Buffalo Sabres center Sam Carrick (arm) will miss the start of the postseason, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports. The veteran forward injured his left arm late last month and has been sidelined for five games. Before injury struck, Carrick was having a good start at his new club. He scored five goals and six points in 13 games. With Carrick unavailable, Tyson Kozak has begun to re-establish his spot in the lineup. He has played in back-to-back games, collecting an assist in Thursday's 5-0 victory over Columbus. Josh Dunne could also see some action late in the season as the fourth-line center.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (lower body) may not be available for selection at the start of the 2025-26 Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Thursday, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff ruled Lyon out for a week, adding that there's a possibility the 33-year-old netminder won't be available for the start of the postseason. Lyon set a new franchise record with a 10-game winning streak this campaign and has gone 20-10-4 in 34 starts. He has a 2.77 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and three shutouts. While Lyon has mostly shared the crease with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Colten Ellis impressed with a 37-save shutout in Thursday's 5-0 win over Columbus and could also be an option for the playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (upper body) is doubtful to return to action this season, David Alter of The Hockey News reports. He sustained an upper-body injury in Wednesday's loss to Washington and wasn't available for Thursday's clash against the Islanders. It seems his season might have finished prematurely, with Toronto facing three more games. Joshua is set to end the campaign with 18 points (10 goals, eight assists), 52 SOG, and 195 hits in 55 games. Before getting hurt in Wednesday's contest, Joshua was enjoying a late-season offensive surge, picking up one goal and three assists in five games.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson exited Thursday's 6-3 win over Philadelphia early due to neck stiffness, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports. Gibson left the game midway through the second period after allowing two goals with a .867 save percentage. Cam Talbot finished the job with 11 saves on 12 SOG. Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan confirmed after the game that Gibson hasn't entered concussion protocol, so he doesn't appear to be dealing with a serious issue. However, the veteran netminder could still sit out some action. Detroit will return to work on Saturday against New Jersey. Gibson is two wins short of matching his career-high, going 29-20-4 this season. He has registered a 2.64 goals-against average with a .904 save percentage and four shutouts.