Tampa Bay announced Wednesday that they plan to sit some starters for their season finale vs. New York and has recalled Jakob Pelletier from Syracuse (AHL) in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old is expected to draw into Tampa Bay's lineup and will hope to pick up his first point of the season in his fifth appearance for the Lightning.
With Tampa Bay expecting to rest a majority of their players for the Lightning's finale on Wednesday, Mitchell Chaffee has been recalled from Syracuse (AHL) and is expected to play vs. New York. The 28-year-old appeared in 10 games earlier in the season with Tampa but failed to pick up a point while averaging 9:11 TOI.
Lindgren has appeared in 75 games for Seattle this season but will be the odd man out of the lineup as they head to Vegas on Wednesday. The 28-year-old has had an underwhelming first season in Seattle, with just two goals and nine points to go alongside 60 PIMs in 75 games played.
Foudy only played one game with New York at the NHL level this season and will return to Bridgeport (AHL) to accompany the team for their playoff run. The 26-year-old forward has 46 points (25G / 21A) this season in 58 games with Bridgeport.
George only played four games with New York at the NHL level this season and will return to Bridgeport (AHL) to accompany the team for their playoff run. In 45 games with Bridgeport this season, George scored 17 points (2G / 15A).
Eklund recently made his NHL debut, scoring one assist in one game with New York, but will return to Bridgeport (AHL) to help the team with their playoff run. Eklund was the Hurricanes' 2025 1st round pick (16th overall) and he's excelled since making his trip across the pond to join Bridgeport last month, with two goals and nine points in his first 7 games played.
Wright has not played in over two weeks due to an upper-body injury, but will suit up for the team's final game of the season. The 22-year-old Wright has 26 points (11G / 15A) in 72 games this season.
Meyers has not played in over a week but will draw into Seattle's lineup for the season finale. The 27-year-old forward is averaging 11:53 time-on-ice and has 15 points (7G / 8A) in 50 games this season.
Jaden Schwartz will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Nyman to re-enter the lineup. The 21-year-old Nyman has not played a game for Seattle in nearly four weeks. He has six points (2G / 4A) in 26 games this season.
Jani Nyman will draw into Seattle's lineup on Wednesday, sending Schwartz to the sidelines. The 33-year-old Schwartz finishes the 2025-26 season with 26 points (11G / 15A) in 50 games.
Mahura has only played one game in the last six weeks, but he will suit up in Seattle's final game of the season. The 27-year-old defenseman is averaging 15:26 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) in 22 games this season.
With all three of the Kraken's regular netminders unavailable, Kokko has been thrust into a starting role in the final few games of the regular season. The 22-year-old Swedish goalie has been serviceable in a very small sample size, posting a 2.55 GAA and .911 SV% in two games (1-1-0). The Kraken enter Wednesday's contest as significant +250 road underdogs against a Vegas Golden Knights team on a seven-game winning streak.
Ritchie has spent most of the 2025-26 season with New York in the NHL, but will head to Bridgeport (AHL) to give the team a boost for their upcoming playoff run. The 21-year-old forward scored 30 points (13G / 17A) this season in 65 games with the Islanders.
Finley was a third-round pick of the Islanders in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old forward recently completed his third season of collegiate hockey, scoring 33 points (17G / 16A) in 36 games with the University of Wisconsin.
Vegas can lock up first-place in the Pacific Division with a win on Wednesday and will turn to Hart to tend the twine against the Seattle Kraken. Since John Tortorella took over as the Head Coach of the Golden Knights, he has relied heavily on Carter Hart, with whom he has a strong rapport from their time together with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 27-year-old Hart has repaid Tortorella's trust in him with terrific goaltending, posting a stellar 1.80 GAA and .925 SV% in five games (5-0-0). The Golden Knights enter Wednesday's contest as sizable -288 home favourites.
Although it's unclear if he will be ready for Game One, Draisaitl's impending presence in the first round of the playoffs is an encouraging sign for the Oilers. The 30-year-old German forward has not played in a month due to a lower-body injury. He scored 97 points (35G / 62A) in 65 games this season.
Garand made his NHL debut last month and will tend the twine in the Rangers' final game of the season, an indication that the team is eyeing him as their full-time backup goalie in 2026-27. The 23-year-old Garand has been excellent in limited action at the NHL level, posting a stellar 1.44 GAA and .954 SV% in two games (1-0-1). The Rangers enter Wednesday's contest as +132 road underdogs against a Tampa Bay Lightning team awaiting their first-round playoff matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Sharks' late-season push for a playoff spot came up short earlier this week, and they head into their final game of the regular season on Wednesday, with Askarov tending the twine against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 23-year-old Askarov was solid in his previous outing, saving 38 of 41 shots (.927 SV%) in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks. That said, Askarov has struggled with consistency this season, as evidenced by the 4.16 GAA and .870 SV% he has in his last five games (2-2-1). The Sharks enter Wednesday's contest as -115 road favourites against a Blackhawks team that has been outscored 17-6 in its last three games (0-3-0).
Hyman has missed Edmonton's previous five games due to an undisclosed injury but practiced in full on Wednesday and is likely to return for the season finale vs. Vancouver on Thursday. The 33-year-old has enjoyed another excellent season in an Oilers' jersey after starting 2025-26 late due to injury, with 31 goals, 51 points and 158 SOG in 57 games played.
Fresh off his NCAA Championship loss, Blake Montgomery has signed a three-year entry-level contract with Ottawa on Wednesday. The 20-year-old towering defensemen was Ottawa's 2024 4th round pick (117th overall) and had nine goals and 17 points in 38 games in his first season in Wisconsin (NCAA) after coming over from London (OHL) the previous season.
