Brodin missed Game 6 vs. the Stars and will miss Game 1 in Colorado as the Wild start Round 2. In Brodin's absence, Jacob Middleton was elevated to the second pair with Jared Spurgeon, expect the Wild to roll with the same pairings on Sunday.
Tippett missed Friday's practice, with what was presumed to be maintenance, but suddenly his status for Game 1 has come into question. Alex Bump is expected to take his spot on the top line and Garnet Hathaway is expected to replace him in the lineup if Tippett is unable to play in Game 1.
Vladar stopped all 42 shots that he faced in the Flyers' shutout win over the Penguins in Game 6. It capped what was a fantastic series for Vladar, who went 4-2-0 with a 1.61 GAA, .937 SV% and two shutouts. Now he draws a very difficult matchup in Round 2, but he went 1-0-1 with a 1.86 GAA and .931 SV% in two games vs. Carolina this season.
Ehlers missed Game 4 vs. the Senators but was a full participant in practice the last two days, and is expected to play in Game 1 on Saturday night. Ehlers finished Round 1 with one assist and seven shots on goal in his three games.
Nikishin suffered a concussion on a devastating hit from Tyler Kleven in Game 4 vs. the Senators. But the week between games served him well, as Nikishin was in practice on Friday and the morning skate on Saturday. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour said that he needs to clear one final concussion test in order to get cleared to play in Game 1. He's considered a game-time decision.
Miller missed Saturday's morning skate, but head coach Rod Brind'Amour said that he was taking his option and anticipates him playing in Game 1 vs. the Flyers. Miller finished Round 1 with three assists in four games.
The Mammoth have squandered third-period leads multiple times in their opening-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, and find themselves on the brink of elimination, down 3-2 heading into Game Six. Vejemelka's play in his last two games has been concerning, losing both outings in overtime and allowing a combined 10 goals on 74 shots (.865 SV%), more than he has allowed in any two-game stretch during the regular season. The Mammoth enter a must-win Game Six on Friday as slight -101 home underdogs.
The Golden Knights will hand Hart his sixth consecutive start to open the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday as they look to punch their ticket to the second round. Hart turned in a solid performance in Game 5, stopping 34 of the 38 shots he faced on route to a 5-4 overtime victory. Hart and the Golden Knights enter action in Game 6 at -115 on the money line.
Lyon will get the nod once again for the Sabres in Game 6 as they aim to eliminate the Bruins. Lyon was on the losing end of a goaltending duel in Game 5, allowing two goals on 29 shots in the 2-1 overtime loss. The Sabes head into Game 6 as narrow favourites, entering action at -125 on the money line.
