Flyers’ Dan Vladar Questionable For Game 4
Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender Dan Vladar‘s status is in question for game four against the Pittsburgh Penguins, head coach Rick Tocchet told the media today.
According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, Vladar “was shaken up” midway through the third period of game three after a collision with Penguins forward Bryan Rust. “He was seen flexing his right arm and hand while trainer Tommy Alva attended to him,” Kurz wrote. Vladar did not skate with the team today, though Tocchet indicated that was more of a maintenance absence than anything else.
Vladar’s status is of immense importance to both sides of the first-round Battle of Pennsylvania, as a healthy Vladar gives the Flyers the best possible chance of closing out a sweep against their arch-rivals on Saturday in game four. The 28-year-old won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as team MVP for his efforts this season, and his .946 save percentage in this series has backstopped Philadelphia to the precipice of a statement series victory. His performance in the regular season, his first campaign as a full-time No. 1, was similarly impressive. He went 29-14-7 with a .906 save percentage and 2.42 goals against average.
If Vladar is unable to dress on Saturday, 26-year-old Samuel Ersson would almost certainly get the start. Ersson was the Flyers’ No. 1 goalie for the last two years before ceding that job to Vladar. He has had his moments, but more often than not has struggled. His .870 save percentage in 33 games this season is the lowest of any goalie with at least 25 games played, and that’s even including a solid run of form he displayed after the Olympic break.
Although Ersson’s numbers have been less than ideal, Tocchet expressed faith in the Swedish netminder, telling the media “I’m not really worried if he had to play. I really wouldn’t. He’s locked in.” Ersson has yet to appear in the Stanley Cup playoffs but does have three postseason starts on record at the AHL level, from 2022-23.
If Ersson does end up getting a start, the elevated stage of the playoffs would provide him with a unique opportunity to put his sub-par regular season numbers behind him. Ersson is set to become an RFA with arbitration rights this summer, and his $1.6MM salary for this season makes him a legitimate non-tender candidate. The chance to impress in playoff hockey – however limited that chance may be – could help Ersson secure an NHL landing spot in case the Flyers do elect to cut him loose.
Jets Assign Prospect Kevin He To AHL
The Winnipeg Jets assigned prospect forward Kevin He to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose today.
Manitoba is currently down 1-0 to the Milwaukee Admirals in a best-of-three first-round playoff series. He’s OHL season ended April 16 when his Flint Firebirds were swept by the Windsor Spitfires in the second round of the playoffs. This reassignment gives He the chance to potentially make his professional debut in a do-or-die playoff contest for the Moose.
He, who turns 20 in one week, concluded a second consecutive OHL campaign scoring above the point-per-game mark. He totaled 36 goals and 75 points in 62 games for the Niagara IceDogs in 2024-25, and managed 39 goals and 77 points in 60 games between Niagara and Flint this season. He had served as the IceDogs captain since the start of last season, until his trade to Flint.
While He’s current stint with the Moose may very well not last through the weekend, the bigger test for his future will start next fall. He is set to begin his professional career then, most likely with Manitoba.
The Moose struggled to score for much of this past season, finishing third-to-last in the AHL in total goals scored with 185, the fewest among playoff teams by a wide margin. They ranked No. 31 in the AHL in scoring the year prior, and No. 25 in 2023-24. He, along with other Jets forward prospects, will be tasked with helping to reverse that trend next season.
Jordan Kyrou Undergoes Minor Knee Surgery, Will Be Ready For Camp
Blues star winger Jordan Kyrou underwent a minor knee procedure this week that his not expected to impact his availability for next season’s training camp, the team announced Thursday. General manager Doug Armstrong did not disclose an exact timeline.
Kyrou missed a few weeks with a lower-body injury back in December. It’s unclear if the procedure referenced today is related to that absence, but if it is, it would offer an added explanation for the top scorer’s struggles this season.
