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The Florida Panthers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins twice this weekend, and they could see injured center Cole Schwindt back in their lineup.

The 24-year-old has been out of the lineup since Feb. 26 after sustaining a lower-body injury. This stint on the LTIR is his second go-around, after breaking his arm earlier in the season.

With all the time he’s missed due to injuries, Schwindt has played just 22 games, scoring 3 goals and totaling 4 points. 

The 6-foot-3, fourth-line center was originally drafted by the Panthers in the third round (81st overall) in the 2019 draft, but was dealt to the Calgary Flames in the Matthew Tkachuk trade. Later, he was claimed off waivers by the Vegas Golden Knights, and then again this season, was claimed off waivers by the Panthers. 

In 71 games between the Panthers, Golden Knights, and Flames, Schwindt has scored four goals and 12 points, averaging 9:12 of ice time. 

If Schwindt can return for either Saturday or Sunday’s road games against the Panthers, Maurice must decide who exits the lineup. The most likely candidates are anyone on the fourth line. At the moment, that is Vinnie Hinostroza, Nolan Foote and Luke Kunin.

Panthers Receive More Bad News On A Pair Of Veteran DefendersVeteran Florida Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov sustained injuries against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

But given the way the Panthers’ season has gone, there is a high chance another forward will exit tonight’s game early with an injury and be unable to play this weekend. 

Additionally, Dmitry Kulikov has suffered a pretty severe broken nose, but Maurice said Kulikov wants to play, so there is a chance he can return against the Penguins, as he has already been ruled out of tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins. 

Maurice and his coaching staff are doing a lot of line juggling due to injuries. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks selected Anton Frondell with the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. From that moment on, he became one of the most important assets in the organization. 

After a strong year in the SHL and at the World Junior Championships, he raised his stock even more. The Blackhawks brought him to North America right when his season ended with Djurgardens, his SHL club.  

Nobody is expecting a teenager to dominate right when they join the NHL, but Frondell has been as close to dominant as possible. Through his first five NHL games, he has one goal and four primary assists. 

It’s one thing to have the points, but his high number of scoring chances he creates for himself and his teammates is what makes his offensive game so impressive. As he and the team around him develop, more of these chances will find the back of the net, earning him even more points. 

Frondell has mostly been used as an offensive play-driver, but his defensive metrics support him being a strong two-way player as well. The Blackhawks are focused on seeing what they have in him as a center just as much as a winger, which would entail being a great defensive forward for 200 feet. 

"He's done an excellent job," Jeff Blashill said of Frondell after their overtime loss to the Jets. "To be out against one of the best lines in the league, there were some mistakes, but overall, the line did an excellent job."

Blashill admitted that he's been thrown to the wolves early in his NHL career, and playing against stars like Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele is certainly a challenge for anyone. 

"I really like playing with him," Tyler Bertuzzi said of his new linemate. "He's big, and he forechecks hard. I think that's why we had success tonight. He's all over the puck and forechecking hard; he battles, which I like."

Bertuzzi has 31 goals this season, and he's played with almost every top-six caliber center and winger on the team at one point. His versatility has been admirable, and it's helped Frondell adjust to playing center quickly. 

"He looks right at home," Bertuzzi continued on Frondell. "He's just going to keep getting better as he grows and continues to play big minutes in big spots. The future is looking bright."

For being an 18-year-old with under 10 NHL games played, his impact has been felt much quicker than anticipated. Nobody would have thought twice if it took him a while to get going in terms of score sheet production, but it's been almost a seamless transition. 

Frondell, in addition to being a wonderful hockey player off to a great start on the ice, is a nice kid who has a winning attitude. He was gleaming with excitement as he talked about his first home game in the NHL. 

"[It was] incredible," Frondell said of his United Center debut. "Back on the road trip, when we played in Madison Square Garden and different arenas, I thought, 'Oh, this is pretty good.' But they said, 'Wait until you get back at home.' I know what they mean by that now. It's a pretty good crowd here."

It helps when you play as well as Frondell did all game. Eventually, his usage on the defensive side of the puck will match the offensive side, and he's compared his playstyle to Sasha Barkov in the past for a reason, but that will come with more experience. 

"The game is a whole new level from what I'm used to in Sweden," Frondell said of the actual hockey game. "Everything goes so fast, everyone is a lot better. I still have a lot to learn." 

If this is him at his most raw in the NHL, Tyler Bertuzzi will end up being correct about the bright future. He has looked good at two different positions, fits in with the other young players on the team, and has a desire to get even better. 

