NHL Player News

Kaspar scored a goal in a 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Monday.

It was a backhander from the edge of the crease; it was his ninth snipe of the season (10 assists, 129 shots; 80 games). Kasper took a huge step backward in 2025-26. Last year, he had 19 goals, 18 assists and 145 shots. Kasper has one more year on his entry-level contract, and he will need to prove he can be the top-six pivot the team hoped they were drafting in 2022.

Talbot made 18 saves on 22 shots Monday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning.

Talbot is 12-9-6 with a 3.10 GAA and .886 save percentage in 25 starts (33 appearances) this season. He's 43rd overall in GAA and 45th in save percentage. Talbot's contract expires at the end of the season, and at 38, his options are limited. Detroit's Sebastian Cossa has had a very strong season in Grand Rapids -- he's 26-8-4 with a 2.28 GAA and .917 save percentage, so the Red Wings are far more likely to elevate him than re-sign Talbot. The 2025-26 season was touted as his possible last year prior to Opening Night.

Vasilevskiy made 27 saves on 30 shots in a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit on Monday.

The Big Cat deserves a rest Wednesday against the Rangers to prep for the postseason, but Jonas Johansson (undisclosed) sat out Monday's game. That meant the Lightning had to roll with their Emergency Back Up Goalie (EBUG) in the number two spot. Brandon Halverson, who is 24-11-6 with six shutouts, 2.39 GAA and .906 save percentage with AHL Syracuse this season could get the call-up for Wednesday. The win was Vasilevskiy's 39th of the season. It's the third time in his career that he's hit exactly 39 wins and fourth time that he's delivered at least that many wins.

Cernak scored a goal Monday in a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit.

Cernak put the Lightning up 2-1 late in the second period on a goalmouth scramble. Cam Talbot had stopped Cernak's initial redirection and Ryan McDonagh's subsequent rebound. McDonagh grabbed his own rebound and passed back to Cernak, who drilled the puck past Talbot, who was down and out. It was the defensive defender's first point in 11 games. He has three goals, eight assists, 112 hits, 97 blocks and 52 shots in 60 contests.

Guentzel scored a goal Monday in a 4-3 overtime win over the Red Wings.

Guentzel has 38 goals, 50 assists and 219 shots in 81 games this season. He scored 30 of his points, including eight goals, on the power play. Tampa Bay has one game remaining that could solidify home-ice advantage, but the team may choose to rest their stars for the playoffs. That could mean Guentzel may rest Wednesday against the Rangers.

Beckman earned a 12-save shutout in QMJHL Chicoutimi's 4-0 win over Quebec in Game 3 on Monday.

Beckman saw little work in this road game, helping the Sagueneens establish a 3-0 lead over the Remparts in their second-round series. Beckman is a perfect 7-0 this postseason, adding a 0.86 GAA and a .957 save percentage. Chicoutimi is poised for a deep run this spring, and Beckman has proven himself a reliable goalie behind a strong defense.

Kane delivered an assist Monday in a 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay.

The assist gave Kane 1,400 NHL points (508 goals, 892 assists); he accomplished that in 1,368 career games. He's the fourth active player to that reach the 1,400-point milestone. Kane, who is 24th all-time in NHL scoring, joins Sidney Crosby (1,761; seventh all-time), Alex Ovechkin (1,686; 10th all-time) and Evgeni Malkin (1,407; 23rd all-time).

Kucherov scored a goal and added an assist in a 4-3 overtime win over the Red Wings on Monday.

Kucherov finished a give-and-go on a 2-on-1 in overtime to seal the victory. It was his 44th goal of the season, which equals his career high (2023-24). The assist moved him temporarily into a tie with Connor McDavid, who is playing the late game, for the NHL lead. Kucherov has 130 points this season, three behind McDavid for the NHL lead. It remains to be seen if the Bolts will rest their Hart candidate in their last regular-season game Wednesday against the Rangers.

Geekie scored a goal in a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit on Monday.

It was Geekie's first goal of the season. He has played 14 games this season (one goal, two assists), and he has 17 goals and 42 assists in 58 games with AHL Syracuse. That's good enough for him to still sit in a four-player tie for 12th in AHL scoring, even with the promotion. Geekie is a prototypical playmaking center with size (six-foot-four) and power, but he's blocked down the middle behind Anthony Cirelli, Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde, unless Gourde moves to the wing. That will limit Geekie's fantasy value for a few years.

Lehkonen (undisclosed) is not in the lineup for Monday's matchup in Edmonton.

Lehkonen plays a very physical game, so he is presumably being rested Monday, as the Avalanche have already locked up the Presidents' Trophy. Ross Colton will slide into a top-six role in Edmonton due to Lehkonen's absence. The Finnish winger can be considered questionable to suit up in the second half of Colorado's back-to-back Tuesday in Calgary.