J.T. Compher should be good to go for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday against Tampa Bay. 

Advice: Coach Jon Cooper said on Saturday that Compher was "checked out" following Colorado's loss to Tampa Bay in Game 5 on Friday, but he expects the Avalanche forward to be available to play. Compher was on the ice for Sunday's morning skate.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Today, 11:33 am

Alex Ovechkin signed a one-day contract with FC Dynamo Moscow to play in a friendly match on Saturday. 

Advice: Ovechkin scored a goal in the contest against Amkal, which was a team full of social media stars and bloggers. Dynamo won the exhibition contest by a score of 5-0 and the fans voted Ovechkin as the MVP. NBCSportsEDGE.com Today, 10:13 am

Coach Jon Cooper hasn't ruled out Brayden Point for a possible return if the Stanley Cup Final is extended to Game 7. 

Advice: Cooper expects to have the same lineup for Game 6 on Sunday against Colorado as the Lightning had in Friday's 3-2 victory. "Everybody is trying to get back into the lineup and there are some things you just can’t do and, when you cannot do what you are used to doing, it is tough on the player and I think that is part of our issue here," said the Tampa Bay bench boss. "He is still plugging along here and rehabbing and trying to get better and why knows, if the series goes one more game, you never know but it is tough on these guys because they are such competitors." Cooper added that Point's injury is "severe."  NBCSportsEDGE.com Today, 9:29 am

Zdeno Chara is not ready yet to make any decisions on his NHL future and he plans to wait until September, according to agent Matt Keator. 

Advice: "He's going to take the summer with his family and assess where he's at physically, where his family's at, and make a decision in September," Keator told the Boston Globe. "No rush." The 45-year-old defenseman is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 13. In 72 games with the New York Islanders in 2021-22, he posted two goals, 14 points, 85 penalty minutes, 81 shots, 90 blocks and 125 hits.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Today, 9:13 am

Andre Burakovsky came on the ice during practice Sunday and was stickhandling on his own.

Advice: It doesn't look good at this time for Burakovsky to be playing in Game 6 Sunday night as he is recovering from a hand injury. Burakovsky then left practice but that also happened on Friday and he later returned. Burakovsky has not played since Game 2 and had two goals and three points in the Stanley Cup Final before his injury. NBCSportsEDGE.com Today, 8:47 am

Brayden Point (lower body) will not play in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final Sunday.

Advice: That's according to coach Jon Cooper who is the final authority. Point was injured in Game 7 of the opening round and returned for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final but has not played since. Point skated on Sunday and Cooper still did not rule him out if a Game 7 is necessary. NBCSportsEDGE.com Today, 8:01 am

Josh Leivo has captured the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs. 

Advice: Leivo racked up 15 goals and 29 points in 18 games for the AHL's Chicago Wolves en route to the AHL's championship title. He earned the highest point total by any player in the Calder Cup Playoffs in the past 14 years. Chicago was dominant in the postseason, with a mark of 14-4, after the team posted a league-best 50-win regular season.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Yesterday, 10:47 pm

Connor McDavid could still end up as the playoff scoring leader.

Advice: McDavid leads the league with 33 points in just 16 playoff games. The closest active player is Colorado's Cale Makar, who has 29 points in 19 contests and then Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov with 27 points in 22 contests. The fact that McDavid might end up as the scoring leader despite not being involved in the Stanley Cup Final is a testament to just how good a postseason run he had. Colorado and Tampa Bay will play in Game 6 of the finals on Sunday and if necessary, Game 7 on Tuesday. NBCSportsEDGE.com Yesterday, 10:40 am

Michael Bunting is determined to show that his 2021-22 season was not a fluke.

Advice: Bunting finished third in Calder Trophy voting after leading all rookies with 63 points in 79 games. Playing alongside stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner did not hurt his cause but he was a strong third member of the top line for a good portion of the season. “I have to show that this year was not a fluke,” Bunting said. “I have to be consistent because that’s what good hockey players do. They do it every single year. So definitely, I have to take my game up a level. I can’t be comfortable with what I did. I was fortunate that I landed on a spot with Matty and Mitch, and we gelled and we rolled all year together. I was proud of myself, the way I handled everything. It was quite the path to get to the NHL. I stuck to my game and believed in myself and I had a pretty successful year by doing all of that.” Look for a 25 goal, 70 point season from Bunting if he remains on the top line most of the season. NBCSportsEDGE.com Yesterday, 8:30 am

Valeri Nichushkin notched one goal and one assist in Friday's 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. 

Advice: Nichushkin's ninth goal of the postseason tied the game at 1-1 5:07 into the second period. He also assisted on Cale Makar's game-tying goal in the third. Nichushkin will look to continue his excellent run this playoffs in Game 6 on Sunday. He has 15 points through 19 contests.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Friday, 8:24 pm

Brayden Point (lower body) won't be available for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday against Colorado. 

Advice: Point didn't take part in the pregame warmups ahead of the contest, which means he will sit out a third straight match because of a lower-body injury. He was on the ice for Tampa Bay's morning skate and he was listed as a game-time decision, but he isn't ready to return. NBCSportsEDGE.com Friday, 4:44 pm

Coach Jon Cooper believes that Erik Cernak will be available to play in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night. 

Advice: "Cerny's feeling better," said Cooper. "I'm pretty confident he's going to play tonight." Cernak was on the ice for Tampa Bay's morning skate and he looked much better than he did when he tested a suspected lower-body injury in Game 4. Cernak ended up leaving Wednesday's game against Colorado following a shot block. Expect him to play on Friday night in a must-win game for the Lightning.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Friday, 9:41 am

Coach Jon Cooper was unable to provide an injury update Thursday on the status of Erik Cernak. 

