Steven Stamkos needs a little more rest.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain won't play Friday versus the Buffalo Sabres, marking his second straight missed game due to a nagging lower-body injury, coach Jon Cooper confirmed to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

Counting this contest, Stamkos will have missed three of the last six games, but the hope remains that some extra time off will have him rested and ready for the playoffs.

The Lightning have clinched a postseason berth, but their first-round playoff opponent remains undetermined. Tampa Bay has picked up 110 points on the season and sits atop the Atlantic Division, ahead of the Boston Bruins by virtue of a tiebreaker.

Following the game against the Sabres, the Lightning will close out their regular-season schedule Saturday versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

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The injury-riddled Boston Bruins will get a bit of a boost to their blue line on Tuesday, as rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy is set to the return.

McAvoy has been out of the lineup for the past 15 games due to a knee injury, with his last appearance coming on March 3.

The Bruins face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a game that could prove to have major playoff implications, with the two teams separated by just two points atop the Atlantic Division.

In 59 games this season, McAvoy has notched seven goals and 25 assists, good for third in scoring among rookie defensemen.

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Vancouver Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin confirmed Monday that the 2017-18 campaign will be their final NHL season.

The Sedins penned a letter to fans through the team website:

"We started the year with the mindset that a decision would be made in the postseason. But it became clear, after discussions with our families throughout the year, that this will be our last season. This feels right for all of us.

"Being part of the Canucks family for 18 seasons has been the best period of our lives. But it's time to focus on our families and life after hockey. It's time to help with homework every night. It's time to be at every birthday party and to stand in the cold at every hockey rink, soccer game and riding lesson on weekends. It's time to be at home for dinner every night."

The 37-year-olds were selected by the Canucks at the 1999 draft. They've spent their entire 17-year careers in Vancouver and rank first in all of the franchise's major categories:

With three games remaining in the season, including two home dates, fans will have the opportunity to pay tribute to the Sedins. The two games at Rogers Arena include Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights and Thursday versus the Arizona Coyotes.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs can breathe a sigh of relief.

Defenseman Travis Dermott is considered day to day after X-rays and a CT scan showed he did not suffer a broken ankle after blocking a shot against the Winnipeg Jets, according to multiple reports.

On Monday, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock confirmed that Dermott should be "up and running" in the coming days.

Dermott, 21, made his debut with the Maple Leafs earlier this season. Through 36 contests, he has registered one goal and 12 assists.

The Maple Leafs' next game comes Monday against the Buffalo Sabres before heading to New Jersey to face off against the Devils on Thursday.

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Clayton Keller is getting a little more recognition.

The Arizona Coyotes freshman has been named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for March after he posted six goals and 13 assists across 17 contests.

Keller's excellent month also included a 10-game point streak, which marked the third-longest such streak by a rookie in franchise history, outpaced by only Teemu Selanne and Keith Tkachuk.

In 63 games this season, Keller has notched 23 goals and 40 assists, and is behind only New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal for the top spot in rookie scoring.

Arizona selected Keller with the seventh pick in the 2016 draft.

It's the second such accolade for the forward this season, who was also October's Rookie of the Month after he netted 15 points in 13 appearances.

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The waiting is finally over.

New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson appears ready to return to the lineup, and has been activated from injured reserve after missing 31 games with a concussion.

Johansson suffered the injury in late January when he was on the receiving end of an elbow from Brad Marchand. The Boston Bruins winger was suspended five games as a result of the incident, a punishment that Johansson felt did not fit the crime.

On Sunday, Johansson traveled to Montreal with the Devils for their contest against the Canadiens.

In 29 games this season, Johansson recorded five goals and nine assists.

The Devils acquired Johansson from the Washington Capitals last offseason.

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Talk about a big addition.

Boston Bruins captain and star defenseman Zdeno Chara will return to the lineup Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers after missing the previous nine games due to a lower-body injury.

In 68 appearances this season, Chara has tallied seven goals and 16 assists, and he leads all Boston blue-liners with 23 minutes of ice time per game. The hulking defender has not suited up since March 13.

Chara's return comes at the perfect time for the Bruins, as the club lost defenseman Brandon Carlo on Saturday to an apparent leg injury.

Boston sits first in the Eastern Conference with 109 points.

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Finalists for the 2018 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, recognizing the NCAA's top hockey player, were announced Thursday, with three players in the running: Henrik Borgstrom, Ryan Donato, and Adam Gaudette.

Borgstrom, a Panthers prospect, has spent the past two years with the University of Denver, where this season he tallied 52 points in 40 games. The Finnish forward signed his entry-level contract with Florida on Monday.

Donato made his NHL debut with the Bruins earlier this month, potting three points to become just the second Boston skater to do so in his first-ever game. In 29 contests with Harvard this season, Donato recorded 26 goals and 17 assists.

Gaudette, a fifth-round pick by the Canucks in 2015, is the final nominee. The Massachusetts native led Northeastern with 60 points in 38 games this season. Gaudette agreed to terms with Vancouver on Monday.

The initial 10 nominees for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award were announced earlier this month.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Will Butcher took home the trophy last season.

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Scratch Carey Price's name off the list.

The Montreal Canadiens netminder will not suit up for Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

It's been an injury-riddled campaign for Price, who's been limited to just 16 wins in 46 appearances this season. Meanwhile, when he has been in the crease, he hasn't looked like the Price of old, as he owns a career-worst .902 save percentage and 3.07 GAA.

Price returned to action last Wednesday after missing 13 games with a concussion. He also missed 10 games earlier this year with a lower-body injury.

The possibility existed that Price, whose Canadiens will not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, could use the World Championships to get his game back on track, but it's now a moot point given Thursday's report.

Price has previously suited up for Canada at the Winter Olympics, World Cup, and World Juniors, but he has never participated in the World Championships.

The 2018 World Championships will be hosted in Denmark and begin May 4.

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Chalk up another accolade for Connor McDavid.

The Edmonton Oilers captain was named the NHL's first star of the week Monday after collecting 10 points over his last four appearances, including a four-point outing against the Ottawa Senators. McDavid sits four points ahead of Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov for the league lead in scoring with 99 points.

After collecting three straight victories, St. Louis Blues netminder Jake Allen is the NHL's second star of the week. The stretch saw Allen post three consecutive games in which he allowed a single goal, while turning aside 73 shots.

Winnipeg Jets rookie forward Kyle Connor is the NHL's third star of the week after he notched six points in three games, including overtime-winning goals over the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. Connor ranks tied for first with Vancouver's Brock Boeser in rookie goal scoring with 29 tallies on the season.

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