The one thing that Frondell has yet to truly unleash is his massive one-timer. He put that shot on display at the World Juniors and with Djurgardens, and it looks like it could develop into one of the best one-time shots in the league.

Once he starts pounding those on net, along with everything else he's done well, the Blackhawks will have another consequential offensive player firing on all cylinders. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Donovan Sebrango exited Tuesday’s game late in the third period after blocking a shot against the Ottawa Senators, but thankfully, he avoided any serious injury.

The 24-year-old skated in 17:55 of ice time, recording one assist, blocking two shots, and throwing two hits. This season, Sebrango has played in 32 games for the Panthers, notching four assists. 

Due to the growing list of injuries, which now includes Aaron Ekblad, who is likely done for the season with a broken finger, and Dmitry Kulikov, who wants to return but is dealing with a broken nose, Sebrango will skate on the second pairing with Mike Benning tonight against the Boston Bruins. 

Benning has been very impressive during his first stint in the NHL, and his offensive nature should blend nicely with Sebrango, who is considered more of a stay-at-home defenseman. 

The other two pairings will include Gustav Forsling and Seth Jones, who are likely skating together for one of the very first times, and Tobias Bjornfot and Mikulas Hovorka, a pair of defenders who were called up from the AHL yesterday afternoon. 

Panthers Host Boston With New Additions To Growing Injured ListInjuries mount for Florida as the Panthers face the Bruins in Sunrise.

The Panthers have seven games remaining and sit 13 points out of a playoff spot. Their chances are almost zero, but coach Paul Maurice and Bill Zito don’t want to see their team mail it in, as that is not the culture they’ve built with the players. 

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to play spoiler when they visit the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center tonight. 

While the young and talented San Jose core is chasing down a postseason berth, it’s Toronto rookie Easton Cowan headlining my top Maple Leafs vs. Sharks predictions and NHL picks for Thursday, April 2.

Maple Leafs vs Sharks prediction

Maple Leafs vs Sharks best bet: Easton Cowan Over 0.5 points (+110)

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Easton Cowan collected a pair of assists in his last game and is expected to stay in a top offensive role, skating alongside John Tavares and William Nylander on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.

The trio boasts an impressive 58.9 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five and has been on the ice for 7.13 goals per 60 minutes over the past five games.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks are playing for the second consecutive night and have also allowed the second-most goals per game.

Maple Leafs vs Sharks same-game parlay

In addition to San Jose giving up goals in bunches and playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Toronto is embracing the spoiler role and has won three of its past four contests.

Additionally, the Maple Leafs have allowed the third-most goals per game this season, so I’m anticipating a high-scoring affair tonight.

Maple Leafs vs Sharks SGP

• Maple Leafs moneyline
• Over 6.5
• Easton Cowan Over 0.5 points

Maple Leafs vs Sharks odds

• Moneyline: Maple Leafs +100 | Sharks -120
• Puck Line: Maple Leafs +1.5 (-230) | Sharks -1.5 (+190)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-110) | Under 6.5 (-110)

Maple Leafs vs Sharks trend

Toronto has only hit the Under in nine of its last 25 games (-4.00 Units / -15% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Maple Leafs vs. Sharks.

How to watch Maple Leafs vs Sharks

Maple Leafs vs Sharks latest injuries

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The Philadelphia Flyers are set to face off against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. This is a massive game for the Flyers, as they are fighting for their playoff lives and would jump ahead of Detroit in the Eastern Conference standings with a victory.

Now, ahead of this big matchup against, the Flyers have announced some exciting news.

The Flyers have shared that forward Tyson Foerster will be returning to the lineup for the Metropolitan Division club. 

This is massive news for the Flyers, as they are currently fighting for a spot in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Thus, it is significant that they are getting back one of their top forwards in Foerster.

Foerster has not played for the Flyers since their Dec. 1 contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins after undergoing arm surgery. Yet, with this news, the 24-year-old winger is ready to return to the Flyers' lineup. 

Foerster was off to a very strong start this season before being sidelined. In 21 games for the Flyers this campaign, he has 10 goals, 13 points, and a plus-7 rating. 

BREAKING: Tys is back. 👀 pic.twitter.com/5U3eCvT2y8

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 2, 2026

The goaltending for the New Jersey Devils has been an often touched upon issue this season. With Jacob Markstrom looking to be declining, and Jake Allen being used exclusively as a backup despite having better stats, the team has struggled to pick up wins with regularity. While the rest of the team is far from perfect, and there have been defensive lapses more times than any fan or pundit could probably count after 74 games, at some point your last line of defense needs to make a save. The Devils just aren’t getting those saves on most given nights.

