Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said he plans to start Frederik Andersen between the pipes Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

Andersen hasn't played since March 19 due to a knee injury.

The 31-year-old started two games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies this past week on a conditioning stint, stopping 46 of 52 shots for an .885 save percentage.

The 2020-21 campaign has been easily Andersen's worst in the NHL. He's posted an .897 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average in 23 appearances.

Toronto has two regular-season games left before the playoffs begin.

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ESPN is beginning to assemble its on-air talent ahead of becoming the NHL's primary broadcaster in the United States next season.

Ray Ferraro and Brian Boucher signed with the network as lead analysts, reports Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Ferraro is TSN's top color analyst in Canada. ESPN owns a minority stake in TSN, so it's unclear how this would affect Ferraro's role with his current employer. The 56-year-old spent 18 seasons in the NHL as a player, racking up 898 points in 1,259 games.

Boucher is currently a color analyst for NBC, which will no longer broadcast NHL games beginning next season. The 44-year-old played 13 years in the NHL as a goaltender, winning 120 games.

ESPN has yet to finalize its play-by-play commentators, but Steve Levy and Sean McDonough are viewed as leading internal candidates, reports Marchand.

The legendary Gary Thorne, who was ESPN's lead NHL announcer from 1992-2004, said in March that he would "love to talk to" the network about a reunion.

The Walt Disney Company, which owns ESPN and ABC, is paying the NHL over $400 million per season for the duration of a seven-year agreement that begins in 2021-22. Four Stanley Cup Finals will be broadcast on ABC during that span.

Turner Sports picked up the "B package" of the NHL's TV deal in the United States, paying $225 million over seven years, and gets the other three Stanley Cup Finals.

Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk, who will call this season's Stanley Cup Final for NBC, are reportedly joining Turner next season.

Turner is reportedly eyeing Wayne Gretzky for a broadcasting role after his talks with ESPN fell apart.

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The NHL revealed its 31 nominees for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Monday.

The award is given to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey."

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom may be considered the front-runner this season after announcing he was cancer-free in December. Lindblom was one of three finalists last year.

Bobby Ryan won last season as a member of the Ottawa Senators. He entered the player assistance program to help fight his battle with alcoholism.

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Calgary Flames players and fans alike have found themselves in an uncomfortable position with the season winding down: They have to root for the Edmonton Oilers.

The Flames' playoff hopes were kept alive with their 6-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night. In order to qualify for the postseason, Calgary has to win all four of its remaining games, and the Montreal Canadiens have to lose both of their final contests - which come against the Oilers - in regulation.

"We just have to win and pray. That's all we can do tomorrow," Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk said following Sunday's game.

He added: "Never thought we'd root for Edmonton but we need them to win these."

The Flames and Oilers are fierce provincial rivals. Tkachuk was smack dab in the middle of the most recent chapter of the Battle of Alberta last season when he and Zack Kassian went after each other on numerous occasions.

Johnny Gaudreau is hoping Connor McDavid can continue his brilliance against the Habs when the Flames need it most.

"I hope Connor can do his thing," Gaudreau said.

Flames head coach Darryl Sutter downplayed the scenario during an awkward exchange with Sportsnet's Eric Francis.

The Habs and Oilers will square off Monday and Wednesday in Montreal, while the Flames aren't back in action until Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.

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If Victor Hedman hasn't looked like himself at times this season, there's a logical explanation as to why.

The Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman has been playing through a lower-body injury that will require surgery in the offseason, Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reported on Saturday's "Headlines" segment.

Johnston said Hedman's injury occurred on March 30 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Here's a look at the play in question:

The Lightning held Hedman out of Saturday's game against the Florida Panthers due to a lower-body injury. It was the first contest he's missed all season. Johnston noted the 30-year-old Swede does plan to play in the postseason.

