NHL Projected Lineups - Game Day April 01, 2026
Date: March 31, 2026
By IceHockeyMan Newsroom
Update: Additional matchups will be added as projected lineups are updated throughout the day.
Boston Bruins vs Dallas Stars
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Boston Bruins - Projected lineup
Forwards
Khusnutdinov - Minten - Pastrnak
Mittelstadt - Zacha - Arvidsson
Reichel - Lindholm - Geekie
Jeannot - Kuraly - Kastelic
Defense
Aspirot - McAvoy
Zadorov - Peeke
H. Lindholm - Jokiharju
Goalies
Korpisalo
Swayman
Scratched: Steeves, Harris, Eyssimont
Injured: Lohrei
IHM Lineup Note:
Boston structure revolves around Pastrnak-driven offense and strong defensive layers.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Medium
Forecheck: Physical
Blue Line: Stable
Goalie Stability: Strong
X-Factor: Pastrnak
Dallas Stars - Projected lineup
Forwards
Robertson - Johnston - Rantanen
Benn - Duchene - Bourque
Back - Hryckowian - Blackwell
Hughes - Hyry - Erne
Defense
Lindell - Heiskanen
Harley - Lundkvist
Bichsel - Lyubushkin
Goalies
Oettinger
DeSmith
Scratched: Capobianco, Petrovic, Myers
Injured: Faksa, Hintz, Seguin, Steel, Bastian, Bunting
IHM Lineup Note:
Dallas drives play through elite puck movement and transition control.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Controlled
Forecheck: Layered
Blue Line: Mobile
Goalie Stability: Strong
X-Factor: Heiskanen
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Dallas
Transition Edge: Dallas
Defensive Stability: Boston
Goaltending Edge: Dallas
Game Control Projection: Dallas control
Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Buffalo Sabres - Projected lineup
Forwards
Krebs - Thompson - Tuch
Zucker - McLeod - Quinn
Benson - Norris - Doan
Greenway - Carrick - Malenstyn
Defense
Samuelsson - Dahlin
Byram - Power
Stanley - Metsa
Goalies
Luukkonen
Ellis
Scratched: Kesselring, Timmins, Lyon, Schenn
Injured: Ostlund, Kulich, Danforth
IHM Lineup Note:
Buffalo plays aggressive offensive hockey through Thompson and Dahlin.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: High
Forecheck: Aggressive
Blue Line: Offensive
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Thompson
New York Islanders - Projected lineup
Forwards
Lee - Horvat - Heineman
Ritchie - Schenn - Barzal
Palat - Pageau - Holmstrom
MacLean - Cizikas - Gatcomb
Defense
Schaefer - Pulock
Pelech - Soucy
Mayfield - Boqvist
Goalies
Rittich
Sorokin
Scratched: Duclair, George
Injured: DeAngelo, Palmieri, Romanov, Varlamov
IHM Lineup Note:
Islanders rely on structure and counterattack.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Controlled
Forecheck: Conservative
Blue Line: Defensive
Goalie Stability: Strong
X-Factor: Barzal
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Buffalo
Transition Edge: Buffalo
Defensive Stability: Islanders
Goaltending Edge: Islanders
Game Control Projection: Balanced
Florida Panthers vs Ottawa Senators
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Florida Panthers - Projected lineup
Forwards
Verhaeghe - Bennett - Tkachuk
Samoskevich - Luostarinen - Greer
Boqvist - Nosek - Gregor
Reinhardt - Kunin - Hinostroza
Defense
Forsling - Ekblad
Sebrango - Jones
Kulikov - Benning
Goalies
Tarasov
Bobrovsky
Scratched: Foote
Injured: Rodrigues, Reinhart, Barkov, Marchand
IHM Lineup Note:
Florida lineup is heavily impacted by injuries but still maintains offensive pressure.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: High
Forecheck: Aggressive
Blue Line: Mixed
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Tkachuk
Ottawa Senators - Projected lineup
Forwards
Batherson - Stutzle - Giroux
Tkachuk - Cozens - Greig
Cousins - Pinto - Amadio
Foegele - Eller - Zetterlund
Defense
Kleven - Zub
Matinpalo - Spence
Thompson - Yakemchuk
Goalies
Ullmark
Reimer
IHM Lineup Note:
Ottawa combines physical play with structured top-line skill.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Balanced
Forecheck: Heavy
Blue Line: Physical
Goalie Stability: Strong
X-Factor: Stutzle
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Florida
Transition Edge: Ottawa
Defensive Stability: Ottawa
Goaltending Edge: Ottawa
Game Control Projection: Ottawa edge
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit Red Wings
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Pittsburgh Penguins - Projected lineup
Forwards
Chinakhov - Crosby - Rust
Mantha - Rakell - Brazeau
Novak - Kindel - Hayes
Soderblom - Dewar - Acciari
Defense
Wotherspoon - Karlsson
Girard - Letang
Shea - Clifton
Goalies
Skinner
Silovs
IHM Lineup Note:
Penguins rely on elite playmaking and experience.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Controlled
Forecheck: Smart
Blue Line: Offensive
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Crosby
Detroit Red Wings - Projected lineup
Forwards
Finnie - Larkin - Raymond
DeBrincat - Copp - Kane
Perron - Compher - Mazur
Van Riemsdyk - Kasper - Appleton
Defense