But is it JUST the Devils having those issues?

Looking at NHL statistics from this season compared to previous ones has been an eye-opener. Jake Allen right now for example sits tied for 16th in the league in save percentage and his .906 is just .01 away from league leader Scott Wedgewood’s .916! Even last season when the top four tenders in the league all had percentages above .920, Jake’s .908 in 2024-25 was still good enough to be tied for 14th. Allen is still falling right in the “league average” in terms of this category, but the Devils are still faltering as a whole. Part of that is certainly on Markstrom, whose last two seasons have seen him rank tied for 29th (2024-25) and now tied for 49th in the entire league. 2024-25 was essentially backup numbers from him while this season is basically “not an NHL goalie anymore” numbers…and Tom Fitzgerald gave him a two year extension…

In viewing the league’s data as a whole though, it had me wondering if save percentage is still an effective way of determining if a goalie is any good or not. Wedgewood’s .916 this season is .01 worse than Anthony Stolarz’s league leading percentage from last season. The NHL also currently has only 10 goalies with save percentages at .910 or above. In seasons past, it was seemingly agreed upon that teams would want their starters shooting to have a .915 in order for their team to be successful. Now we live in an NHL where a .916 leads the league and has helped that player’s team to a league best 108 points at the time of writing. Go back even a couple seasons further, and it gives a better idea of how goalie numbers have continued to trend downward.

It’s not a secret that the NHL wants higher scoring games; more goals equals more excitement equals more happy fans unless the goals are being scored against the team they’re rooting for. The game has been trending in this direction for a bit and with more teams trying to be fast-paced, high scoring clubs, it leads to more situations where there’s an odd man rush, or a defender out of position. With fewer goalies posting “elite” numbers in the NHL now as well, you have to think that those players just aren’t making the saves that tenders of the past would. Maybe it is just a skills thing; after all, I’ve never seen a goaltender as big as Markstrom play as small as he does.

Maybe breaking down some more advanced stats would be a better way now to judge individual goalie performances. After all, if a team has two goalies with roughly similar stats, it’s hard to say if the problem lies with them or with the team in front of them. With the Devils and one goalie having quite a bit better of stats than the other, I think a conclusion can be drawn that one goalie just isn’t very good anymore. High danger chances versus medium danger versus low danger is also worth looking into, because if any goalie is letting in a lot of shots deemed medium or low danger, they’re probably not NHL caliber.

There’s more to this discussion than just one writer’s opinion, but I think it is worth at least questioning if we need to change how goaltender effectiveness and quality is determined. Save percentage used to be a quick, easy way to assess this. With league-wide numbers going down, however, maybe there needs to be a new way, or at the very least, a different percentage number that’s seen as a bar for the minimum required of a starting goalie. And maybe it needs to be the Devils who within their own organization set a number that their goalies need to strive to achieve. If not that, then at least a way of assessing ability so that a certain GM doesn’t give out another junk contract to visibly and statistically declining players.

What are your thoughts on save percentage being down around the league; do you think it winds up being just this season where the numbers are this low? Do you agree that this is just the way the game is trending? What save percentage number do you think starting goalies should be looking to achieve in today’s NHL? Are you more of the opinion that there are better metrics to measure this than save percentage nowadays? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!

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Two of the league’s best teams over the past two months meet at the Canadian Tire Centre, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, April 2.

My top Sabres vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks are headlined by emerging Ottawa defenseman Tyler Kleven.

Sabres vs Senators prediction

Sabres vs Senators best bet: Tyler Kleven Over 1.5 shots (-120)

Injuries have forced Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven into added minutes, logging 25:52 per game since the night Thomas Chabot broke his forearm.

Kleven’s shot volume had already been trending up prior to the Chabot injury, as he’s registered a respectable 20 shots on 36 attempts across his past nine games while recording two or more shots in six of them.

This also isn’t a terribly daunting matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, who have allowed 29.2 shots per road game and rank 21st in Corsi For percentage at five-on-five on the highway.

Sabres vs Senators same-game parlay

The Sens have been dominant at 5-on-5, ranking fifth in Corsi For percentage and second in expected goals percentage during their current 15-5-3 run, and Ottawa also desperately needs a win.

I particularly like that the Sens allow the fewest expected goals per 60 minutes on home ice, and I expect Ottawa to batten down the defensive hatches and prevail tonight.

