The Tampa Bay Lightning received some good news on Tuesday when Victor Hedman was cleared to play in Game 1 of their First Round series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hedman is Tampa’s best defenseman and having him in the lineup after he missed the last four games of the regular season will be a boon. That’s the top story headed into Wednesday’s games, but let’s take a look at other news on the ice.
The NHL Draft Lottery is tonight, and everyone is vying to get one of the top two picks. Jack Hughes is seen as the probable No. 1 overall pick by many, and he is expected to be in attendance in Toronto tonight. Kaapo Kakko is the other top prize, but after the first two picks the fall-off is pretty steep. Colorado is favored to land the No. 1 pick after receiving Ottawa’s first-round pick in a trade back in 2017.
The Colorado Avalanche are optimistic about their chances of getting Mikko Rantanen back for their first round series against Calgary. He missed the final eight games of the regular season with an injury, but it looks like he will play through the pain in the postseason. Pairing him with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabe Landeskog will give the Avalanche a dangerous first line.
It’s not typical to see goaltenders play into their 40s, but Roberto Luongo might be back for one more season in south Florida. Luongo just finished his 19th season in the NHL, and he knows that he is unlikely to be a starter under new coach Joel Quinneville. However, he has expressed a willingness to return in a back-up role.
Slava Voynov has been suspended for next season following a domestic violence incident in 2014. Voynov has not played in the NHL since 2014 as his status in the league has been in limbo, but at the end of next season, he will be able to sign with an NHL team once more.
Top Stories
- Hedman will play Game 1 for Lightning against Blue Jackets | NHL
- Potential top pick Hughes to be at draft lottery | ESPN
- Avalanche all-star Mikko Rantanen expected to return for Game 1 of playoffs vs. Calgary | Denver Post
- Luongo undecided on future entering Panthers’ season finale | NHL
- NHL suspends Voynov for entire 2019-20 season | ESPN
