NHL Player News

Wallstedt will protect the road goal versus the Avalanche in Game 5 on Wednesday, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Wallstedt will get the nod with the Wild's season on the line in this contest. He has allowed 12 goals on 110 shots over three games against the Avalanche during the second round. Should he get the win Wednesday, Wallstedt would likely keep the crease for the rest of the round.

McNabb was suspended for one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday for his interference infraction against the Ducks' Ryan Poehling (upper body) in Tuesday's Game 5.

McNabb will miss Game 6 on Thursday due to the suspension. Kaedan Korczak will likely replace McNabb in the lineup as the Golden Knights try to secure a trip to the Western Conference Finals. McNabb will be available for either Game 7 against the Ducks on Saturday or the start of the next round, depending on the result of Thursday's contest.

Poehling (upper body) will miss Thursday's Game 6 matchup against Vegas, and there's no timeline for his return to the lineup, per Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune.

Poehling has contributed four goals and five points in 11 playoff appearances this year. Jansen Harkins might return to the lineup after spending the past two games as a healthy scratch. However, the Ducks are also considering dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The availability of blueliners Radko Gudas (lower body) and Drew Helleson (undisclosed) will likely influence whether the Ducks go with seven defensemen in Thursday's contest.

Demidov notched an assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Sabres in Game 4.

Demidov is picking up the pace with three assists over his last four games. The winger was limited to just one helper over seven first-round contests against the Lightning. Demidov remains on the hunt for his first NHL playoff goal, coming up empty on 19 shots while adding 12 hits, six blocked shots, six PIM and a plus-1 rating over 11 outings this postseason.

Caufield scored a power-play goal on five shots in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Sabres in Game 4.

Caufield has three points, all on the power play, over the last two games. He's starting to get more involved on offense after enduring a five-game slump from Game 5 of the first round to Game 2 of the second round. The 25-year-old winger has earned all of his offense (three goals, four assists) with the man advantage this postseason while adding 24 shots on net, 19 hits and a minus-6 rating over 11 appearances.

Samuelsson scored a goal on two shots and added six hits and six blocked shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canadiens in Game 4.

Samuelsson hasn't matched his scoring levels from early in the regular season, but he's picked up a steady three goals and one assist over 10 playoff outings. The defenseman has added ample physicality with 42 hits and 19 blocked shots. He's firmly in a top-four role, so there will be opportunities for him to offer well-rounded production as long as the Sabres remain in the playoffs.

Lehkonen (upper body) isn't expected to be available for Game 5 against the Wild on Wednesday, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post.

Lehkonen also missed Monday's 5-2 win over Minnesota due to the injury. He has three goals and six points in seven playoff outings this year. Joel Kiviranta is slated to play in his second straight game due to Lehkonen's absence.

Malinski (upper body) will not be an option for Game 5 versus Minnesota on Wednesday, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.

Malinski continues to be classified as day-to-day ahead of his second straight absence due to his upper-body problem. With the blueliner on the shelf, Jack Ahcan figures to continue filling a bottom-pairing role alongside Josh Manson. Once cleared to play, Malinski should reclaim his spot in the lineup.

Blackwood is slated to start at home against Minnesota in Game 5 on Wednesday, per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports.

Scott Wedgewood started in Colorado's first eight playoff games this year, but he was yanked from Saturday's 5-1 loss to Minnesota in Game 3 after allowing three goals on 12 shots. Blackwood stopped 12 of 13 shots in relief in that game, and then got the nod Monday, turning aside 19 of 21 shots en route to a 5-2 victory. Minnesota has averaged an impressive 3.80 goals per game in the 2026 postseason, but the Wild are down 3-1 in their series against Colorado.

McNabb will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday for interference against Anaheim's Ryan Poehling (upper body) on Tuesday.

McNabb received a five-minute major and a game misconduct in Game 5 on Tuesday, resulting in him playing just 3:17 of ice time. Poehling will likely miss some time, and his injury will probably be a factor in the decision-making process. At this point, fantasy managers shouldn't expect McNabb to be available for Game 6 on Thursday. Kaedan Korczak figures to step into the lineup in McNabb's stead.