Over the past few seasons, Kyrou has been money in the bank for at least 30 goals and 65 points. From the 2021-22 to 2024-25 seasons, he rarely missed extended time and averaged 34 goals and 74 points per 82 games.
All that came crashing down in a disastrous 2025-26 campaign for both him and the club. Kyrou’s 18 goals, 28 assists, and 46 points in 72 games were his worst scoring line in five years.
His ice time was correspondingly limited by head coach Jim Montgomery. He was a healthy scratch for a game early in the season and saw over 15 minutes just three times in the final 12 games of the season. He averaged only 15:44 per game on the year, his lowest deployment since his big breakout in 2021-22.
Kyrou’s name was frequently in trade speculation over the past two offseasons as the Blues looked to leverage him from a position of strength, potentially to improve their blue line. He had a full no-trade clause kick in on July 1 last summer that now makes that a much more complicated proposition. Now locked in at an $8.125MM cap hit through 2030-31, it’s unwise for the Blues to cut bait on Kyrou after a down season anyway.
Snapshots: Kuzmenko, Hintz, Dach, Charron, Hayes
Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko is set to draw into the postseason lineup for the first time for tonight’s Game 3 of the Avalanche, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports. He took line rushes at morning skate on the left wing on the third line with Scott Laughton and Joel Armia. Rookie Jared Wright had occupied that slot for the first two games of the series but was bumped down to fourth-line duties this morning. Trade deadline pickup Mathieu Joseph was the odd man out and projects to head to the press box after playing in six straight. Kuzmenko hasn’t played since undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus on Feb. 28, but was activated from injured reserve at the beginning of the playoffs. After flourishing with 17 points in 22 games last season following his acquisition from the Flyers at the trade deadline, the Russian offensive weapon posted a more conservative 13-12–25 scoring line in 52 games this season and has been bumped off the top line thanks to Artemi Panarin‘s injection into the roster.
More from around the league Thursday:
- The Stars have now officially ruled center Roope Hintz out for Game 4 against the Wild, head coach Glen Gulutzan said (via Dan Rosen of NHL.com). He had initially left the door open for Hintz to join the team in Minnesota, depending on how he felt earlier in the week, but that won’t happen. Hintz did skate for the first time yesterday since sustaining a lower-body injury back on March 7, so while he’s still considered doubtful for Game 5 and questionable for the rest of the first round, there’s tangible progress toward his return. Dallas has eked out a 2-1 series lead without him, thanks to Wyatt Johnston‘s double-overtime heroics last night and an exceptional performance from their defense and penalty kill in Game 3, holding Minnesota to zero inner-slot shots the entire night despite the Wild having seven power plays.
- The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signed a trio of Pittsburgh unsigned draft picks to amateur tryouts ahead of their Atlantic Division Semifinal series kicking off soon, per a team announcement. Most intriguing among them is center Kale Dach, who, despite being drafted last out of the three in last year’s draft (seventh round, 201st overall), had the most impactful post-draft season. Some had viewed Dach as more of a mid-round pick, and they were proven right to some degree by him having a 34-goal, 75-point campaign in 63 games for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen after spending last season with the junior ‘A’ Sherwood Park Crusaders of the BCHL. He’ll be off to Penn State in the fall but maintains his collegiate eligibility by not signing an NHL contract. Also joining the Baby Pens for the postseason are right-winger Jordan Charron, a 2025 fifth-round pick and St. Lawrence commit who scored 25 goals and 47 points in 66 games this season for the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, and Travis Hayes, selected in the fourth round last year. Hayes is the brother of now-teammate Avery Hayes and suited up alongside Charron in Sault Ste. Marie this season, posting a 16-24–40 scoring line in 63 games with a team-high +27 rating.
What Will The Canadiens Do With Zachary Bolduc?
The Canadiens are tied at one game apiece in their first-round series against the Lightning. They have a number of healthy scratches at forward thanks to their depth, but one young player is looking to leave an impression and avoid sitting out for any length of time.
