NHL Player News

Siegenthaler will be a game-time decision due to an undisclosed injury ahead of Game 5 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, Sam Kasan of the Devils' official site reports.

Siegenthaler is just two games back from a lower-body injury that cost him nearly three months of the season, so it could certainly be related to his recovery from that problem. In those two appearances, the 27-year-old defenseman averaged 23:32 of ice time while generating seven hits, six blocks and one shot. With Brett Pesce (undisclosed) also a game-time call, the Devils could be playing extremely short on the blue line.

Ekblad will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday for elbowing Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel (upper body) on Monday.

Ekblad didn't receive a penalty on the play, but he will probably serve a suspension for his actions in Monday's 4-2 win over the Lightning in Game 4. After a 20-game ban for violating the league's Performance Enhancing Substances Program, the 29-year-old defender has one goal, three shots on net, six hits and four blocked shots in two playoff outings. If Ekblad receives a suspension for Game 5 on Wednesday, Uvis Balinskis will probably return to the lineup.

Carrier (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day and won't practice Tuesday.

Carrier struggled to produce for much of April but has picked up three points in his last five outings. In his 51 regular-season appearances for the Habs, he managed 18 points, which, when combined with his seven points with Nashville, gets him to the 20-point threshold for the third time in the last four years.

Schueneman was recalled from AHL Springfield on Monday.

Schueneman appeared in four regular-season games with the Blues in 2024-25, recording four shots on goal, seven blocked shots and one hit. He had four goals and 20 points in 63 AHL outings during the 2024-25 regular season before adding one goal in three playoff games. Schueneman likely won't see playing time in the NHL playoffs, barring multiple injuries.

Ekholm (undisclosed) is reportedly making progress but is unlikely to be available until after the second round, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports Monday.

Ekholm will not only need the Oilers to get past the Kings in the first round -- the series is currently tied 2-2 -- but probably make it to the Western Conference Finals. Getting the veteran back would certainly bolster the Oilers' blue line, considering he put up a solid 33 points in 65 regular-season games when healthy this year.

Heiskanen (knee) won't play against Colorado on Monday in Game 5, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News.

Despite participating in Monday's morning skate, Heiskanen will miss his 37th straight game. He has been a regular at practices during the playoffs, but it remains unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup. Heiskanen generated five goals, 25 points, 108 shots on net and 85 blocked shots across 50 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.

Hughes (upper body) won't play in Game 5 against Carolina on Tuesday, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Hughes will miss his fourth straight game after getting injured in New Jersey's playoff opener. The 21-year-old defender had seven goals, 44 points, 121 shots net and 60 blocked shots across 71 appearances during the 2024-25 regular season. With Hughes, Brenden Dillon (lower body) and Johnny Kovacevic (undisclosed) unavailable for Game 5, Brian Dumoulin, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce and Jonas Siegenthaler will likely continue to log heavy minutes in a must-win matchup for the Devils. The Hurricanes hold a 3-1 series lead and can advance to Round 2 of the postseason with a victory in Tuesday's contest.

Kovacevic (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's Game 5 versus Carolina, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Kovacevic suffered his undisclosed injury in Game 3 on Friday and will now be shelved for his second straight contest. Considering the 27-year-old defenseman is stuck in a 14-game point drought, his absence is unlikely to impact the majority of fantasy managers. Still, with Luke Hughes (upper body) and Brenden Dillon (lower body) also sidelined, the Devils have had to dig into their depth on the blue line.

Dillon (lower body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Hurricanes, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Dillon sustained a lower-body injury in Game 1 of the Devils' first-round series, and he'll be unavailable for a fourth consecutive matchup Tuesday. It's not yet clear when he'll be in the mix to return, but Simon Nemec and Jonas Siegenthaler will likely remain in the lineup for Game 5 since Dillon and Luke Hughes (upper body) will both be sidelined.

Bouchard scored twice on eight shots in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over the Kings in Game 4.

Bouchard logged his second multi-goal game in a row. This was an important performance for the defenseman, as his second tally forced overtime, where Leon Draisaitl scored to secure the comeback win. Bouchard has four goals, three assists, 18 shots on net, four blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over four playoff outings in his usual spots on the top pairing and first power-play unit.