Fantasy Hockey

Matthews (illness) skated at practice though his status remains unclear for Saturday's Game 7 against the Bruins, Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com reports.

It's the first time Matthews has practiced since he left Game 4 with an illness-- he'd then miss the next two games in the series. Getting Matthews back would obviously be a massive boost for the Leafs in Game 7, though it appears he'll remain a game-time decision for now.

McMann (lower body) will not be in the lineup for Game 7 in Boston on Saturday, according to Joshua Kloke of The Athletic.

The good news is that McMann is getting closer as he participated in the morning skate Saturday. The 27-year-old winger will miss his ninth straight game, but he could return in time for the start of Round 2 -- should Toronto advance against Boston. McMann had 15 goals, nine assists and 117 hits in 56 regular-season games in 2023-24.

Lavoie, Lane Pederson, Adam Erne, Cam Dineen, Ben Gleason, Phil Kemp and Olivier Rodrigue were recalled from AHL Bakersfield on Saturday.

The Condors have been eliminated from the playoffs, so all seven will be depth players for the Oilers. Lavoie was without a point in seven NHL regular-season games in 2023-24.

Parssinen was reassigned to AHL Milwaukee on Saturday.

Parssinen was in the lineup Friday in Nashville's 1-0 loss to Vancouver in Game 6. The defeat eliminated the Predators from the postseason, so the 23-year-old forward will get to play in the AHL playoffs instead. In 44 regular-season games for the Predators in 2023-24, Parssinen had eight goals and four assists. Look for him to suit up as a middle-six forward for Nashville's next campaign.

Per Bell Fraser of The Hockey News, Heinen (undisclosed) participated in the morning skate and will be a game-time decision versus Toronto on Saturday in Game 7.

Heinen missed Thursday's 2-1 loss in Game 6 because of the injury. He skated with the second power-play unit to start the practice session before being replaced by Justin Brazeau. Montgomery stated that Heinen's availability for the game will depend on how the 28-year-old forward feels later in the day. If Heinen is unavailable, John Beecher will take his place in the lineup.

Karlsson registered an assist in Friday's 2-0 win over the Stars in Game 6.

After a 60-point regular season, Karlsson was silenced for the first five games of the first round. He broke the slump by setting up Mark Stone's empty-netter Friday, though that's hardly a sign of good things to come for Karlsson. The veteran center is stuck in a third-line role, and his defensive skills are strong enough to prevent him from getting more favorable matchups. Karlsson has added nine shots on net, six hits and a plus-3 rating through six playoff outings.

Stone scored an empty-net goal in Friday's 2-0 win over the Stars in Game 6.

Stone has produced modest offense in the first round, earning three goals with 10 shots on net , 12 hits and a minus-2 rating over six appearances. He's exceeded 18 minutes of ice time in four of those games, so it's safe to assume he's not being bothered too much by the lacerated spleen that kept him out of the last 26 games of the regular season. Stone should continue to play on the second line and first power-play unit.

Boeser logged an assist, three shots on goal and four PIM in Friday's 1-0 win over the Predators in Game 6.

Boeser was productive in the first round, picking up four goals, two assists, 16 shots on net and a plus-3 rating over six contests, highlighted by his hat trick in Game 4. The winger set up Pius Suter for the lone tally in Game 6 as well. Boeser will continue to be a key part of the Canucks' offense heading into a second-round matchup with the Oilers that could lead to high-scoring clashes.

Smith (upper body) will not play Friday against the Canucks for Game 6.

Smith is considered day-to-day, indicating he could return Sunday for Game 7 if Nashville avoids elimination. The 28-year-old has 12 hits and no points in five games this series. Juuso Parssinen will dress in Smith's absence for Game 6.

Marchment (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup for Game 6 in Vegas on Friday, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News.

Marchment will miss his fourth straight contest after he was hurt in Game 2. Marchment ended the regular season with 22 goals, 31 assists, 108 hits and a plus-22 rating in 81 appearances for the Stars. Marchment should be considered day-to-day ahead of a potential Game 7 against the Golden Knights on Sunday.

Drouin (lower body) is still absent from practice Friday, Brennan Vogt of The-Rink.com reports.

Drouin missed all five games of the opening round versus Winnipeg and has yet to make an appearance at practice during the postseason. The 29-year-old had his best offensive season as an NHLer in 2023-24, picking up 56 points in 73 games, including 19 points on the power play. Drouin saw plenty of time on the top line alongside Nathan MacKinnon during the regular season. Look for Valeri Nichushkin, who had seven goals in five games during the first round, to remain on the top line until Drouin is ready to return.

Martin (lower body) is expected to undergo an MRI in the coming days, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports Friday.

Martin was sidelined for the final two postseason contests due to his lower-body issue. Unless the MRI results come back with something more serious, the team may not provide much of an update heading into the offseason. Even if there is a long-term concern that carries into the 2024-25 campaign, Martin's lack of offensive upside means a potential absence is unlikely to impact the majority of fantasy players.

