Cousins hasn't played in nearly a month as his last appearance came on May 26th vs. the New York Rangers but he is expected to draw back into the Panthers' lineup on Friday for Game 6 in Edmonton. The 30-year-old scrappy winger had 15 points in 69 regular season games but has failed to produce in the playoffs, with no goals, one assist, 20 PIMs and eight SOG in 11 games played.
Okposo took a late penalty in Game 5 and seems to be the odd man out of Florida's lineup for Game 6 on Friday after line rushes in practice on Thursday had Nick Cousins replacing the veteran on the fourth line. The 36-year-old Okposo came to Florida at the trade deadline after captaining the Buffalo Sabres and has just two assists, 10 PIMs and 16 SOG in 16 playoff games.
Guttman had four goals and eight points in 27 games with the Blackhawks in 2023-24 and signed a one-year, two-way contract extension on Thursday. The 25-year-old centre will be entering his third NHL season in 2024-25 and has eight goals, 14 points and nine PIMs in 41 career NHL contests.
Utah solidified their goaltending depth on Wednesday as they signed goaltender Matt Villalta to a two-year, two-way contract extension. The 25-year-old spent the majority of his 2023-24 with Tucson (AHL) but made his NHL debut for two games with Arizona, going 0-1-0 with a 4.17 GAA and .828 SV%.
Los Angeles solved their goaltending issues on Wednesday as they acquired Darcy Kuemper in a one-for-one deal for Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 34-year-old Kuemper won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022 and quickly signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract in the offseason. He will start 2024-25 in the third year of that contract after posting a 13-14-3 record, 3.31 GAA and .890 SV% in 33 games played in 2023-24 with the Capitals.
Washington got itself a new centre on Wednesday as it made a one-for-one trade with Los Angeles to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois for goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Dubois is in the second year of an eight-year, $68 million contract that he signed in June of 2023. The 25-year-old had the worst full season of his eight-year career in 2023-24, with 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games played.
New York waived playoff stud Barclay Goodrow on Tuesday and he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. The 31-year-old carries a $3.64 million cap hit for three more seasons after scoring four goals and 12 points in 80 games with the Rangers in 2023-24.
Friedman appeared in 23 games for Vancouver in 2023-24 and signed a one-year, $775,000 contract extension on Wednesday into the 2024-25 season. The 28-year-old with 88 career NHL games played to his name had no goals, one assist, 16 SOG and 21 PIMs in 23 games played with Vancouver last season.
Dallas had simply run out of room for forward Ty Dellandrea and has traded the 23-year-old centre to San Jose for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Dellandrea was Dallas' 2018 first-round pick (13th overall) and appeared in 42 games for the Stars in 2023-24, picking up two goals, nine points, 23 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus. In four NHL seasons, he has 14 goals and 42 points in 151 games played.
MacLean made his NHL debut in 2023-24 and has earned himself a three-year, contract extension with the New York Islanders on Wednesday. The 25-year-old spent time in 2023-24 split between the Bridgeport Islanders (43 GP) and New York (32 GP) and had four goals and nine assists with the Islanders during his inaugural NHL season.
Calgary and New Jersey made the first big trade of the offseason on Wednesday as they traded Jacob Markstrom (31.25% salary retained) for Kevin Bahl and a 2025 1st-round pick. The 23-year-old towering defender in Bahl appeared in all 82 games for New Jersey in 2023-24, picking up a goal, 10 assists, 82 PIMs and 63 SOG.
New Jersey made the first big splash of the offseason on Wednesday as they traded 23-year-old Kevin Bahl and their 2025 1st-round pick for goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames. Calgary will retain 31.25% of Markstrom's salary as an add-on in the deal, and a nice cherry on top for New Jersey. In 48 games played in 2023-24 with the Flames, Markstrom was 23-23-2 with a 2.78 GAA AND a .905 SV%.
Goodrow had six goals in 16 playoff games during New York's 2023-24 playoff run but has been placed on waivers on Tuesday to buy out his contract. The 31-year-old has three more seasons remaining at a $3.6 million cap hit if he were to be claimed be any of the other 31 NHL teams.
Guenette appeared in seven games for Ottawa in 2023-24 and signed a one-year, two-way contract on Tuesday to remain with the Senators into the 2024-25 season. The 23-year-old was Ottawa's 2019 seventh-round pick (187th overall) and has appeared in eight total NHL games in his career and is without a point.
Skinner got the Oilers back in the win column in Game 4, stopping 32 of 33 shots (.970 SV%) and will look to have some similar fortunes as Edmonton heads to Florida on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Edmonton native has had an up-and-down postseason so far, with his 12-8-0 record, 2.51 GAA and .898 SV%. He heads to Florida on Tuesday, where Edmonton will be looking to extend the series to six games and keep the Panthers from winning their first-ever Stanley Cup.
Lorentz had found himself in Florida's lineup for the first four games of the Stanley Cup Finals but will be the odd man out on Tuesday as Ryan Lomberg enters the Panthers' fourth line. Lorentz had appeared in 16 games this postseason, picking up two goals, three points, 30 SOG, 10 PIMs and a -9 plus/minus.
Lomberg has been a healthy scratch for the Panthers' previous seven games but will draw back into the lineup for some added spark and speed in Game 5 as he replaces Steven Lorentz on Florida's fourth line. The 29-year-old winger has only suited up in five of the Panthers' 21 playoff games so far and is without a point with nine SOG and a -2 plus/minus.