Zachary Bolduc is a talented forward and pending restricted free agent who is sure to get a raise this summer as his entry-level contract wraps up. How much he gets will depend on several factors, primarily the term he and the Canadiens agree to, as well as where Montreal sees him in the foreseeable future.
When you read that statement, the first thought is: where does Bolduc slot into Montreal’s lineup? There is also the possibility that Montreal uses Bolduc and other assets to try to land a premier second-line center.
Alternatively, Bolduc remains with Montreal into next year and signs a new deal. But does that come in the form of a short-term bridge deal, or have the Canadiens seen enough to ink him long term?
It’s no secret that Montreal wants to address the second-line center position to ease some of the pressure on first-line pivot Nick Suzuki. This season, the Habs relied heavily on Oliver Kapanen, who filled in admirably but has at times been exposed, prompting Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis to shelter him.
Kapanen has also benefited from a PDO well over 100, which has masked some of his shortcomings and made it more tolerable to keep him in the top six. Another season with that kind of luck seems unlikely, so Montreal needs to act this summer, especially with Michael Hage returning to the NCAA for another year. Montreal doesn’t exactly have an internal solution to fill the 2C slot at the moment.
Could Bolduc be part of a package to acquire a center? It depends on which player the Canadiens target. If they covet Robert Thomas of the Blues, St. Louis would surely love to reacquire him after he tallied 19 goals and 36 points for them as a rookie in 2024-25 before being dealt to Montreal last summer. If the Habs are looking elsewhere for a Nico Hischier-type player, Bolduc could be part of a package that includes other prospects and one or two draft picks.
What if the Canadiens see Bolduc as a potential top-six fixture? It would be easy to see why, given his offensive abilities and physical presence.
Bolduc has an excellent shot and is a natural goal-scorer who gets into the forecheck and can be difficult to play against. However, as good as he can be, there are questions about consistency and on-ice results.
The 23-year-old had 12 goals and 18 assists in 78 games this year, but much of his scoring came in bunches. There were several five-game (or longer) stretches throughout the year when Bolduc produced no offense, and his physicality was inconsistent as well.
A perfect example is a stretch from Dec. 24 to March 25, during which Bolduc produced exactly zero goals and just nine assists in 31 games. On March 26, he ended his goalless drought at 31 games with a goal and an assist against the Blue Jackets, but then proceeded to be held pointless for another seven games before a two-point game against the Islanders on April 12. It’s that sort of inconsistency and wild variation in production that will give the Canadiens pause about a long-term deal for Bolduc, making a bridge contract far likelier.
What might that look like? Based on AFP Analytics’ projections, something in the range of $3.588MM per year on a two-year deal would make sense.
That wouldn’t be a problem for Montreal, given where they are compared to the salary cap. A short-term deal would give the Canadiens more time to assess what they have in Bolduc and determine whether he’s part of the future or a piece they can leverage to fill other gaps on their roster.
But how does the bridge contract AAV compare to a long-term contract, and would it make more sense to lock Bolduc in for the next seven or eight years before he breaks out and becomes much more expensive? If there’s a team that knows what it’s like to get burned by signing a player, it’s the Canadiens, who once had to pay top dollar to extend P.K. Subban after a contentious bridge contract.
However, in this case, Bolduc is not Subban and doesn’t appear destined to become an award-winning forward. The AAV projection for Bolduc on a long-term contract is also eye-popping to say the least, coming in a shade under $6MM on a six-year deal.
The number on a long-term deal is likely a non-starter for the Canadiens until they see more from the Trois-Rivières, Quebec, native. It’s possible he goes on a tear in the postseason and convinces Montreal to go long term, but at this stage, the inconsistency, offensive droughts, and his inability to drive play are significant question marks that will likely prompt the Habs to opt for a bridge deal to get a longer look before committing to an extended term. That is, if he sticks with the Canadiens beyond this season.
