Kane missed a few games in March and will return to the sidelines due to an undisclosed ailment on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche. The 34-year-old Kane scored a goal in Vancouver's previous game, giving him 31 points (13G / 18A) in 70 games this season.
The low-scoring, defensively challenged Vancouver Canucks have not made life easy for Lankinen between the pipes, but he has played serviceably in recent outings. The 30-year-old Finnish goalie has quality starts in six of his last eight games (1-6-1), posting a 2.87 GAA and a .898 SV%. That said, the Canucks enter Wednesday's contest as significant +370 road underdogs against a first-place Avalanche team coming off a dominant 9-2 win over the Calgary Flames.
Nicholl was a seventh-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft that was just rewarded with a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old forward scored 26 points (15G / 11A) this season in 32 games with the London Knights (OHL).
Marchment collided with a teammate in Tuesday's game and gingerly left the ice before returning. It's unclear if this is related to what is currently troubling Marchment, but his status for Thursday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes is uncertain. The 30-year-old Marchment has been excellent since joining Columbus, scoring 27 points (14G / 13A) in 33 games.
Chernyshov recently made his return from a multi-game absence due to concussion, but could return to the sidelines on Wednesday due to an illness. The 20-year-old Chernyshov has been productive in a small sample size during his first NHL season, scoring 14 points (5G / 9A) in 20 games.
With an impending first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars all but a certainty, the Minnesota Wild will turn to Gustavsson, hoping he can find his form against the low-scoring Vancouver Canucks. The 27-year-old Swedish goalie is coming off a forgetful outing, where he allowed five goals on 30 shots (.833 SV%) in a 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins. He has allowed three or more goals in four of his last five games (2-3-0), posting a concerning 3.45 GAA and .865 SV%.
Dostal has played well lately, but is coming off a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers despite saving 30 of 33 shots (.909 SV%). The 25-year-old Czech goalie will look to begin April the way he ended March, with a solid 2.60 GAA and .914 SV% in his last five games (3-1-1). The Ducks enter Wednesday's contest as slight -107 road favourites against a San Jose Sharks team that has gone 2-0-1 in its last three games, keeping itself within reach of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
The low-scoring, defensively challenged Vancouver Canucks have not made life easy for Lankinen between the pipes, but he has played serviceably in recent outings. The 30-year-old Finnish goalie has quality starts in six of his last eight games (1-6-1), posting a 2.87 GAA and a .898 SV%. That said, the Canucks enter Wednesday's contest as significant +370 road underdogs against a first-place Avalanche team coming off a dominant 9-2 win over the Calgary Flames.
Makar recorded three assists in Monday's 9-2 one-sided win over the Calgary Flames, but exited the game during the second intermission due to an upper-body injury. TSN's Pierre Lebrun reported on Tuesday that Makar will likely miss multiple games in order to be at full health for the playoffs, suggesting the Avalanche don't anticipate it being a long-term injury, but he remains without a definitive timeline for his return.
Hurtig was a seventh-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft that has just been rewarded with a three-year, entry-level contract. The 20-year-old defenseman scored 19 points (6G / 13A) this season in 64 games with the Calgary Hitmen (WHL).
With Cale Makar (upper body) expected to miss a few games, Blankenburg will return to Colorado's lineup for the first time in over two weeks. The 27-year-old Blankenburg is averaging 9:08 time-on-ice and has zero points through three games with the Avalanche.
Sabourin has been a regular the past few games for Tampa Bay, but he is battling an undisclosed injury and his status for Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins is up in the air. The 33-year-old Sabourin has four points (1G / 3A) and 89 penalty minutes in 22 games this season.
With only eight games remaining this season, Tampa Bay will be cautious with Hagel's injury, likely keeping him sidelined on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 27-year-old Hagel is having another terrific season, with 73 points (35G / 38A) through 69 games.
Protas was limited to only 6:27 time-on-ice in Washington's 5-4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, exiting the game due to an upper-body injury, and has not played since. The 25-year-old forward has 47 points (23G / 24A) in 70 games this season. With only seven games remaining in Washington's regular season, it appears that Protas is targeting a return before the end of the season.
Isac Lundestrom (undisclosed) suffered an injury on Tuesday, resulting in Columbus recalling Aston-Reese from Cleveland. The 31-year-old Aston-Reese has split time between the AHL and NHL this season, including scoring five points (1G / 4A) in 26 games with the Blue Jackets.
Gajan has played well on the international stage for the Slovak U-20 team and has translated that success to the collegiate level, posting a 2.25 GAA and .908 SV% this season in 33 games (19-13-1) with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The 21-year-old goalie was drafted 35th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest-drafted goalie in that draft class.
Blackwood is coming off a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, allowing three goals on 20 shots (.850 SV%), and will look to rebound on Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks. The 29-year-old Blackwood has been protected defensively lately, facing fewer than 25 shots in 10 consecutive appearances (5-3-0), which has translated to a pedestrian 2.77 GAA and .868 SV%. Colorado enters Wednesday's contest as an enormous -450 home favourite against a Vancouver team that has been outscored 29-11 during a six-game losing streak (0-6-0).
With Bryan Rust (upper body) being a late scratch for Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Hayes drew into the lineup as his replacement. The 23-year-old forward has three goals in 13 games with Pittsburgh this season.
Rust was a late scratch ahead of Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings, and it is unclear what his status will be on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 33-year-old Rust has 61 points (27G / 34A) in 67 games this season, and is just four points short of the career-high 65 points he had a season ago. Rust has been impressive offensively lately, scoring 20 points (8G / 12A) in 16 games in March.
