Lineup Notes: Paul, Hayton, Blomqvist
Shortly before the puck dropped on Game 5 in Tampa Bay, the Lightning shared that forward Nick Paul wouldn’t play due to illness. 21-year-old Conor Geekie replaced him in the lineup, a scratch since Game 1 of the series against Montreal.
Paul has yet to find the score sheet in four games, but the 6’4” penalty killer hardly needs to. His effort and physicality always make an imprint on the game, especially in the postseason. Averaging 10:43 a night so far in the opening round, it’s a dip below his regular season average, as benches are shortened in what has been a neck-and-neck battle against the Canadiens. On the other hand, Geekie played 57 games in the AHL this year, but he offers high skill as far as 6’4″ bottom six depth options typically are.
For the grinder to miss such a pivotal game, it raises the question on if the Ontario native will be healthy again in time for Friday’s Game 6. Clearly missing Paul, the Bolts came up short tonight, and they’ll need a win back in Montreal to avoid a fourth consecutive first round exit.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Utah Mammoth forward Barrett Hayton has returned to the lineup tonight for Game 5 against Vegas, noted by Jesse Granger of The Athletic. It’s a pleasant surprise, as the 25-year-old hasn’t played since March 24 as a result of an upper-body injury. He’ll assume the role of third line center. Liam O’Brien is the odd man out. A beloved teammate, “Spicy Tuna” appeared in the series’ first three games, but did not play more than 8:11 in any of them. The fourth line grinder managed to add a helper, but with just four points all season, Utah has infused more speed and skill. The Mammoth kept their cards held tight as defenseman Nick DeSimone took warmups, hinting at a possible 11 forward, seven defensemen arrangement. Instead, Hayton is all set for his first playoff action since the COVID-19 playoff bubble six years ago with the Arizona Coyotes.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled goaltender Joel Blomqvist from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for emergency backup duty, as observed by Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review. Both Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner were good to go against Philadelphia for Game 6, but the 24-year-old prospect was on hand just in case of any unforeseen events prior to puck drop. The “Baby Penguins” start their AHL playoff run tomorrow, so it figures that Sergey Murashov will get the start there, the two splitting duties all season. Meanwhile, Blomqvist will at least enjoy getting to spectate a massive game as the Pens try to claw back to a Game 7 after being down 3-0 in the series.
Kings’ Quinton Byfield Suffered Two Oblique Tears
As occurs each year, after teams are eliminated from the postseason, players start to disclose the injuries they were managing during the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs. According to Zach Dooley of the Los Angeles Kings, Kings forward Quinton Byfield tore his right oblique just after the Olympic break, and tore his left oblique after the other healed.
Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that Byfield will need surgery to repair either muscle. He’ll take the first few weeks of the offseason to rest and recover before beginning his summer training.
Although it should never be a formal expectation that a player should perform through injuries, it is typically how most hockey players operate, especially at this time of year. Typically, you can tell if a player is playing through something, as they typically aren’t as good as they usually are. However, in Byfield’s case, you’d never know he was dealing with anything.
The former second overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft was arguably playing the best hockey of his NHL career after the league returned from the Olympics. Finishing out the regular season, Byfield scored 13 goals and 19 points in 24 games with a +4 rating, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. Additionally, he performed well in the faceoff dot, winning 53.3% of draws over that stretch.
Byfield will want to build on that success entering next season. Unless Los Angeles makes a significant splash, Byfield should assume the center role on the Kings’ first line, replacing Anze Kopitar after his retirement. Over the last three years, Byfield has averaged between 50 and 55 points a season, though the Kings will need much more offense than that. If he can continue the same pace he had after the Olympic break, Los Angeles would be far more comfortable having a 65-70 point center leading the pack.
Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Dobson, Der-Arguchintsev
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took center stage Wednesday during his end-of-season press conference, using the time to forcefully shut down growing speculation regarding his future with the club. While the rest of the team’s end-of-season press conference was held on Monday after the Carolina Hurricanes swept the Senators, Tkachuk was delayed to celebrate the birth of his daughter, Lyla. During the discussions, Tkachuk wasted little time addressing trade rumors that he labeled a “distraction.”
“I feel like I’ve never shown, never said, none of those things have ever come out of my mouth, and quite honestly, it’s just getting frustrating,” Tkachuk said. “I have been fully committed to this team, to this city.”
General Manager Steve Staios echoed that sentiment earlier in the week, calling the rumors “nonsense.” Tkachuk, 26, is under contract for two more seasons and finished the year with 59 points in 60 games. Despite his regular-season production, he was held scoreless in the opening-round sweep, a result he admitted was a “big shot in the confidence.” He plans to meet with Staios following the U18 World Championships to discuss how to improve the roster for next season.
Additional notes around the Atlantic:
- The Montreal Canadiens received a significant boost during Wednesday’s optional skate as defenseman Noah Dobson returned to the ice. Dobson has been sidelined since April 11 after blocking a shot with his left hand, an injury that forced him to miss the start of the Canadiens’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While he skated individually and has yet to be cleared for full contact, his presence is a major step forward for a Habs blueline that has relied heavily on Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson in his absence.
- Former Maple Leafs prospect Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is reportedly interested in a return to the NHL after a productive stint in the KHL. His agent, Shumi Babaev, confirmed that they have already reached out to the organization to express a desire to rejoin the system. “Semyon is considering the option of returning to Toronto,” Babaev told R.org’s Daria Tuboltseva. “We contacted former general manager Brad Treliving and expressed our desire to return to the club’s system. Now we are waiting for the appointment of a new general manager and to understand his position.” Der-Arguchintsev, 25, recorded 37 points in 59 KHL games this season.
Sabres’ Noah Ostlund Suffers Lower-Body Injury
10:35 a.m.: Ruff spoke to the media again this morning and said Östlund is going to miss “some time.” He added that the update the team received on Östlund’s status was “not good.”
Ruff did also say that Norris is ready to return to the ice for game six against Boston, meaning the Sabres have avoided the scenario where all three of Östlund, Norris, and Carrick are sidelined.
9:27 a.m.: Buffalo Sabres forward Noah Östlund was knocked out of the team’s game five loss to the Boston Bruins with a lower-body injury, the team announced last night.
After the game, head coach Lindy Ruff told the media (including Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic) that Östlund’s injury “doesn’t look good” and pointed to the fact that the player attempted to skate during a media timeout to test out the injury, but ended up quickly leaving the ice and returning to the locker room. 
Östlund’s status is a key storyline to watch in advance of what will be an extremely important game six for Buffalo.
At this point, it looks more likely than not that the Sabres will have to make do without their talented rookie pivot.
The center, who is the No. 3 prospect in the team’s pool according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, had slotted in as the team’s third-line center. He scored a goal and an assist in three games this series.
While Östlund has not been ruled out of the team’s next game officially, Ruff’s statement as well as the visual of the injury both indicate that he’s set to miss at least some time. His absence would leave the Sabres in a somewhat precarious position down the middle. Ruff elevated No. 4 center Tyson Kozak into Östlund’s role after the latter’s injury. But the high-energy bottom-sixer isn’t a natural fit for Östlund’s role.
Hurting the Sabres is the fact that they’re already missing three centers due to injury. 21-year-old Jiri Kulich was already ruled out for the season due to blood clotting. Trade deadline addition Sam Carrick was sensational to start his time in Buffalo, but has been out since the start of the month with an arm injury. Ruff previously ruled out Carrick returning in the first round.
Top-six pivot Josh Norris has been sidelined for three consecutive games due to an undisclosed injury. He participated in the team’s morning skate on Tuesday but wasn’t able to dress last night. His return to the lineup would mitigate a lot of the damage done by Östlund’s injury.
