By Evan Berofsky, RotoWire.com

Just under two weeks until the playoff fates of every NHL club have been decided. The same can also be applied to your fantasy hockey team, if you've been fortunate enough to make it this far.

You're almost there. Stay positive. And keep it going by considering some of the following players.

(Rostered rates as of Apr. 3)

Forwards

Artturi Lehkonen, COL (Yahoo: 50%): Lehkonen returned from an 11-game absence last Thursday and eventually slotted back onto his usual even-strength line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. He's been relegated to the Avs' second power play, but has still posted three points and five shots over the four outings with all of the latter players during the last two. As long as Lehkonen remains within the top six, he's bound to keep producing.

Mikael Granlund, ANH (Yahoo: 41%): Any active forward who's in the upper-half of the depth chart on a strong offense and lead PP represents a solid fantasy addition for most formats. That goes for Granlund, who also happens to qualify in Yahoo at all three positions. His coverage has recently skyrocketed thanks to a string of four contests in which he potted seven goals, including four PPGs. Granlund's stock is also boosted from averaging just under 20 minutes the last couple of weeks to go with 17 shots and 55 faceoff wins.

Lawson Crouse, UTA (Yahoo: 18%): Crouse isn't generally associated with being a scorer, though he's been known to go on a run every now and again. He's currently on one of those, having racked up four goals and two assists in addition to 17 shots, 25 hits and 22 PIM through the last eight matchups. This stretch also coincides with Crouse skating beside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz at five-on-five. Even if he drops off that trio, there's still enough cross-category output for him to fit on any roster.

Alexander Wennberg, SJ (Yahoo: 10%): Wennberg is only eight points away from matching a career-high. And if we go by recent production and placement, there's decent odds he does it. After all, Wennberg has reeled off four goals, three helpers and seven shots across five appearances with four of those points coming while up a man on a unit featuring Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. He's also top-25 in the league for average forward ice time (20:31). Based on all those indicators and with the Sharks trying to claim a postseason berth, Wennberg shouldn't be available in nine of every 10 Yahoo leagues.

Jack Quinn, BUF (Yahoo: 10%): Even though Quinn's minutes are similar to recent years, he's already blown way past his previous scoring peak. He registered his first NHL hat-trick on March 10 and then moved up to Buffalo's lead power play where he's managed four PPPs in the last five games in addition to 19 shots and eight hits. That type of overall involvement needs to be on more fantasy lineups.

Matthew Coronato, CGY (Yahoo: 7%): The Flames' fire sale wasn't as drastic as some predicted. The remaining talent looks to be thriving, with Coronato no exception. He has three goals, six assists, three PPPs and 22 shots on 16:33 a night from nine outings. With Coronato a key part of Calgary's future, he'll be provided as many opportunities as he can handle. Pick him up as a solid complementary scorer — just prepare for the inevitable plus-minus hit.

Porter Martone, PHI (Yahoo: 6%): Martone signed a pro contract soon after Michigan State was eliminated in the Frozen Four regionals and made his Philly debut on Tuesday as he logged 16:54 — 3:17 of that on the backup PP — and fired five pucks on net. He then collected his first NHL point — an assist — Thursday where he skated more than 18 minutes. It'll be favorable for the Flyers to have a player who racked up 50 points through 35 contests against NCAA opposition, especially with the team in a playoff race. Even as a teenager, Martone's offensive skills can only help the organization and your fantasy squad.

Calum Ritchie, NYI (Yahoo: 1%): A couple of lower-body issues didn't keep Ritchie out for long, and he was obviously too good against minor-league competition while at the same time wasn't going to be rushed with the Isles. Ritchie, the main tangible piece from the Brock Nelson trade at the 2025 deadline, recorded his first point with his new organization during Game 11. Ritchie has steadily improved to where he's a regular on the lead man-advantage — albeit, one who only succeeds at a 17.0% rate — and has found the scoresheet in five straight. Low-risk, possibly high-reward. Take a chance.

Defensemen

Sam Malinski, COL (Yahoo: 28%): Cale Makar's upper-body injury probably won't be risked for the remainder of the regular season with the Avs close to clinching top spot overall. That's left Malinski to fill in as Colorado's lead right-sided defender and main power-play quarterback. He already was enjoying a career campaign before Makar's absence and is now at 37 points, with eight of those coming in the last five alongside 11 shots and eight blocks. Expect Malinski to keep piling on the offense.

Parker Wotherspoon, PIT (Yahoo: 10%): It's been a long — and mainly AHL-filled — career for Wotherspoon after he was drafted in 2015 and then wasn't getting a regular big-league look until 2023-24. The Pens saw enough promise from him last season with Boston to sign him for two years. Wotherspoon has repaid their trust by appearing in all 76 games while delivering three goals, 26 assists, 156 hits and 108 blocks. He's also been solid the last 11 contests with nine helpers, 22 hits and 11 blocks. Wotherspoon may not participate on the man-advantage yet is well-positioned at even-strength alongside Erik Karlsson. 

Charle-Edouard D'Astous, TB (Yahoo: 6%): What started off as a great story has turned into a revelation, as D'Astous is taking the most of an enhanced role by continuing to contribute. Going back to March 14, he's notched nine points, 10 shots, 19 hits and 11 blocks. The ice time may not be plentiful, though D'Astous has done the most with it while carrying a secondary PP spot. As Victor Hedman isn't set to return anytime soon, D'Astous remains a worthy addition for anyone looking to boost their blueline scoring stats.

