April 20, 2025
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) practiced on Sunday but will remain sidelined for Monday's Game 2 against the St. Louis Blues. The 25-year-old practiced in a non-contact jersey on Sunday for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury on March 23. The injury dashed Vilardi's hopes of reaching 70 points for the season, yet he still had a career year with 27 goals and 61 points in 71 appearances. Alex Iafallo will continue to skate on the top line until Vilardi returns. He has done a fantastic job filling in for him and opened the postseason with a goal in Saturday's 5-3 victory.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 20, 2025
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (upper body) practiced fully for a second consecutive day on Sunday and could be back in the lineup for Monday's Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens. The 31-year-old sat out the final seven regular-season games with an upper-body injury. He's had a big year between the sticks with Washington, posting a 31-6-6 record with a 2.49 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and two shutouts. "You'll find out tomorrow night," Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said Sunday about whether Thompson or Charlie Lindgren would start Game 1. Lindgren, who went 20-14-3 during the regular season, has also been in excellent form, giving Washington two very strong options in goal for the postseason campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 20, 2025
Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary (lower body) sat out a second consecutive practice on Sunday, leaving his status uncertain for Monday's postseason opener against the Montreal Canadiens. Fehervary missed his first game of the season when Washington concluded its regular-season schedule on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He enjoyed a career year offensively, posting 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 81 appearances. Fehervary also celebrated a new career high with 150 blocks while handing out 139 hits. Although the 25-year-old isn't a big name, his presence would certainly be missed if he can't play on Monday. Alexander Alexeyev will likely fill in for him.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 20, 2025
Los Angeles Kings winger Tanner Jeannot (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Monday's Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers. He is still considered week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. The 27-year-old power forward has been on the shelf since late March, missing 12 games. Jeannot finished the regular season with 13 points (seven goals, six assists) and a team-high 211 hits in 67 games. His physical style of play could be a real asset for the Kings in a tough playoff series, but Jeannot won't be available for at least the first three games of the matchup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Zach Dooley
April 20, 2025
Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium is set to make his NHL debut in Sunday's Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 19-year-old signed an entry-level contract with the team on April 13 after completing his campaign with the University of Denver. Buium had an outstanding college career, registering 98 points (24 goals, 74 assists) in 83 games over two seasons. He received the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year award in consecutive years and was voted the NCHC Player of the Year this season. Buium, who was the 12th pick in last year's draft, will enter the lineup on the third defensive pairing, joining forces with Zach Bogosian. Jon Merrill will be a healthy scratch on Sunday night.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 20, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been named the starter for Sunday's Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators. The 31-year-old will make his first career postseason start. Stolarz may lack playoff experience, but he has been rock-solid for the Maple Leafs this season and enters the postseason in spectacular form. He won each of his last eight regular-season starts, recording three shutouts. Overall, he posted four shutouts for the season, finishing with a 21-8-3 record, a 2.14 goals-against average, and a .926 save percentage. It has been a great year for Stolarz; however, he was defeated by the Senators in both of his appearances against them during the regular season, allowing a total of six goals with a .908 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Luke Fox
April 20, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (upper body) will be in the lineup on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. The Maple Leafs finished the regular season without Ekman-Larsson, as an upper-body injury sidelined him for four games. The Swedish rearguard adds a wealth of experience to the lineup and has been effective at both ends in 2024-25. During the regular season, Ekman-Larsson recorded 29 points (four goals, 25 assists), 83 blocks, and 108 hits in 77 games. On Saturday, it was confirmed that Jake McCabe (upper body) would be ready to return for Game 1 against Ottawa, so Toronto's blue line will receive two significant pieces back for the start of the postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 20, 2025
Calgary Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich sustained a broken foot in Thursday's regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Kings. The Belarusian forward took a significant step back in 2024-25, and the injury is an additional blow. He completed the season with 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 73 appearances, a far cry from his 59-point effort a year ago. The 2024-25 campaign was the first season of a five-year, $28.75 million contract extension that Sharangovich inked with the Flames last summer. He has made 360 career appearances, posting 101 goals and 197 points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Pat Steinberg
April 20, 2025
Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson revealed on Saturday that he played the final 12 games of the season with a broken fibula. He sustained the injury while blocking a shot against the Seattle Kraken on March 25. The Swedish blue-liner featured in all but one game in 2024-25, sitting out the team's regular-season finale. Andersson struggled to make an impact late in the season and had a disappointing campaign in general. The 28-year-old collected 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 81 appearances, marking his lowest scoring total in four years. Next season will be the final year of Andersson's six-year, $27.3 million contract.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
April 20, 2025
New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (knee) believes he will be available for the start of next season. This campaign ended very early for Varlamov, who is recovering from a knee procedure he underwent in December. Varlamov said on Saturday that the injury had been bothering him for a long time and is on track to start skating again in June. The Russian veteran finished the campaign with a 3-4-3 record, a 2.89 goals-against average, and a .889 save percentage. Varlamov, who will turn 37 next weekend, has two more years remaining on his contract.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ethan Sears
April 20, 2025
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (lower body) will not require surgery to get back into game shape for next season. The talented blue-liner missed the final three regular-season games after sustaining a lower-body injury. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Power mentioned that he will need about two months to recover. The 22-year-old had a career-high 40 points (seven goals, 33 assists) in 79 games this season with 139 shots on goal and 109 blocks. Power plays a big role on Buffalo's blue line and has already made 242 regular-season appearances for the team, recording 111 points (19 goals, 92 assists).
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bill Hoppe
April 20, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has undergone triceps surgery and could miss the start of 2025-26. The Finnish rearguard also dealt with the same injury last term, making only 31 appearances. He missed the final 16 games this season, finishing with 19 points (four goals, 15 assists), 94 blocks, and 97 hits in 63 appearances. The 30-year-old surpassed 300 career points in 2024-25, boasting 56 goals and 248 assists through 776 contests. This was the third season of Ristolainen's five-year, $25.5 million contract that he signed with the Flyers in 2022.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jordan Hall
April 20, 2025
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (knee) is on the cusp of returning to the lineup. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said that Kane is close to being cleared to return from a knee surgery that sidelined him for the regular season. The Oilers are set to begin their postseason campaign on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. Kane's return would improve the team in several areas. He was tied for the most goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs a couple of years back and has recorded 43 points (26 goals, 17 assists) in 76 career postseason appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
April 20, 2025
Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor picked up three points in the team's 5-3 comeback victory in Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. Connor recorded a power-play assist in the first period and added two more points to his tally in the third, assisting Alex Iafallo and scoring the game-winning goal at the 18:24 mark. It's the latest go-ahead goal in a playoff contest in franchise history. Additionally, Connor tied a franchise record with his fourth career game-winning goal in the postseason. The 28-year-old had a big regular season, scoring a career-high 97 points (41 goals, 56 assists) in 82 games, and Connor seems ready to replicate his form in the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 20, 2025
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon kicked off the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a standout performance, recording three points in a 5-1 road victory against the Dallas Stars. The 2024 MVP scored twice on six shots and delivered one assist. MacKinnon became the ninth-fastest player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to score 50 career goals. Playing in his 89th career postseason game, he netted a power-play goal late in the second period and scored an empty-netter in the final minutes. There should be plenty more to come in the series from MacKinnon, who averages the sixth-most points per game in NHL postseason history.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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