Sabres vs Senators SGP

• Senators moneyline
• Under 6.5
• Tyler Kleven Over 1.5 shots

Sabres vs Senators odds

• Moneyline: Sabres +100 | Senators -120
• Puck Line: Sabres +1.5 (-245) | Senators -1.5 (+200)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+100) | Under 6.5 (-120)

Sabres vs Senators trend

Buffalo has only hit the Over in nine of its last 25 road games (-7.60 Units / -27% ROI), and Ottawa has only played to the Over in eight of its last 20 games (-4.10 Units / -18% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Senators.

How to watch Sabres vs Senators

Sabres vs Senators latest injuries

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Time for some random Pittsburgh Penguins thoughts because I have a lot on my mind, but none of it is probably enough for a full article on its own. There is a lot to discuss!

The biggest thing is just the Eastern Conference standings and the Stanley Cup Playoff race in general.

1. The Pittsburgh Penguins did themselves a big favor this week, and they got some big help

The Penguins started the week on Monday and Tuesday with back-to-back wins against the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings. They were not just big wins on the scoreboard, beating the Islanders 8-3 and the Red Wings 5-1. They were statement wins. They were the Penguins two biggest games of the regular season, against teams directly competing with them for potential playoff spots and seeding, and they absolutely dominated both games and kicked the snot out of both of them. It was impressive. Combined with the help they received on the out-of-town scoreboard on Tuesday night, when literally every team around them and chasing them lost in regulation, it put the Penguins in a really good position.

They are three points ahead of the Islanders with a game-in-hand on them. They are four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. They currently have the tiebreaker on both teams. They are six points ahead of non-playoff teams Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. Those are big cushions and a lot of breathing room when every team has between six and eight games remaining on their schedules.

From a percentage standpoint, the Penguins playoff odds by pretty much every model are over 94 percent.

But let’s look at it another way. In my view, if the Penguins win three more of their remaining seven games, I think they are in. It is possible that even two more wins does it for them. Let’s put some numbers on it. Here is a quick look at what every team behind the Penguins would need to do to finish ahead of them if the Penguins win between one and four more games.

Keep something in mind with this: In each scenario at least three teams, and at least two Metropolitan Division teams would have to finish ahead of them.

Keep something else in mind with this: Every team on that table plays at least one other team on the table. Some of them play a team on the table multiple times. There are games that teams are going to lose just based on that. It does not even get into the overall strength of schedule some of these teams have to play, including the Islanders and Blue Jackets.

The Penguins are not in yet. They still have some work to do. They have still put themselves in a good position. The start of this week was extremely important.

2. Kris Letang and Sam Girard hold a lot of keys for the Penguins

Perhaps the biggest development out of the two games to open this week is that the defense pairing of Kris Letang and Sam Girard seemed to finally start clicking a little bit. The Penguins have been consistent in sticking with them, perhaps frustratingly so, and finally got some pay-off with it. They played two of their best games on Monday and Tuesday and the numbers support that.

In the two games the pairing produced:

• A 3-0 goals advantage on the scoreboard when they were on the ice together during 5-on-5 play.
• A 64.06 percent expected goals share.
• A 57.1 percent scoring chance share.
• A 58.8 percent high-danger scoring chance share.

They also seemed to pass the eye test for really the first time since they have started playing together.

With the way Erik Karlsson is playing the Penguins have at least one outstanding defensive pair. It can not be overstated how important a second strong defensive pair can be. If these guys can figure it out and play well together, that changes a lot for the Penguins.

3. Give Stuart Skinner the chance to take the starting job

The goalie rotation has done its job. Without a clear No. 1 from the start they have mostly managed the situation, kept both guys fresh while also giving them consistent playing time, and put themselves in a good position. At some point, though, somebody is going to have to take the job and become the No. 1 guy. Right now it is looking like it should be Stuart Skinner. Not only because he has been the marginally better goalie recently, but also because Arturs Silovs is just really struggling right now.

Skinner was outstanding on Tuesday against Detroit and should have earned himself another start on Thursday. We know both goalies are going to play over the weekend due to the back-to-back situation, but for Thursday you need to give Skinner another chance to to show he deserves to get the primary playing time.

4. Elmer Soderblom is looking more impressive with each game

The Penguins trade deadline was a little quiet, only adding young forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick. It is the type of low-risk, potentially high-reward chance the Penguins have been taking recently and the early returns were a little mixed. At times you could see glimpses of why the Penguins would want to take a chance with him. At other times you could see glimpses of why the Red Wings were willing to give up on him for a third-round pick.

Over the past two games things have really come together for him. He already has more goals and points in a fraction of the games with Penguins than he had at the start of the season with the Red Wings. He is also really starting to look more comfortable and use his size. Even though he only recorded an assist on Tuesday against the Red Wings, I honestly thought he was one of their best players. He was everywhere. He was clearly trying to send a message to the Red Wings and seemed to be trying to score 1,000 goals. He was a physical force. He won fights for the puck along the walls. He controlled the puck. He created chances.

