NHL Player News

Hart will protect the home goal versus the Ducks in Game 2 on Wednesday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Hart stopped 33 of 34 shots in Game 1 on Monday. He's won four straight outings while looking particularly steady in the last two, when he stopped 55 of 57 shots. The Ducks had more shots in Monday's loss than the Mammoth did in five of six Round 1 contests against the Golden Knights, so expect Hart to stay busy in Wednesday's matchup.

Carrick (arm) is not on the ice for warmups and won't play Wednesday in Game 1 versus the Canadiens, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.

Carrick was upgraded to day-to-day after participating in practice Tuesday. Considering he was previously expected to miss the whole second round, this is a great sign of progress, but there's no firm date set for his return. His next chance to play is Friday in Game 2.

Lyon will guard the home goal versus the Canadiens in Game 1 on Wednesday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Lyon went 3-1 over the last four games of the Sabres' 4-2 series win over the Bruins in the first round. He allowed just five goals in that span. Lyon is now the Sabres' No. 1 goalie, though the team could pivot back to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen if Lyon struggles at any point.

Dobes will protect the road goal in Game 1 versus the Sabres on Wednesday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Dobes got the Canadiens past the Lightning in the first round, going 4-3 with a 2.03 GAA and a .923 save percentage over seven games. The 24-year-old's strong play is impressive, and he'll now turn his attention to another inexperienced playoff team. Until he shows significant struggles, Dobes looks to have control of Montreal's crease.

Dostal is expected to start on the road against Vegas in Game 2 on Wednesday, per Derek Lee of The Hockey News.

Dostal has a 4-3 record, 3.59 GAA and .878 save percentage in seven playoff outings this year. He held his own in the second-round opener, stopping 19 of 21 shots, but a lack of offensive support resulted in a 3-1 loss for Anaheim. Vegas has been tough to contain so far in the playoffs, averaging 3.71 goals per game.

Tippett (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision for Game 3 against the Hurricanes on Thursday, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com reports.

Tippett has been skating, and the Flyers would benefit from potentially getting him back from a two-game absence. Noah Cates (lower body) won't return in the second round, and Christian Dvorak (undisclosed) is also dealing with an injury situation. If the 27-year-old Tippett does play, he figures to jump back into a top-six role and would almost certainly see power-play ice time as well.

Dvorak (undisclosed) stands a good chance of playing in Game 3 against Carolina on Thursday despite having a day-to-day injury, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Dvorak has three assists, 15 shots and 16 hits in eight appearances during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also had 18 goals and 51 points in 80 regular-season outings in 2025-26. Noah Cates (lower body) won't return for the remainder of the second round, which will likely push Garnet Hathaway back into the lineup. If Philadelphia is also without Dvorak on Thursday, then Garrett Wilson might play as well.

Cates (lower body) will miss the remainder of Philadelphia's second-round series versus the Hurricanes, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Wednesday.

Cates was injured during Game 2 versus the Hurricanes, though he finished the contest with 20:53 of ice time. The 27-year-old had a five-game goal drought during which he recorded two assists, five shots and 16 hits. With the Flyers also dealing with injuries to Christian Dvorak (undisclosed) and Owen Tippett (undisclosed), the absence of Cates will stretch their depth, especially down the middle.

Luchanko was summoned by the Flyers from OHL Brantford on Wednesday.

Luchanko started the 2025-26 campaign with the Flyers, recording no points, two PIM, one shot, two hits and three blocks in four appearances before being reassigned to the junior level Oct. 27. He went on to score seven goals and 43 points in 38 regular-season outings between OHL Guelph and Brantford in 2025-26. The 19-year-old isn't expected to play for the Flyers during their postseason run, but Luchanko will be around the team and get a taste of the NHL playoff atmosphere.

Jiricek was assigned to AHL Springfield on Wednesday.

Jiricek spent the 2025-26 season with OHL Brantford, where he recorded 19 goals, 40 assists and 33 PIM across 55 regular-season appearances. He also had seven goals and 22 points in 15 playoff outings. Now that his OHL campaign has concluded, he will join Springfield in the midst of the Calder Cup Playoffs.