Jordan Spence, OTT (Yahoo: 6%): Ottawa's dwindling defense corps was brought up last week when discussing Carter Yakemchuk, who's since gotten hurt. Spence was expected to assume more responsibilities after arriving from LA in June, yet many healthy scratches came early on. There wasn't much in the way of power-play involvement before Jake Sanderson's injury, which only increased after Thomas Chabot went down. Spence is currently operating on the Sens' top PP and has totaled two goals, seven assists — two of those PPAs — and 19 shots from the last 10 matchups on 24:05 a night, including a whopping 30:48 (!!) on Wednesday.

Goaltenders

Jordan Binnington, STL (Yahoo: 48%): The Blues surprisingly are still in the playoff hunt, only five points out of a wild-card spot. Joel Hofer has been touted here twice this season. And before allowing five goals on Monday, he impressed across nine appearances by posting a 7-0-2 record alongside a 1.29 GAA and .955 save percentage. Despite previously struggling, Binnington has done well since returning from the Olympics with a 1.74/.925 line through seven outings. If St. Louis wants to maximize its chances of advancing, it will need to rely on both goalies, which means Binnington should earn enough starts the rest of the way.

Yaroslav Askarov, SJ (Yahoo: 34%): San Jose's also part of a congested Western Conference postseason picture of getting the club to the next stage for the first time since 2018-19. Askarov hasn't been the most consistent netminder overall and was recently hurt. Even though he gave up seven goals during his last two matchups, both ended up in wins with a few key saves that either protected a lead or spurred the Sharks to go ahead. Alex Nedeljkovic performed admirably while Askarov was out, though also conceded at least five goals three times from March 17 to 24. Might as well give Askarov a chance to keep his momentum going.

The Buffalo Sabres were the hottest club in the National Hockey League for more than three months, but as they near clinching a post-season berth for the first time since 2011, the club has returned to the world of mere mortals, falling out of first place in the Atlantic Division after a 4-1 loss to Ottawa on Thursday. 

The Sabres won three straight on a Western road swing late last month, but since have lost four of their last six games (2-2-2). All four losses have come against clubs (Anaheim, Boston, Detroit, and Ottawa) who are battling for a playoff spot or positioning, while Buffalo can clinch a playoff spot with a single point or a loss by the Red Wings any one of their remaining games. 

The odds are still in the Sabres favor of finishing with home ice advantage in the first round. According to Moneypuck.com, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 52.8% chance of winning the Atlantic (with a game in hand over Buffalo), while the Sabres have a 32.9% chance. Both clubs play on Saturday, with Buffalo in Washington and Tampa hosting the Bruins, before they face off in their final meeting of the season on Monday.  

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson scored his career-high 13th goal of the season to open the scoring in the second period, but former Sabre Dylan Cozens tied it for the Senators late in the middle frame, and the home club took over the game in the third, outshooting Buffalo 12-7, scoring the game-winner from Lars Eller and adding a pair of empty-netters. 

Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke after the game:

Was it tough to find open ice in the contest?

I don't know if it was tough or they took over the game last two periods. I thought they outskated, they out-competed. Their desperation level was just higher than us.  As simple as that.

The game was tied going into the third, which is where you wanted to be:

I thought they were better than us. Simple as that, their compete was better. They won more battles. You look at the empty net, even the fourth goal. We had four guys in the corner. They have one and they're gonna come out and score an empty net goal. We dump it in and we just give them a breakaway on the six and five. We weren't good. We weren't good enough to win the game. 

What was said in the room after the second?

(We) talked about winning more battles. Didn't feel like we were coming out of the corners with any puck, and a lot of the wall battles were going their way. 

How disappointing was it that you could not take advantage of the Senators depleted defense?

That's all we talked about was they were down to five and and we didn't stress them out enough. I just felt didn't generate enough high-quality opportunities, and the game was sitting there, and they took it over.

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

ELMONT, NY -- Forward Simon Holmstrom is a game-time decision for the New York Islanders against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night, per head coach Patrick Roy. 

The 24-year-old took part in the Islanders' optional morning skate on Friday. 

https://t.co/sC6g9uNEpPpic.twitter.com/apLXFJmBDk

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 3, 2026

Holmstrom, who has 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 73 games this season, sustained an upper-body injury in their 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. He did not play in their 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

Forward Anthony Duclair played in his spot on the team's second line alongside Brayden Schenn and Mathew Barzal. While Roy wouldn't divulge who would be coming out of the lineup if Holmstrom was able to play, one would think Duclair would come out. 

Puck drop between the Islanders and Flyers comes your way at 7 PM ET. 

The Vancouver Canucks are 75 games into their 2025–26 NHL season and have officially clinched 32nd overall for the 2025–26 season. With this result, they have secured the best possible odds to select first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Vancouver has seven games remaining in their 2025–26 NHL season; here’s how they stack up to the rest of the league at this point in the year. 

Team Stats 

Vancouver became the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoffs last week, though this week, they officially locked themselves into 32nd overall in the NHL. Around the league, other teams have only just begun to find themselves being eliminated from post-season contention, as the Chicago Blackhawks (31st), New York Rangers (29th), and Toronto Maple Leafs (25th) are now out of the running. Having said that, all three teams still currently have over 65 points on the season, with Chicago registering 68 in 76 games, New York putting up 71 in 76, and Toronto averaging slightly over a point per game with 77 in 76. 

