One of the top prospects in the upcoming NHL draft is looking to gain some more international experience against some of his future peers.

Kaapo Kakko has joined the Finnish national team tryout and would skip the upcoming Under-18 tournament to instead play in the World Championship in May, according to NHL.com's Varpu Sihvonen, as shared by Mike Morreale of the same outlet.

"(The Under-18 tourney) is a great event, but I think this is huge opportunity for me to take the next step in my career," Kakko said, according to Morreale.

The 18-year-old forward, who's widely expected to go second overall behind Jack Hughes in June's draft, would be taking a similar path to that of Auston Matthews if he plays in the worlds. Matthews suited up for the United States in 2016 before being selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs about a month later.

Kakko scored the late game-winner in Finland's gold-medal victory over Hughes and the U.S. at the World Junior Hockey Championship in January.

Meanwhile, Kakko produced 22 goals and 38 points in 45 appearances for TPS Turku this season in the Liiga, his home nation's top pro hockey league, before adding four goals and an assist in five playoff contests.

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It's been a difficult season for Phil Housley and the Buffalo Sabres, and frustrations boiled over following the team's 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

The Sabres appeared to tie the game at two early in the second period after Conor Sheary banged home a rebound during a Predators delayed penalty. However, referees deemed Pekka Rinne's initial save as possession for Nashville, causing the goal to be rescinded.

"It's frustrating because we got screwed," Housley said in his postgame press conference, via the team's website. "… The call that's sort of mind-boggling to me is the delayed penalty call. The ref's sitting right in the corner. It's unfortunate because of what we've been through. Guys played hard tonight, and they get screwed."

The contest also began in controversial fashion, as Nashville's Craig Smith appeared to score with an illegal high stick. The goal stood after video review, with officials ruling there was no conclusive evidence that Smith's stick made contact with the puck.

"They should be pissed off. We're all pissed off. But we have to, again, garner that and bring that same effort, because if we play like that, we're going to win. It's just unfortunate that we do play like that and we get screwed."

The Sabres have now lost eight straight and 15 of their last 16 games. They'll meet the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and close their season out in Detroit against the Red Wings on Saturday.

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The Dallas Stars have officially clinched their first playoff spot in three seasons with a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

More to come.

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The Dallas Stars have officially clinched their first playoff spot in three seasons with a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

More to come.

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The San Jose Sharks may be getting some reinforcement on the blue line come playoff time.

Erik Karlsson - who's missed 27 games this season with a couple of separate groin injuries - believes he's on track to join his teammates for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"I said a month ago I was going to be ready for the playoffs and that's still the case," Karlsson said, according to NHL.com's Kevin Woodley.

The 28-year-old insists he's not worried about his current groin issue hindering his ability to play at a high level once he hits the ice.

"... That's not going to be an issue, so for the head space there, it feels good," Karlsson said.

Battling injury-related adversity is nothing new for the veteran defenseman. Karlsson suffered a laceration to his Achilles as a member of the Ottawa Senators in February 2013, but he was able to make a late-season return and help the Senators win the opening round of the postseason.

"I have played through enough to know that as long as it's possible I am going to go and you are going to deal with whatever you have to deal with after the year and this is the case again. I'm not worried about re-injuring (his groin) or getting another injury; that's not the way I approach the game, especially this time of year."

Karlsson has contributed three goals and 45 points in 52 games during his first season with the Sharks.

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Dallas Stars forward Mats Zuccarello is in the lineup Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers after missing the last 17 games with an arm injury, the team announced.

Zuccarello was Dallas' big trade-deadline splash, but he hasn't played since blocking a shot in his first game in a Stars uniform.

More to come.

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The Washington Capitals will be without defenseman Michal Kempny in their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, as the 28-year-old will be sidelined four-to-six months after undergoing surgery on a torn hamstring, the team announced.

Kempny was taken hard into the boards March 20 versus the Tampa Bay Lightning and hasn't played since.

After being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the 2018 deadline, Kempny emerged as an important presence on the blue line during the Capitals' march to their first championship in franchise history.

He parlayed his strong first impression into a four-year, $10-million contract the following offseason and had recorded a career-high 24 points in 71 games before being sidelined.

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The National Women's Hockey League board approved investments to add teams in two Canadian markets that are expected to be Toronto and Montreal, league commissioner Dani Rylan told ESPN's Emily Kaplan on Tuesday.

This news comes days after the Canadian Women's Hockey League announced it will discontinue operations beginning May 1 due to financial concerns.

Rylan said she met Monday with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and the NHL agreed to "significantly" raise its financial contribution to the NWHL. That will make it one of the league's biggest sponsors.

The NWHL commissioner says she's also heard interest in potential private ownership of franchises, "not only from NHL owners, but other major stakeholders in major-league sports."

Toronto and Montreal, both of which housed CWHL teams, are expected to take the NWHL to seven franchises to go along with clubs already in Boston, Buffalo, Connecticut, Minnesota, and New Jersey.

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