NHL Player News

Kulikov scored a goal on three shots, added five hits, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Friday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Kulikov snapped an eight-game point drought dating back to his goal in Game 5 of the second round versus the Maple Leafs. The 34-year-old Kulikov has been confined to a third-pairing role, though he's seen plenty of ice time with the first two games versus the Oilers going to overtime. The defenseman has two goals, three helpers, 19 shots on net, 73 hits, 17 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 19 playoff outings.

Jones scored a goal on two shots, served an assist, logged two hits, blocked two shots, added two PIM and went plus-3 in Friday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Jones tied the game at 2-2 with his goal in the first period, and he also helped out on a Dmitry Kulikov tally in the second. The 30-year-old Jones had been limited to just one assist over the previous six games. The defenseman hasn't made a huge impact on offense, but he's taking care of his own zone this postseason, earning nine points, a plus-13 rating, 26 shots on net, 42 hits, 27 blocked shots and eight PIM across 19 appearances.

Crozier inked a three-year, $2.325 million contract with Tampa Bay on Friday. The agreement is two-way for the 2025-26 campaign, but it converts to a one-way contract for the remainder of the term.

Crozier had nine goals, 34 points and 75 PIM across 52 regular-season appearances with AHL Syracuse in 2024-25. The 25-year-old defenseman also has two assists, seven PIM and 27 hits in 18 career NHL outings with Tampa Bay. The structure of the deal suggests that the Lightning see Crozier as someone who might be able to maintain a role on the NHL roster by 2026-27. In the meantime, Crozier will compete for an Opening Night spot with Tampa Bay during training camp, but he'll likely start next season in the minors.

Lindstrom signed a five-year contract with Djurgardens IF of the SHL on Thursday, per RDS.ca.

Lindstrom didn't make any appearances in the NHL in 2024-25, earning 11 points in 42 games with AHL Laval instead. The long-term nature of this contract suggests the 26-year-old defenseman is done pursuing playing opportunities in North America and will ply his trade in his native country for the rest of his career.

Schmidt logged two assists, including one on the power play, and two shots on goal in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Schmidt snapped a seven-game point drought with this performance, which was his first contribution on offense since a two-assist effort in Game 5 of the second round versus Toronto. The defenseman has maintained a spot on the Panthers' third pairing throughout the postseason. He's up to three goals, six helpers, 19 shots on net, 28 hits, 15 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over 18 appearances.

Walman logged an assist, five shots on goal, four blocked shots and three hits in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Walman has five assists over the last five games, and he's logged at least three blocks in every contest in that span. The defenseman didn't play a major role on offense during the first two rounds, but he has stepped up since the start of the Western Conference Finals. He's at seven points, 29 shots on net, 28 hits, 47 blocks and a plus-11 rating over 17 playoff appearances.

Bouchard logged an assist, seven shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Bouchard helped out on a Viktor Arvidsson goal in the second period. The 25-year-old Bouchard had been held off the scoresheet in the previous two contests, which is just his second multi-game dry spell this postseason. He's produced six goals, 12 helpers, a plus-11 rating, 44 shots on net and 22 blocked shots through 17 playoff outings as the Oilers' leading blueliner on offense.

Ekholm scored a goal on four shots, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ekholm's tally at 6:33 of the third period tied the game at 3-3, and it was enough to force overtime. He's picked up a goal, an assist, four shots, four blocks and a plus-4 rating over two games since returning from an undisclosed injury that limited him to one game in a two-month span from late March to late May. Ekholm's ability to play heavy defensive minutes will be critical to the Oilers' success in this series against the Panthers -- he had three points and a plus-1 rating over seven games versus Florida in last year's Cup Finals.

Forbort (orbital) signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Vancouver on Tuesday.

Forbort compiled two goals, 11 points, 39 shots on net, 77 blocked shots, 65 hits and 45 PIM across 54 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. He missed the final two games of the campaign due to a broken orbital bone, but he should be ready for the beginning of 2025-26.

Santini signed a two-year, two-way contract with Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Santini collected six goals and 17 points in 58 regular-season appearances with AHL Syracuse in 2024-25. He skated in one game with the Lightning last campaign, posting one shot on goal, one hit and two blocks in 11:37 of playing time versus Calgary on Dec. 12. The 30-year-old defender will probably spend most, if not all, of 2025-26 in the minors.