The Canucks’ lone saving grace stats-wise is their power play, which has found some success throughout the season but not as much as it appears to be having now in relation to the team’s place in the standings. Vancouver currently ranks 17th in the NHL in power play percentage with a success rate of 20.2%, with the Canucks having scored power play goals in four consecutive games. They’ve scored a total of nine power play goals in their past 10 games. 

Individual Skater Stats

Vancouver finally has their first 20-goal scorer of the season, as Brock Boeser hit this mark after his hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche on April 1. Now at a season total of 21 goals, he’s tied for the 92nd-most goals in the NHL alongside Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen (who has been injured), and Kiefer Sherwood. Prior to this, Sherwood had retained the Canucks’ lead in goals despite not playing for the team since the start of January. 

When it comes to the team’s overall lead in points, Elias Pettersson’s 48 currently sits at the top of the Canucks but is tied for 119th in the NHL. Ironically enough, 48 points is the current lead for power play points by a player in the league, with this being held by Connor McDavid. Pettersson also has the Canucks’ lead in power play points with 21. 

Goaltending Stats 

It’s not exactly a good sign when the goaltender who holds your team-high in SV% and GAA hasn’t played in months, but with the season the Canucks have had, it almost feels expected. Thatcher Demko remains the Canucks’ leader in SV% (.895%) and GAA (2.90), and has remained at the top for the better-half of this season. The next highest Canucks goaltender in both of these stats is Nikita Tolopilo, who is tied for 52nd in the NHL in SV% (.886%) and ranks 68th in GAA with 3.57. Having said that, Demko’s previous team-high of eight wins has finally been surpassed, as Kevin Lankinen notched his ninth win of the season against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. 

Lankinen has taken the bulk of Vancouver’s starts since Demko was declared out for the remainder of the season, though he’s played much more as of late. While he’d started in five consecutive games, the goaltender has played in every game but one (April 2) since March 17. This has been reflected in his personal stats, as he currently ranks 23rd in the NHL in overall minutes played (2404:27), 21st in shots faced (1181), and 14th in high-danger shots faced (359). 

Vancouver will wrap up their 2025–26 season with three games at home and four on the road. They’ll face the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights in Vancouver on April 4 and 7 respectively, before heading to California to take on all three of the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks will play their final home game against the Kings on April 14, but will wrap their season up in Alberta against the Edmonton Oilers. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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The Penguins lost to Tampa last night but still remain incredibly well-positioned to secure a playoff spot this season.

Here’s the relevant standings for them as of now.

While there could be other avenues with a Wild Card spot, for now we’ll keep it simple on the most straight-forward path available to Pittsburgh: finishing in the top-3 of the Metropolitan Division.

To ensure that, the Penguins simply must not be surpassed by two of: the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. Regulation wins is the first tiebreaker if a team ends up with the same number of points, and that’s good news for the Pens since their 31 RW is unlikely to be overtaken by anyone they’re in competition with (the Caps have a case, but being seven points back with six games to go it’s highly unlikely they will be able to pull into a tie with Pittsburgh).

Since Carolina is 10 points ahead of the Pens, the realistic best case scenario for Pittsburgh is the second spot in the Metro, which easily enough accomplished by keeping all the teams currently behind them that way at the end of the season.

Here’s a breakdown for that:

First glance might look scary, but the maximum totals are not going to be anyone’s final outcome, and shifting down all the time. The Islanders and Flyers play each other tonight, if that games ends in regulation then someone’s max is being reduced by two points (if it ends in OT, it goes down by one for the losing side). A team like the Caps had a max of 99 yesterday before their loss to New Jersey, same story for Columbus who had their max reduced from 102 to 100 as a result of losing last night to Carolina.

Cut and dry, as of now, a good base-line magic number for the Pens’ is 8. Any combination of eight points earned by PIT or lost by Columbus and Philadelphia is going to lock up a Pittsburgh playoff spot. To secure second place, the magic number is 9 and focus shifts to the Islanders. In that regard, and in a hard-and-fast outlook, if the Pens win four of their last six games then they don’t even need any outside help and will sew things up all by themselves.

What could that mean? Let’s look at the remaining schedules for the remaining teams in the hunt and even forecast their paths in a somewhat conservative way.

(Green represents projected, hypothetical wins, yellow for an OT/SO loss and white for a regulation loss)

Games have been impossible to predict ahead of time, a team like NYI lost to Chicago and defeated Dallas last week, most would have figured those results being reversed. We’ll split the middle and more or less project 3-2-1 records for everyone, a little above average but nothing extreme. This could be generous considering teams like NYI (3-5-0 in last eight) and CBJ (1-5-1 in their last seven) aren’t exactly setting the world on fire. Could a team like Philadelphia out-perform their projection? Absolutely. Even so, tack a couple more points on and — barring a team going on a ridiculous run — the projected totals seem pretty realistic and viable as a base that likely could have a tolerance of 1 or 2 points in either direction.

This kind of outlook shows how strongly the Pens’ position is. They would need two wins in their last six games to get to 96 points and likely clinch second place if the teams behind them have a semi-realistic finish. If something zany happens – like NYI wins Game 82 vs Carolina because the Hurricanes bench their star players — then that simply becomes Pittsburgh needing three wins to secure second place and home ice advantage.

