Ducks Issue Multiple Injury Updates
As is typically the case, once teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, many player injuries get revealed. That is the case for the Anaheim Ducks, who shared updates regarding six players according to a team announcement.
The highest-profile injury is that of forward Troy Terry, who has been dealing with chronic hip impingement and will undergo surgery at an undetermined date. Although he’s remained relatively healthy since the 2020-21 campaign, Terry missed 21 games for the Ducks this season, though it was defined as an upper-body injury at the time.
Regardless, despite the injury requiring surgery, it didn’t seem to impact Terry in the postseason. Anaheim regularly relied on Terry, who played the right wing of the Ducks’ first forward unit, and he finished with three goals and 11 points in 12 games. It wasn’t enough to get the team to the Western Conference Final, nor was it enough to lead the team in scoring, but Terry had a solid playoff debut based on the circumstances.
Additionally, the team confirmed Cutter Gauthier‘s vetebrae fracture from earlier in the season. The Ducks didn’t confirm when the injury took place, though its believed to have stemmed from Anaheim’s overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 30th. Impressively, even while dealing with that, Gauthier registered seven goals and 16 points in 15 games since, including the postseason.
Meanwhile, Anaheim shared that center Ryan Poehling was dealing with a concussion after being hit by Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb in Game 5 of Round Two, resulting in a one-game suspension for the latter. Additionally, the team revealed that Pavel Mintyukov was dealing with an MCL sprain, Radko Gudas an ankle sprain, and Drew Helleson a groin strain. Aside from Terry, all the other injured members have all been cleared from their injuries.
Injury Notes: Stone, Ducks, Sabres
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without their captain tonight in Game 4 against Anaheim, as Mark Stone won’t play, to be replaced by Brandon Saad, noted by Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
It was apparent just yesterday that such was a possibility, as Stone left Game 3 early as a result of a non-contact lower-body injury. Averaging 19:26 so far in the playoffs, good for third among Vegas forwards, losing Stone for any extended period would have major implications in the remainder of the series, as the Ducks look to even things up at 2-2. A crucial piece of their power play, Stone, who turns 34 in just three days, has managed to play in all nine playoff games so far, coming away with seven points.
Despite never playing in more than 66 regular season games as a Knight, Stone has missed just one playoff game with the team. In 94 such appearances, always rising to the occasion, he has 79 points. Obviously taking a lot for the veteran to miss out in the spring, it raises real concerns on his status the rest of the way.
Another veteran with ample playoff experience (111 games), Saad is expected to slot into the third line, his first postseason action of the year. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and former standout scorer, the winger is now fully embracing an energy role under John Tortorella, with just nine points in 49 games this year. Invigorated by the opportunity, he’ll be one to watch as the group marches ahead without their leader, as few depth forwards have a resume as strong as his own.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas’ opponents in Anaheim also have movement in regards to their captain, as Radko Gudas is a game-time decision to return, based on morning lines shared by Zach Cavanaugh of The Sporting Tribune. The soon-to-be 36-year-old hasn’t played since Game 1 against the Oilers in the opening round, dealing with a lower body injury. Assuming back into the fold, he’ll be in a third pairing deployment alongside rookie Tyson Hinds, who only made his NHL debut last month. It appears that Drew Helleson will step out of the lineup as a result, the 25-year-old righty skating in eight postseason games so far and coming away with one helper in limited usage. Helleson is thought to be dealing with an undisclosed injury.
- Knotted 1-1 in their series and headed into a hostile Montreal environment tonight for Game 3, the Buffalo Sabres might change things up among their bottom six forwards, observed by Bill Hoppe of The Times Herald. Head coach Lindy Ruff did not provide specifics, but trade deadline acquisition Sam Carrick looks likely to be suiting up after missing 15 games with an arm injury. It’s a nice update after initial thoughts that the 34-year-old had no shot at returning during the second round. Drafted back in 2010, Carrick has just 10 playoff games under his belt, coming as an Oiler two years ago. His nearly 55% faceoff win rate would be a welcome addition, the exact reason Buffalo surrendered third and sixth-round selections to the Rangers in March. If Carrick is good to go, it may bump out Tyson Kozak. The 23-year-old has provided spot-duty on the fourth line, bringing energy but winning a sub-par 43.3% on the dot across six playoff games.
