NHL Player News

Slavin (undisclosed) was back at practice Thursday, and is healthy to play when the playoffs begin on the weekend, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Slavin missed the final two games of the regular season, and it was likely to rest him for the upcoming playoffs. Slavin had one goal and seven assists in 39 regular-season games this year, missing 39 of the Hurricanes' first 42 contests with a variety of injuries.

Benning scored two goals in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Red Wings.

The 24-year-rookie scored his first two NHL goals in his 18th game, striking twice in a little over three minutes in the middle of the second period. Benning, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 Draft, has been fairly productive in the AHL since turning pro, scoring eight goals and 31 points in 56 games for Charlotte this season, but with most of the big names on the Florida blue line locked into hefty contracts -- Seth Jones (foot), Aaron Ekblad (finger), Gustav Forsling (undisclosed) and Niko Mikkola (knee) are set to make a combined $23.85 million in 2026-27 -- Benning may have to look elsewhere as a restricted free agent this spring for a chance at a consistent role in the NHL.

Matheson (rest) was back at practice Thursday after missing the final regular-season game Tuesday, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

Matheson had seven goals, 30 assists, 59 hits and 150 blocked shots in 78 regular-season games in 2025-26. He should see plenty of playing time in the playoffs, as a first-unit defenseman. He averaged 24:10 of ice time this season, the most among Montreal rearguards.

Power notched two assists in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Stars.

The 23-year-old blueliner had a hand in tallies by Josh Norris in the first period and Alex Tuch in the second. Power built up a little steam heading into the playoffs with three assists in the final two games of the regular season, snapping a nine-game point drought in the process. He played a career-high 81 games and scored a career-high eight goals in 2025-26, but his 29 points were his lowest total in four NHL seasons.

Lindell scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Sabres.

The veteran blueliner scored his first power-play goal of the season in the final game, giving Lindell a bit of momentum heading into the playoffs. He's gotten onto the scoresheet in just three of the last 15 contests, but Wednesday's effort did bring him up to 32 points (six goals, 26 helpers) through 82 games on the campaign, tying his career high.

Theodore scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.

Theodore has three goals and five assists over his last 13 contests. The 30-year-old defenseman concludes the regular season with 10 goals, which is the most he has had since 2021-22, but he had just 39 points over 70 appearances. It is the first time since 2018-19 that he finished under the 40-point mark, even though this is only the third time in that span that he has logged 70 games. In any case, Theodore will be a top-four fixture during Vegas' postseason run.

Ferraro scored a goal on three shots and went minus-3 in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Blackhawks.

The first-period tally was Ferraro's first point over nine games in April. He's added 17 hits, 15 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating this month. For the season, the shutdown defenseman has earned a career-high seven goals and 22 points over 81 appearances. He's added 93 shots on net, 134 hits, 147 blocked shots, 35 PIM and a minus-2 rating while seeing top-four minutes. Ferraro is one of four blueliners on the Sharks' roster set for unrestricted free agency in the summer, but his ability to do the hard work would likely make him a top target to be re-signed.

Del Mastro recorded an assist in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Sharks.

It was Del Mastro's first point in 19 games this season. The 23-year-old defenseman added 18 shots on net, 18 PIM, 19 hits and 22 blocked shots while primarily playing on the third pairing. Del Mastro isn't as far along as some of the other Blackhawks' blue-line prospects. That could lead to him seeing more time in the AHL in 2026-27, barring a strong training camp in the fall.

Rinzel scored a goal and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Sharks.

Rinzel tallied at 19:30 of the second period to get the Blackhawks on the board. They carried the momentum into the final frame and rallied for the win. The goal ended a 12-game point drought for Rinzel, who didn't have the breakout season many expected heading into the year. He concludes 2025-26 with four goals, 14 points, 83 shots on net, 49 hits, 63 blocked shots, 44 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 54 appearances. He did see top-four minutes down the stretch even amid his slump, so Rinzel should have the edge over some of the Blackhawks' other young defense prospects for a roster spot to begin 2026-27.

Crevier scored two goals, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Sharks.

Crevier had three multi-point efforts over his last eight games of the season. The 24-year-old took strides toward becoming a regular top-four defender for the Blackhawks this season, though his usage remained primarily defensive. He wrapped up the campaign with seven goals, 25 points, 114 shots on net, 124 hits, 95 blocked shots, 63 PIM and a minus-2 rating over 78 appearances. A little more offense and extra blocks could make him a deep-league fantasy option in 2026-27.