Who should Penguin fans root for, aside from the obvious for NYI, CBJ and PHI to lose as much as possible in regulation? Game-by-game you can go above for that. Hold your nose, but if the main focus is on second place you’d want the Flyers to win tonight in regulation against the Islanders and then definitely lose their next game against Boston. If the results are reversed and NYI beats the Flyers tonight, the good news for the Pens is that helps the cause for Pittsburgh’s overall playoff number. There’s some bittersweetness and dual feelings on either end of the result, more than anything the preference would be for NYI/PHI to simply not end up going to overtime.

Generally speaking, you’d also like for Atlantic Division teams like Buffalo, Montreal, Detroit and Boston to do well in their multiple games remaining against the Metropolitan Division. Toronto could also play spoiler, though count on that at your own risk. Carolina could also do Pittsburgh a solid by taking care of business in their three games against NYI and PHI. The Winnipeg Jets are out there too with games against CBJ and PHI, the Jets could perform a service with some wins there to bring further momentum out of those two would-be contenders.

The good news is the math is very much in the Penguins’ favor. If they get even 4, 5 or 6 points in the remaining six games to play then they will be in very good shape to make the playoffs. If they play above .500% down the stretch and gain 7+ points, which isn’t a huge ask, the likelihood of securing the Metro2 playoff spot becomes all but elementary.

Unexpected outcomes can happen — that’s why they play the games to find out who actually wins them — but the current positioning of being up 3-4 points on their opponents (while holding the first tiebreaker) with only six games to go represents a huge edge for Pittsburgh right now. More than anything at this point, for the Pens it’s not about the desperation of going on a big run at the end of the year so much as playing well and being prepared to hit the postseason in good form and with momentum.

The Colorado Avalanche are as close to a ‘cup or bust’ team as you’ll see.

They got their guy in Nazem Kadri, look like Presidents Trophy and Central Division winners, and have a litany of players who have or will set career highs, including some unexpected achievements— looking at you, Parker Kelly.

Captain Gabe Landeskog is back, Nathan MacKinnon somehow keeps getting better, Martin Necas has proved plenty capable, and Cale Makar (although banged up) is still the top dog defender.

The goalkeeping-by-committee approach has obviously worked during the regular season.

Still, after some shaky starts from Blackwood and unfortunate outcomes, some pundits and fans are calling for head coach Jared Bednar to pick a guy heading into the playoffs.

The winningest Boston Bruins team ever is the best and among the most clearly comparable case studies to look to now that these questions have begun in the press room at Ball Arena.

What can we learn?

THE BRUINS MAKE HISTORY. 🐻

The @NHLBruins set the record for most wins in a single season with 63. pic.twitter.com/HZYtet7Dn3

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 10, 2023

Well, perhaps don’t give in to the pressure and stick to your guns.

A Common Threat

The 2022-23 Bruins team and this year’s Avalanche club have a lot in common.

They both have a win over every NHL team in their respective seasons.

Burying the competition 🥶

With the win tonight, we’ve become the 4th team in the NHL since 1995 to have beaten every team in the league in a season. pic.twitter.com/endRCxWcLU

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 31, 2026

They both have a balance of depth and superstar/young talent.

Both went with a by-committee goaltending approach to achieve that regular-season success.

Swayman and Ullmark hug it out after a successful road trip in Toronto 🤗 pic.twitter.com/9xy8PSfi9z

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2024

Need a hug… pic.twitter.com/RCRwXF2ewf

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 17, 2026

Both positioned themselves firmly as the clear cup favorite as the calendar turned to April.

Unexpected Outcome

So how did the winningest (regular-season) team ever finish?

A Bruins team that lost only 12 games in regulation over 7 months and all 82 regular-season games lost four games in 13 days to the Florida Panthers in round one of the playoffs, and didn’t even play in May.

Did they stick with the goalie by committee come playoff time?

Nope, they started Ullmark in 6 of 7 games, with game 7 going to Swayman.

Beasts of Burden

I think it’s relatively common knowledge that humans are creatures of habit.

Now, enter a human who’s decided to play goalie in the NHL, and you have some of the most routine-oriented, borderline obsessive creatures of habit ever to have walked this planet.

Why?

Because, as my dad told me growing up, half of what it means to be a great goalie happens in the six inches between their ears.

The mentality and confidence of a goaltender are qualities to be fostered and nurtured, and the approach we are seeing right now has brought out the best in Wedgewood and allowed Blackwood to get back to form at a slower, more comfortable pace.

Imagine if the Avalanche didn’t have an option like Wedgewood.

Not having your starter for training camp and the first three weeks of the regular season usually isn’t the start of a story about a historically successful regular-season team.

I’d argue that’s why we’ve seen these two goalies grow close in their short stay so far in Colorado. The two netminders have each other’s back and don’t seem to have any issue with the current approach.

We know it typically takes two goalies to win a cup, and Colorado right now has the league’s best goalie by SV% in Scott Wedgewood and a fail-safe that proved (to end last season) to be a bona fide starter in MacKenzie Blackwood.

Does losing to the league’s worst team, the Vancouver Canucks, by a score of 8-6, pain the eyes?

Absolutely.

Is it reason to pull the plug on what’s gotten you to the top of the NHL and positioned you for a deep cup run?

