NHL Player News

Kleven (upper body) won't be an option for Game 2 against Carolina on Monday, Julian McKenzie of The Athletic reports.

Kleven hasn't played since April 2 against Buffalo due to the injury. He was a full participant in Monday's morning skate, but he worked as an extra and isn't quite ready to return yet. He registered three goals, 18 points, 90 shots on net, 94 blocked shots and 126 hits across 70 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season.

Zub (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision for Game 2 against the Hurricanes on Monday, Julian McKenzie of The Athletic reports.

Zub was injured during Game 1 on Saturday, logging just 7:44 of ice time before being forced to leave the contest. If Zub does miss out, it appears that Nikolas Matinpalo will step into his top-four spot in the lineup, while Lassi Thomson could play after sitting out Game 1.

General manager Chris Patrick said Monday that Sandin (knee) is expected to miss a "decent amount of time" to begin the 2026-27 campaign, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Sandin missed the final two games of the regular season in 2025-26 due to a knee injury, and he's expected to continue to deal with the injury over the summer and into next fall. It's not yet clear when the 26-year-old will be able to make his 2026-27 debut, but Patrick said Monday that Sandin's injury will factor into the Capitals' offseason plans.

Jiricek was summoned from AHL Lehigh Valley on Monday.

Jiricek appears poised to join the Black Aces for Philadelphia's playoff run. He had four goals and 23 points in 39 AHL games between Lehigh Valley and Iowa this campaign. Jiricek didn't earn a point while posting 16 shots on goal, 19 blocked shots and eight hits in 26 NHL appearances for Philadelphia and Minnesota during the 2025-26 regular season.

Bonk was recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley on Monday.

Bonk had six goals and 19 points in 46 games during his rookie AHL campaign in 2025-26. He also made an impact in his NHL debut against Montreal on Tuesday, when he notched one goal and one assist in a 4-2 victory. However, Bonk is probably just up with the Flyers in the postseason to be a member of the Black Aces.

Cole notched an assist and three blocked shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Cole ended the regular season on a five-game point drought. The 37-year-old defenseman is set for third-pairing minutes during this playoff run after logging 23 points over 82 regular-season outings, his highest output in six years. Cole is in his 12th playoff run, having collected 31 points in 129 appearances as well as a pair of Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

Schmidt logged an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Schmidt had a goal and three assists over the last 15 games of the regular season. The defenseman put up 22 points over 82 regular-season contests, his highest point total in four years. He's well-versed in playoff experience, having logged 99 games over eight previous postseason, with 10 goals and 30 helpers to his name. Schmidt was a Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers last year but will have a tougher task in trying to help the Mammoth turn a wild-card berth into a deep run.

Durzi notched an assist and two PIM in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Durzi missed the last game of the regular season due to an upper-body injury, though it appears the Mammoth were just taking caution to prevent a larger issue. The 27-year-old is expected to be a regular in the lineup during the playoffs, though likely in a bottom-four role. Durzi had 27 points, 84 shots on net, 88 blocked shots, 50 PIM and 40 hits over 60 regular-season appearances. He's in the playoffs for the third time in his career, having collected four points over 13 games across two previous postseason runs, both with the Kings.

Hanifin logged two assists in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.

Hanifin has picked up the pace with seven helpers over his last nine contests, though he hasn't gotten on the scoresheet in consecutive games. The defenseman had a down year with 28 points, 135 shots on net and 116 blocked shots over 71 regular-season appearances, missing the 30-point mark for the first time since the shortened 2020-21 campaign. Hanifin is skating in his sixth playoff run, and he's earned 18 points over 45 outings across his previous five trips to the postseason.

Carrier logged an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 1.

Carrier missed nine games to close out the regular season, but he's ready to roll in the playoffs. He'll get a top-four role right out of the gate this postseason, but expect the defenseman's minutes to decline once Noah Dobson (upper body) returns. Carrier had 22 points over 73 regular-season outings, and in prior playoff runs, he's collected 10 points over 21 appearances.