NHL Player News

Samuelsson scored a goal in Friday's 4-1 win over the Bruins in Game 6 of the first-round series.

Samuelsson isn't known for being a scoring-first defenseman, but he found the back of the net twice in Buffalo's first-round series against Boston. He also added 19 hits and eight blocked shots. He hasn't been as productive offensively as he was in the 2025-26 regular season, but he could take on more of a defensive-minded role in the second round of the playoffs against Tampa Bay or Montreal.

Zadorov sustained a torn MCL in Game 3 of the Bruins' first-round series versus the Sabres, but the defenseman played through the injury, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reports.

Given the severity of the injury, Zadorov's offseason training program is likely to be impacted. His status for the start of 2026-27 will be determined at a later time. Zadorov is under contract with the Bruins, so he'll be good to go for a shutdown role once he's healthy again.

Villeneuve recorded three assists in AHL Toronto's 6-2 win over Laval in Game 2 on Friday.

Villeneuve has five points over five playoff outings. He took a slight step back with 30 points across 61 regular-season contests for the Marlies this season. Villeneuve also made three appearances late in the NHL campaign, logging two shots on net and five blocked shots. The 24-year-old defenseman is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason.

Stanley (illness) was on the ice for warmups but didn't participate in line rushes, indicating he won't play in Game 6 versus the Bruins on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Stanley was labeled a game-time decision, but it appears he's not quite ready to play. The defenseman's presence on the ice during warmups suggests he'd likely be good to go for a potential Game 7 on Sunday, if necessary. However, it's possible he will remain out of the lineup for performance reasons. He has no points, six hits and six blocked shots over five playoff contests.

Hughes scored twice on three shots, added an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Stars in Game 6.

Hughes' first two goals of the series couldn't come at a better time for the Wild. He opened the scoring at 6:23 of the first period and then added the eventual game-winner midway through the third. He ended the first round with two goals, six helpers, 13 shots on net, six blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over six outings. Hughes will look to keep his offense up while also getting a head-to-head playoff matchup with Cale Makar and the Avalanche in the second round.

D'Astous (undisclosed) is poised to play in Friday's Game 6 matchup against the Canadiens, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

D'Astous will play for the first time since suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 1 on April 19. The blueliner hasn't earned a point in his last seven contests while chipping in 10 shots, seven hits and six blocks. During that stretch, the Quebec native also racked up 24 PIM. He'll need to avoid the sin bin in a must-win matchup for the Lightning on Friday.

D'Astous (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision versus the Canadiens in Game 6 on Friday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Head coach Jon Cooper wouldn't provide any insight on D'Astous' availability, so fantasy managers will need to take a wait-and-see approach. If D'Astous receives the all-clear to return, Max Crozier could be a healthy scratch.

Stanley (illness) will be a game-time decision for Game 6 versus the Bruins on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Stanley has yet to register a point in the postseason, generating five shots, six hits and six blocks while averaging 13:51 of ice time. As such, his potential absence is unlikely to impact the majority of fantasy players. If Stanley can't go Friday, Michael Kesselring is expected to step into the lineup.

Nikishin (concussion) wore a regular jersey during Friday's practice session, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Nikishin also skated on the second power-play unit and could be on track to play in Game 1 against the Flyers on Saturday. If he does play, the blueliner figures to link up with Shayne Gostisbehere on the third pairing, while Mike Reilly will remain in the press box as a healthy scratch.

Murphy scored a goal on four shots and added two hits in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Ducks in Game 6.

Murphy did fine with three points, 12 shots on net, 12 hits, 15 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over six playoff outings. The 33-year-old defenseman wasn't able to pull the Oilers into the second round, and he'll now turn his attention to unrestricted free agency in the summer. Murphy had 17 points, 90 hits, 138 blocked shots and 71 PIM over 80 regular-season contests between Edmonton and Chicago.