Let us know what you think in the comments!

Former NHL defenseman Ty Wishart calls in from an Australian beach to talk about his globe-spanning playing career and his 21 games with the Islanders in the eventful 2010-11 season.

Drafted 16th overall by the Sharks and traded to Tampa Bay in the deal for Dan Boyle, Ty Wishart got a quick education in the business of hockey. After a few years in a minors, he was traded again, this time to the Islanders for goalie Dwayne Roloson. Wishart joined what looked to be an up-and-coming squad, and what they lacked in talent, they made up for in youthful energy. He scored his first NHL goal in a wild road game, and was scratched while his new teammates got into a legendary melee with a division rival before going back to the minors. But that was just the beginning of Ty Wishart’s incredible hockey career.

Ty tells us some great stories, from throwing up in exhaustion at the NHL Combine to sharing a locker room with guys like Zenon Konopka and Trevor Gillies to playing in Romania and elsewhere. A charity tournament first took him to Australia, where he now lives and plays for the Melbourne Mustangs of the Australian Ice Hockey League. He also served as the team’s Director of Hockey Operations during their 2023 championship season. At 37, he still plays for love of the game and still carries memories and mementos from his time as an Islander. And he tells us all of this from a sunny, beautiful beach down under that made Mike and Dan very jealous.

We can’t thank Ty enough for coming on and giving us so much. It took a while and required a lot of email back-and-forth, but it was worth it. To keep up with the Mustangs and the rest of the AIHL, you can check out their website or subscribe to AIHL TV. The 2026 season starts on April 17th.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL

• Before being involved in a notable trade for the Islanders, Ty Wishart was involved in a notable trade for the Sharks, one that saw fellow Weird Islander Brad Lukowich and spiritual Weird Islander Dan Boyle go from Tampa to San Jose.
• A few years later, the Lightning needed serious goalie help and they found it in 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson. On New Years Day, 2011, Garth Snow sent Roloson to Tampa for Wishart, straight up. Although that version of the team was a mess, the trade had a lot of elements that Dom dissected here. Wishart’s numbers at the end of the season were pretty solid.
• Wishart’s only NHL goal came in an amazing game we’ve talked about before, a wild 7-6 win in Buffalo in which Michael Grabner scored a hat trick and Al Montoya picked up the win.

• Wishart re-signed with the Islanders that offseason but only played one game for them in 2011-12. All told, he spent three seasons in Bridgeport, occasionally scoring goals like this:

• He was waived in 2013 and signed with the Schwenninger Wild Wings of Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). It was also around this time that he visited Australia with Team Canada to play in the Douglas Webber Cup games against Team USA.
• After years traversing the globe playing hockey, Wishart decided to stay in Melbourne and make the AIHL his home. He’s been very successful there with the Mustangs, winning a Goodall Cup championship in 2023. All told, he’s played over 800 games in 10 countries.
• His journey to Australia has been told before. He’s a cool video from 2024 that shows what a day in his life is like:

• BONUS to the BONUSES: Here’s a snippet of the Coliseum Referendum rally featuring a live performance by the one-and-only Blue Öyster Cult:

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What makes a “Weird Islander?”

We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:

• Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
• Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.

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It is really easy to be a prisoner of the moment in sports and overreact to things, both positively and negatively. Not every win means you are a championship team. Not every defeat means your season is over. Hot streaks happen for below average players, cold streaks happen for great players. It is a long season, and over the course of it the full body of work means a lot more than small sample sizes throughout it.

That brings me to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov. As of Friday he has only played 36 games with the Penguins, and that is by any reasonable definition a fairly small sample size of games. But it has been so impressive, and so impactful, that is really hard not to say that he looks like he has a chance to be a star going forward for this team.

In fact, he might already be one. Or at least on track to becoming one. He scored two more goals on Thursday night, bringing his total to 20 goals for the season and already 17 in 36 games with the Penguins. The overwhelming majority of those goals with the Penguins have come during 5-on-5 play, an area he has usually excelled when given an opportunity. Since the start of the 2023-24 season there have been 408 forwards to log at least 1,000 minutes of 5-on-5 ice-time. Chinakhov’s 1.26 goals per 60 minutes in this situations is seventh in the entire NHL (oddly enough, Anthony Mantha is one of the six players ahead of him) and there is little to suggest that it is unsustainable.

He does have a 17.9 percent all-situations shooting percentage, which is fairly high, but he also has one of the best shots in hockey. It is also not so high that it seems like an unsustainable number, especially when he has shot over 14.5 percent previously in his career and is over 12 percent overall. He is seeing a little bit of a boost, but it is not fraudulent. With his shot, it is not out of the question to think he can sustain something over 14 or 15 percent on a somewhat regular basis.

When the Penguins acquired Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December it was always an intriguing move. They paid a steep price given what he had accomplished in his career and the way things were going with him in Columbus this season, but the talent was always there.

On Thursday night I stumbled upon this post from long-time Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline from the day of the trade

Trade call pending between #CBJ and #LetsGoPens regarding Yegor Chinakhov. Waiting on the specifics of the picks.

Chinakhov has enormous potential, but was a lost soul here, it seemed. Perhaps a change of scenery will set him free. If so, #CBJ could lament trading in the Metro.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 29, 2025

Seems accurate. Everybody knew the talent was there. The issues were always staying healthy and convincing the coaching staff and organization in Columbus that he was worthy of a real look and a bigger opportunity. He rarely got both. We are seeing the enormous potential. It also seems quite likely that the change of scenery has in fact set him free.

