The Colorado Avalanche are set to take on the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But on Tuesday, the Avalanche made big news when they recalled veteran star Gabriel Landeskog -- and Landeskog's return to action after nearly three calendar years on the sidelines with a catastrophic knee injury could be the best story of the post-season.

Landeskog returned to on-ice action this week when he played two games with the American League's Colorado Eagles. Landeskog posted a goal and two points in his second game, a performance that had to infuse him with confidence that he could do great things after more than 1,000 days between NHL games. And certainly, Landeskog's teammates fully believe Landeskog still can contribute in hockey's top league.

"It was awesome," Avs superstar Nathan MacKinnon told NHL.com in regard to Landeskog's two AHL games. "I [didn't] know what to expect, obviously, but I thought every shift he looked better. I thought Game Two, he looked a lot better as well...He's Gabe Landeskog at the end of the day, and, obviously, there's going to be some rust. Three years is a crazy amount of time off, and he hasn't really been practicing that much either...But I think he looks great, and in game situations, you can still see those instincts are there. He's still got it, for sure."

Hockey fans always enjoy a great comeback story, and Landeskog's fight to overcome adversity is one of the NHL's best human interest stories in recent memory. The 32-year-old Swede has played 738 regular-season NHL games and 69 playoff games, but if and when he suits up for the Avs in the current post-season, he's going to give his teammates a huge inspirational boost.

Landeskog was a key factor in the Avalanche's most recent Cup victory, and now, he has a chance to help push them to another Cup win. We shouldn't expect him to be a difference-maker -- at least, not right away -- but it's hard not to root for someone who probably felt at some point like his on-ice career was at an end.

Gabriel Landeskog Set to Play in His First Professional Game Since 2022Loveland, Colo. - The Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles (AHL) announced this morning that Gabriel Landeskog will dress for the Colorado Eagles in their match tonight against the Henderson Silver Knights. This will be his Eagles debut.

Landeskog will have scores of Avs fans cheering him on, and just getting back to the NHL is a massive achievement for him. We'll all be watching him and hoping for the best -- and if he does deliver a memorable performance, Landeskog will carve out a particularly special place in hockey history.

The 2024–25 season will be remembered in these parts as the year the Ottawa Senators finally returned to the playoffs. By doing so, the Senators are about to remove themselves from an NHL Top 10 List they wanted no part of.

Heading into this season, the Senators had missed seven straight playoffs, the third-longest playoff drought among active NHL teams. At the moment, they are the only team in the top 10 in this category that's guaranteed to drop off this list, having clinched the first wild card spot in the East. 

The winner of Wild Card 2 in the East, Montreal or Columbus, is the only other team that can join the Sens in being stricken from the record.

The Buffalo Sabres are not only the active leaders—now at 14 straight seasons without a playoff appearance—but they also continue to build on the NHL's all-time record in this ugly category.

The Detroit Red Wings used to bill themselves as "Hockeytown" during their glory years. That feels like a long time ago now, especially with the Wings about to mark the ninth anniversary of their last playoff berth. 

The Anaheim Ducks have taken the bronze medal position, bumping the Senators off the podium. As it did for the Sens, the Ducks hope their hunt ends at 7. 

Ottawa's return to the playoffs will be a baptism by fire for many of their young players—especially since it looks like their first-round opponent will be the Toronto Maple Leafs. The hype for the first playoff Battle of Ontario in 21 years will be off the charts, though much of it will be powered early on by fan and media-driven nostalgia. Most of the players on both sides were babies or little kids when this playoff battle last occurred.

But it won't be long before old beefs are replaced by new ones.

That matchup could officially become reality as early as Tuesday night. Unless Toronto loses in regulation in Buffalo and Tampa Bay wins versus Florida, the first-round Battle of Ontario will be locked in.

As for Columbus and Montreal potentially joining Ottawa in excusing themselves from the playoff futility table, the Blue Jackets are making a remarkable late-season push. If they win in regulation in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, they would be able to grab the final Eastern playoff spot with a regulation win over the New York Islanders on Thursday—and a Canadiens regulation loss to Carolina on Wednesday.

Ottawa’s last playoff appearance was in 2017, a Game 7 double overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final. After coming that close to winning it all, no one would ever have dreamed their return to the postseason would take this long.

