NHL rumors: Latest buzz, news from around the league
By Brian Rauf, Chat Sports
Several teams across the league are battling for playoff positioning with just five days left in the regular season. The Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders and Minnesota Wild all clinched playoff spots Tuesday, while the Detroit Red Wings need to record at least one point against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night to keep a hold on their postseason spot.
Check out the latest NHL news and rumors below.
• The Montreal Canadiens announced that goalie Carey Price will not return this season and revealed that he had been recovering from a MCL sprain he sustained in November.
• Montreal is also shutting down defenseman P.K. Subban for the remainder of the season, reports ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. He hasn’t played since sustaining a neck injury on March 10.
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• New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh will miss the last three games of the regular season with an upper-body injury, reports the Associated Press. His status for the playoffs is uncertain.
• Chicago Blackhawks forward Antoine Vermette is day-to-day with an upper-body injury sustained in his team’s 6–2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night, reports CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers.
• Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman may not return from an upper-body injury before the end of the regular season, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith.
• Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury on Tuesday night but is expected to return for the playoffs, reports the Los Angeles Times’ Lisa Dillman.
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• Canadiens forward and All-Star Game MVP John Scott left the team to join his family after making his debut with the club on Tuesday, reports NHL.com’s Arpon Basu.