Chinakhov’s calling card has always been his shot and just how ridiculously hard and quick it is, and it has been consistently on display with the Penguins. Along with that, there are so many other elements of his game that stand out and are significantly better than advertised.

At the top of the list is his speed. He is lightning fast, and on so many occasions with the Penguins has simply blown by defenders to create his own chances or goals. He just seems to get on defenders so quick, catch them flat-footed, and power around them. He sort of did that on Thursday with his first goal, which then came on an incredible, perfectly placed backhand shot that beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy over his shoulder.

He is also a significantly better player away from the puck than we were led to believe.

I am not going to say he is going to win a Selke Trophy at any point in his career, but the way he hunts down pucks, creates turnovers, and uses that speed to overwhelm players is an extremely pleasant surprise and positive development. We saw that on display in the game against the Boston Bruins in early March when he forced a turnover in overtime that led to Tommy Novak’s game-winning goal.

He just looks like a player. A really good player. An important player. Give him some real power play time on the top unit and you might unlock even more goal-scoring potential.

As much as the Penguins prospect pool and young talent has improved over the past year-and-a-half (and it has, quite a bit) the one big knock has been the lack of a truly high-end player that can be a star. Maybe Ben Kindel has that sort of upside. Chinakhov might as well, and perhaps even more than that. The Penguins needed to find a guy like this, and they may have done it. The emergence and development of those two players has played a significant role in the Penguins push for a playoff spot. It is also a significant development for the long-term outlook of the team and organization. Whether it is good luck, good scouting, or a combination of the two it is very important and a great year for the Kyle Dubas front office.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — On a day where a near-magnitude-five earthquake was the most interesting thing happening around the Toronto Maple Leafs, the club fell 4-1 to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. The loss officially eliminated Toronto from participating in the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.

It had been evident for a while that the club wasn’t destined to be competing in the league’s greatest showcase. But what is less evident—and what made Craig Berube a bit more contemplative—is the way the regular season has gone. One thing he’s been unhappy about all season? The team is not shooting enough.

“I think we don’t look to shoot enough, personally. I mean, there’s a lot of times where it’s just a simple shot. It’s not our first instinct, in my opinion,” Berube said. “Even from the back end when we get pucks, like, we could move our feet quicker and get them through. I think it’s a mindset more than anything”.

I asked Berube if he felt it has something to do with his team being a little selfless, trying to get it to their teammates.

“Sometimes. In the second period there, there was opportunities where just, we’re right there and we’re trying to pass it into the net. And, you know, we’ve got to get that out of our system. You know, we’ve got to put more pucks at the net,” Berube explained. “You know, simple shots—like in the third, Max shoots one and hits the post. I mean, it’s from a ways out. But those are the types of things, like, and, you know, I can go back and look at when we shoot the puck, we recover it probably 80% of the time”.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2016. pic.twitter.com/SEoP3dys8v

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 3, 2026

Berube seems to feel that even low-quality shots would generate better chances for the Leafs on rebounds. That might be the case, but it’s also clear the club hasn’t bought into it, continuing to play the way they do.

While the Sharks were desperate for the win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Leafs now face a different reality. Now that they face the mathematical reality of being out, it’ll be interesting to see if they use their last call-up to bring in another defenseman just to change things up.

On the same day the Leafs were eliminated, Mitch Marner—who departed the Leafs after being a part of Toronto’s previous nine seasons of consecutive playoff appearances—recorded his first hat trick with the Vegas Golden Knights. Meanwhile, forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann each scored a goal for the Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken, respectively. Both players were traded for picks as the Leafs shifted from Stanley Cup contenders at the start of the season to a team looking for its identity and a path for the future.

The Leafs will see Laughton and the Kings on Friday to close out their four-game road trip out West.

How The Math Worked For Elimination 

Although the Maple Leafs are 11 points out with six games remaining behind the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, who are in a three-way tie for the second wild-card spot at 88 points, Toronto could still finished with 89 points. However, Detroit and Columbus have a game against each other remaining on the schedule. Because one of those teams is guaranteed to win that game and collect an additional two points in the standings, Toronto was technically 13 points out instead of 11, and thus eliminated from the postseason.

The Hockey News' main site has revealed the top 10 players from their top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects list. Without any surprise, Philadelphia Flyers top prospect Porter Martone made the cut, as he was given the No. 4 spot. 

It is entirely understandable that Martone has been ranked as one of the best NHL-affiliated prospects by THN. The potential for Martone to emerge as a star power forward at the NHL level is there, and it is exactly why Philadelphia selected him with the sixth-overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. 

Martone just had an excellent freshman season with Michigan State University, as he recorded 25 goals, 25 assists, 50 points, and 78 penalty minutes in 35 games. After a big season at the collegiate level, Martone signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers and is currently getting his NHL career started. 

Martone has had a solid start to his NHL career, as he recorded his first career assist in the Flyers' most recent contest against the Detroit Red Wings on April 2. While he has yet to score his first NHL goal, he already has 14 shots in two games. This included him having nine shots against Detroit, which was the most out of any player on the ice.

As Martone continues to adjust to the NHL level, he should only get better. There is a lot to like about the 6-foot-3 forward's game, and it will be fascinating to see how he grows his game from here. 

