NHL Player News

Mateychuk will be reassigned to AHL Cleveland following Thursday's 6-1 win over the Islanders, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.

This spring's playoff run is likely to be Mateychuk's last taste of AHL action. The 20-year-old defenseman played every NHL game between Jan. 25 and the end of the season. He totaled 13 points in 45 outings as a rookie. While there's still room for him to grow, he's one of the top defensive prospects in the league, and he'll likely be in a top-four role with the Blue Jackets in 2025-26.

Doughty (rest) is set to draw back into the lineup for Thursday's clash against Calgary, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site.

Doughty took Tuesday's 6-5 win over Seattle off so that he could stay rested for the playoffs. He has four goals and 17 points in 29 appearances in 2024-25. Doughty is projected to play alongside Mikey Anderson versus the Flames.

Anderson (rest) is expected to be in the lineup Thursday versus the Flames, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Anderson rested for Tuesday's game versus the Kraken, but he'll check in for the regular-season finale against a Flames team that is utilizing a number of young players. Anderson will match his career high in games played with his 77th appearance of 2024-25.

Christiansen (upper body) won't play in Thursday's game versus the Islanders, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.

Christiansen will be out for the fourth straight game to end the season. The 25-year-old occasionally was a scratch this year as well, though he managed to play in 68 games. He earned eight points, 58 shots on net, 50 hits and 65 blocked shots. Christiansen signed a two-year contract in January to stay with Columbus, so he'll be part of the plans on defense for a while longer.

Gustafsson (undisclosed) won't play in the Red Wings' regular-season finale versus the Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Gustafsson ended up missing 14 games to close out the season. The 33-year-old defenseman is under contract for 2025-26 and should slot back into a bottom-four role with the Red Wings once he's healthy again. His injury was described as a long-term issue when it occurred, so his status for training camp is currently uncertain.

Fehervary (rest) will miss Washington's regular-season finale against Pittsburgh on Thursday, per Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post.

The Capitals are dressing just five defensemen along with 13 forwards, but they should shift back to the usual six blueliners for Game 1 of their first-round series against Montreal on Monday. Fehervary is concluding the regular season with five goals, 25 points, 139 hits and 150 blocks across 81 appearances.

Roy (rest) won't play in Washington's regular-season finale against Pittsburgh on Thursday, according to Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post.

The Capitals are taking the unusual step of dressing 13 forwards and five defensemen as they look ahead to the playoffs. Roy will finish the regular season with three goals, 24 points, 114 hits and 113 blocks in 69 outings. He'll probably be back in the lineup for Game 1 of Washington's first-round series against Montreal on Monday.

Chychrun (rest) will play Thursday versus the Penguins, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.

Chychrun will return after taking one game off for maintenance purposes. The 27-year-old will be one of five blueliners in the lineup and should feature on the power play as well.

Carlson (rest) won't play Thursday versus the Penguins, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.

The Capitals will play with 13 forwards and five defensemen for their regular-season finale. Carlson has rested the last three games, and while there's no glaring concern about the 35-year-old's status, that much rest will at least raise some eyebrows. It's unclear whether his rest will impact his status for Game 1 versus the Canadiens on Monday.

Soucy (illness) will miss Thursday's season finale against the Lightning, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic.

Soucy will close out the season with four goals, 13 points, 46 PIM, 115 hits and 106 blocks in 75 outings between Vancouver and the Rangers. He's in the second season of a three-year, $9.75 million contract, so he's set to be back with New York for 2025-26.