Fantasy Hockey

Hertl scored a power-play goal on two shots in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Blues in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

Hertl had been held off the scoresheet in the first three games of the series before finding twine on the man advantage. It would be the Sharks' only goal of the game, which leaves the series tied at two games apiece ahead of Sunday's Game 5. Hertl has 10 goals and five helpers in 18 contests in the playoffs.

Bozak scored a power-play goal and added three blocked shots in Friday's 2-1 win over the Sharks in Game 4.

Bozak has found some success on offense with two goals and a helper in four games versus the Sharks. His goal on Friday would also stand as the game-winner, as goalie Jordan Binnington was able to suppress the Sharks' offense effectively throughout the game. Bozak has added five blocks and seven shots on goal in the series.

Barbashev scored a goal and added two PIM in Friday's 2-1 win over the Sharks in Game 4.

Barbashev pounced on a misplayed puck from Sharks defenseman Brent Burns just 35 seconds into the game, quickly slotting home the loose puck. The 23-year-old winger now has points in consecutive contests, and has added 10 hits and five shots on goal in four games in the series.

Brown was shipped back down to AHL Charlotte on Friday, Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun reports.

Brown was an unused depth option for the Eastern Conference finals, but figures to get the opportunity to play versus AHL Toronto in the Calder Cup playoffs. The center didn't appear in any regular-season NHL contests this year, and hasn't since 2016-17, which could have him looking for a new home this summer. He'll become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Spezza wants to keep playing next season, but it won't be with the Stars, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Spezza failed to reach the 30-point mark for a second straight season, a far cry from the 90-point campaigns he put up earlier in his career while playing for Ottawa. At this point, the 35-year-old center will likely have to settle for a bottom-six, power-play specialist role, but the value he'll offer as a veteran leader is undeniable. For fantasy owners, the Toronto native's ceiling likely falls within the 30-35 point range, though that will obviously depend on the quality of players surrounding him.

Kunin will join the United States at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.

Kunin split time between the NHL and AHL this season, making 49 appearances for Minnesota in which he tallied six goals, 11 helpers and 88 shots (all career highs). The center figures to be a near lock for next season's Opening Night roster and will almost certainly remain with the big club for the majority of the campaign.

Toropchenko picked up a natural hat trick in Guelph's 5-2 win over Rouyn-Noranda in Memorial Cup action Saturday.

In what was the opening game of the tournament for both teams, Toropchenko scored three times in just over seven minutes in the first period to put the game out of reach early. Originally a fourth-round selection (113th overall) of the Blues in 2017, the Russian scored exactly 17 goals in each of the past two regular seasons for Guelph. Toropchenko signed his entry-level contract with St. Louis in December.

General manager Don Sweeney said he would be "surprised" if Wagner (forearm) is ready to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Wagner returned to Boston for testing and was announced out indefinitely May 15. The Massachusetts native sustained the injury after blocking a shot during Boston's Game 3 win over Carolina in the Eastern Conference finals. There is speculation that Wagner could miss the championship series, but more information should become clear closer to Game 1 on May 27.

Maroon dished a power-play assist and two hits in Friday's 2-1 win over the Sharks in Game 4.

Maroon has been strong since Game 7 of the second round, with a goal and three helpers in his last five games. During that span, he's added 13 hits and a plus-2 rating. Two of his assists have come on the man advantage, as the third-line winger has found ways to contribute valuable depth scoring.

Tarasenko provided a power-play helper and three hits in Friday's 2-1 win over the Sharks in Game 4.

Tarasenko has recorded one point in each game of the series, with a goal and three helpers to go with 12 shots and 13 hits in four contests. He only had five points through the Blues' first 13 playoff games, but it's safe to say his previous struggles are behind him now. Tarasenko will need to continue to produce as the series shifts to San Jose for a pivotal Game 5.

Niederreiter has been added to Team Switzerland's roster for the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Slovakia.

Niederreiter's NHL campaign ended on a sour note Thursday when the Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs by the Bruins, so he'll now head to Slovakia to try and help Team Switzerland capture gold on an international stage. The 26-year-old winger, who racked up 23 goals and 53 points in 82 games this season, will once again be a solid secondary option in all fantasy formats in 2019-20.

The Capitals placed Ikonen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination Friday, Chris Kuc of The Athletic reports.

Ikonen wasn't overly impressive during his first season in North America in 2018-19, notching four goals and 14 points in 54 appearances with AHL Hershey. The 24-year-old Finn will almost certainly head overseas to continue his professional playing career.

Dunn (upper body) will not be making the trip to San Jose for Sunday's Game 5 matchup, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports.

Dunn took a puck to the face in Game 3 on Wednesday, and it was evidently serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. With the series coming back to St. Louis for Game 6 on Tuesday -- coupled with the fact that Dunn is still considered day-to-day -- there is still a chance that the Ontario native could suit up then. More information on the blueliner's status should surface closer to Game 6, but for now Carl Gunnarsson will likely draw into the lineup for Game 5 on Sunday.