Injury Notes: Cates, Dvorak, Tippett, Nikishin
The Philadelphia Flyers’ postseason hurdles just reached a new height. Down 2-0 as the series shifts back to Wells Fargo Center, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the worst-case scenario for his forward group: Noah Cates is out for the remainder of the series.
Cates, who hit career highs this season with 47 points and has been the team’s most reliable two-way presence, suffered a lower-body injury after taking a shot off the foot in Game 2. While he finished that game, he was seen in a walking boot on Wednesday, and the team has officially ruled him out for the duration of the second round.
Additional injury notes:
- The Anaheim Ducks receive a boost as Troy Terry is expected to return to the lineup for their series against Vegas. However, the blue line takes a hit as veteran Radko Gudas remains out with a lower-body injury. After battling recurring injuries throughout the season, Terry made his return in Game 1 against Vegas.
- Carolina Hurricanes high-profile rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin has been cleared to play. After missing the start of the series due to a concussion sustained in the first round, he is an option for Game 3 and will likely slot in alongside Shayne Gostisbehere.
- The Flyers also noted forward Christian Dvorak is currently day-to-day and took a maintenance day on Wednesday, though he is expected to play in Game 3. Also, Owen Tippett, who has missed the first two games of the series, remains a game-time decision for Thursday. While he has returned to practice, his availability hinges on a final evaluation before puck drop.
West Notes: Rutherford, Bogosian, Gudas, Kantserov
Speaking with reporters following tonight’s Draft Lottery (video link), Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford indicated that he will be leaving his role after the draft and will transition into more of an advisory role while remaining an alternate governor. The 77-year-old, who has been working in an NHL front office since 1994-95, has held his current title for the better part of the last five seasons and is currently leading the search for a new GM. On that front, he noted that the team is down to five candidates for the position. Rutherford added that at this time, they’re not sure if they will just be hiring a GM or if they’ll also be bringing someone in to take his spot as well.
More from out West:
- Prior to tonight’s game against Colorado, the Wild announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Zach Bogosian is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He was dealing with a lower-body issue down the stretch in the regular season but it’s unclear if this is a recurrence of that or something different. The 35-year-old had six points in 41 games during the season and had been averaging just over 13 minutes per night in the playoffs. Jeff Petry took Bogosian’s place in the lineup.
- Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas skated today but has already been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against Vegas, notes Derek Lee of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The veteran has only played once in the postseason as he deals with a lower-body injury. However, head coach Joel Quenneville indicated that he expects that his captain should be able to return at some point in this series. Gudas had 13 points, 87 blocks, and 164 hits in 56 games this season.
- The Blackhawks anticipate speaking with Roman Kantserov’s agent in the coming weeks to discuss the possibility of him signing for next season, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 21-year-old was a second-round pick back in 2023, going 44th overall. Since then, his stock has certainly been on the rise. Last year, he more than doubled his post-draft output, notching 13 goals and 25 assists in 47 games. This season, he was even more productive, tallying 36 goals and 28 helpers in 63 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, good for ninth in KHL scoring.
Snapshots: DiPietro, Gudas, Dickinson, Blackhawks
The Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, announced that netminder Michael DiPietro has won the Les Cunningham Award, given to the AHL’s regular season MVP. DiPietro becomes the first goaltender to win the award since Dustin Wolf in 2023, and only the third since Jason LaBarbera in 2004.
DiPietro, 26, is in his fourth season with the Bruins organization. The former Vancouver Canucks prospect was traded to the Bruins organization at the start of the 2022-23 campaign in a trade for Jack Studnicka. Largely blocked in Boston behind Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, DiPietro has been particularly good over the last several years but took his performance to a different level this year.
