NHL Player News

Pionk (rest) is expected to draw back into the lineup Wednesday versus Anaheim.

Pionk was out of the lineup for Sunday's 4-1 loss to Edmonton so that he could get a breather before the playoffs. He has nine goals, 38 points, 114 hits and 99 blocks over 68 outings in 2024-25. Pionk is projected to play alongside Dylan Samberg against the Ducks.

Kiersted was reassigned to AHL Charlotte on Wednesday, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.

Kiersted registered an assist, two PIM and a hit in 10:00 of ice time during Florida's 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He has a goal, 27 points and 38 PIM in 63 appearances with Charlotte this season. Florida had him in the lineup versus the Lightning because the Panthers were resting players during their regular-season finale, so it makes sense that Kiersted would be returned to the minors after that matchup.

Letang had surgery to repair a small hole in his heart and will be out 4-6 weeks, the Penguins announced Wednesday.

Letang will miss the Penguins' season finale against the Capitals on Thursday but should be healthy with plenty of time ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, given his timeline. The 37-year-old blueliner will end the year having recorded nine goals and 21 helpers in 74 games, his first time missing the 40-point threshold since 2016-17 when he played in only 41 contests. Without Letang in the lineup, either Pierre-Olivier Joseph (upper body), Filip Kral or Vladislav Kolyachonok will step onto the blue line.

Kiersted notched an assist and two PIM in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Lightning.

This was Kiersted's first NHL point since the 2022-23 campaign. The 27-year-old has filled in as a reserve while the Panthers take an aggressive approach late in the year to resting their top players. Kiersted has drawn into two contests, adding three hits, two PIM and a plus-1 rating. If he stays on the NHL roster heading into the postseason, he's unlikely to see any playing time.

Moser logged an assist in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Panthers.

The lopsided nature of the game allowed Moser to lead the Lightning with 19:29 of ice time. The helper snapped his eight-game point drought. Moser is up to two goals, 12 assists, 47 shots on net, 69 blocked shots, 34 hits and a plus-20 rating over 53 appearances. A long-term lower-body injury took a toll on Moser's production, but he's been steady defensively in a top-four role.

Hedman logged two assists, three shots on goal, two hits and a plus-3 rating in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Panthers.

Hedman helped out on Conor Geekie's first-period tally and Darren Raddysh's power-play goal in the third. Hedman is dialed in late in the season with three goals and 10 assists over his last 12 outings. The 34-year-old defenseman is at 66 points (26 on the power play), 179 shots on net, 130 blocked shots and a plus-20 rating through 78 appearances. He'll be a key part of the Lightning's overall game plan in their first-round playoff series against the Panthers.

Raddysh scored a power-play goal and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Panthers.

Raddysh provided the Lightning's last goal midway through the third period. The 29-year-old was able to avoid an absence after sustaining an undisclosed injury Sunday versus the Sabres. Raddysh has two points over the last three games and is up to six goals, 37 points (nine on the power play), 105 shots on net, 67 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating over 72 appearances.

Tanev was held off the scoresheet for the 17th game in a row in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Sabres.

Tanev hasn't registered a point since returning from an upper-body injury that cost him six contests in March. In the 17 games since, he's racked up 38 blocked shots, a plus-4 rating and 12 shots on net, though he didn't block a shot Tuesday. Even with the missed time, Tanev is fifth in the NHL with 189 blocks this season. He's added 17 points, 42 shots on net and a plus-30 rating as a defensive ace in the Maple Leafs' top four.

Ottavainen logged an assist and three hits in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Kings.

Ottavainen made his NHL debut Tuesday. He saw 14:24 of ice time and earned his first point with a secondary helper on a Jaden Schwartz tally in the third period. Ottavainen hasn't done much scoring with AHL Coachella Valley this year, earning 14 points over 66 appearances. The 22-year-old blueliner is still a work in progress, but he may compete for an NHL job in training camp in the fall.

Oleksiak posted an assist in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Kings.

Oleksiak set up a Jaden Schwartz tally in the third period. Oleksiak earned three assists over the last five games of the season, though he largely struggled to do much on offense for large stretches of the campaign. The 32-year-old blueliner ends 2024-25 with 17 points, 66 shots on net, 159 blocked shots, 74 hits, 34 PIM and a minus-2 rating over 82 contests. His role shrunk at times to allow Ryker Evans more ice time, and if that trend continues in 2025-26, Oleksiak's fantasy appeal will drop even more.