If Norris can’t return for game six, the team does have some options as to how it might fill Östlund’s vacant No. 3 center role. They could shift Peyton Krebs, a natural center who is playing left wing, to the role. The 25-year-old is the Sabres’ most talented candidate to play there, but moving him would risk disrupting the team’s first line.
Krebs has been stellar in the first round playing alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, and has five points in five contests. He’s continued what was a breakout regular season and Ruff is unlikely to want to break up a combination that has worked so well.
If moving Krebs to the middle isn’t a realistic option, the team’s best option might be to simply dress 27-year-old Joshua Dunne and run him and Kozak as the two bottom-six pivots. Dunne played in the first two games of the series before he was replaced in favor of Kozak.
Regardless of what the Sabres ultimately elect to do, the most important thing to track will be Östlund’s status. With how many injuries the Sabres are already dealing with up front, the hope will have to be that the skilled rookie center’s injury isn’t as bad as it initially looked.
Photos courtesy of Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Lineup Notes: Arvidsson, Hagens, Jokiharju, Trenin, Zuccarello
Boston Bruins forward Viktor Arvidsson has been ruled out for Game 5 in Buffalo, reported by Amalie Benjamin, Senior Writer at the NHL. He did not travel with the team.
The 33-year-old left in Game 4 with an upper-body injury, absorbing a hard hit from Mattias Samuelsson. Unfortunately such injuries are common for the feisty winger, who has played in more than 70 regular season games just once since 2017-18. When healthy, the Swede found his game as a Bruin, bouncing back in a big way with 25 goals and 54 points in 69 games.
Arvidsson’s Bruins are on the brink of elimination, but he’s done his part with two tallies in the series. He’ll hope they can extend their season tonight and buy enough time for a potential return, as soon as Game 6 on Friday, if necessary.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Also in Boston, top prospect James Hagens is a healthy scratch for the possible elimination game, indicated by lines shared by Belle Fraser, Multimedia Producer. Alex Steeves slots in on the third line. The 19-year-old appeared in the first three games of the series, but a dip in ice time in the third spelled a scratch last Sunday. With Arvidsson out, there’s naturally the temptation to ice Hagens for a spark, but instead Steeves gets the call for his NHL playoff debut. Steeves, 26, posted 16 points in 43 games this season, his first in Boston. A more defensive minded bottom sixer, he doesn’t quite bring the same excitement as Hagens, but is a bit more trustworthy compared to a rookie who was playing for Boston College just last month. Steeves won’t be the only one making his playoff debut wearing the black and yellow tonight, as Henri Jokiharju replaces Jordan Harris. The 26-year-old defenseman has nearly 500 games of experience prior to his first playoff action tonight, much of which came as a Buffalo Sabre.
- It appears that the Minnesota Wild will welcome back forwards Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin for Game 5 in Dallas, as Joe O’Donnell, Radio Broadcaster, observed the duo in warmups. The 38-year-old Zuccarello hasn’t played since Game 1 with an upper-body-injury, catching an elbow from Dallas’ Tyler Myers. As for Trenin, the 6’4” grinder usually known for dishing out hits absorbed a massive open ice check from 5’8” Colin Blackwell, the two former Nashville teammates, and left with an upper-body injury. Trenin had to miss the last two contests, but will seek vengeance in a pivotal contest between the teams split two wins apiece.
Snapshots: Ehlers, Nikishin, Hintz, O’Rourke
The Carolina Hurricanes are trending toward a much-needed health surge. Following their first-round sweep, signs are pointing toward a return of both Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Alexander Nikishin. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour is hopeful that both will be available for the beginning of Round Two.
Nikishin is currently in the concussion protocol following a heavy hit in the series clincher. The week-long layoff between rounds is expected to provide ample time for him to clear the NHL’s mandatory steps.
Ehlers was sidelined recently with a lower-body ailment and is reportedly making significant progress to rejoin the top-six for Game 1 against either the Philadelphia Flyers or Pittsburgh Penguins. Ehlers registered one assist in three games in the opening round series against the Ottawa Senators.
