NHL Player News

Skinner will tend the twine on the road in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Stars on Thursday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Skinner has faced less than 20 shots in each of his last four appearances, posting a 3-1 record to go with a 2.66 GAA and .848 save percentage over that stretch. Despite being benched for Games 4 and 5 of the Oilers' second-round series versus Vancouver, the 25-year-old backstop was able to reclaim the starting role from Calvin Pickard for the final two games of the best-of-seven series. Skinner will likely remain the preferred choice in net for Edmonton during the Western Conference Finals.

Bobrovsky will get the starting nod on the road against the Rangers in Game 1 on Wednesday.

Bobrovsky is sporting a 2.37 GAA and .902 save percentage in 11 postseason contests. The netminder is certainly getting plenty of offensive support, as the Panthers are scoring 3.55 goals per game in the postseason, the most of any team remaining in the playoffs. It figures to be a clash of backstops, as Bobrovsky will be squaring off with Igor Shesterkin on the other side.

Shesterkin is expected to guard the home goal against Florida in Game 1 on Wednesday.

Shesterkin has led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals by posting an 8-2 record, 2.40 GAA and .923 save percentage in 10 playoff appearances this year. However, the 28-year-old goaltender has allowed at least three goals in each of his past three starts. Florida has excelled offensively in the postseason, averaging 3.55 goals per contest, so the Panthers are expected to be a challenging adversary for Shesterkin.

Lindgren (undisclosed) is good to play in Game 1 against Florida on Wednesday, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today.

Lindgren's availability was put into question Tuesday because he stayed off the ice for a third straight day for maintenance reasons. It's possible the 26-year-old is playing through something, but it seems whatever that might be isn't enough to keep him out of the lineup. Lindgren has one assist, four PIM, 13 hits and 12 blocks in 10 playoff contests this year while averaging 20:36 of ice time.

Pospisil (upper body) will miss the remainder of the 2024 IIHF World Championship, per Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun.

Pospisil was doing phenomenal at the tournament, providing three goals and seven points in seven games with Team Slovakia, but he sustained the injury during Monday's contest versus Sweden. The severity of his injury isn't known yet, so it's not clear if Pospisil's offseason training or availability for the start of the 2024-25 campaign will be impacted. The 24-year-old recorded eight goals, 24 points, 107 PIM and 238 hits in 63 contests with Calgary as a rookie in 2023-24.

Kral inked a one-year, two-way deal with Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The Maple Leafs originally drafted Kral under now-Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas, so his addition to the organization shouldn't be a complete surprise. The 24-year-old defenseman had five goals and 37 points in 46 contests with the Pelicans in Finland's top league. He struggled to show that level of offensive upside in previous AHL stints, so fantasy players probably don't need to jump on Kral even in dynasty formats.

Gruden penned a two-year, two-way contract with the Penguins on Tuesday.

Gruden played in just 13 games at the NHL level this season in which he generated one goal on nine shots, 35 hits and five blocks while averaging 8:40 of ice time. At this point, the youngster will be hard-pressed to break into the 23-man roster full-time next season but should see his fair share of call-ups throughout the campaign.

St. Ivany agreed to terms on a three-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

St. Ivany managed just one point in his 14 NHL appearances this season while averaging 13:42 of ice time. The 24-year-old blueliner is likely a long shot to make the 23-man roster for Opening Night this fall but should be atop the list of potential call-ups throughout the year.

Pospisil suffered an apparent upper-body injury in Slovakia's matchup with Sweden on Monday, Claire Hanna of TSN reports.

Pospisil has been lighting it up at the international tournament with three goals and four assists. In his rookie campaign, the 24-year-old center notched eight goals and 16 helpers despite not having a significant role with the man advantage. Barring a long-term injury, Pospisil should be capable of improving on those numbers in his sophomore campaign.

McDonagh was traded to the Lightning from the Predators along with a 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 second-round selection and 2024 seventh-round pick Tuesday.

McDonagh spent five seasons with the Lightning during his previous stint, logging 267 regular-season games for the club while lifting Lord Stanley's Cup twice during his stay. McDonagh figures to slot into a third pairing for the Lightning. With the acquisition of McDonagh, Tampa Bay is unlikely to re-sign Matt Dumba or Calvin de Haan.