Connor Zary

Jason Dickinson battles back from injury as Edmonton fine-tunes its playoff roster in the final hours. Knoblauch needs his bottom-six grinder healthy to match the West's physical beasts. With Game 1 looming, every skate in practice carries massive stakes for the Oilers' run.

Connor Zary keeps proving he's no fluke for the Flames, wiring one home Sunday in a game that had Calgary buzzing. The kid's been turning heads in locker rooms from junior to now, and this goal fits his quiet confidence that GMs whisper about. With the Flames jockeying for position late in the season, Zary's hot stick raises the stakes on whether they can sneak into the dance.

Connor Zary sits out his fourth straight game with that nagging upper-body injury from the Panthers hit, and the Flames aren't tipping their hand on when he skates again. At 24, he's battled injuries all season - knee last year, now this - racking up just 11 goals in 67 games before going down. Calgary's thin up front without him, especially with Huberdeau and others on LTIR, and his day-to-day status leaves the lineup in limbo heading into a tough stretch.

Connor Zary hits the ice for practice with the Flames, sending a clear signal that the young forward is pushing to shake off that brutal boarding hit from A.J. Greer a week ago. The league scrutinized the play hard after Greer got the boot with a major and misconduct, but Zary skated off under his own power and now looks ready to roll despite missing a handful of games. Flames brass knows his return could juice their lineup at a critical juncture, with eyes on whether he's game-ready soon.