The AHL Bruins relied heavily on DiPietro this season, giving him 62.5% of the available starts. In one of the best seasons in recent memory, DiPietro finished with a 34-8-1 record in 45 games with a .930 SV%, 1.91 GAA, including three shutouts. Unless the Bruins move Korpisalo this summer, DiPietro is unlikely to find his way to the NHL with Boston. Much like the Canucks did last summer with Arturs Silovs, the Bruins could look to trade DiPietro for a premium to a goalie-needy team.
Other snapshots:
- The Anaheim Ducks will remain without their captain tonight in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Radko Gudas is still dealing with his undisclosed injury and has been ruled out for tonight’s contest. Anaheim will certainly miss having his physicality in the lineup as they look to shut down Connor McDavid in a third consecutive game. Gudas skated in 9:40 of action in Game 1, earning a -1 rating while putting one shot on goal and delivering two hits.
- On the other side of tonight’s matchup, the Oilers are dealing with their own injury concerns. Team reporter Tony Brar shared that Jason Dickinson has been elevated to a game-time decision due to his undisclosed injury. Having missed Game 2 already, the trade deadline acquisition was one of, if not, the Oilers’ best forward in Game 1. Dickinson scored two goals in that contest in 12 minutes of ice time.
- A trio of Chicago Blackhawks players will join Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Championships. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, forwards Oliver Moore and Sam Lafferty, and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will participate in the international contest. Lafferty is the only one of the group that has played for Team USA at the World Championships before, scoring one goal and three points in 10 games during the 2022 tournament.
Ducks’ Radko Gudas Ruled Out Of Game 2
The Anaheim Ducks will be without their captain in Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers. Defenseman Radko Gudas has been ruled out with an undisclosed injury per Jason Gregor of Sports 1440. Gudas will be replaced by Drew Helleson making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.
Gudas played under 10 minutes of ice time in Game 1. He was also held out of Anaheim’s season finale for maintenance reasons. Gudas battled a lower-body injury sustained in a win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday, March 26. He went on to miss nine of the final 10 games of Anaheim’s season. While no connection between that injury and Gudas’ current absence was made, it seems likely that he is still working his way back to 100 percent. He will move forward with a day-to-day designation, per Zach Laing of Oilers Nation.
Gudas has recorded two points and 39 penalty minutes in his last 13 games, including Game 1 of the postseason. Those stats bring him up to 13 points, 67 penalty minutes, and 164 hits in 56 games this season. He has slowed down both his scoring and aggression in his age-35 season, after reaching 18 points, 128 penalty minutes, and 232 hits in 66 games just two seasons ago. Still, Gudas will be a valuable, physical addition to Anaheim’s playoff race when he is back to full health.
Helleson will look to make up for Gudas’ physical presence from Anaheim’s third pair. The 24 year old notched 15 points, 63 hits, and 79 shot blocks in 60 gamse this season. Much of his action came in relief of Gudas’ injuries. He brings a thin amount of championship experience to the Ducks lineup, having won a Gold Medal at the 2018 World U17 Hockey Challenge and 2021 World Junior Championships. Helleson won’t bring the aggression or hitting that Gudas does but should play responsibly enough to compliment rookie defender Tyson Hinds.
Injury Notes: Makar, Roy, Ekman-Larsson, Gudas, Gauthier, Mintyukov
The Avalanche have received largely good news so far on the status of injured star Cale Makar and trade deadline pickup Nicolas Roy. Head coach Jared Bednar made it clear on Wednesday that Makar will be back before the playoffs. He said the same about Roy earlier in the week after he shed his no-contact designation at practice. However, neither will be re-entering the lineup during their back-to-back this weekend, Bednar told Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. They will not travel to Dallas for tomorrow’s tilt against the Stars but could accompany the team as they head out to face the Blues on the road next Tuesday. They were tossed around by the Canucks 8-6 in their lone outing without Makar so far as he deals with an upper-body injury, while they’ve managed a 3-2-0 record in five games without Roy since he went down with an upper-body issue on March 22.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson could miss a game because of an injury designation for the first time all season. Toronto was eliminated from playoff contention with last night’s loss to the Sharks, and they also lost Ekman-Larsson midway through the game with a lower-body injury. He hasn’t been ruled out entirely for tomorrow’s game against the Kings but is highly doubtful to play, Luke Fox of Sportsnet relays. The 34-year-old has been good for eight goals and 38 points through 73 games, leading Toronto defenders in scoring while producing his best point-per-game total since 2020-21, his final season with the Coyotes.
