Wennberg has appeared in four games in the second round but has averaged just 10:30 TOI and is expected to be replaced by Markus Hannikainen (undisclosed) on the fourth line in Game 6.
Texier was a healthy scratch in Game 5 but is expected to replace Adam Clendening in Game 6. The Blue Jackets will go back to 12 forwards and six defensemen with Texier skating on the fourth line with Brandon Dubinsky and Markus Hannikainen. The 19-year-old has two goals on eight shots with one assist in seven games this postseason.
Hannikainen is expected to make his 2019 playoffs debut and skate in his first game since March 24th. Hannikainen, who is expected to replace Alexander Wennberg on the fourth line, had four goals and three assists (seven points) in 44 games this season.
Bobrovsky allowed four goals on 36 shots in the Blue Jackets 4-3 loss in Boston in Game 5. Bobrovsky has now given up four goals in back-to-back games and the Blue Jackets are on the ropes. Bobrovsky has gone 3-1 while allowing just nine goals on 147 shots (.939 SV%) in his four starts at Nationwide Arena in the postseason.
Acciari missed Game 5 after being listed as a game-time decision and will not play in Game 6 in Columbus. Chris Wagner will remain on the Bruins fourth-line.
Rask allowed three goals on 36 shots in the Bruins 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets in Game 5. The Bruins have won two in a row with Rask stopping 72 of the last 76 shots (.947 SV%) that he has faced. Rask will look to punch the Bruins ticket into the Eastern Conference Finals with a strong outing in Columbus—he has stopped 71 of 74 shots (.960 SV%) in the two games at Nationwide Arena in this series.
Mikheyev was a highly coveted forward, who had 23 goals and 22 assists (45 points) in 62 games with Omsk Avangard of the KHL. The 24-year-old is 6-foot-2 and 190 lbs and will bring a little size to the Maple Leafs forward group in 2019-20.
Tarasov was a third-round pick (No.86 overall) in 2017 and played in the VHL and KHL last year. Tarasov was 17-6 with a 1.71 GAA, .928 SV% and two shutouts in 25 VHL games before making his KHL debut, where he had a 2.86 GAA and .917 SV% in two games.
van Riemsdyk suffered a shoulder injury in Game 2 vs. the Islanders and will miss the rest of the year after undergoing surgery. Haydn Fleury has replaced van Riemsdyk on the back-end and Jake Bean has been recalled as a reserve defenseman heading into the Eastern Conference Finals.
Acciari missed the Bruins morning skate and head coach Bruce Cassidy has listed him as a game-time decision for Game 5. Chris Wagner will draw in on the fourth line if Acciari is unable to play.
Rutta split his campaign between the Blackhawks and Lightning and spent half the year in the AHL. Rutta had four goals and eight assists (12 points) in 26 AHL games and eight points (2G / 6A) in 37 NHL games. With the Lightning’s blueline banged up at the end of the season, Rutta appeared in all four playoff games, where he had two helpers. He will likely serve as a sixth/seventh defenseman with Tampa Bay next year.
Bortuzzo replaced Joel Edmundson in Games 3 and 4 but will come back out of the lineup in an important Game 5 in St. Louis. Carl Gunnarsson will move down to play in Bortuzzo’s spot on the third-pairing.
Edmundson was a healthy scratch in Games 3 and 4 but will replace Robert Bortuzzo in Game 5. Edmundson, who will be back on the top-pairing with Alex Pietrangelo, has two assists, four PIMS and 10 shots in eight playoff games.
Binnington allowed four goals on 31 shots in the Blues 4-2 loss in Dallas in Game 4. The series now becomes a best-of-3 and the Blues are going to need more out of Binnington in Game 5. After a strong start to the series, Binnington has allowed a combined 10 goals on 96 shots (.896 SV%) in the last three games. On home-ice in the playoffs, Binnington is 2-2-1 while stopping 136 of 151 shots (.901 SV%).
Greiss and Robin Lehner split games during the regular season but Greiss has not played during the playoffs. Lehner has not beaten the Hurricanes in seven career games, whereas Greiss was 3-1-0 with a 1.76 GAA and .949 SV% in four games this season. The 33-year-old was also 11-7-0 with a 2.20 GAA, .933 SV% and two shutouts on the road this year.
McElhinney made his first career playoff start in Game 3 and stopped 28 of the 30 shots that the Islanders fired his way to secure a 5-2 win. With Petr Mrazek still out with a lower-body injury, McElhinney will be given the opportunity to complete the sweep on home-ice. In 93:33 of playing time, the 35-year-old netminder has allowed just two goals on 47 shots (.957 SV%).
Shesterkin, 23, was a fourth-round pick (No.118 overall) in 2014 and enjoyed an outstanding season as with St. Petersburg SKA (KHL). Shesterkin went 24-4-0 with a 1.11 GAA, .953 SV% in 10 shutouts in 28 games this season.
Kravtsov, 19, was the No.9 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and one of the Rangers top prospects. The Russian right winger had eight goals and 13 assists (21 points0 in 50 games with Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL this season.
Steen, 21, was a sixth-round pick (No.165 overall) in 2016 and recorded 17 goals and 20 assists (37 points) in 46 games with Farjestads BK Karlstad (Sweden). The 21-year-old represented Sweden at the 2018 World Juniors, where he had two goals and two assists in seven games.
