NHL Player News

Karlsson (arm) is unlikely to return to the Stanley Cup Finals after leaving Thursday's Game 5, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports.

Head coach John Tortorella hinted that Karlsson would not return, though he didn't commit to it fully. That will force a significant shuffle in the lineup, as Karlsson had been occupying a second-line role. It's not yet clear who will step into the lineup for him in Sunday's must-win Game 6.

Karlsson left the Lenovo Center after sustaining an apparent arm injury in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Karlsson was injured on a hit by Sean Walker in the second period and appeared to be favoring his arm. With his departure from the arena, it's safe to assume Karlsson will not return to the game, and his status for Game 6 in Vegas on Sunday is in doubt. Should the center miss that contest, the Golden Knights have a number of options they could designate to fill Karlsson's second-line spot, including Tomas Hertl, Mitch Marner and Brett Howden. Brandon Saad, Reilly Smith or Braeden Bowman would be the top candidates to enter the lineup.

Howden scored a goal and added two hits in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Howden has yet to be held off the scoresheet against Carolina, racking up four goals and two assists over four contests. His tally Tuesday tied the game at 3-3 in the second period, but the Golden Knights weren't able to pull ahead. Howden has a playoff-best 14 goals -- two more than his regular-season total -- and has added four assists, 37 shots on net, 58 hits and a plus-14 rating over 20 appearances this postseason.

Karlsson scored a goal and added an assist in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Karlsson earned both points in the second period to help the Golden Knights erase a two-goal deficit. He has picked up four points, seven shots on net and a plus-6 rating over four contests against the Hurricanes. Overall for the playoffs, the center has three goals, six helpers, 23 shots, 12 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating as a reliable top-six forward.

Stankoven scored a goal on three shots and added three hits in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Golden Knights in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Stankoven scored just 1:06 into the game, and the Hurricanes rode that momentum into a three-goal first period. The 23-year-old has four goals and three assists over his last six outings. Overall, he's up to 11 goals, 15 points, 53 shots, 35 hits and a plus-6 rating through 17 playoff contests. Stankoven continues to play a key role on the Hurricanes' second line.

Staal scored two goals on four shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Golden Knights in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Staal had a power-play goal in the first period and added the game-winner at even strength with a diving play in the third. The defensive center has turned up the offense in a big way during the Cup finals, scoring five times and adding one assist over four contests versus Vegas. He's at a total of seven goals, four assists, 32 shots, 79 hits, 13 PIM and a plus-6 rating through 17 playoff outings.

Staal scored a goal on five shots, added a power-play assist and doled out three hits in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Staal got the Hurricanes within a goal with the team's third tally in a span of 39 seconds in the third period. He also set up Andrei Svechnikov for the equalizer with 1:42 left in regulation. Staal has scored in three straight games, and his four points against Vegas are one shy of matching his total from the first three rounds of the postseason. He's at five goals, four assists, 28 shots on net, 77 hits, 13 PIM and a plus-4 rating through 16 playoff outings.

Hertl scored a power-play goal on two shots, added an assist and logged five hits in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Hertl broke the scoreless deadlock at 10:26 of the second period. He also set up the third goal of Mitch Marner's hat trick later in the frame. While Hertl ended up with a team-low 15:20 of ice time, he was able to be productive again. He has four points over three contests against the Hurricanes and is up to five goals, eight assists, 31 shots on net, 39 hits and a plus-1 rating over 19 playoff outings. He continues to work in a third-line role as well as on the top power-play unit.

Nielsen scored twice in AHL Colorado's 7-3 win over Chicago in Game 5 on Friday.

Nielsen helped the Eagles get one win away from the Calder Cup Finals with his early pair of goals. He has totaled 10 goals and 15 points over 15 appearances in the Eagles' postseason run after a career-best 49-point effort in 66 regular-season outings.

Howden scored two goals on three shots and blocked three shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Howden had the only goals for either team through two periods. He's put up four points over two contests against the Hurricanes as he continues to enjoy a productive postseason. Overall, the 28-year-old forward is up to 13 goals, three assists, 33 shots on net, 50 hits and a plus-11 rating through 18 playoff outings.