NHL Player News

Annunen (illness) will not be in the lineup versus Winnipeg on Tuesday, Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Gazette reports.

Annunen probably had a decent chance to start Game 2, but his continued illness will see him once again missing from the bench. In the meantime, Ivan Prosvetov will serve as the No. 2 option behind Alexandar Georgiev against the Jets on Tuesday. If Georgiev struggles again, after giving up seven goals on 23 shots in Game 1, Annunen could challenge for the starting gig, provided he's healthy enough to play in Game 3 on Friday.

Nylander (undisclosed) is a possibility for Game 3 against Boston on Wednesday, Mark Masters of TSN reports.

Coach Sheldon Keefe was unable to provide a more substantial update Tuesday because it was a travel day for the Maple Leafs. Nylander missed both of Toronto's contests in Boston to begin the playoffs because of an undisclosed injury. Still, it wouldn't be surprising if the 27-year-old forward was a game-time decision for a third straight outing. Nylander produced 40 goals and a career-high 98 points in 82 outings during the 2023-24 regular season.

Georgiev is on track to guard the road goal during Tuesday's Game 2 versus Winnipeg, per John Lu of TSN.

Georgiev was horrendous in Game 1 on Sunday, allowing seven goals on just 23 shots en route to a 7-6 loss. If Georgiev struggles again in Game 2, the Avalanche could consider starting Justus Annunen (illness) or Ivan Prosvetov in Friday's Game 3.

Forbort (undisclosed) likely won't be an option for Game 3 against Toronto on Wednesday, per Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe.

Forbort, who is day-to-day, is still listed on long-term injured reserve. He will travel with the team to Toronto, so a return to action for Game 4 on Saturday could be a possibility. Andrew Peeke (finger) is week-to-week after being injured in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, which could lead to Parker Wotherspoon or Mason Lohrei getting into Wednesday's lineup.

Peeke (finger) will not make the trip to Toronto for Game 3 or 4 and is officially considered week-to-week, ESPN's Kristen Shilton reports Tuesday.

Peeke recorded just one point in his last 15 games, so few fantasy players will be impacted by his absence. With Derek Forbort (undisclosed) having been recalled from a conditioning assignment with AHL Providence, he could be in line to replace Peeke in the lineup for Game 3 on Wednesday. Mason Lohrei was also called up from the minors and could be in the mix for minutes due to Peeke's absence.

Sandin (upper body) will remain out Tuesday during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Rangers, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic.

Sandin had the best regular season of his career in 2023-24 based on points, registering three goals and 20 assists in 68 games played. He will likely slide into the first or second defensive pairing once he's given the green light.

Hellebucyk is slated to be between the home pipes for Game 2 against the Avalanche on Tuesday, Mitchell Clinton of the Jets' official site reports.

Hellebuyck is riding a six-game winning streak, which includes a crucial victory in the series opener despite giving up six goals on 46 shots (.870 save percentage). Considering the 30-year-old goalie is the heavy favorite to take home the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder, there is little chance of him being dropped from the starting role as long as the Jets are in the playoffs.

Iorio (upper body) will not be an option for Game 2 against the Rangers on Tuesday, Jean-Francois Chaumont of NHL.com reports.

Iorio will join a growing list of blue-line absences that also includes Rasmus Sandin (upper body) and Nick Jensen (upper body). As a result, Lucas Johansen is poised to make his NHL playoffs debut. In his seven NHL games this season, the 21-year-old Iorio had no points, six shots, three hits and three blocks while averaging a mere 8:41 of ice time.

Jensen (upper body) will not be in the lineup against the Rangers for Game 2 on Tuesday, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports.

Jensen was still sporting a non-contact jersey at Tuesday's game-day skate, per Emily Kaplan of ESPN, so he should probably be considered questionable at best heading into Game 3 on Friday. It will be Jensen's third straight match on the shelf due to his upper-body issue. With Rasmus Sandin (upper body) and Vincent Iorio (upper body) also unavailable, Lucas Johansen will make his NHL postseason debut.

Lomberg is under the weather and will be sidelined versus Tampa Bay for Game 2 on Tuesday, Steve Goldstein of Bally Sports Florida reports.

Lomberg is pointless in 14 straight contests, so his absence is unlikely to have a significant impact on fantasy players. With Lomberg unavailable, Steven Lorentz will come back into the lineup after having been a healthy scratch for the Cats' previous two contests.