The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled four players from the Chicago Wolves: Bradly Nadeau, Skyler Brind'Amour, Domenick Fensore and Riley Stillman.

Nadeau, 19, is the leading scorer on the Chicago Wolves and paces all rookies with 30 goals.

He's been a point-per-game player since returning from the World Junior Championships and he looks to be developing into a really promising talent.

Brind'Amour, 25, is the son of Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, and looks to be in line to make his NHL debut.

He's played 121 AHL games over his career and this season has 16 goals and 23 points in 67 games.

Fensore, 23, has put in the work over the last few seasons from the NCAA to the ECHL and then the AHL and now it looks like he's going to be making his NHL debut too.

The 5-foot-9 blueliner has been a force on every side of the puck for the Wolves this year with nine goals and 32 points in 66 games.

Stillman, 27, has spent plenty of time with the Hurricanes this season, having been a consistent callup as the seventh defenseman, although he did get in for three NHL games this season.

The Hurricanes have just two games remaining on their regular season schedule — a back-to-back against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators — and because these games pretty much don't matter for anything, the team is going to be resting players.

"Like every team at this time of the year, we've got guys who are nursing stuff and so, is it the right move to keep pushing them through it when they can play or is it, 'Hey, we've gotta be as healthy as can be,'" said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour on Tuesday. "That's the kind of decisions and I think we're leaning more on, 'Let's get our guys healthy.'"

One such player is Jordan Martinook, who sat out the team's Sunday evening game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"He could go, for sure, but it's just that he has this little issue," Brind'Amour said on Martinook. "Just time is on his side and we have it. We're just being real cautious."

With at least another forward and potentially two defensemen that could sit as well, we may have some fairly interesting lineups come tomorrow and Thursday.

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have recalled forward Isak Rosen from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

Rosen's call-up comes with Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn being ruled out for the team's April 15 contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With this, Rosen will now look to stand out during this latest opportunity on the NHL roster from here.

Rosen, 22, has played in six games this season with the Sabres, posting one assist and a minus-2 rating. His last appearance with the Sabres was on March 29 against the Philadelphia Flyers, where he recorded two shots and a minus-1 rating in 11:07 of ice time.

Rosen getting another opportunity with the Sabres is understandable, as he has been excellent this season down in the AHL. In 60 games with the Amerks, the 2021 first-round pick has posted 28 goals, 27 assists, and 55 points.

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Sabres Assign Promising Goalie Prospect To AHLThe Buffalo Sabres have announced that goaltender Scott Ratzlaff has been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Sabres Star Finishing The Season Red-HotThe end of the season is just about here for the Buffalo Sabres, as the Atlantic Division club will not be in the playoffs for the 14th consecutive year. While this is the case, the Sabres have been playing some of their best hockey of the season, winning eight out of their last 10 games. Sabres Breakout Forward Closing In On Nice MilestoneThe Buffalo Sabres are almost at the end of their season, as they have just five games remaining. Overall, it has been another tough season for the Sabres, but off-season addition Ryan McLeod has undoubtedly been one of their bright spots.

Flyers drop final home game with plenty of lottery teams in action originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers were unable to play spoiler Tuesday night as they lost to the Blue Jackets, 3-0, in their home finale.

They were shut out for the eighth time this season and a fifth time at the Wells Fargo Center.

The club’s power play went 0 for 3.

With one game to go, the Flyers (33-38-10) are 5-2-1 under Brad Shaw. Tuesday night was the first time they scored one or fewer goals with the interim head coach in charge.

“I thought we were a little easier to play against than what we have been recently,” Shaw said. “It’s too bad because the first eight, 10 minutes, I thought we were going to be in a real good hockey game. It just didn’t sort of finish that way for us.”

The Blue Jackets (39-33-9) needed a regulation win to keep their playoff push going and they got it. They’re two points back of the Canadiens, who hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. Both teams have one game left.

“Obviously it’s very disappointing for us, we want to be in the playoffs, that’s the situation we want to be in,” Samuel Ersson said. “That’s why you work so hard in the summer and why you put in all the work during the year, you want to be in the playoffs.

“It stings not being there, I think we have some lessons to learn from this year, myself included in that. I think you have to remember how much this sucks and use that as fuel and let it motivate you to work even harder to get to the playoffs.”