Gravel was reassigned to AHL Milwaukee on Saturday.

With Nashville eliminated from postseason contention, Gravel will return to AHL Milwaukee for their playoff run. The 32-year-old defenseman last played in the NHL in the 2022-23 season, where he logged one assist in 23 games.

Pietrangelo recorded an assist, four shots on goal and four blocked shots in Friday's 2-0 win over the Stars in Game 6.

The helper was Pietrangelo's first point in six playoff outings. The veteran defenseman has added 10 shots on net, eight hits, 13 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating. Pietrangelo is seeing top-four minutes, but he's also being leaned on for his defense, so his chances to produce points may be limited.

Hanifin scored a goal on three shots in Friday's 2-0 win over the Stars in Game 6.

Hanifin's goal midway through the third period opened the scoring and stood as the game-winner. The 27-year-old defenseman has continued to be a strong part of the Golden Knights' blue line in the postseason, picking up two goals, three assists, 10 shots on net, 12 blocked shots, six hits and a minus-2 rating over six first-round appearances. Hanifin should continue to see significant minutes in all situations heading into Sunday's Game 7.

Schenn (illness) will play Friday in Game 6 against Vancouver, Nick Kieser of 102.5 ESPN Nashville reports.

Schenn will return after missing Game 5 on Tuesday. The veteran blueliner has averaged 15:03 of ice time with 12 hits through four games this series. He'll skate in a second-pairing role Friday.

Guhle, who missed the final seven games of the regular season due to a head injury, will join Team Canada for the upcoming IIHF World Championship.

Guhle finished the 2023-24 season with six goals, 22 points, 56 PIM, 116 hits and 178 blocks in 70 contests with Montreal. He served in a top-four capacity with the Canadiens, and the 22-year-old should act in a similar capacity for the franchise next campaign. In the meantime, Guhle will get in some extra high-level action during the international tournament before beginning his summer training.

McAvoy delivered 11 hits Thursday in a 2-1 loss to Toronto in Game 6.

McAvoy may be adding some physicality to the lineup with his hits but he's stuck in a nine-game goal drought. The defenseman did notch five helpers, including three with the man advantage, over that stretch. Still, the Bruins have managed just two goals in their last two games and will likely need more offensive output to come out on top in Game 7 versus the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Hill posted a 23-save shutout in Friday's 2-0 win over the Stars in Game 6.

Hill stepped up in a must-win scenario to force Game 7 on Sunday. He was strong throughout the game, which was a goalie duel between him and Jake Oettinger until Noah Hanifin put the Golden Knights ahead midway through the third period. Hill was on the bench for the first four games of the series, but it's tough to imagine head coach Bruce Cassidy turning away from the 27-year-old after this shutout.

Oettinger stopped 28 of 29 shots in Friday's 2-0 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 6. The second goal was an empty-netter.

Oettinger was sharp and occasionally spectacular in this contest, but his teammates couldn't solve Adin Hill at the other end of the ice. Oettinger gave up four goals in Game 1, but he's surrendered just nine tallies over the last five contests to give the Stars a solid chance against the defending champions. The 25-year-old is a near guarantee to start in Sunday's Game 7 at home, but he'll undoubtedly need more goal support in order for the Stars to keep their playoff run alive.

Silovs posted a 28-save shutout in Friday's 1-0 win over the Predators in Game 6.

Silovs was dialed in from the start, earning his first NHL shutout to secure a 4-2 series win for the Canucks. The 23-year-old has allowed just five goals on 80 shots over three appearances since taking over for Casey DeSmith in goal beginning with Game 4. If Silovs continues to operate as the starter in the second round, he'll find a much more challenging task ahead versus the Oilers.

Saros stopped 28 of 29 shots in Friday's 1-0 loss to the Canucks in Game 6.

Saros was excellent, going save for save with Arturs Silovs for nearly the whole game. Pius Suter had the breakthrough for the Canucks with 1:39 left in the third period, and that goal was the one to end the Predators' season. Despite a 2-4 record in the playoffs, Saros allowed just 12 goals on 120 shots over six contests, with Friday marking the first time he'd faced more than 21 shots in a game all series. The Finnish goalie is under contract for one more season at a $5 million cap hit, so it's possible his name could swirl in trade rumors if the Predators opt to shake things up.

Oettinger will get the starting nod for Game 6 in Vegas on Friday, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Oettinger has been dominant over the last three games, leading the Stars from a 2-0 deficit to a 3-2 lead in the series. Over that span, he's coughed up just six goals on 95 shots. Through five appearances this series, Oetinger has posted a .911 save percentage and a 2.31 GAA.

Saros will face the Canucks at home for Game 6 on Friday.

Saros turned away 19 of 20 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 Game 5 win to force Game 6. Through five games this series, he's allowed only 11 goals but it's come with a lackluster .879 save percentage. To avoid elimination, Saros will need to earn consecutive wins for the first time since April 4 and 7.