Advice: Cernak was injured in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final after he blocked a shot by Nathan MacKinnon 4:25 into the second period. Cernak left the game due to a lower-body injury and he didn't return. It's unclear at this time if he will be available to play on Friday in Game 5 versus Colorado.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Thursday, 10:09 am

Nazem Kadri scored the overtime winner on Wednesday in a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. 

Advice: Kadri made a triumphant return to the lineup after he missed four contests. He sustained a thumb injury in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, which required surgery. Kadri ended up scoring the game winner at the 12:02 mark of the first overtime period to give the Avalanche a 3-1 series lead. Colorado has a chance to win the Stanley Cup on home ice on Friday. Kadri has seven goals and 15 points in 14 appearances this postseason.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Wednesday, 8:54 pm

Nazem Kadri (hand) was on the ice for Colorado's morning skate ahead of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. 

Advice: Kadri worked on the second power-play unit and didn't stay out for extra work with the expected scratches, which are both very encouraging signs. However, it is unclear if he will be able to play on Wednesday night versus Tampa Bay. Coach Jared Bednar wouldn't tip his hand on potential lineup changes, but said that Kadri has been getting better every day. It certainly seems like a return to the fold is getting closer and Game 4 remains a possibility.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Wednesday, 9:49 am

Brayden Point (lower body) won't play in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night versus Colorado. 

Advice: "I haven't ruled him out for the series, but he's out for tonight," said coach Jon Cooper. The Lightning bench boss added that Point is dealing with a lot of the same things that kept him out for 10 straight games during the previous two series. Point suffered a lower-body injury back on May 14 prior to returning to action on June 15. He also missed Game 3 of the Cup Final on Monday night.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Wednesday, 8:27 am

While the Avalanche are in Tampa Bay, Andre Burakovsky (hand) has remained in Colorado.

Advice: Burakovsky has been receiving treatment in Colorado for his injury. He might skate on Tuesday and Wednesday, but obviously he's not an option for Game 4 if he's not with the team. NBCSportsEDGE.com Tuesday, 10:56 am

Andre Burakovsky (upper body) won't play in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay on Monday. 

Advice: Burakovsky is not on the ice for the pregame warmups after he didn't take part in the morning skate. He was slated to join the team on the road after he was scheduled to be evaluated on Sunday in Denver for a suspected hand injury on Saturday in Game 3 of the series. Nicolas Aube-Kubel will draw in for the Avalanche on Monday night.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Monday, 4:51 pm

Nazem Kadri (hand) was on the ice Monday after Colorado's morning skate. 

Advice: Coach Jared Bednar labeled Kadri as day-to-day, which the Avalanche forward has been throughout the Stanley Cup Final. He has been making progress from thumb surgery, but it doesn't look he is ready for Game 3 versus Tampa Bay. Kadri has started shooting pucks again, which is an encouraging sign, but he shouldn't be expected to play on Monday night. NBCSportsEDGE.com Monday, 9:14 am

Nazem Kadri (thumb) is not at practice Monday.

Advice: Kadri has yet to play in the Stanley Cup Final after suffering a finger injury in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final that required surgery. Kadri was seen wearing a cast on his hand Monday morning and has to be considered doubtful to play Monday night. NBCSportsEDGE.com Monday, 8:41 am

Brayden Point is not at practice on Monday.

Advice: Point returned to action Wednesday for the first time in over a month after suffering a lower-body injury in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs in the opening round. Point had an assist in Game 1 but was held off the scoresheet like all the Lightning players in Game 2. We are not sure if Point is just resting or there is a problem but that should be sorted out before the start of Game 3 tonight. NBCSportsEDGE.com Monday, 7:50 am

Coach Jared Bednar remains hopeful that Nazem Kadri (hand) will be available to play at some point in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Advice: However, Bednar is not sure if Kadri will be available to play in Games 3 or 4 of the series when it shifts to Tampa Bay. Kadri will accompany the team on the road. He has been back skating and puck handling, but he hasn't been practicing nor shooting yet. Kadri has been sidelined since June 4 and he is still recovering from thumb surgery. Colorado won the first two games of the series on home ice. NBCSportsEDGE.com Sunday, 9:10 am

Devon Toews picked up his ninth assist of the playoffs Saturday.

Advice: The Avalanche's most underrated player, Toews has five goals and 14 points in 16 games. The defenseman is often overlooked with Cale Makar the star of the blueline, but make no mistake, Toews is a huge fantasy asset as well, while being drafted well after Makar. NBCSportsEDGE.com Sunday, 6:28 am

Nazem Kadri (hand) is "getting better," according to coach Jared Bednar, but there was no update on his status beyond that. 

Advice: Kadri skated before Friday's practice. He has been using a stick during his on-ice sessions of late for a some puck handling, but he hasn't been shooting yet. Kadri has been making some progress, though, which bodes well for a possible return at some point during the Stanley Cup Final.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Friday, 10:51 am

J.T. Compher contributed an assist in a 4-3 overtime win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday in Game 1 of the Cup Final. 

Advice: Compher had the secondary helper on Andre Burakovsky's game winner, which came just 1:23 into the extra period. He was also credited with four shots and two blocks in the match. Compher, who centered the second line on Wednesday night, has five goals, eight points, 20 shots, 13 blocks and 13 hits in 15 contests this postseason.  NBCSportsEDGE.com Thursday, 9:19 am