NHL Player News

Andersen is expected to get the starting nod at home for Game 1 against the Flyers on Saturday, Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Andersen had a perfect 4-0 record in the opening round of the playoffs against the Senators, posting a 1.10 GAA, a .955 save percentage and one shutout. It would have been quite the shock to see him removed from the crease for the start of the second round. At this point, it would likely take multiple bad outings by the veteran netminder for him to lose the starting role in Carolina.

D'Astous (undisclosed) is poised to play in Friday's Game 6 matchup against the Canadiens, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

D'Astous will play for the first time since suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 1 on April 19. The blueliner hasn't earned a point in his last seven contests while chipping in 10 shots, seven hits and six blocks. During that stretch, the Quebec native also racked up 24 PIM. He'll need to avoid the sin bin in a must-win matchup for the Lightning on Friday.

Paul (illness) will rejoin the lineup versus the Canadiens in Game 6 on Friday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Apparently, Paul wasn't as coy about his availability as head coach Jon Cooper, who previously declined to provide an update on the forward's health. The 31-year-old Paul hasn't earned a point in four appearances this postseason while contributing five shots on net, 13 hits and three blocked shots. Still, his offensive limitations may cause fantasy managers to seek other options for Friday's playoff slate.

Paul (illness) will be a game-time call for Game 6 versus Montreal on Friday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Paul was on the ice for the game-day skate, which would seem to indicate he'll be back in action, but the team didn't run line combinations, and head coach Jon Cooper didn't reveal any details regarding his lineup. If Paul does play, it will likely come at the expense of Conor Geekie.

D'Astous (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision versus the Canadiens in Game 6 on Friday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Head coach Jon Cooper wouldn't provide any insight on D'Astous' availability, so fantasy managers will need to take a wait-and-see approach. If D'Astous receives the all-clear to return, Max Crozier could be a healthy scratch.

Stanley (illness) will be a game-time decision for Game 6 versus the Bruins on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Stanley has yet to register a point in the postseason, generating five shots, six hits and six blocks while averaging 13:51 of ice time. As such, his potential absence is unlikely to impact the majority of fantasy players. If Stanley can't go Friday, Michael Kesselring is expected to step into the lineup.

Nikishin (concussion) wore a regular jersey during Friday's practice session, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Nikishin also skated on the second power-play unit and could be on track to play in Game 1 against the Flyers on Saturday. If he does play, the blueliner figures to link up with Shayne Gostisbehere on the third pairing, while Mike Reilly will remain in the press box as a healthy scratch.

Murphy scored a goal on four shots and added two hits in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Ducks in Game 6.

Murphy did fine with three points, 12 shots on net, 12 hits, 15 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over six playoff outings. The 33-year-old defenseman wasn't able to pull the Oilers into the second round, and he'll now turn his attention to unrestricted free agency in the summer. Murphy had 17 points, 90 hits, 138 blocked shots and 71 PIM over 80 regular-season contests between Edmonton and Chicago.

Podkolzin scored a goal on three shots and added five hits in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Ducks in Game 6.

The Oilers had plenty of flaws in this first-round series, but Podkolzin's play was a benefit. He had three goals, three assists, 12 shots on net, 32 hits and a plus-5 rating over six contests against the Ducks. Podkolzin earned a 37-point regular season wihle adding 242 hits and 63 PIM over 82 appearances. He signed a three-year contract extension back in September, and that deal will kick in for 2026-27, cementing Podkolzin as a piece of the Oilers' middle six moving forward.

Ingram allowed four goals on 30 shots in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Ducks in Game 6.

Ingram kept the Oilers' season alive once but couldn't do it twice, failing to get the series back to Edmonton. The Ducks jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one period, and that deficit was too much to overcome for the Oilers. Ingram went 2-3 with 19 goals allowed on 153 shots (.876 save percentage) across five outings in this series, which will see the Oilers fail to make the second round for the first time since 2021. Ingram is eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer if the Oilers don't re-sign him.