

Victor Hedman Reveals Reason for Absence

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (personal) revealed on Tuesday that he missed the end of the season to focus on his mental health. The Lightning captain didn't play in the playoffs and sat out the final 15 regular-season games. "I've always believed that being a leader means doing what's best for the team," Hedman […]

Jackson LaCombe Sets New Record With Another Assist

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe continued his debut postseason campaign with another productive outing on Monday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, recording an assist in a 3-1 loss. He set up Mikael Granlund for the game-tying tally in the third period, but the Golden Knights quickly responded with a controversial Ivan Barbashev goal, and […]

Cale Makar Good to Go for Game 2 Against Wild

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (undisclosed) will play in Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. In the series opener, Makar was injured early in the game and missed most of the first period. However, he finished the game and had a big impact, scoring two goals […]

Alexander Nikishin Won't Play Monday

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) will miss a second consecutive game on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Walt Ruff & Peter Dewar of the Hurricanes' official site. The Russian blue-liner suffered a concussion during Carolina's series clincher against Ottawa. He wasn't quite ready to play in Game 1 against Philadelphia, allowing Mike […]

Jeremy Lauzon Expected to Miss Round 2

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (undisclosed) will likely miss the second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks, SinBin.vegas reports. Lauzon was injured during Vegas' series-clinching win over Utah on Friday. The 29-year-old has limited offensive ability and didn't register any points in six games in Round 1, but Vegas will miss his physical presence. He […]

Quinn Hughes Takes Over Postseason Scoring Lead With Three-Point Effort

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes became the leading scorer of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday, posting his second consecutive three-point game with one goal and two assists. In an extraordinary contest featuring 14 different goal-scorers, Hughes had the eighth goal to tie the game at four in the second period. The Olympic champion […]

Cale Makar Shakes Off Injury to Collect Three Points in Game 1

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar opened the second-round series against the Minnesota Wild with three points in a 9-6 win on Sunday. The star defenseman sat out most of the first period due to an apparent lower-body injury, but he made a big impact in the game. Makar produced an assist early in the second […]

Logan Stanley Practices Fully Sunday

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley (illness) was a full participant in Sunday's practice, Justin Alpert of the Sabres' official site reports. Due to a stomach virus, Stanley couldn't help his squad in Friday's series-clinching win over Boston. His full participation in practice suggests he will be available for Buffalo's second-round opener against the Montreal Canadiens […]

Jonas Brodin Out for Games 1 and 2 Against Colorado

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) did not travel with the Minnesota Wild to Colorado. Brodin will not play on Sunday night or Tuesday night versus the Avalanche. Brodin has battled several injuries this season while missing a total of 20 regular-season contests. Brodin suffered a lower-body injury during Game 5 against the Dallas […]

Josh Manson Out for Game 1 Against Minnesota

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) got through an entire practice on Saturday unscathed. However, that was not enough, as the Colorado defenseman will not play in Game 1 against the Minnesota Wild. Manson has not played since aggravating an injury on April 23 against the Los Angeles Kings. Many hoped the injury was […]

Victor Hedman Will Not Play Sunday Versus Montreal

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman gave fans and fantasy playoff managers a glimmer of brief hope on Sunday. However, head coach Jon Cooper said no when asked if Hedman would return against the Montreal Canadiens. Hedman will be given more time to get into game shape. It has been a brutal season for the […]

Noah Dobson Will Play Against Tampa Bay on Sunday

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson will play in his first playoff game this Sunday evening against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dobson provided a huge spark during the regular season. Dobson scored 12 goals and racked up 47 points over 80 contests. Dobson provided a steady mentorship to Lane Hutson. The defenseman getting back in the […]

Mike Reilly Delivers Two Assists in Game 1 Win

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Mike Reilly impressed during his 2026 postseason debut on Saturday night, contributing two assists in a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Reilly took Alexander Nikishin's (concussion) spot in the lineup and already had a multi-assist game within the first 7:30 of the first period, setting up Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. […]

Ducks Hope to See Radko Gudas Return During Second Round

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (lower body) is expected to return to action during the team's second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports. "I would hopefully expect him to be ready at some point in the series. When I say that, sooner would be better," Ducks head coach […]

Josh Manson Day-to-Day Ahead of Game 1 Against Wild

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) is day-to-day ahead of Game 1 against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports. He has been nursing an upper-body injury since being hurt on April 23 against the Los Angeles Kings. Overall, the first round went well for Manson, who managed two assists […]

Jonas Brodin to Miss Game 1 Against Avalanche

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) won't be available for Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. He hasn't traveled with the team and will miss a second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. Jeff Petry took Brodin's spot in the lineup in Game 6 against the Dallas Stars. On Saturday, Wild […]

Nikita Zadorov Played Through Torn MCL in Playoffs

Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (knee) was seriously hurt during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Conor Ryan of Boston.com reports. "I tore my MCL in Game 3. Fully torn off the bone. I played on it a little bit," Zadorov said after Friday's Game 6 loss to Buffalo. Remarkably, Zadorov still averaged 21:27 of ice […]

Alexander Nikishin a Game-Time Call Saturday

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) is a game-time decision on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. He reportedly has one more test to pass to clear the NHL's concussion protocol. Nikishin sustained his concussion last Saturday in Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators. He wore a regular […]

EPL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings And FanDuel (5/2/26) - English Premier League Soccer Matchweek 35

Welcome back to "The Kick-Off," and welcome to the 2025-26 season! Fixture congestion is gone, and we are at the final homestretch of the season. Who will qualify for the UEFA Champions League and Europa League? A few interesting scenarios are playing out between the domestic fixture and this year's finalists. The final push to […]

Logan Stanley a Game-Time Decision Friday

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley (illness) is a game-time decision for Friday's tilt against the Buffalo Sabres, Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com reports. The towering 6-foot-7 blue-liner is dealing with an illness and couldn't practice on Thursday. This season, Stanley took a big leap offensively, recording 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 76 games split […]