On Monday, he scored a huge goal to get them on the board and get things rolling offensively for them.

He is getting more impressive with each game, and he might even be starting to make an argument for himself ot stay in the lineup. I do not expect this trade to work out as well as, say, the Egor Chinakhov trade has. It still seems like there is at least a chance the Penguins may have found a useful player that can contribute for them.

The Florida Panthers will wrap up their second-to-last homestand of the season on Thursday night in Sunrise.

Despite being decimated by injuries, the Panthers continue to fight for every point they can get, as that’s the culture Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice and General Manager Bill Zito have built.

After taking down the playoff hungry Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, the Panthers will again face a team clawing for every point they can get in a crowded playoff race when the Boston Bruins visit South Florida.

One big difference, or two, in the Panthers from Tuesday to Thursday will be that defenseman Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov will not be in Florida’s lineup.

Both were injured after being hit by the puck; Ekbald suffered a broken finger and won't play again this season, while Kulikov has a broken nose and could still play at some point, according to Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. 

Now while the Bruins are looking to get back into the playoffs after missing out last season, the Panthers are in a position to retain a high-end asset if they can finish low enough in the standings.

Florida’s first round pick in this summer’s NHL Draft is top-10 protected, so even though they traded it Chicago at last year’s Trade Deadline in the Seth Jones deal, the Panthers will retain the selection if they end up with a pick in the top 10 after the NHL Draft Lottery.

Currently, there are five teams below Florida (75 points) in the league-wide standings: the Vancouver Canucks (52 points), Chicago Blackhawks (68 points), Calgary Flames (70 points), New York Rangers (71 points) and the St. Louis Blues (74 points).

The Seattle Kraken have the same 75 points as do the Panthers, but they’ve played one less game than Florida.

With just eight games left in their season, it will be interesting to see how things shake out for the Panthers from here on out.

They’ll be fighting for every point they can get, but when you’ve got half an AHL roster and you’re fighting against NHL squads looking to make noise in the playoffs, it’s going to be tough.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s battle with Boston:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – A.J. Greer

Noah Gregor – Tomas Nosek – Jesper Boqvist

Cole Reinhardt – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza

Gus Forsling – Tobias Bjornfot

Donovan Sebrango – Seth Jones

Mikulas Hovorka – Mike Benning

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Photo caption: Jan 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (2) moves the puck past Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Tonight's matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers will tell the tale of two extremes in a busy Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are scorching hot, winners of six straight, while the Rangers are the only team in the East eliminated from playoff contention.

My Canadiens vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks lean into this sobering reality for the Rangers, as Cole Caufield & Co. will look to gain some ground with the Atlantic Division crown very much in sight on Thursday, April 2.

Canadiens vs Rangers prediction

Canadiens vs Rangers best bet: Cole Caufield anytime goal (+130)

Death, taxes, and Cole Caufield finding the back of the net.

The diminutive winger has scored more than anyone in 2026, notching an astounding 26 goals in his last 26 games. He's scored in three straight and has seven in his last six.

Tonight, he faces a lowly New York Rangers squad that ranks near the bottom in effectively all defensive metrics.

He's just three goals shy of the illustrious half-century mark — a feat that has eluded all Montreal Canadiens players for over 35 years.

Canadiens vs Rangers same-game parlay

On the topic of red-hot Habs players, look no further than Juraj Slafkovsky.

The 2022 No. 1 pick has been playing at a 40-goal, 92-point pace for exactly half of the season, and has served as the perfect complement to Caufield and Nick Suzuki on the team's top line.

He's racked up 13 assists in 17 games since his show-stopping Olympic performance, and has nine in his last 10. Yet, somehow, a Slaf assist is set at plus-odds.

Overshadowed amidst the influx of career seasons in Montreal is Mike Matheson. His 24:17 average ice time per game leads the team (18th in the NHL), and he's on pace for the second-best offensive totals of his career.

The Quebec native has blocked two or more shots in six of his last seven games.

Canadiens vs Rangers SGP

• Cole Caufield anytime goal
• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 assists
• Mike Matheson Over 1.5 blocked shots

Canadiens vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Canadiens -150 | Rangers +130
• Puck Line: Canadiens -1.5 (+160) | Rangers +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+100) | Under 6.5 (-120)

Canadiens vs Rangers trend

The Over has hit in nine consecutive meetings between these teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Rangers.

How to watch Canadiens vs Rangers

Canadiens vs Rangers latest injuries

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