NHL Player News

Dobson (thumb) will be a game-time decision for Game 7 against Tampa Bay on Sunday, according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

Dobson sat out the first six games of the playoffs and the final two games of the regular season. However, he could be available to play in Sunday's Round 1 finale versus the Lightning. Dobson produced 12 goals, 47 points, 158 shots on net, 188 blocked shots and 62 hits in 80 games during the 2025-26 regular season.

Reilly had two assists, two PIM and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Flyers in Game 1 of the second round.

Reilly didn't feature during the first-round series versus the Senators, but he filled in Saturday for Alexander Nikishin (concussion). The 32-year-old Reilly played in the final four games of the regular season, but these helpers were his first points since his March 14 assist against the Lightning. He had nine points over 42 regular-season appearances, and in his career prior to this year, he had picked up just six points over 21 postseason outings across four campaigns.

Aitcheson produced three assists in OHL Barrie's 4-3 overtime win over Brantford in Game 6 on Saturday.

Aitcheson's effort helped the Colts force Game 7, which will have a trip to the OHL finals on the line. He has earned two goals and six assists over six outings against Brantford in this series. Overall, Aitcheson has picked up five goals and 16 assists across 14 playoff contests.

Nikishin (concussion) won't be in the lineup for Game 1 of the second round versus the Flyers on Saturday, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Nikishin was considered a game-time decision, but he apparently hasn't cleared the last hurdle to return to action. The 24-year-old defenseman doesn't seem to be far off at this point, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him back at some point during this series.

Manson (upper body) took part in Saturday's practice and is day-to-day, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.

Manson's status for Game 1 against Minnesota on Sunday hasn't been determined. He missed Game 4 on April 26 of Colorado's first-round series versus the Kings due to the injury. The 34-year-old had five goals, 31 points, 91 PIM and 174 hits in 79 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday that McAvoy was offered an in-person hearing for slashing Buffalo's Zach Benson on Friday.

McAvoy could begin the 2026-27 campaign with a suspension of six or more games because of the incident. He produced 11 goals, 61 points, 111 shots on net, 129 blocked shots and 79 hits across 69 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. He also had two assists, 13 shots on goal, 13 blocked shots and 16 hits in six 2026 playoff outings during Boston's first-round series loss to the Sabres.

Gudas (lower body) skated on his own Saturday, and the Ducks hope to have him back at some point during their second-round series against Vegas, per Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune.

Gudas hasn't been in the lineup since April 20 due to the injury. He had two goals, 13 points, 67 PIM and 164 hits in 56 regular-season outings. Based on the framing of Gudas' timeline, it doesn't sound like he will be ready for Game 1 against Vegas. When Gudas is available, Tyson Hinds might be the blueliner who exits the lineup.

Dahlin logged two assists, five shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 4-1 win over the Bruins in Game 6.

Dahlin set up Alex Tuch on the opening tally and Josh Norris on the empty-netter to put the Sabres through to the second round. Over six games in the first round, Dahlin earned a goal, three assists, 21 shots on net, 10 hits, six blocked shots, six PIM and a plus-3 rating. The 26-year-old defenseman will continue to lead the Sabres' blue line and should offer well-rounded production for fantasy purposes.

Brodin (lower body) will miss at least the beginning of Minnesota's second-round series against Colorado, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports Saturday.

Brodin won't accompany the Wild to Colorado ahead of Game 1 on Sunday. He also probably won't be available for Game 2, barring a change to his travel plans, and it's still unclear when he will return to the lineup. He sustained the injury in Tuesday's 4-2 victory against the Stars. Due to Brodin's absence, Jeff Petry played in Thursday's series-clinching 5-2 win over Dallas in Game 6.

Nikishin (concussion) appears poised to be a game-time decision against Philadelphia on Saturday in Game 1, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports.

Nikishin still has one more test to take before clearing concussion protocol, and the Hurricanes will determine his playing status closer to pregame warmups. He hasn't earned a point in four playoff appearances, collecting two shots on goal, five blocked shots and six hits. The 24-year-old rookie registered 11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games during the 2025-26 regular season.