- While Ducks captain Radko Gudas hopped back into the lineup against Toronto earlier in the week after ending Leafs captain Auston Matthews‘ season with a knee-on-knee hit, he wasn’t fully recovered from a lower-body injury of his own that he sustained back on March 26 against the Flames. After racking up 17 penalty minutes against the Leafs, he bowed back out of the lineup for Wednesday’s loss to the Sharks. He won’t be able to go tonight against the Blues, either, head coach Joel Quenneville said (via Derek Lee of The Hockey News). Neither will fellow rearguard Pavel Mintyukov nor leading scorer Cutter Gauthier, for that matter, a blow for their hopes to gain some separation from the streaking Oilers for the Pacific Division title. Mintyukov has also missed two of the last three with a lower-body issue, while Gauthier will miss his second straight game with the upper-body injury he sustained against Toronto in an early collision with teammate Leo Carlsson.
Snapshots: Ducks, Smith, Tracy
Shortly ahead of tonight’s game at San Jose, the Anaheim Ducks revealed that Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov wouldn’t play due to lower body injuries.
For Gudas, it more or less confirms the suspicion that the 35-year-old laced them up not yet healthy in order to answer the bell against the Maple Leafs. It’s a commendable act from the Ducks’ captain, especially as Gudas didn’t throw a punch in his scrap with Max Domi, stemming from the controversial hit which ended Auston Matthews’ season. Nonetheless, the Czech stay-at-home man will look to get healthy in time for the playoffs.
Another defenseman, Mintyukov has dealt with his own lower body issue, keeping him out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. The 22-year-old has developed nicely in Anaheim, averaging 18:26 a contest and needing just one more game to make a career high 69 appearances in a season. Mintyukov still has untapped offensive upside, offering 20 points so far in 2025-26.
Neither Gudas or Mintyukov figure to have serious issues, but in the meantime, Ian Moore and Drew Helleson have stepped in.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Los Angeles will weigh their coaching options this summer, as insider David Pagnotta suspected that interim head coach D.J. Smith won’t be back, on Monday’s edition of Oilersnation Everyday. After firing Jim Hiller on March 1, Smith’s efforts to provide a spark have proved often ineffective, with a 5-5-4 record. The former Senators head man has a .465 career win percentage, not winning more than 39 games in a season. This summer will bring major change to the Kings with icon Anže Kopitar set to hang up his skates, but still offering a strong core in win-now mode, Los Angeles will seek a long-term solution behind the bench. Smith, 48, came to the Kings as an assistant in February 2024. If it’s indeed the beginning of the end of his tenure, it’s safe to assume another NHL club will come calling with a similiar job offer.
- The Henderson Silver Knights, aptly named affiliates of Vegas, inked goaltender Alexander Tracy to an AHL contract for 2026-27. The undrafted netminder enters the professional circuit after an impressive four year career at Minnesota State University – Mankato. A native of Chicago, Illinois, the 25-year-old got the bulk of starts for three of his four collegiate seasons. He put up an eye-popping .946 save percentage last season, followed by a .927% this year, winning over 20 games in each. Vegas has had three drafted goaltenders who have gotten significant playing time in the AHL, but behind Carl Lindbom, who has played well, neither Cameron Whitehead or Jesper Vikman have been able to stand out. Vikman was dealt to the Capitals organization as part of the Nic Dowd trade. As a result, the 5’11” Tracy will compete for a backup role in Henderson.
Injury Notes: Gudas, Protas, Sanderson
Anaheim’s Radko Gudas has returned from his lower body injury and will play tonight against Toronto, reported by David Alter of The Hockey News.
The defenseman got into two games after his suspension for a controversial knee-on-knee hit which ended superstar Auston Matthews’ season, before his own injury cost him Saturday’s action, a loss to the Oilers.
