NHL Player News

Draisaitl (lower body) will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season, the team announced Tuesday.

Draisaitl sustained the injury in Sunday's 3-1 win over Nashville. He will conclude the regular season with 35 goals, 97 points and 186 shots on net in 65 appearances. Assuming Edmonton secures a playoff berth, it's unclear when the 30-year-old forward will be available to return to the lineup. Jason Dickinson and Josh Samanski could see increased roles in the team's middle six during Draisaitl's absence.

Luukkonen will occupy the road net Tuesday against the Golden Knights, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

Luukkonen and Alex Lyon have been alternating starts since the Olympic break, a trend that will continue Tuesday in Vegas. Aside from letting in seven goals in a frenetic matchup against Tampa on March 8, Luukkonen is 4-1-0 and has allowed two goals or less in four of his five starts since the Olympic break. The Golden Knights have scored a total of 10 goals in back-to-back wins over the Penguins and Blackhawks following a three-game losing streak.

Hill will protect the home net against Buffalo on Tuesday, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Hill will make his fifth straight start after winning his last two outings. He is coming off a 21-save performance in Saturday's 4-0 shutout win over Chicago. Hill has gone 8-6-3 this campaign with a 3.05 GAA and an .871 save percentage across 19 appearances. Buffalo is tied for sixth in the league with 3.45 goals per game this season.

Johnston (lower body) didn't participate in Tuesday's practice, per Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune.

Johnston has missed the last three games due to the injury, and he could sit out another contest against Philadelphia on Wednesday. He has contributed three goals, 14 points, 33 shots on net, 192 hits and 107 PIM in 62 appearances this season.

Bardakov's point drought reached 16 games in Monday's 7-2 loss to the Penguins.

Bardakov has played regularly during that stretch, but he's in a fourth-line role with limited ice time. The 25-year-old has produced nine points, 29 shots on net, 47 hits, 20 blocked shots, 12 PIM and a plus-5 rating over 52 outings as a rookie this season. Bardakov could lose his place in the lineup once the Avalanche get healthier, but he's likely got another week to prove himself before that happens.

Tolvanen is a game-time call for Tuesday's home contest against the Lightning because of an undisclosed injury, Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times reports.

Tolvanen did not return to Sunday's win over the Panthers after taking a hard hit in the final frame, per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network. If Tolvanen doesn't suit up Tuesday, Jacob Melanson will draw back into the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch for the last two games.

Burns scored a goal on five shots in Monday's 7-2 loss to the Penguins.

Burns ended a six-game point drought with the tally. The 41-year-old blueliner hasn't logged more than 20 minutes in a game since the start of February, averaging just 17:07 per game in that span compared to 19:04 overall. He's at 10 goals, 29 points, 136 shots on net, 78 blocked shots and a plus-28 rating over 66 appearances, matching his point total from 82 regular-season outings with the Hurricanes last year. Burns may simply be having his minutes managed as the Avalanche prepare for what they hope will be a deep playoff run.

Nedeljkovic is expected to patrol the home crease against Edmonton on Tuesday after being the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Nedeljkovic has won his last two outings while stopping 64 of the 68 shots he has faced. He has a 13-9-3 record this campaign with a 2.77 GAA and a .903 save percentage through 29 appearances. Edmonton is tied for second in the league with 3.40 goals per game this season, but the team will be without the services of Leon Draisaitl (lower body) for Tuesday's matchup.

Dewar logged two assists, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Monday's 7-2 win over the Avalanche.

Dewar picked up his first multi-point effort since Jan. 31 versus the Rangers. The 26-year-old forward continues to center the fourth line, providing defensive stability and a decent share of depth offense this year. He's got career highs across the board with 14 goals, 13 helpers, 100 shots on net, 130 hits and a plus-12 rating through 67 appearances.

Lizotte (upper body) will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Lizotte sat out Monday's 7-2 win over Colorado and is now in danger of missing the rest of the regular season. The Penguins conclude their 82-game schedule in St. Louis on April 14, which is exactly four weeks from now. The 28-year-old has accounted for seven goals, 19 points and a plus-6 rating over 55 appearances this season.