NHL Player News

Gustavsson will get the starting nod for Game 2 on the road versus the Avalanche on Tuesday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Gustavsson will make his first appearance in the postseason, having watched Jesper Wallstedt feature in the last seven contests. For his part, the 27-year-old Gustavsson went 28-15-6 with a 2.69 GAA, .903 save percentage and four shutouts in 50 regular-season outings. At this point, Gustavsson's hold on the starting job should be considered tenuous at best.

Nikishin (concussion) has been cleared to play in Game 3 versus the Flyers on Thursday, Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer reports Tuesday.

Now that he's moved past the concussion he sustained in the first round against Ottawa, Nikishin will more than likely link back up with Shayne Gostisbehere on the third pairing. Mike Reilly will come out of the lineup due to Nikishin being an option for Game 3. The 24-year-old Nikishin recorded six hits and five blocked shots while averaging 16:30 of ice time over four games against the Senators in the first round.

Holmberg sustained a fractured clavicle against Buffalo on April 6, per Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay News on Tuesday.

While an exact timeline for Holmberg's return never materialized, this type of injury can take 6-12 weeks to recover from. He has plenty of time to heal now that Tampa Bay has been eliminated from the playoffs, and he should be available for training camp in the fall. Holmberg had 11 goals, 22 points, 90 shots on net and 66 hits across 70 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season.

Ahcan has been brought up from AHL Colorado, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic on Tuesday.

Josh Manson's (upper body) availability for Game 2 against the Wild on Tuesday is in question, so Ahcan will provide the Avalanche with another option on the blue line. Nick Blankenburg has filled in while Manson has been out. Ahcan had a great regular season with the Eagles in 2025-26, generating 11 goals, 50 points and a plus-24 rating over 61 appearances. Should he draw into the lineup for the Avalanche in the postseason, it will be in a third-pairing role.

Manson's (upper body) availability against the Wild for Game 2 on Tuesday remains unclear, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Jared Bednar wouldn't reveal whether Manson would be ready to play Tuesday or who his starting goalie might be, so fantasy managers will have to take a wait-and-see approach on both accounts. If Manson were to get into the lineup for Game 2, it would likely come at the expense of Nick Blankenburg.

Barbashev scored a goal in Monday's 3-1 win over the Ducks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Barbashev has been one of the most consistent players for the Golden Knights in the current playoff run and has tallied points in every game so far. He came through when Vegas needed him the most in this series opener, giving the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead at the 15:02 mark of the third period right after the Ducks had scored the equalizer. Locked into a top-six role, Barbashev has three goals, four assists, seven shots on goal and 40 hits so far in seven playoff contests, so he's making his presence felt at both ends of the ice.

Howden scored a goal on two shots and added four hits in Monday's 3-1 win over the Ducks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Howden went pointless in the Golden Knights' first three playoff games, but he's been on a tear since then and is currently riding a four-game, five-goal streak. Howden has scored his five goals on eight shots, so he's going to regress at some point, but he should continue to play a prominent role on offense for Vegas as long as he stays hot.

Hart stopped 33 of 34 shots in Monday's 3-1 win over the Ducks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Hart looked en route to a Game 1 shutout, but Mikael Granlund had other plans when he scored with a snap shot midway through the third period. Still, that was the only time Hart was beaten, and the Golden Knights provided enough offense to allow the 27-year-old to secure the win. In seven playoff appearances so far, Hart has gone 5-2-0 with a 2.49 GAA and a .905 save percentage on 200 shots faced.

Marner scored an empty-net goal in Monday's 3-1 win over the Ducks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He also added an assist and three shots on goal.

Marner has stepped up from a scoring perspective with three goals in his last two games, and the 29-year-old winger continues to be one of the most productive forwards for the Golden Knights so far in this playoff run. Marner has cracked the scoresheet in all but one of his seven playoff appearances, tallying nine points (three goals, six assists), a plus-7 rating and 18 shots on goal so far.

Dostal stopped 19 of 21 shots in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The third goal was an empty-netter with six seconds left in the game.

Dostal couldn't do much in the two goals he allowed, and by the time the Golden Knights added a third one, he was already on the bench. Despite the loss, Dostal continues to deliver solid performances for a Ducks defense that ranked fourth-worst in the regular season in goals allowed (288). He has posted a save percentage above the .900 mark in his last two starts, which is a massive uptick compared to his previous playoff performances.