NHL Player News

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday that McAvoy was offered an in-person hearing for slashing Buffalo's Zach Benson on Friday.

McAvoy could begin the 2026-27 campaign with a suspension of six or more games because of the incident. He produced 11 goals, 61 points, 111 shots on net, 129 blocked shots and 79 hits across 69 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. He also had two assists, 13 shots on goal, 13 blocked shots and 16 hits in six 2026 playoff outings during Boston's first-round series loss to the Sabres.

Gudas (lower body) skated on his own Saturday, and the Ducks hope to have him back at some point during their second-round series against Vegas, per Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune.

Gudas hasn't been in the lineup since April 20 due to the injury. He had two goals, 13 points, 67 PIM and 164 hits in 56 regular-season outings. Based on the framing of Gudas' timeline, it doesn't sound like he will be ready for Game 1 against Vegas. When Gudas is available, Tyson Hinds might be the blueliner who exits the lineup.

Dahlin logged two assists, five shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 4-1 win over the Bruins in Game 6.

Dahlin set up Alex Tuch on the opening tally and Josh Norris on the empty-netter to put the Sabres through to the second round. Over six games in the first round, Dahlin earned a goal, three assists, 21 shots on net, 10 hits, six blocked shots, six PIM and a plus-3 rating. The 26-year-old defenseman will continue to lead the Sabres' blue line and should offer well-rounded production for fantasy purposes.

Brodin (lower body) will miss at least the beginning of Minnesota's second-round series against Colorado, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports Saturday.

Brodin won't accompany the Wild to Colorado ahead of Game 1 on Sunday. He also probably won't be available for Game 2, barring a change to his travel plans, and it's still unclear when he will return to the lineup. He sustained the injury in Tuesday's 4-2 victory against the Stars. Due to Brodin's absence, Jeff Petry played in Thursday's series-clinching 5-2 win over Dallas in Game 6.

Nikishin (concussion) appears poised to be a game-time decision against Philadelphia on Saturday in Game 1, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports.

Nikishin still has one more test to take before clearing concussion protocol, and the Hurricanes will determine his playing status closer to pregame warmups. He hasn't earned a point in four playoff appearances, collecting two shots on goal, five blocked shots and six hits. The 24-year-old rookie registered 11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games during the 2025-26 regular season.

Samuelsson scored a goal in Friday's 4-1 win over the Bruins in Game 6 of the first-round series.

Samuelsson isn't known for being a scoring-first defenseman, but he found the back of the net twice in Buffalo's first-round series against Boston. He also added 19 hits and eight blocked shots. He hasn't been as productive offensively as he was in the 2025-26 regular season, but he could take on more of a defensive-minded role in the second round of the playoffs against Tampa Bay or Montreal.

Zadorov sustained a torn MCL in Game 3 of the Bruins' first-round series versus the Sabres, but the defenseman played through the injury, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reports.

Given the severity of the injury, Zadorov's offseason training program is likely to be impacted. His status for the start of 2026-27 will be determined at a later time. Zadorov is under contract with the Bruins, so he'll be good to go for a shutdown role once he's healthy again.

Villeneuve recorded three assists in AHL Toronto's 6-2 win over Laval in Game 2 on Friday.

Villeneuve has five points over five playoff outings. He took a slight step back with 30 points across 61 regular-season contests for the Marlies this season. Villeneuve also made three appearances late in the NHL campaign, logging two shots on net and five blocked shots. The 24-year-old defenseman is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason.

Stanley (illness) was on the ice for warmups but didn't participate in line rushes, indicating he won't play in Game 6 versus the Bruins on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Stanley was labeled a game-time decision, but it appears he's not quite ready to play. The defenseman's presence on the ice during warmups suggests he'd likely be good to go for a potential Game 7 on Sunday, if necessary. However, it's possible he will remain out of the lineup for performance reasons. He has no points, six hits and six blocked shots over five playoff contests.

Hughes scored twice on three shots, added an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Stars in Game 6.

Hughes' first two goals of the series couldn't come at a better time for the Wild. He opened the scoring at 6:23 of the first period and then added the eventual game-winner midway through the third. He ended the first round with two goals, six helpers, 13 shots on net, six blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over six outings. Hughes will look to keep his offense up while also getting a head-to-head playoff matchup with Cale Makar and the Avalanche in the second round.