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.

Cooley is expected to start on the road against Seattle on Saturday, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Cooley has allowed at least three goals in each of his past five outings. He's 10-9-6 with a 2.68 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 30 appearances with Calgary this season. While Seattle is coming off a 4-3 shootout victory over Vegas on Thursday, the Kraken are still just 4-12-2 in their past 18 matches with 2.56 goals per game during that span.

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.

Sandin sustained a right leg injury in Saturday's game versus the Penguins, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

Sandin's status wasn't clear after the game, leaving him questionable to suit up in Sunday's rematch against the Penguins. If the 26-year-old misses time, the Capitals will need to turn to one of Timothy Liljegren, Declan Chisholm or Dylan McIlrath to take his place in the lineup.

Tkachuk (undisclosed) left Saturday's 3-0 win over the Islanders in the second period, TSN reports.

Tkachuk tried to return near the end of the second period and at the start of the third stanza, but he missed most of the final frame. He appeared hurt after Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock's stick made contact with the forward's head or neck. It's unclear if Tkachuk will play against New Jersey on Sunday.

Del Mastro (undisclosed) wasn't an option for Saturday's game against St. Louis due to an injury, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com.

Del Mastro has no points, 14 shots, 18 PIM, 18 hits and 20 blocks in 17 NHL outings in 2025-26. He's averaged just 14:01 of ice time when he's in the lineup. It's unclear if he will be available to return before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Vaakanainen (upper body) will play against Dallas on Saturday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

Following an 11-game absence, Vaakanainen will replace Drew Fortescue in Saturday's lineup. The 27-year-old Vaakanainen has six assists, 22 shots on goal, 26 blocked shots and 11 hits in 33 appearances this season.

Lundkvist (illness) isn't playing Saturday versus the Rangers, per the NHL media site.

Lundkvist has three goals and 11 points in 51 outings in 2025-26. This will be his second straight game on the shelf. Lundkvist's next opportunity to return will come Monday in Toronto.

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.