Kings Reassign Pheonix Copley, Recall Carter George
The Kings loaned goaltender Pheonix Copley to AHL Ontario on Thursday, per a team announcement. In his place, the team summoned goalie prospect Carter George from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds to serve as their emergency backup goaltender for the balance of the postseason.
Copley heads down to Ontario to serve as their veteran starting option for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Ontario had finished high enough in their division to earn a bye through the first round, but since their Pacific Semifinal series will get underway soon, the Kings have opted to return Copley there to make sure their minor-league club can field the best roster possible, similar to the Lightning’s demotion of Brandon Halverson earlier Thursday.
Copley’s stint as L.A.’s EBUG for Games 1 and 2 against the Avalanche marked his first time on the NHL roster since the calendar flipped to 2026. The 34-year-old vet made one start back in December, allowing three goals on 28 shots for a .893 SV% in a loss to the Kraken. It was his first NHL start since undergoing ACL surgery in December 2023, although he did make one relief appearance for the Kings last season.
A pending unrestricted free agent, it’s unclear if L.A. plans to retain Copley for what would be his fifth season in the organization (aside from a brief stint with the Lightning at the beginning of this year after being lost on waivers). They have George, their #1 prospect, plus serviceable 25-year-old Erik Portillo under contract through next year, leaving their AHL duo likely set in stone.
If Copley still wants a high AHL workload and expanded call-up opportunities, he’ll likely need to look elsewhere on the open market. In 33 regular-season games for Ontario this season, he managed a .901 SV%, 2.59 GAA, a 21-11-1 record, and one shutout.
George, who doesn’t turn 20 until next month, just wrapped up his fourth and final junior season. A midseason pickup from the struggling Owen Sound Attack, George’s .910 SV% in 10 postseason games fueled the Greyhounds to a major upset over the London Knights in the first round, although they were dispatched just as quickly by Kitchener in five games in round two last week.
A second-rounder in 2024, George already has several accolades in his trophy case. He won a bronze medal as Canada’s starter at this year’s World Juniors, and he was one of the best goalies in the tournament last year as well, despite an early upset by the Czechs in the quarterfinals. Goalies rarely, if ever, make the jump straight from juniors to the NHL, so he’s ticketed for time in Ontario next season. Already having signed his entry-level contract, he is prohibited from taking the college route.
Sabres’ Josh Norris Out Day-To-Day, Noah Ostlund Returning
The Sabres won’t have center Joshua Norris available tonight for Game 3 of their first-round series against the Bruins, head coach Lindy Ruff said (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550). He’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. It’s not all bad, as they’ll be getting Noah Ostlund back from injury, with this morning’s line rushes indicating he’s slotting directly in for Norris as their third-line center (via Hamilton).
Norris didn’t appear to sustain anything major in Game 2. Ruff was non-specific when speaking on his ailment today, only saying that he’s “not feeling right” (via Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News).
The oft-injured 26-year-old shouldered a full workload through the first two games of the series, which were also the first of his playoff career. He averaged 16:36 per game and recorded six hits, although he was rendered pointless and had a -1 rating.
Still, it’s a notable loss. Buffalo won the possession battle handily with Norris on the ice at 5-on-5, controlling 61.1% of shot attempts. He’s also been above water in the faceoff department, winning 53.1% of his draws for a team that’s struggled heavily there to begin the series.
In the regular season, Norris had 34 points in 44 games. He missed nearly half the season with various upper-body issues that were unrelated to his previous shoulder injuries, but his 0.77 points per game were fourth on the team. Having that kind of production ceiling from a third-line center is a luxury the Sabres have reaped the rewards of this season en route to finishing fifth in the league in goals, although they’re only averaging three per game in their small playoff sample this far.