Flyers salute their fans after final home game of 2024-25 season. pic.twitter.com/XPbVvafQhO

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 16, 2025

• Ersson made 31 saves on 34 shots.

Dante Fabbro broke the ice 2:32 minutes into the second period with an absolute blast. Columbus added to its lead with 2:59 minutes left in the middle stanza as Kent Johnson scored on the power play.

Adam Fantilli provided third-period insurance when a pass went off his skate like a redirection.

Blue Jackets netminder Jet Greaves came in 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .968 save percentage over his previous three starts. He continued his torrid stretch by stopping all 29 of the Flyers’ shots.

“I think we had some chances, just didn’t finish,” Sean Couturier said. “But I think we’re trying to play a little too skilled, also. We’re a lot of one-and-dones, we get pucks there, but there’s not really much traffic or we’re trying to be on the outside and everyone trying to make plays. Sometimes we’ve just got to simplify it and get some dirty goals; we can’t always expect to make highlight-reel goals.”

• Tuesday night was a busy one for the pecking order of the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Along with the Flyers, the Kraken, Bruins, Sabres and Ducks were all in action.

The Flyers ended the night with the fifth-best odds. If they lose in regulation Thursday night, they’ll have the fourth-best odds. But with a regulation win, they could jump the Kraken (if Seattle loses tonight) and Sabres to finish at No. 7.

More: The latest NHL standings

• Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster combined for 11 shots but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Heading into Game 82, Konecny, Foerster and Matvei Michkov are tied for the team lead in goals with 24 apiece.

• College prospects Alex Bump and Devin Kaplan signed their entry-level contracts Tuesday. More on Bump here and Kaplan here.

• The Flyers wrap up the season Thursday when they visit the Sabres (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Flyers drop final home game with plenty of lottery teams in action originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers were unable to play spoiler Tuesday night as they lost to the Blue Jackets, 3-0, in their home finale.

They were shut out for the eighth time this season and a fifth time at the Wells Fargo Center.

The club’s power play went 0 for 3.

With one game to go, the Flyers (33-38-10) are 5-2-1 under Brad Shaw. Tuesday night was the first time they scored one or fewer goals with the interim head coach in charge.

The Blue Jackets (39-33-9) needed a regulation win to keep their playoff push going and they got it. They’re two points back of the Canadiens, who hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. Both teams have one game left.

• Samuel Ersson made 31 saves on 34 shots.

Dante Fabbro broke the ice 2:32 minutes into the second period with an absolute blast. Columbus added to its lead with 2:59 minutes left in the middle stanza as Kent Johnson scored on the power play.

Adam Fantilli provided third-period insurance when a pass went off his skate like a redirection.

Blue Jackets netminder Jet Greaves came in 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .968 save percentage over his previous three starts. He continued his torrid stretch by stopping all 29 of the Flyers’ shots.

• Tuesday night was a busy one for the pecking order of the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

The Flyers entered with the sixth-best odds. They were just barely ahead of the Kraken via the tiebreaker of fewer games played and just one point up on the Bruins. They were only one point back of the Sabres and two back of the Penguins and Ducks.

The Kraken, Bruins, Sabres and Ducks were all in action Tuesday night.

More: The latest NHL standings

• Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster combined for 11 shots but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Heading into Game 82, Konecny, Foerster and Matvei Michkov are tied for the team lead in goals with 24 apiece.

• College prospects Alex Bump and Devin Kaplan signed their entry-level contracts Tuesday. More on Bump here and Kaplan here.

• The Flyers wrap up the season Thursday when they visit the Sabres (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

This past week, reports emerged that Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser is “unlikely” to return to the organization after the end of this season. A career Canuck, Boeser was drafted 23rd overall by Vancouver in the 2015 NHL Draft and has spent the past 10 years as a member of the hockey club. Whether or not this ends up being Boeser’s last dance with the Canucks, he has brought fans hope and entertainment all throughout his time with the team. Let’s take a look at each of Boeser’s NHL seasons described in less than four words. 

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2016–17: Instilling Hope In Debut 

Boeser made his NHL debut on March 25, 2017, in his home state against the Minnesota Wild. He scored a goal in his first game with the Canucks, and proceeded to put up three more to round out his first nine games in the NHL. What may be most important about his debut, however, is the hope that he instilled in the Canucks franchise. With the Sedin twins’ contracts expiring at the end of the 2017–18 season, Boeser provided fans with something to be excited about for the future. 

