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Toronto Maple Leaf
Morgan Rielly will be back in the lineup when the Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday (7 pm ET; TVAS, SN, BSSN).
The defenseman has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury suffered during a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24. He has 51 points (seven goals, 44 assists) in 65 games on the season this.
“I feel good,” Rielly said Tuesday. “It’s only day to day at the moment so we’ll see about tomorrow. But I feel good. It’s nothing big, nothing I really want to get into. It’s about making sure you’re fit for the play-offs.”
Rielly was paired with Ilya Lyubushkin in the Wednesday morning skate.
Forward Mitch Marner will probably 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 talk to him here yet since he came off the ice, but with him we’re going to feel it out and talk to him and probably make him 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 alone, has not played since January 27 and opted to have surgery to clean up loose cartilage in his left knee on February 12. He said on March 11 that he hopes 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 on 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 it’s full. If he doesn’t play, I don’t know if he will travel or if they want him to go. Full contact again. The next step is to play, so I haven’t ruled him out for Friday or put him in, but he’s moving on.”
The Golden Knights (42-25-8) are third in the Pacific Division, five points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s important to [Hertl] to get around his teammates and that type of environment,” Cassidy said after Monday’s practice. “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, seeing what it looks like, how we practice. … This is good for him, and obviously he’s getting closer.”
Hertl, who suffered the injury with the San Jose Sharks, was acquired by Vegas before 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 opt out of his no move orders to be acquired by Vegas. —Paul Delos Santos
Winnipeg Jets
Nino Niederreiter will miss about a week after suffering a deep cut on the bottom of his 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 cut, and it could have been a lot worse if it had gone deeper,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said after Wednesday’s practice. “I guess those (Kevlar) socks saved him. The blades are so sharp out there today. I think every player should be wearing those, and the wristbands too.”
Niederreiter has 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 75 games this season.
Winnipeg (45-24-6), in third place in the Central Division, completes a five-game homestand against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Forward Tyler Toffoli, who missed Monday’s game 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 has 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 the American Airlines Center on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SNW, SN360).
The defenseman appeared to suffer a significant injury in a collision into the boards on a hit by Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson in the third period of Saturday’s 3-0 win.
“It was an awkward shot. Weird motion going into the boards like that,” Tanev said after Tuesday’s practice. “Good to be out there today and take it day by day. If you can go out 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 resilience. His willingness to play through pain and block shots and do whatever it takes,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Most boys wouldn’t have come back in that game. He didn’t just come back, he came back and played. Most guys out here wouldn’t practice today, and he’s out here practicing 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
Wild Minnesota
Marcus Foligno will miss the rest of the regular season for the Wild after undergoing core muscle surgery on 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), who are six points behind the Kings for the second wild card into the playoffs from Western Conference.
Washington Capitals
TJ Oshie did not participate in Wednesday’s optional practice after missing Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabers due to an upper-body injury.
The capital’s 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 on Tuesday, Nicolas Aube-Kubel entered the lineup.
Rasmus Sandin played after being late on 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
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