The Sabres would certainly prefer to reincorporate Ostlund without taking a name of Norris’ caliber out to make room, but they’ll gladly welcome him back nonetheless. The 2022 first-round pick had a solid rookie campaign after an early-season call-up from AHL Rochester, finishing the year with 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games.
It has been nearly a month since Ostlund played, though. He sustained an upper-body injury against Boston back on March 25 and was initially labeled day-to-day, but it stretched into something longer.
A natural center, Buffalo has preferred to deploy Ostlund on the wing for much of the year. Norris’ injury will obviously force him back to the middle, but his struggles on faceoffs – he won just 31.5% of them in the regular season – are certainly cause for concern given the circumstances. There are also some red flags about playing the skilled and smart Ostlund in a high-leverage role in what’s been an incredibly physical series thus far. He’s smallish at 5’11” and 180 lbs and plays like it; he only had five hits total in the regular season. Buffalo has already totaled 83 of them through Games 1 and 2.
USA Hockey Finalizes Coaching Staff For 2026 Worlds
USA Hockey has rounded out its coaching staff for next month’s 2026 World Championship in Switzerland, the organization announced Thursday. Former Sabres bench boss Don Granato was previously announced as the head coach in March as the Americans aim to win back-to-back gold medals at the event for the first time ever.
Joining Granato as assistants will be Canucks assistant Kevin Dean, Predators assistant Darby Hendrickson, Rangers assistant Ty Hennes and University of Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato. Sharks goaltending coach Thomas Speer is joining in the same role, while Predators video coach Lawrence Feloney and Islanders video coordinator Matt DeMado have also been added to the staff.
It’s a very similar group to the contingent that led the Americans to the promised land last season. Dean, Speer, and Feloney are all returnees, as are general manager Brett Peterson and assistant general manager Jeff Kealty.
Dean had no previous national team experience up until last year’s tournament, but they obviously liked what they saw, then under Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky. He’ll be primarily responsible for the defensemen and penalty kill, the same role he holds in Vancouver, although the Canucks had a league-worst 71.5% penalty kill success rate and ranked 29th in the league in shots against per game with 29.8 in Dean’s first season behind the bench there. He had previous stints with the Bruins (2017-22) and Blackhawks (2022-25) as an assistant.
In Nashville, Hendrickson is more of a roving assistant focused on player development. This marks his first national team appearance as a coach, although he scored 14 points in 44 World Championship games for the U.S. as a player in six tournaments (1996-2001) and also suited up for them at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Hennes returns to the United States bench after first serving as an assistant coach at the 2024 Worlds. The Americans went 5-1-1 in group play that year but were upset by the host Czechia in the quarterfinals. Hennes is coming off his first season with the Rangers, following Mike Sullivan to New York last summer after spending the previous three seasons under him as an assistant with the Penguins.
Naurato, one of the brighter coaching prospects in the sport, is 41 years old and just wrapped up his fourth season heading up the Wolverines’ bench. A former player development consultant with the Red Wings from 2018-21, he spent only one season at Michigan as an assistant before earning the promotion. During that time, he’s won a pair of Big 10 championships and got Michigan to its fourth Frozen Four in the last five years, although they’ve been bounced in the national semifinal each time.
Senators’ Tyler Kleven Returning For Game 3
Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven will make his 2026 playoff debut in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Hurricanes tonight, he told reporters at Thursday’s morning skate (including Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press).
Kleven has been out of commission since April 2 with an upper-body injury sustained while blocking a shot in a game against the Sabres. At a time when the Sens were already down Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, it was a crushing injury that removed all three of their left-side regulars from the lineup. Sanderson ultimately returned for their next game, and Chabot followed suit soon after, but Kleven’s injury – plus Nick Jensen‘s continued absence due to meniscus surgery and Artem Zub‘s departure in Game 1 with a lower-body injury – has still put a strain on Ottawa’s defense to begin the postseason.
