NHL Player News

Makar (undisclosed) missed Saturday's practice and is regarded as day-to-day, per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports.

It is extraordinarily likely that Makar will play in Game 1 against Vegas on Wednesday. Makar is probably playing hurt and getting some much-needed rest in between series, but he won't miss games this important if there is any way at all to avoid being absent. The 27-year-old has four goals and nine points in 11 playoff outings this year while averaging 24:42 of ice time.

Power (undisclosed) is expected to play in Game 6 against Montreal on Saturday, per Justin Alpert and Jourdon LaBarber of the Sabres' official site.

Power briefly exited Game 5 on Thursday after crashing into the boards during the third period. However, he should be fine to play in Saturday's must-win matchup. Power has contributed five assists, seven shots on goal, nine blocked shots and eight hits in 11 appearances this postseason.

Lyon was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, indicating he will defend the road net in Game 6 against Montreal on Saturday, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Lyon has a 4-3 record this postseason with a 2.25 GAA and a .917 save percentage across nine appearances. However, he has gone 1-2 while allowing 12 goals on 94 shots in four games against the Canadiens during the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Montreal sits sixth in the postseason with 3.08 goals per game.

McNabb is eligible to play in Game 1 against Colorado on Wednesday after serving his one-game suspension.

McNabb received the ban for interference against Ryan Poehling, who sustained an upper-body injury, in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over Anaheim. Through the first two rounds of the postseason, McNabb has generated one goal, two assists, 16 shots on net, 22 blocked shots and 23 hits in 11 appearances.

Kokko posted a 33-save shutout in AHL Coachella Valley's 4-0 win over Colorado in Game 2 on Friday.

Kokko has gone 6-4 with two shutouts, a 2.40 GAA and a .911 save percentage over 10 games this postseason. The netminder is locked in as the Firebirds' top option between the pipes. He'll likely spend most of 2026-27 in the AHL, though he could push for the backup job in the NHL with a strong training camp.

Avon scored twice in AHL Coachella Valley's 4-0 win over Colorado in Game 2 on Friday.

Avon helped the Firebirds even the series, opening the scoring at 1:20 of the third period before adding an insurance marker later in the frame. He's now at seven goals, one assist and a minus-2 rating over 10 playoff contests, shooting 29.2 percent in the postseason compared to 14.3 percent in the regular season.

Quinn notched an assist, three shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Canadiens in Game 5.

Quinn has been snakebit in the playoffs, coming up empty on 20 shots on goal. He's added four assists, 14 hits and a minus-2 rating over 11 appearances while maintaining a middle-six role. Quinn's last goal was April 9 versus the Blue Jackets, which gave him 20 regular-season tallies for the first time in his career.

Helenius scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Canadiens in Game 5.

Helenius was recalled among the Sabres' Black Aces on April 29. The Sabres gave him a chance to play in Game 4 of the second round and kept him in the lineup for Game 5, when he delivered his first career playoff goal. He's added five shots on net and two hits over two appearances this postseason. Helenius had 63 points in 63 regular-season outings with AHL Rochester, and he should be in a good position to compete for a roster spot out of training camp in 2026-27.

Doan scored a goal on three shots and added three hits in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Canadiens.

Doan continues to impress in the postseason. He's on a six-game point streak (two goals, six assists). The 24-year-old is up to a total of 10 points, 27 shots, 23 hits and a plus-5 rating over 11 playoff contests. He led Sabres forwards with 21:32 of ice time Thursday and will need to put in another strong performance Saturday in Game 6 with the season on the line.

Zucker scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Canadiens in Game 5.

Zucker netted his first goal of the postseason two minutes into the game. He's added just one assist with 16 shots on net, 16 hits and a minus-3 rating over 11 playoff contests. The 34-year-old winger had 45 points over 62 regular-season outings, but his drop in scoring in the playoffs has taken some pop out of the Sabres' offense.