The New York Islanders continue to be saved by the out-of-town scoreboard as they continue their push toward the playoffs. 

After dropping both games of their back-to-backs, the Islanders had to put their faith in the hockey gods on Thursday night before they got the chance to redeem themselves on Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Islanders began Thursday's slate holding down the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, with a slim one-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

They woke up on Friday morning still sitting in third in the Metropolitan Division.

The Blue Jackets got steamrolled 5-1 by the Carolina Hurricanes. 

The Flyers, who have to play the Islanders on the second leg of their back-to-back, fell 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins, who sat just three points ahead of the Islanders, fell 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The Boston Bruins, holding down the top wild-card spot, lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers. 

And finally, the Washington Capitals, who had snuck their way back into the playoff conversation, fell 7-3 to the New Jersey Devils. 

The Situation after tonight’s scores #Isles : pic.twitter.com/By3ImJthSZ

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 3, 2026

Now, we must mention that the Senators, the Red Wings, and the Flyers have all played fewer games than the Islanders. But, we must also mention that games in hand mean nothing unless that team wins them.

If the Islanders are able to beat the Flyers on Friday night -- no other Eastern Conference team is in action-- that will give Long Island 91 points with five games to go, increasing their lead for third place by three over Columbus. 

Sam Ersson started for the Flyers, so we'll see if Dan Vladar gets the nod against Ilya Sorokin. 

Islanders Name Sorokin Starter vs. Flyers; Notes From Thursday PracticeSorokin gets the nod against the Flyers as the Islanders stick with the same lineup after a loss to Buffalo. Injury updates and practice insights revealed.

Focusing on the wild-card is still something that has to happen. However, it has always seemed like an "easier" route for the Islanders to finish in the top three of their division than to finish in one of the two wild-card spots. 

It's imperative that the Islanders start to help themselves, regardless of how things have gone from their playoff-hopeful competitors. 

After playing the Flyers on Friday, the Islanders have to play the Hurricanes in Raleigh on Saturday night. Then they have four off days before four games in six nights to conclude their season. 

There was bound to be a come-down at some point, what with a perfect weekend last weekend, a rousing comeback in Columbus, an impressive win over Dallas, etc.

Unsurprisingly, that come-down came down (?) at the hands of the Florida Panthers, who ended the Bruins’ winning streak at four games with a 2-1 win in Sunrise on Thursday night.

The B’s fell behind 2-0 eight minutes into the game, but managed to get one back via Fraser Minten late in the first, but after that, it was a vintage performance from Sergei Bobrovsky that kept the B’s from turning the tide.

Bobrovsky made 15 saves in the third period alone, holding off a pretty energetic Bruins charge and helping the Panthers avoid official playoff elimination again.

Overall, it wasn’t a terribly played game by the Bruins, but going down 2-0 and trying to furiously scramble back into the game isn’t necessarily a winning formula, even against a depleted Panthers team.

Your highlights from last night, if you’d like to review:

Unfortunately for the B’s, the loss came on a night where Ottawa, Montreal, and Detroit all won their games.

Those results put the B’s four points behind Montreal in the Atlantic, while bringing Ottawa and Detroit within six points of the Bruins, who are currently in the first wild card spot.

From a neutral observer’s perspective, the Eastern Conference playoff race is wild: three teams have 88 points, one has 86, and another has 85.

The Bruins will play the 86-point team, the Philadelphia Flyers, on Sunday, in what could be a make-or-break game for Philly.

Prior to that, a visit to Tampa looms, with the Bruins playing the Lightning on Saturday evening.

That game will have a 5 PM start, with Sunday’s game against Philly at 3:30 PM.

Tampa remains in a back-and-forth tussle with Buffalo for first in the Atlantic, which still seems wild to say at this point in the season, but…times have changed!

Six games left for the Bruins, six points clear of the playoff line. Buckle up!

What’s on tap for today?

Mike Gillis is reportedly interested in the idea of attempting a retool with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In an article from James Mirtle of The Athletic, he highlights a pitch Gillis wrote for the former owner, Mario Lemieux, and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021, and debates whether a similar layout would work in Toronto now.

He adds in the story that, "According to league sources and those who know Gillis well, however, he is on friendly terms with Pelley and is intrigued by the opportunity that attempting to retool the Leafs would present." 

In the days after the hockey club fired Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) president and CEO, Keith Pelley, said the hope was to bring in a new "head of hockey operations" by the end of May.

"But if not, very early June," Pelley said, "because you need to prep for the draft."

There's no doubt a laundry list of names who'd want to throw their hat in the ring for an opportunity to try and lead one of the NHL's biggest franchises back to playoff success.

But Gillis' track record would make him a fascinating name for Toronto.

As general manager of the Vancouver Canucks from 2008 to 2014, Gillis led the organization to back-to-back Presidents' Trophies in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

It's arguably one of the best eras in Canucks history since their inception in 1970.

"That’s a name that they have kind of looked at, and I can see why," reported Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on The Fan Hockey Show on Wednesday. " He took a team that was really struggling and took them to the edge of the Stanley Cup Final.  I don't know that it's gonna be Mike Gillis, but I think that he is the kind of person that they've been looking at so far."

