NHL Player News

Head coach John Hynes said that he's "hopeful" that Eriksson Ek (lower body) will be able to return Wednesday against the Sharks, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.

Eriksson Ek has been sidelined since late February after sustaining a lower-body injury during practice, but he's been skating in recent weeks and has a chance to return to game action Wednesday. Over 42 appearances this season, he's recorded nine goals, 15 assists, 69 hits, 31 blocked shots and 20 PIM while averaging 19:38 of ice time.

Thompson scored the game-winning goal in Tuesday's 3-0 victory over the Hurricanes.

He snapped a puck past Pyotr Kochetkov early in the second period to open the scoring, and it was all the support James Reimer would need. Thompson has found the back of the net in five straight games, racking up eight tallies in total over that hot streak, and he's up to 44 goals and 71 points in 71 appearances on the season. With five games left on the Sabres' schedule, Thompson needs three more goals to tie his career high.

Minten netted a goal, put two shots on net and dished out two hits in Tuesday's 7-2 win over New Jersey.

Minten's goal was the second of three goals the Bruins scored in the third period. The 20-year-old's goal was his first with Boston since receiving the call-up April 5 from AHL Providence. Tuesday's tally brought Minten's point total to five, where he has three goals and two assists in 18 games this season between the Maple Leafs and Bruins. His offensive impact in limited ice time at the NHL level this season is a strong sign of things to come for the second-round selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Minten has claimed a role centering Boston's third line down the stretch this season and has a true chance to maintain this spot full-time next season. Keep an eye on Minten ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Geekie tallied a goal and put three shots on net in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to New Jersey.

Geekie's goal opened the door for the Bruins to pile on three twine finders in the first 10 minutes of the third period. With Tuesday's tally, the 26-year-old forward has eclipsed the 30-goal mark for the first time in his six-year career. He has quietly been one of the most effective forwards down the stretch with 18 points in his last 11 games. Geekie has arguably been Boston's most-improved player this season as his 13-goal increase has added much-needed value to the Bruins' offense this year. Part of this development can be attributed to playing alongside David Pastrnak on Boston's top line, as the two have been the most consistent names found on the Bruins' scoresheets. However, Geekie's development has also been driven by his increased shot efficiency. He has converted goals on 21 percent of his shots on net this season, which is nearly an eight percent increase from a season ago. He has great value in all fantasy formats for the remainder of the season.

Mittelstadt scored a goal, fired two shots on net and had three blocks in Tuesday's 7-2 win over New Jersey.

Mittelstadt's goal was the fourth of the game for Boston and helped level the scoring in the second period at two goals apiece. By lighting the lamp Tuesday, Mittelstadt has scored a goal in back-to-back games for the second time this season. Overall, the 26-year-old center has 15 goals, 40 points and 100 shots on net in 78 games this season. While this year has been a step back offensively for Mittelstadt, he's begun finding his goal-scoring touch with the Bruins which will be essential for his success with the team's top power-play unit long-term. His goal Tuesday secured his third consecutive campaign reaching the 40-point mark, giving him something to hold his head high on going into the 2025-26 season. He has some sneaky value in deeper leagues for the remainder of the fantasy playoffs as the Bruins are playing without pressure since being eliminated from postseason contention.

Lauko netted a goal and had two PIM in Tuesday's 7-2 victory over New Jersey.

Lauko's goal would stand as Tuesday's game-winning tally as he gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead early in the second period. With Tuesday's twine finder, Lauko increased his goal total to four, which ties his career high from the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old forward has nine points and 111 hits in 53 games this season. While his role on Boston's offense is limited in a fourth-line spot, he has the opportunity to tie or surpass his career high in points of 10 that he tallied a season ago. With three of his points coming in the last 13 games, this accomplishment is not out of the question for Lauko.

Colton is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports Wednesday.

Colton was a late scratch for Tuesday's matchup with Vegas due to his upper-body issue. Prior to getting hurt, the 28-year-old winger registered just one point in his last seven outings. If Colton is unavailable versus the Canucks on Thursday, the Avs will likely bring Chris Wagner back up from the minors before puck drop.

Pageau notched three even-strength assists and a plus-2 rating Tuesday in a 7-6 overtime loss to Nashville.

Pageau assisted on both of Simon Holmstrom's goals and also helped out on Maxim Tsyplakov's ninth goal of the season in this frenetic matchup. This was Pageau's first multi-point effort since March 8 versus San Jose, which was also a three-point outburst. Pageau has been a decent depth contributor in 2024-25 -- the right-shot center has provided 13 goals, 41 points, 117 shots on net, 136 hits and a plus-8 rating over 74 appearances.

Marchessault generated three assists, two on the power play, in Tuesday's 7-6 overtime win over the Islanders.

Marchessault returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing four games due to a lower-body injury. The right-shot winger had logged just one assist over 10 contests prior to being sidelined, so the time off might have been what he needed to finish 2024-25 on a high note in what's been a disappointing first season with Nashville. The 34-year-old hasn't scored since March 4, and if he can't find the back of the net in the club's remaining four matchups, he'll fail to reach the 20-goal mark for the first time over a full campaign since his rookie year in 2015-16 with Tampa Bay.

O'Reilly scored a goal on two shots Tuesday in a 7-6 overtime win over the Islanders.

O'Reilly registered Nashville's first marker to tie the score at 1-1 early in the opening stanza. The goal was a milestone for the 34-year-old center, as it was the 300th of his career in his 1,148th NHL game. O'Reilly has generated just two goals and four points over his last 13 appearances, and he might fall shy of the 50-point mark after logging 26 goals and 43 assists over 82 regular-season outings in 2023-24. Over 75 appearances in 2024-25, the Ontario native has provided 18 goals, 46 points and 142 shots on net while averaging 19:00 of ice time.