With Troy Stecher (undisclosed) sidelined on Monday, Brown will draw back into the lineup. Brown has not played for the Oilers since January 18th. The 31-year-old Brown has one point (0G / 1A) and is averaging 11:29 time-on-ice in eight games with Edmonton.

Ekholm suffered a fluke injury in Friday's game against the San Jose Sharks and will be sidelined for, at the very least, the entirety of the first round of the playoffs. The 34-year-old Ekholm just returned from a multi-week injury and ends the 2024-25 season with 33 points (9G / 24A) in 65 games.

After starting 23 consecutive games, Karel Vejmelka will finally have a break on Monday as Villalta will be between the pipes for Utah against the Nashville Predators. Villalta only has two games of NHL experience and has yet to play this season. The 25-year-old goalie has a 3.01 GAA and .906 SV% in 41 games (17-21-3) with the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) this season. Utah enters Monday's contest as -160 road favorites against a Nashville team that has lost seven of their last nine games (2-7-0).

Nugent-Hopkins has not played since April 7th but will re-enter the lineup on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. The 32-year-old Nugent-Hopkins has 49 points (20G / 29A) in 76 games this season. He only has one point (0G / 1A) in his last seven games.

Kudryavtsev was a seventh-round pick, 208th overall, of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old defenseman been solid in the AHL, his first professional season, scoring 26 points (5G / 21A) in 63 games with the Abbotsford Canucks.

Tkachuk has not played since March 30th and will remain sidelined on Tuesday, but is not expected to miss any playoff action. The 25-year-old Tkachuk is averaging 18:21 time-on-ice, recording 55 points (29G / 26A), 123 penalty minutes, 227 hits, and 293 shots in 71 games this season.

Hutson just finished a three-year stint with Boston University (H-East) and has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The 23-year-old Hutson, brother of Montreal Canadiens rookie standout Lane Hutson, scored 50 points (23G / 27A) in 38 games with Boston University in 2024-25.

On the tail end of a back-to-back, in their penultimate game, the Oilers will likely turn to Pickard between the pipes on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings in a preview of their first-round playoff matchup. Pickard allowed two goals on 28 shots (.929 SV%) in a 3-0 loss to the Kings on April 5th. The 32-year-old goalie has a 2.63 GAA and .902 SV% in 35 games this season (22-9-1). The Oilers enter Monday's contest as slight -102 home underdogs against a Kings team outscoring their opposition 11-5 during a two-game winning streak.

Crevier did not play Chicago's previous game, but he will re-enter the lineup on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 23-year-old Crevier is averaging 17:25 time-on-ice and has four points (3G / 1A) in 31 games this season.

Reichel has not played since April 8th, but will re-enter the lineup on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 22-year-old Reichel is averaging 11:57 time-on-ice and has 21 points (7G / 14A) in 68 games this season. He has two points (1G / 1A) in his last 16 contests.

Greene was a second-round pick, 57th overall, of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old Greene scored 38 points (13G / 25A) in 2024-25 with Boston University (H-East), his third year with the club.

Martinez has likely played the final game of his career and will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 37-year-old Martinez has 12 points (5G / 7A) and 81 blocks in 44 games this season.

Maroon has likely played the final game of his career and will be a healthy scratch for Chicago on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 36-year-old Maroon scored 19 points (5G / 14A) in 68 games this season.

Stars' GM Jim Nill contradicted earlier reports stating that Heiskanen would miss the entirety of the first round of the playoffs, indicating that although he will not play in Game 1, he will likely play at some point. Before his injury, Heiskanen had five points (0G / 5A) during a five-game point streak and 25 points (5G / 20A) in 50 games.

Kurashev will be a healthy scratch on Monday in Chicago's second-last game of the season. The 25-year-old Kurashev is averaging 13:43 time-on-ice, recording 14 points (7G / 7A) and a -28 plus/minus in 51 games this season.

Oettinger will be between the pipes on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings for a Stars team desperate to snap a five-game losing skid (0-3-2) before they head into the playoffs. Oettinger allowed four goals on 35 shots (.886 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 4-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The 26-year-old Oettinger has a 2.48 GAA and .912 SV% in 56 games this season (36-16-4). The Stars enter Monday's contest as slight -108 road favorites against a Red Wings team coming off a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hutson just finished a three-year stint with Boston University (H-East) and has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The 23-year-old Hutson, brother of Montreal Canadiens rookie standout Lane Hutson, scored 50 points (23G / 27A) in 38 games with Boston University in 2024-25.

Saros will be between the pipes for the Predators for their penultimate game of the season when they face off against the Utah Hockey Club. The 29-year-old Saros was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in a 4-3 shootout win over Utah. He has a 2.96 GAA and .895 SV% in 56 games this season (19-30-6). The Predators enter Monday's contest as +144 home underdogs against a Utah team with points in seven of their last eight outings (5-1-2).

Saros will be between the pipes for the Predators for their penultimate game of the season when they face off against the Utah Hockey Club. The 29-year-old Saros was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in a 4-3 shootout win over Utah. He has a 2.96 GAA and .895 SV% in 56 games this season (19-30-6). The Predators enter Monday's contest as +144 home underdogs against a Utah team with points in seven of their last eight outings (5-1-2).

In their second last game of the season, Soderblom will likely be tending the twine for the Blackhawks against the Montreal Canadiens. Soderblom was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 31 of 33 shots (.939 SV%) in a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins. The 25-year-old Soderblom has a 3.19 GA and .899 SV% in 35 appearances this season (9-18-7). The Blackhawks enter the action on Monday as sizeable +244 road underdogs against a Canadiens team that can clinch a playoff berth with a victory.