Additional snapshots:
- The Dallas Stars’ postseason hopes have hit a significant snag. Forward Roope Hintz is reportedly unlikely to suit up for the remainder of the first-round series against the Minnesota Wild. Hintz has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since early March, and despite hopes for a playoff return, head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed the top-line center has resumed skating. His absence leaves a massive void for the Stars’ offensive transition and penalty kill as the series intensifies.
- Prospect defenseman Kade O’Rourke has officially been denied exceptional status by Hockey Canada (via Jeff Marek of Daily Faceoff). Despite a dominant 42-point campaign with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, the 15-year-old defenseman will not be eligible for this summer’s OHL Priority Selection. He is now projected to be the consensus first overall pick for the 2027 OHL Draft. He would have been the first player granted exceptional status since Landon DuPont in 2024.
Oilers’ Connor McDavid Made Game-Time Decision For Game 5
According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid has been made a game-time decision for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Additional reports indicate McDavid has been dealing with an undisclosed injury, but has not missed a game in the postseason up to this point. McDavid currently sits tied for third on the Oilers in points this postseason with one goal and four points through four games, with a minus-six rating.
After taking Game 1 in the series, Edmonton has lost three straight, being outscored 17-11, including a Game 4 overtime loss to Anaheim by a final score of 4-3. McDavid has received his fair share of scrutiny for his lack of game-changing offense in the series, going scoreless in the first two contests. The Ducks have done well at limiting the Oilers’ superstar thus far.
McDavid, the Oilers’ 2015 first overall pick, racked up 48 goals and 138 points in 82 games during the 2025-26 regular season and would be a massive hole in the lineup for the Oilers to fill. To date, he has produced 45 goals and 154 points in 100 career playoff games. The Oilers will look to continue their playoff series against the Ducks tonight, currently down three games to one in a best-of-seven series.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also stated that forward Jason Dickinson is a game-time decision for Game 5 of the series. Dickinson has missed the last two games due to a lower-body injury. The trade deadline acquisition registered two goals in Game 1.
Lineup Notes: Michkov, Juulsen, Karlsson
A notable storyline has emerged this evening as the Philadelphia Flyers have scratched Matvei Michkov in Game 5 against the Penguins, noted by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Alex Bump will take his place, jumping in on the third line.
The news confirms yesterday’s suspicions that the polarizing young star would sit. In last Saturday’s loss, where the Flyers failed to complete the sweep, only Luke Glendening and Garnet Hathaway played less than Michkov’s 11:18 among forwards, the pair of veterans being pure fourth line role players.
In his place comes Bump, aged 22. Often such lineup decisions have playoff grit in mind, but the 6’0″ winger has scoring touch in his own right, burying five goals and adding four helpers across 17 games in his first NHL action this year. It’ll be the first taste of playoff hockey for the fifth round pick (2022), and he’ll be eager to hold down his seat at the table.
Obviously, immediate questions are raised on the 21-year-old Michkov’s future in Philadelphia, still signed for another season at $950k before restricted free agent status in 2027. Despite a disappointing season, he still skated in 81 games, making it only more glaring for his absence now. In that time, the Russian posted 51 points, a drop from his rookie campaign’s 63. His ice time was also cut down nearly two minutes, 14:50 under head coach Rick Tocchet.
Hardly focused on any trade talk just yet however, tonight presents a historic opportunity for the Flyers. They have the chance to complete a resounding defeat of their in-state rivals, with an uncertain future regarding their legendary trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Depending on how things go, Michkov could continue to find himself the odd man out.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Also in Philadelphia, although a bit less eyebrow-raising, defenseman Noah Juulsen will join Michkov as a healthy scratch, replaced by Emil Andrae, reported by Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. The 29-year-old played in each of the Flyers’ last three games, making an impact with two assists in Game 3, but he played just 8:55 last Saturday, fewest of any skater on the team by a clear margin. The rotation between both defenders is hardly new this year, as they’ve posted similar stats, the differentiator being that they’re opposite handed. The right-handed Juulsen has a 45.6% corsi for at five-on-five this year, starting nearly 58% of his shifts on the attack, by far a career high. It’s much the same for Andrae, who could again have a shorter leash in such a consequential game.