Now, Ottawa will be down “just” Jensen and Zub as they try to climb out of a 2-0 hole at home. After dressing Dennis Gilbert and Lassi Thomson as their third pair for Game 2, both of them will come out while Cameron Crotty steps in on Kleven’s right side to make his first-ever playoff appearance, head coach Travis Green said (via Claire Hanna of TSN).
Kleven, coming off his second full regular season, was quite reliable as the #3 lefty on the Sens’ depth chart this season. Selected 44th overall in 2020, Kleven set career highs in assists (15), points (18), hits (126), and average time on ice (17:21) while suiting up in 70 contests. He emerged with a +2 rating and had spectacular results when paired with Jordan Spence, controlling 60.4% of expected goals in 657 minutes together at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.
Jensen’s and Zub’s injuries mean Spence has been elevated to top-four duties, so Kleven won’t have that kind of support on his right flank tonight. Nonetheless, he’s a significant plug-and-play upgrade over Gilbert, who actually had a solid go of things in his limited minutes in Games 1 and 2. Kleven’s higher ceiling – plus his strong performance in their first-round loss to the Maple Leafs last season – makes him an appealing option to get back in the lineup while likely seeing some penalty-kill time as well.
Lightning Reassign Brandon Halverson, Recall Harrison Meneghin
The Lightning have reassigned goaltender Brandon Halverson to AHL Syracuse, per a team announcement Thursday. They recalled goaltender Harrison Meneghin from Syracuse in his place to serve as their third-stringer/emergency backup during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Syracuse had wrapped up a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs a while ago, so having their #1 option in Halverson up with the Lightning wasn’t much of a problem. As the second-place team in the North Division, they earned a bye through the first round as well, so they’ve been off for a bit.
Their best-of-five North Division Semifinal series against Cleveland starts tomorrow night, though. They’ll get Halverson back down there to start after spending much of the last couple of weeks up on the NHL roster, giving their minor-league affiliate the best chance at a lengthy playoff run.
Halverson was initially brought up before the end of the regular season. He started Tampa’s regular-season finale against the Rangers, allowing four goals on 21 shots for a .810 SV% in a loss, while backup Jonas Johansson was sidelined with an undisclosed injury and workhorse starter Andrei Vasilevskiy got the night off.
Johansson has returned to back up Vasilevskiy through Games 1 and 2 of their first-round series against the Canadiens. Still, teams are required to roster a third goaltender at all times during the postseason who can function similarly to a regular-season EBUG. They’re permitted to enter the game, even if they’re not dressed, in the event both the starting and backup goaltender are forced out of the contest, to avoid a situation in which a Scott Foster or David Ayres-type ever sees playoff action.
Halverson is in his third season in the Bolts organization as an AHL option, breaking out as their clear-cut #3 last season. The 30-year-old only has four career NHL appearances to his name, two of which came this year. His 43 games for Syracuse this season ranked seventh in the AHL, though, accompanied by a decent .905 SV%, 2.42 GAA, and a 24-11-10 record with a league-leading six shutouts.
Meneghin is certainly less appealing as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option, at least at present, but he’s spent virtually the entire season down with ECHL Orlando and wasn’t going to see AHL playoff action anyway. Tampa selected the 21-year-old in the seventh round in 2024.
The 6’4″ netminder had put together some impressive seasons in junior hockey, including a WHL title and playoff MVP honors with Medicine Hat just last season. His stellar .919 SV% in 53 games for Lethbridge in 2023-24 is what led to his selection as an overager after going undrafted in both 2022 and 2023.
However, his first professional season has been a struggle. He only made 14 appearances for Orlando this season and wasn’t good, logging a .889 SV% and 3.26 GAA with a 4-9-0 record. His lone relief appearance for Syracuse, which came last Friday, saw him allow two goals on four shots for a .500 SV% and 9.33 GAA.
Meneghin remains under contract through 2027-28 and is the only depth netminder Tampa has signed through next season. They’ll be looking for him to return with a strong training camp and compete for AHL backup duties in the fall.