Hedman ranks third among NHL blue-liners with 45 points in 54 games, but the Lightning's 51.3% expected goals percentage with him on the ice at five-on-five stands to be their worst such mark since 2012-13, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Tampa has been especially outplayed with Hedman on the ice at five-on-five since that March 30 contest, owning a 48.6% share of the expected goals and a 39% share of the high-danger scoring chances in that span.

Hedman has been a Norris Trophy finalist in each of the last four seasons, winning the award in 2017-18. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP following the Lightning's Stanley Cup triumph last summer.

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon will have a hearing for roughing Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

Maroon escaped the linesman's grasp to give Montour a shot while the two players exchanged words on Saturday.

Maroon then taunted the Panthers bench while being escorted off the ice.

The incident occurred with the Panthers up 5-1 late in the third period. He and Montour both received two-minute minors and 10-minute misconducts.

The Panthers and Lightning will meet again Monday in the regular-season finale before squaring off in a potentially highly entertaining first-round playoff matchup. It will mark the first-ever postseason meeting between the in-state rivals.

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Montreal Canadiens center Phillip Danault suffered a concussion during Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme announced.

Danault was already ruled out for Saturday's rematch against Toronto.

The 28-year-old has registered five goals and 19 assists in 53 games this season. Ducharme said Danault was playing through other injuries before suffering the concussion, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.

Montreal was already weak down the middle of the ice; the team will now be forced to rely more heavily on youngsters Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi and veteran Eric Staal.

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The NHL will relax its COVID-19 protocols for playoff teams once 85% of a club's traveling party has been fully vaccinated for two weeks, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The easements will reportedly allow players to gather socially outside of team facilities, eat and drink outdoors at restaurants, and spend time in each other's hotel rooms.

Additionally, face coverings and social distancing will no longer be required for team meetings and social gatherings, and players won't have to receive PCR testing on off days, notes Johnston.

The changes will only affect U.S.-based teams, for the time being, reports Johnston. Players on Canadian teams have reportedly started to receive their first vaccine shots, but none of the North Division clubs currently qualify for relaxed protocols.

The modifications are reportedly subject to withdrawal for multiple reasons, such as a COVID-19 outbreak. They could also apparently be adjusted if the NHL reaches a deal with Canada's federal government to allow cross-border travel during the third and fourth rounds of the playoffs.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner criticized the NHL in April for its handling of restrictions for vaccinated players, saying the league had failed to keep its promises to ease protocols.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly disputed Lehner's claim that the league made any promises to players regarding post-vaccination protocol changes.

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Vancouver Canucks forward Zack MacEwen will have a hearing for kneeing Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday.

MacEwen appeared to stick his knee out and clip Nurse's face while the Oilers blue-liner was down on the ice.

Nurse went after MacEwen later in the game.

The two players eventually decided to settle things by dropping the gloves.

MacEwen has two points and 40 penalty minutes in 29 games this season.

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said Friday that his goal is to be ready for the postseason opener.

"Everything seems to be trending in that direction," he said, according to NHL.com's Caley Chelios.

Stamkos has been out of the lineup since April 8 due to a lower-body injury. The team was initially optimistic he'd return when he was eligible to come off long-term injured reserve last week.

The 31-year-old has suffered numerous injuries in the latter half of his career. He missed all but 2:47 of the team's playoff run last year due to a lower-body injury, though he did score a goal in that brief time.

Stamkos said that the surgeries he's had, including procedures on his knee, leg, and core, are "all connected" in some way.

"You're never going to feel the same after all that stuff," he said, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith. "No one wants to be out there more than myself."

As usual, Stamkos was productive when healthy this season, racking up 17 goals and 34 points in 38 games.

Nikita Kucherov, who's been out for the entire season with a hip injury, resumed skating nearly two months ago and could also return to the lineup when the playoffs get underway.

With the Carolina Hurricanes inching closer to clinching the Central Division title, it's looking more and more like the Lightning will be matched up with their in-state rivals the Florida Panthers in Round 1 of the postseason.

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