- Golden Knights forward William Karlsson practiced today, observed by SinBin.vegas, donning a red no-contact jersey. The center hasn’t played since November as a result of a lower-body injury, and it is thought that his Golden Knights must advance at least to the second round for any chance at a return. His high scoring “Wild Bill” days largely in the past, Karlsson was still productive in his just 14 games this season, posting four goals and seven points. Currently operating with Tomáš Hertl at third line center, Vegas has fared well without their original misfit, whose team has changed greatly since his last time on the ice, primarily with John Tortorella now behind the bench. Now, down in the series to the electric Utah Mammoth, there’s work to be done for the 33-year-old to add to his impressive 111 career playoff games (74 points), all but five of which games as a Golden Knight.
East Notes: Muller, Zadorov, Arvidsson
According to a team announcement, assistant coach Kirk Muller is moving on from the Washington Capitals this summer. Muller’s contract expires in a few months, and he will be pursuing other opportunities this summer.
In the announcement, General Manager of the Capitals, Chris Patrick, said, “Kirk has expressed his desire to explore other opportunities within the National Hockey League, and we respect and support his decision. We thank Kirk for his dedication, professionalism, and the many contributions he made during his three years with our organization. He is an experienced and highly respected coach whose work ethic, leadership, and commitment to player development had a meaningful impact on our team both on and off the ice. We wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of his career.”
Muller began his professional coaching career ahead of the 2006-07 season as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens. He remained in that post until the 2011-12 season, when he took on the role as the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes until 2013-14. Since then, he has been in a supporting role, serving in assistant or associate capacities with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Montreal, and Washington.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov has been fined $5K, the maximum allowable, for cross-checking Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in Game 4. It was an expected, albeit underwhelming outcome. In yesterday’s contest, well after the whistle, Zadorov calmly skated up to Dahlin and delivered a cross-check to Dahlin’s back, which caused Zadorov’s stick to break. It’s hard to argue that there wasn’t intent to injure based on the video, making the NHL’s decision not to suspend him a bit perplexing.
- Regardless, it appears that Zadorov may be out for Game 5 anyway. According to Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald, Zadorov and winger Viktor Arvidsson are questionable for tomorrow’s contest. Zadorov has been playing through injury to start the postseason, and it seems that it has caught up with him. Additionally, Arvidsson suffered an upper-body injury in yesterday’s blowout loss after being hit by Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson.
Bruins’ Viktor Arvidsson Leaves Game With Injury
Game 4 wasn’t the only thing the Boston Bruins lost today. Before the end of the game, the Bruins announced that veteran winger Viktor Arvidsson had left the game with an upper-body injury.
Arvidsson informally left the game with only a few minutes remaining in the first period. After the Buffalo Sabres had already taken a commanding lead, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson landed a hard hit on Arvidsson along the boards, which seemingly shook the winger up. The hit wasn’t dirty by any stretch of the imagination, and likely just caught Arvidsson in the wrong spot.
Already on the brink of elimination, the possibility of being without Arvidsson in Game 5 certainly lowers the Bruins’ chances of staving off the Sabres any longer. The 33-year-old forward was electric in Boston’s only win of the series thus far, scoring two goals with a +1 rating in Game 2 in 13:52 of ice time.
If Arvidsson is unable to go when the series continues in Buffalo, the Bruins will have to sort out the top six of the forward group. Head coach Marco Sturm will likely move Marat Khusnutdinov to the top line alongside Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak, while moving Morgan Geekie down to the second line to take Arvidsson’s spot. Regardless, it puts the Bruins in an even bigger hole after getting embarrassed on their home ice.