'Whatever Happens, Happens': Craig Berube Unfazed About Uncertainty Around Future With Maple LeafsPelley acknowledged on Tuesday that the decision on whether to keep or fire Berube is up to the next head of hockey operations, adding that, if a decision is made to move on, it'll be brought to the MLSE board.

Since his Canucks tenure, Gillis' name hasn't been discussed too much in public circles. He served on the board of directors for Swiss National League team Genève-Servette HC from 2016 to 2018. According to Mirtle, Gillis also spent time as a business consultant for the NHLPA.

What we know is that the Maple Leafs' next head of hockey operations needs to be "data-centric," Pelley said.

"They have to really understand the importance of data and where data is moving," he continued. "We have just completed a complete rebuild of TFC, all using data combined with cultural checks. That's what we will do, and every single decision we make will be evidence-based.

"Evidence-based decisions are never wrong, and that's not to say there's not room for the heart, not to say there's no room to check culture, but it’s all evidence-based."

Why There's 'Zero Chance' The Maple Leafs Will Tank To Move Higher Up In NHL Draft This YearThe Maple Leafs currently have the eighth-best odds to land the first-overall pick in this year's draft.

Whether it's Gillis or any of the other names out there, like Florida Panthers assistant GM Sunny Mehta or St. Louis Blues president and GM Doug Armstrong, the Maple Leafs need to get this hire right.

Because if not, the organization could be going from a quick retool to a full rebuild, which it seems nobody on the team wants.

In the fourth game of their five-game road trip, the Montreal Canadiens were taking on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Martin St-Louis’ men were looking for a seventh win in a row, while the underperforming Rangers were looking for a fourth win in a row.

Despite Jakub Dobes being red-hot these days, the Habs elected to give the net to Jacob Fowler, who had last played on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators, backstopping the Canadiens to a 4-1 win.

Canadiens Dobes Wins Molson Cup For March
Canadiens Hoping To Avoid Season Sweep Against Underperforming Rangers
Canadiens: Veleno Signing Was A Great Move

The Improving Penalty Kill

The Habs have struggled all season when playing down a man, but the penalty kill has done good work since the start of the road trip, giving up a single goal on 10 opportunities against the Predators, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Juraj Slafkovsky could have put his team in deep trouble when he was assessed a four-minute penalty for high-sticking, but the penalty killers were up to the task and killed it. Fowler faced three shots in those four minutes, saving them all.

On the road, the Canadiens are 28th on the penalty kill with a 74.6% success rate, while they are much more efficient at home at 79.8%.

Playing Smart

Throughout 40 minutes, the Rangers only had 12 shots on goal and looked like what they are, a team that hasn’t got much left to fight for. While the Canadiens could have been tempted to open up the play and try to run up the score against weaker opposition, the Habs played it smart.

They stuck to the game plan and didn’t take any unnecessary risks. Still, when they had the opportunity for the fancy no-look passes in the appropriate setting, they grabbed it with both hands, and it led to Cole Caufield’s 48th goal of the season, which gave him 82 points on the year. It’s not 100, but it’s a point-per-game rhythm in an 82-game season. Mind you, he can only play 81 this year after missing a game due to illness.

27 BUTS À SES 27 DERNIERS MATCHS

27 GOALS IN HIS LAST 27 GAMES#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/Fn167h1EAV

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 3, 2026

Caufield For The Win… Again

While the Canadiens dominated through 40 minutes, the Rangers made a push in the final frame, and with plenty of traffic in front of Fowler’s net, they managed to tie the score. Montreal didn’t panic. St. Louis took a timeout to decide whether to challenge the goal. The coach elected not to challenge as he didn’t want to risk putting the Rangers on the power play. Those extra 30 seconds allowed his players to settle down and refocus.

It worked like a charm. The Canadiens noticed the Rangers lining up on one side for a one-timer, and once Montreal won the draw, they elected to launch the attack on the other side. Caufield scored his second of the game, and it would turn out to be the game-winning goal just 47 seconds after the Rangers' second goal. It’s the 12th time this season that the sniper scores the game-winner, and that was the 28th go-ahead goal he scored on the season, tying Pavel Bure for the second most in a season. Brett Hull has the record in that department with 39, a mark that is out of reach for now, but the way the Canadiens’ first line is evolving, who knows what could happen in the coming years…

ENTRE LES JAMBIÈRES POUR SON 49e

FIVE HOLE FOR HIS 49TH#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/os3jGaxBO4

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 3, 2026

Caufield now has 49 goals on the season, trailing Nathan MacKinnon by a single goal in the Rocket Richard race, and it looks like this one will go down to the wire. With assists on each of Caufield’s goals, Nick Suzuki now has 94 points on the year, and with seven games to go, he is on pace for a 103-point season. Meanwhile, Juraj Slafkovsky registered his 67th point and remains one goal shy of 30.

Fowler played a good game, even though he wasn't overly tested, but when the team needed him to make a save, he was ready. In one sequence, he made a big pad save and followed it with a big glove save seconds later with some added swagger. The youngster looked like he was in the zone.

 

𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 | 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡

❌ | Jacob Fowler
🆚 | Alexis Lafreniere
🗓️ | Apr. 2, 2026 pic.twitter.com/G48yeqCUsH

— Canadiens 🎥 (@habsvidsroom) April 3, 2026

That makes seven regulation wins in a row for the Canadiens, who will play the final game of their road trip on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils before playing them again on Sunday at the Bell Centre.

---

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