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Toronto Maple Leafs
Morgan Rielly will be back in the lineup when the Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, BSSN).
The defenseman has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury sustained during a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24. He has 51 points (seven goals, 44 assists) in 65 games this season.
“I feel good,” Rielly said Tuesday. “It’s just day by day right now so we will see for tomorrow. But I feel good. It’s nothing major, nothing I really want to get into. It’s just about making sure you’re right for playoffs.”
Rielly was paired with Ilya Lyubushkin at the morning skate Wednesday.
Forward Mitch Marner likely will return this weekend; he has missed 11 games with a high ankle sprain. Marner has 76 points (25 goals, 51 assists) in 62 games.
“I haven’t had a chance to discuss with him here yet since he’s come off the ice, but with him we are just going to feel it out and talk to him and likely make it more of a target for the weekend,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Toronto (43-22-9) can clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth with one point Wednesday. — Dave McCarthy
Vegas Golden Knights
Tomas Hertl could make his Golden Knights debut against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.
The 30-year-old forward, who has been skating on his own, hasn’t played since Jan. 27 and opted to have surgery to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee Feb. 12. He said March 11 he was hoping to be back on the ice with Vegas in two weeks.
Hertl practiced in a regular white jersey with the Golden Knights for the first time Tuesday but did not play in a 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks.
“I don’t know the answer (when he will play),” Cassidy said. “I’m not saying no (to Friday) because he’s full. If he’s not playing, I don’t know if he’ll travel or if they want him to go. Again full contact. The next step is playing, so I’ve not ruled him out for Friday or putting him in, but he’s progressing.”
The Golden Knights (42-25-8) are third in the Pacific Division, five points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s important for [Hertl] to get around his teammates and that type of environment,” Cassidy said after practice Monday. “He’s been skating on his own here a little bit while we were away. I think it’s great for him to start interacting, see what it looks like, how we practice. … This is good for him, and obviously he’s getting closer.”
Hertl, who sustained the injury with the San Jose Sharks, was acquired by Vegas prior to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8 for forward David Edstrom and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Golden Knights also received a third-round pick in the 2025 and 2027 NHL Draft in the deal.
Hertl, who has 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 48 games this season, has six seasons remaining on an eight-year contract he signed with San Jose on March 16, 2022. He had to waive his no-movement clause in order to be acquired by Vegas. — Paul Delos Santos
Winnipeg Jets
Nino Niederreiter will miss roughly one week after sustaining a deep cut on his lower leg.
The forward left the game in the third period in a 4-3 win against the Kings on Monday.
“It’s a pretty deep gash, and it could have been a lot worse had it gone any deeper,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said after practice Wednesday. “Those (Kevlar) socks probably saved him. The blades are so sharp out there today. I think every player should be wearing those, and the wristbands as well.”
Niederreiter has 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 75 games this season.
Winnipeg (45-24-6), which is third in the Central Division, completes a five-game homestand against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Forward Tyler Toffoli, who missed the game Monday with an illness, will take Niederreiter’s spot on the third line alongside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.
“[Toffoli] has played a lot of left wing and he’s got 30 goals, [so] let’s see what it looks like,” Bowness said. — Darrin Bauming
Dallas Stars
Chris Tanev is expected to play when the Stars host the Edmonton Oilers at American Airlines Center on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SNW, SN360).
The defenseman appeared to sustain a significant injury in a collision into the boards on a hit by Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson in the third period of a 3-0 win Saturday.
“It was an awkward hit. Weird motion going into the boards like that,” Tanev said after practice Tuesday. “Good to be out there today and take it day by day. If you can get out there and play and help the team, then you’re going to do that.”
Tanev has a goal and an assist in 12 games with Dallas since being acquired in a three-way trade with the Flames and New Jersey Devils on Feb. 28.
“You listen to the guys in Calgary when he was playing there, and everyone admired his courage and his durability. His willingness to play through pain and block shots and do whatever it took,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Most guys wouldn’t have come back in that game. Not only did he come back, he came back and played. Most guys wouldn’t be out here at practice today, and he’s out here at practice and he’s the first guy on and the last guy off. That’s great leadership.”
Dallas (47-19-9) is first in the Central, three points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. — Taylor Baird
Minnesota Wild
Marcus Foligno will miss the remainder of the regular season for the Wild after undergoing core muscle surgery Tuesday.
The 32-year-old forward, who had not played since March 23, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September.
Foligno had 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 55 games this season for Minnesota (36-29-9), which is six points behind the Kings for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
Washington Capitals
T.J. Oshie did not participate in an optional practice Wednesday after missing a 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery did not have an update on the forward, who has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 47 games. Oshie played 19:07 in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
With Oshie out Tuesday, Nicolas Aube-Kubel entered the lineup.
Rasmus Sandin played after he was a late scratch Saturday with a lower-body injury.
The defenseman has 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 65 games and is second on the team with an average ice time of 21:19, behind defenseman John Carlson (25:43). — Heather Engel