2017–18: All-Star Weekend

In his rookie season, Boeser made a name for himself by placing second in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy with 29 goals and 26 assists in 62 games played. However, what may have been even more impressive is his performance at the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend. He won the shooting accuracy competition during the skills contest portion of the weekend, beating out players such as Steven Stamkos, Brad Marchand, and Sidney Crosby with a time of 11.136 seconds. In the second part of the weekend, he scored two goals and one assist, earning him the title of All-Star Game MVP. 

2018–19: “Enjoy The Future Folks” 

This part isn’t as focused on Boeser specifically, instead emphasizing the direction of the team itself. Boeser and rookie Elias Pettersson found chemistry early on, playing a total of 867:19 together throughout the 2018–19 season. Quinn Hughes made his NHL debut towards the end of the season, nabbing his first NHL point on a goal scored by Boeser. During the overtime frame of Hughes’ first game, Boeser, Pettersson, and Hughes all took the ice as one unit. This moment showed fans a glimpse at what the future held for the Canucks organization. As Sportsnet’s John Shorthouse put it best, “enjoy the future folks, here it is right now.” 

2019–20: Dominating With Lotto Line 

During the 2019 off-season, the Canucks acquired forward J.T. Miller via trade. When put together, Miller, Boeser, and Pettersson formed the “Lotto Line,” named after BC’s Lotto 649. The trio played 659:39 minutes together all season and put up a corsi-for of 858. While the line has since been vanquished with the departure of Miller, their legacy within Canucks history is still a fun one to look back on.  

2020–21: Canucks’ Leading Scorer 

The 2021 NHL season, shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was only 56 games long. While the Canucks as a whole didn’t have a great season, individually speaking, Boeser provided the fans with lots to talk about. He led the team in scoring with 23 goals and 26 assists, a pace that would put him at 34 goals and 72 points in an 82-game season. This would have been a new career high for him. 

2021–22: Success Playing Under Boudreau 

Boeser’s 2021–22 season got off to a bit of a poor start, as he only had four goals and six assists in his first 22 games of the season. However, after the Canucks cleaned house, replacing former Head Coach Travis Green with Bruce Boudreau and former General Manager Jim Benning with President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford, his offensive production grew. He had five goals in his first six games under Boudreau, and finished the season with 19 goals in 49 games under the team’s new coach. 

2022–23: The Beginning Of A Rebound 

After having three straight seasons with less than 50 points, Boeser experienced a slight rebound in 2022–23. In 74 games played, the most of his career in a single season at the time, he put up 55 points. While it took him until November 18 to score his first goal of this season, he continued to score at a pretty consistent pace, capped off by a goal streak of three straight games from March 25 to March 28.   

2023–24: Game 4 Hat Trick 

The 2023–24 season was a massive one for Boeser, who was easily one of the team’s best players this year. Shooting at a ridiculous success rate of nearly 20%, Boeser registered his first 40-goal season and added an extra 33 assists on top. He began the season with a four-goal game against the Edmonton Oilers and put up eight other multi-goal regular season games including two other hat tricks. He was also named to his second NHL All-Star Weekend. The postseason was when Boeser took the biggest steps, as he potted seven goals and five assists in 12 games played. Arguably his most meaningful game of the entire season was in the Canucks’ game 4 matchup against the Nashville Predators in the first round of playoffs. In this effort, Boeser put up his first career postseason hat trick to help Vancouver make a 4–3 overtime comeback. 

2024–25: 200 NHL Goals 

For the Canucks as a whole, the 2024–25 season didn’t quite live up to the expectations of the last. Boeser wasn’t the only one to see a drop in offensive production, but despite this, he’s still on track to finish the season as one of the team’s top goal scorers. During one of his best games this season, against the St. Louis Blues on March 20, he scored two goals including a buzzer-beater to send the match to overtime. During this game, he also scored his 200th career NHL goal — a feat only completed nine times in franchise history. 

If this truly is Boeser’s last season as a Canuck, then fans will want to be at Rogers Arena on Thursday night as the Canucks take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Since this is the team’s final game of the 2024–25 season, it may be fans’ last chance to watch Boeser in the Canucks’ blue and green. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

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