Miller (lower body) is not expected to be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

General manager Don Sweeney said Saturday that Miller suffered a "bit of a setback" and won't be healthy enough for Game 1. Reports earlier this month said that the California native was making progress and that the team wasn't going to rule him out for the remainder of the playoffs. More information on Miller's status for the rest of the Cup finals should surface closer to the beginning of the series -- the Bruins will have had 11 days of rest when Game 1 rolls around May 27.

Karlsson provided a power-play helper and four shots on goal in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Blues in Game 4.

Karlsson now has two goals and two assists each in the series, but he went 7:31 without playing at one point in the third period. Karlsson missed 27 games over the second half of the regular season with a groin injury, which makes his light usage while the Sharks were trailing a bit concerning. Coach Pete DeBoer did not provide any update on Karlsson's condition after the game.

Burns registered a power-play assist, two hits and two shots in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Blues in Game 4.

Burns only has two assists through four games in the Western Conference finals, but he has provided a plus-3 rating, 14 shots on goal and nine hits. Additionally, both helpers have come on the power play. Burns has five goals and 11 helpers in 18 contests this postseason.

Gunnarsson (lower body) registered a blocked shot in 11:52 during Friday's 2-1 win over the Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

Gunnarsson was recently cleared from an injury that cost him the first three games of the series versus the Sharks, slotting into the lineup Friday in place of Vince Dunn (upper body). The veteran blueliner has yet to record a point in 10 playoff appearances. Gunnarson's 16 blocked shots represent his most notable contribution to the team at this point.

Per coach Craig Berube, Dunn (upper body) is back at home following a brief stay in the hospital, but he's still considered day-to-day, which means he won't be in the lineup for Friday's Game 4 against San Jose, Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com reports.

Dunn took a puck to the face during Wednesday's Game 3, and his injury was evidently serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. The 22-year-old blueliner won't be available Friday, but the fact that he's still considered day-to-day suggests there's an outside chance that he'll be ready to return Sunday for Game 5. With Dunn on the shelf, Carl Gunnarsson will draw into the lineup for Game 4.

Jones stopped 20 of 22 shots in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Blues in Game 4.

Jones was beat by Blues winger Ivan Barbashev after a defensive blunder by Brent Burns in the first minute of the game, and a Tyler Bozak power-play goal later in the frame would account for all the damage against Jones. His Sharks teammates were only able to crack Jordan Binnington once at the other end of the ice. Jones will hope for better support at home in Sunday's Game 5.

Binnington allowed only one goal on 30 shots in Friday's 2-1 win over the Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

Fourth-line winger Ivan Barbashev scored just 35 seconds into the game, and Binnington made sure the Blues would not trail at any point. Binnington has alternated between sloppy and brilliant in the series, twice allowing five goals in each of his two losses but letting in just three goals combined between his two wins. The 25-year-old rookie will likely draw the start Sunday in San Jose for Game 5 with the hope that he can replicate Friday's performance.

Binnington will defend the cage at home in Friday's Game 4 matchup with San Jose, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Binnington got rocked in Game 3 to the tune of five goals on 32 shots for a 4.62 GAA and .844 save percentage. The young netminder has given up 12 goals through the opening three contests of the Western Conference finals, which may force coach Craig Berube to consider giving Jake Allen a look if Binnington puts together another poor outing Friday.

Jones will tend the twine for Friday's Game 4 road clash with St. Louis.

Jones has posted a subpar 3.63 GAA and .875 save percentage so far in this series, but he's still managed to secure a pair of wins thanks to an offense that has put up 4.33 goals per game through the first three outings. As long as he can keep the game close, Joe Pavelski and company should be able to do the rest, though fantasy owners may not want to rely on the netminder to pitch a shutout any time soon.

McElhinney gave up three goals on 22 shots in Thursday's 4-0 series-ending Game 4 loss to Boston.

McElhinney was perfect in the first 20 minutes but then saw two pucks beat him in the second period, both coming on Bruins power plays. The visitors would add two more goals in the final frame, one coming with Carolina's net empty. The veteran goalie's contract will expire on July 1, and it remains to be seen where the 35-year-old will play in 2019-20. Rest assured, McElhinney's performance in these playoffs has given teams more than enough reason to entertain signing him this offseason.

Rask made 24 saves Thursday, posting a shutout in a 4-0 Game 4 win over the Hurricanes.

Yet another magnificent performance from Rask. Boston's netminder clearly has been its most valuable player to this point in the playoffs, giving the B's a chance to win every night. Thursday's result gives the Finnish backstop seven straight wins, and now, Rask and the Bruins await the winner of the San Jose-St. Louis series.