At 35 years old, Gudas’ ice time has dipped to 16:28 in 2025-26, the lowest of his career, but he’s surprisingly posting a 52.6% corsi for at five-on-five, unexpected for most comparable players, and his best as a Duck.
For somebody so often in the headlines, Gudas has just 45 penalty minutes in 54 games, nowhere near his 128 two seasons ago. That number will probably rise tonight though, as there will be some fireworks as he’ll face the ire of the Maple Leafs. Likely not yet 100%, the veteran is ready to answer the bell, which is commendable.
A third pairing defender who chips in on the penalty kill, the Czech native’s Ducks are essentially a lock for the postseason, where he’ll be eager to add to his 57 career playoff games prior to free agency this summer.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas didn’t skate today and will be missing time after colliding with former teammate Nic Dowd Saturday against Vegas, reported by Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Barring some sort of miracle, Washington will miss the playoffs for just the second time since 2014. After bursting onto the scene last year where he jumped from six to 30 goals, Protas was on course with a disappointing season for the Caps, so far potting 23 and a total of 47 points in 70 games in 2025-26. The power forward still has strong possession metrics, as his shooting percentage dipped from 21% to 15.6%. Just 25, the Belarus native is still a huge part of the Caps’ future. He should return at some point before the team completes their eight remaining regular season games. Until then, Connor McMichael gets a look on the top line, another promising young player who took a step back this year.
- Senators top defenseman Jake Sanderson skated today but is still not ready for tomorrow’s game against Florida, per Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen. The 23-year-old hasn’t played since March 7 after a shoulder injury, leaving Ottawa to fend without their #1 minute eater, who averages just under 25 minutes a night. Impressively they’ve offered a 7-3-1 record in that time, accumulating points and still fighting for Wild Card berth. Ottawa is currently two points below, but with one game fewer than their competition above. Considering the circumstances, it’s difficult to imagine he won’t be back patrolling the blue line by next Thursday as they’ll host Buffalo. Sanderson has been elite this year with 48 points in 62 games, as he continues to rise as one of the league’s best defensemen.
Morning Notes: McKenna, Protas, Gudas
Penn State University forward Gavin McKenna, a leading contender to go No. 1 overall at the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft, had his collegiate season ended yesterday at the hands of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. While his time with the Nittany Lions this season may have concluded, it’s unlikely to be his final competitive game before the draft. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada that “the most likely next step” for McKenna is to represent Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships.
Friedman said that, “barring something very surprising,” McKenna will end up playing for Canada at Worlds. There is some precedent for top NCAA prospects to play for Team Canada at Worlds just shortly before they’re drafted. 2025 No. 6 overall pick Porter Martone played two games for Canada at last year’s tournament, while 2023 No. 3 pick Adam Fantilli scored a highlight-reel goal and won a gold medal at the 2023 edition of the games. With McKenna looking to secure his spot at the top of NHL teams’ draft lists, the World Championships will be a chance for him to showcase his qualities in a high-stakes tournament against competition largely made up of pro players. That could give teams an opportunity to directly compare McKenna to a fellow contender for the No. 1 draft slot, Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg. Stenberg has been competing at the pro level all season for Frölunda in the SHL.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas was knocked out of yesterday’s shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body injury, according to a team announcement. The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber indicated Protas’ absence was due to a “big collision” with former teammate Nic Dowd, one that resulted in Protas being helped off the ice. The big 25-year-old forward is among Washington’s more promising offensive talents. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024-25, scoring 30 goals and 66 points. He has 23 goals and 47 points this season.
- Friedman also reported on Saturday Headlines that injured Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas is pushing to play the team’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. Gudas is dealing with a lower-body injury and was sidelined for Anaheim’s last game. His timeline to return is still in question. What isn’t is Gudas’ desire to play against the Maple Leafs, per Friedman. Tomorrow’s contest will be Toronto’s first against the Ducks since Gudas’ highly controversial hit on Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews. Gudas was suspended five games for the play, returning to action March 22.