Edmonton 3, Dallas 0 (series tied 1-1)

One major question for the Oilers entering Game 2 was which version of Stuart Skinner would show up. After allowing five goals in Game 1, Skinner pitched a 24-save shutout to backstop the Oilers to a Game 2 victory and a split heading back to Edmonton for Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.

During these playoffs, Skinner has either been a brick wall or a sieve. Check out the game log:

When I played rep hockey as a kid, these were the type of performances I'd put up that frustrated my teammates. Great one day, awful the next. pic.twitter.com/AJIijOL3sO

— David Alter (@dalter) May 24, 2025

After giving up the net to Calvin Pickard for six games (and six wins), Skinner has found his game for the most part. The most bizarre stat might be that all three of his playoff wins have been shutouts, while he has allowed at least four goals in all four of his losses. No games where he has allowed 1, 2, or 3 goals! Expect Skinner to continue to start unless he hits the skids again, in which case it'll be Pickard's turn again.

I thought this was an awkward save, but it's still impressive how Skinner got to the puck in time.

STUART SKINNER?!?! pic.twitter.com/kCqeuKrgyV

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 24, 2025

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a first-period power-play goal while adding an assist. Evan Bouchard added two assists, giving him six points over his last five games. Brett Kulak and Connor Brown scored the Oilers' other goals, just over a minute apart in the second period.

Roope Hintz was injured when Darnell Nurse slashed him in the leg. This was only worth a two-minute minor apparently. Hintz should be considered questionable for Game 3 on Sunday.

Darnell Nurse took a hack at Roope Hintz and Hintz needed help getting off the ice 🤕

The play was reviewed and Nurse got 2 minutes for slashing pic.twitter.com/82AKKd0KPl

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 24, 2025

Wyatt Johnston was on the third line in Game 2, but he would likely move onto the top line should Hintz be unable to play. Johnston has no points in his last five games and just one point in his last eight games, which may explain why he is being used further down the lineup. Despite the third-line role, Johnston logged 20 minutes on Friday, including top power-play time.

Stealing one of my friend's thoughts, I think this West series goes the distance, but Florida is well on their way to sweeping Carolina.

–

Other news on Friday:

Sam Reinhart appears to be questionable for Game 3 today. Reinhart left Game 2 on Thursday with a lower-body injury, and he was scheduled to meet with doctors on Friday.

Brendan Shanahan will not be returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the Leafs will not fill his position of president of hockey operations. The Leafs' repeated playoff failures are expected to result in major changes for the club, especially with both Mitch Marner and John Tavares set to become UFAs. The "Shanaplan" might have been to let Marner walk via free agency anyway, but the organization might not be as loyal to the Core 4 as Shanahan was.

Mathieu Darche has been named the Islanders GM, with the team not believed to be making any further hirings such as Shanahan. Darche will be busy right from the get-go, as the Islanders will need to decide who to select first overall after their draft lottery win. Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, and Simon Holmstrom are restricted free agents who will need new contracts, while Kyle Palmieri and Tony DeAngelo are projected to hit unrestricted free agency.

Speaking of GMs, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Jim Nill, and Bill Zito have been named the three finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award.

–

Let's discuss some interesting recent non-playoff related top Frozen Tools searches from the past week. Could all three of these players be on the move during the offseason?

Trevor Zegras

Who exactly is Trevor Zegras? Is he the player that was good for 20+ goals and 60+ points in both 2021-22 and 2022-23? Or is he the player who was on a 40-45-point pace over the past two injury-riddled seasons? The more recent performance makes him a risky proposition in fantasy leagues.

On one radio show that I listened to recently, Zegras was described as a "distressed asset." On the Natural Stat Trick Player Usage Chart, Zegras is listed as an average bottom-6 forward, which might not be accurate but describes how much his stock has fallen. That description is due to a below-average 45.86 CF% while facing a relatively easy -0.2045 QoC (quality of competition). Injury issues along with perceived character flaws are widely considered reasons for his sinking stock, and the Ducks have loaded up with some young talent that makes them less dependent on him.

It's easy to forget that Zegras is still only 24 years old and possesses immense natural talent. He showed a glimpse of that during the final quarter of the season, when he registered 15 points over his last 20 games after registering just 17 points in his first 37 games. Perhaps we see more of that if Zegras can remain healthy.

Zegras seems to be a player who will be on the trade block this offseason. With Joel Quenneville bringing his impressive resume behind the Anaheim bench, it is not known whether Zegras is the type of player that Quenneville thinks he can win with. If so, then Zegras has the upside to rebound. If not, then a trade might be what it takes to get Zegras back on the right track. This is something to watch for this offseason, as a change of scenery could shift his value one way or the other. 

Pius Suter

An under-the-radar signing of the Canucks two seasons ago, the 28-year-old Suter emerged to post career bests in goals (25) and points (46) in 2024-25. Much of that success was generated during the fourth quarter, when Suter piled up 17 points (including nine goals) in his last 18 games while playing on the top power play and averaging 20 minutes per game. Injuries to Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil thrust Suter into the C1 role for the Canucks, and he proved successful in spite of his team's failure to secure a playoff spot.

Suter also made good on his opportunity in a contract year, so he will try to sell his services as a potential C2. He has been a C3 and even a C4 throughout his career, but his final-quarter success could go a long way in him getting paid as a C2 from a team desperate for help up the middle. That team could still be the Canucks, who suddenly have a void up the middle due to trading J.T. Miller for Chytil's uncertain health due to concussion, along with Pettersson's uncertain everything. That doesn't mean the Canucks will sign him – just that they have a need for a center. They may opt to aim higher than Suter, though.

Don't let Suter's final quarter fool you, as he will likely settle for a secondary scoring role in 2025-26. That being said, he could settle in at 20 goals and 40 points while providing effective two-way play and moving up the lineup in a pinch.

Nikolaj Ehlers

I meant to discuss Ehlers' status last weekend after Winnipeg was eliminated, as he may have played his last game with the Jets. That wasn't it for Ehlers for the hockey season, as he scored the game-tying goal for Denmark before they ultimately shocked Canada at the World Hockey Championship. Where Ehlers' next game is following Denmark will very much be of interest to fantasy leaguers.

Power-play usage has been the main issue keeping Ehlers from reaching over the fine line from good to great throughout his career. However, 2024-25 was the first season where Ehlers averaged over 50% of his team's available minutes, effectively being used on the top power play. It should come as no surprise then that Ehlers set a career high with 22 power-play points in 2024-25. It doesn't seem fair that a player of Ehlers' ability has had to settle for single-digit power-play point totals in four separate seasons. Another example of Ehlers being underutilized with the Jets was the fact that he played the ninth-most 5-on-5 minutes per game among Jets forwards in both the regular season and playoffs.

Winnipeg may not be an appealing free agent destination overall, but I will clarify that the Jets are effective in extending their own players. Still, I think Ehlers has his sights set on testing the free agent market. Expect a team signing Ehlers to use him in a top-line role and on the top power play, which could provide additional scoring opportunities for him. As long as an acquiring team isn't too thin up front, Ehlers' value could stand to improve.

–

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Threads @goodsfantasyhockey and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social