NHL Player News

Strome (illness) is good to play Saturday versus Seattle, per Derek Wills of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Strome has eight goals and 20 points in 49 outings between Calgary and Anaheim in 2025-26. He missed Thursday's 3-1 loss to Colorado due to illness, but he will return to a third-line role alongside Blake Coleman and Aydar Suniev against the Kraken on Saturday.

Bennett (undisclosed) won't play Saturday versus the Maple Leafs, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Bennett will sit for the first time since March 29, which was the second game of a personal absence. If his injury is even a little bit of a concern, the Panthers may opt to shut him down for the remainder of the season.

Verhaeghe (undisclosed) won't play Saturday versus the Maple Leafs, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

The Panthers arguably have more talent out of the lineup than in it at this point, with Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett (undisclosed) the latest players to exit. Verhaeghe's status for the final two games of the season is unclear, but it wouldn't be surprising if he got shut down with Florida eliminated from playoff contention.

Staal (undisclosed) will play against Utah on Saturday, according to Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site.

Staal sat out Thursday's 7-2 win over Chicago. He has collected 19 goals, 34 points, 103 shots on net and 166 hits in 74 appearances this season.

Jankowski (undisclosed) won't be in the lineup against the Mammoth on Saturday.

Jankowski has 10 goals, 20 points, 61 shots on net, 41 blocked shots and 44 hits in 66 contests this season. He is day-to-day and probably getting some rest ahead of the start of the playoffs.

Stankoven (undisclosed) will be scratched for Saturday's game against Utah.

Despite his official designation being undisclosed, Stankoven is probably getting a game off ahead of the playoffs. He has 21 goals and 42 points in 79 outings in 2025-26.

Jarvis (undisclosed) will play Saturday versus Utah, per Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site.

Jarvis is set to skate alongside Sebastian Aho (undisclosed) and Andrei Svechnikov (undisclosed) on the top line Saturday. All three of those forwards missed Thursday's game against Chicago, likely for roster-management reasons. Carolina is focused on resting veterans ahead of the playoffs.

Coleman (personal) will play in Saturday's road clash against the Kraken, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Coleman will return to the lineup after missing Thursday's 3-1 loss to Colorado for the birth of his son. The 34-year-old Coleman has 19 goals, 33 points, 166 shots on net, 148 hits and 44 blocked shots across 65 games this season. He'll likely return to the Flames' top line for Saturday's clash and holds solid streaming value against Seattle's Niklas Kokko, who is making his first NHL start.

Eriksson Ek (rest) will not play in Saturday's road clash against the Predators, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

With the Wild already having punched their ticket to the playoffs, Eriksson Ek will rest Saturday. The 29-year-old center has been hot as of late offensively with seven points over his last six games. Overall, he has 19 goals, 32 assists, 194 shots on net, 106 hits and 34 blocked shots through 70 games this season. He'll likely return to action for Minnesota's next tune-up game Monday against the Blues.

Appleton (upper body) is set to miss Saturday's game against New Jersey, per Red Wings in-game host Kara Wolfbauer.

Appleton hasn't been in the lineup since April 2. He has six goals, 14 points, 44 PIM and 89 hits in 65 outings in 2025-26. If Appleton returns before the end of the regular season, he'll be in the mix to serve in a middle-six capacity.