Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (ankle) sent out two assists as the team beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in an elimination game on Tuesday night. The Oilers stayed alive in the series thanks to a quick start. They were already 3-0 up midway through the first period, with McDavid helping to set up the third goal. He added a power-play assist in the second period, extending his multi-point streak in the playoffs to three games. McDavid hurt his ankle early in the series and was a game-time decision for Tuesday night. Strangely, McDavid's productivity has actually improved since sustaining the injury. After going scoreless in the first two games against the Ducks, McDavid has notched one goal and five assists.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers (lower body) didn't practice on Tuesday, but head coach Rod Brind'Amour hopes to have him available for the start of the second round in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina was without the services of Ehlers last weekend as it closed out the first-round series against Ottawa. The Danish forward missed Game 4 due to a lower-body injury after contributing one assist in the first three games of the series. In Ehlers' absence, William Carrier moved up the lineup, and Nicolas Deslauriers made his 2026 postseason debut. If Ehlers remains unavailable for the Round 2 opener, the two could benefit again.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) is making good progress, and the team hopes to have him available for Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Russian blue-liner suffered a concussion in Carolina's series-clinching win over Ottawa on Saturday. On Tuesday, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said "everything's trending in the right direction" on Nikishin, who had a solid rookie campaign with 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 81 games. However, he couldn't replicate his regular-season form in the matchup with the Senators, finishing scoreless in four games. Mike Reilly and Charles-Alexis Legault will compete for Nikishin's spot in the lineup if he doesn't clear concussion protocol before the start of the second round.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (personal) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com reports. Due to illness and personal reasons, the Lightning captain hasn't seen any action for more than a month, but he appears to be nearing his return. Last week, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper mentioned Hedman was on "the doubtful side" for the first-round series against Montreal. Cooper continues to hold his cards close to his heart. "That's hard to say right now," Cooper said after Tuesday's practice when quizzed about a potential timeline for Hedman's return. "But he's progressing. Like, he's taking steps. So, that's a positive side for us." With Hedman unavailable, Darren Raddysh has led the Lightning's blue line in the playoffs. He has registered two points (one goal, one assist), 14 SOG, and 10 hits in four games.