Edvinsson - Seider
Chiarot - Faulk
Johansson - Bernard-Docker
Goalies
Gibson
Talbot
IHM Lineup Note:
Detroit pushes pace with strong transition and wing scoring.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Fast
Forecheck: Active
Blue Line: Mobile
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Larkin
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Pittsburgh
Transition Edge: Detroit
Defensive Stability: Pittsburgh
Goaltending Edge: Even
Game Control Projection: Open game
New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
New York Rangers - Projected lineup
Forwards
Perreault - Zibanejad - Lafreniere
Kartye - Miller - Sheary
Cuylle - Trocheck - Sykora
Brodzinski - Laba - Chmelar
Defense
Gavrikov - Fox
Fortescue - Schneider
Robertson - Borgen
Goalies
Shesterkin
Garand
IHM Lineup Note:
Rangers rely on elite goaltending and structure.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Controlled
Forecheck: Balanced
Blue Line: Structured
Goalie Stability: Elite
X-Factor: Shesterkin
New Jersey Devils - Projected lineup
Forwards
Meier - Hischier - Mercer
Bratt - Hughes - Brown
Hameenaho - Glass - Bjugstad
Dadonov - Cotter - Tsyplakov
Defense
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Hughes - Kovacevic
Dillon - Nemec
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
IHM Lineup Note:
Devils emphasize speed and creativity.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: High
Forecheck: Aggressive
Blue Line: Offensive
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Hughes
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Devils
Transition Edge: Devils
Defensive Stability: Rangers
Goaltending Edge: Rangers
Game Control Projection: Tight matchup
Washington Capitals vs Philadelphia Flyers
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Washington Capitals - Projected lineup
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin - Dylan Strome - Connor McMichael
Anthony Beauvillier - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Tom Wilson
Hendrix Lapierre - Justin Sourdif - Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime - David Kampf - Ivan Miroshnichenko
Defense
Martin Fehervary - Rasmus Sandin
Jakub Chychrun - Trevor van Riemsdyk
Cole Hutson - Matt Roy
Goalies
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren
Scratched: Ethen Frank, Declan Chisholm, Dylan McIlrath, Timothy Liljegren
Injured: Aleksei Protas (upper body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Washington gets a fresh support layer with Kampf entering the lineup, while Ovechkin and Strome remain the key finishing engine. The Capitals still look most comfortable when they can play a controlled game through structure and veteran puck management.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Controlled
Forecheck: Direct pressure
Blue Line: Stable two-way play
Goalie Stability: Strong
X-Factor: Ovechkin finishing gravity
Philadelphia Flyers - Projected lineup
Forwards
Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone
Denver Barkey - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett
Carl Grundstrom - Noah Cates - Matvei Michkov
Sean Couturier - Luke Glendening - Garnet Hathaway
Defense
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Emil Andrae
Goalies
Dan Vladar
Samuel Ersson
Scratched: Garrett Wilson, Alex Bump
Injured: Tyson Foerster (arm), Rodrigo Abols (lower body), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body), Noah Juulsen (undisclosed)
IHM Lineup Note:
Philadelphia adds a major storyline with Martone making his NHL debut, and the Flyers still have enough pace through Konecny, Zegras, Tippett and Michkov to pressure coverage. Their forward group looks more dynamic than their depth injuries might suggest.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Medium-high
Forecheck: Active pressure
Blue Line: Mobile support
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Martone debut energy
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Flyers
Transition Edge: Flyers
Defensive Stability: Capitals
Goaltending Edge: Capitals
Game Control Projection: Washington has the cleaner structure, but Philadelphia can make this dangerous if their speed lineups establish pace early.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Tampa Bay Lightning - Projected lineup
Forwards
Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Nikita Kucherov
Gage Gonclaves - Brayden Point - Jake Guentzel
Zemgus Girgensons - Yanni Gourde - Pontus Holmberg
Corey Perry - Nick Paul - Scott Sabourin
Defense
Darren Raddysh - J.J. Moser
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg - Charle-Edouard D’Astous
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Scratched: Oliver Bjorkstrand, Steve Santini, Victor Hedman
Injured: Declan Carlile (undisclosed), Maxwell Crozier (core muscle), Dominic James (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Tampa still carries elite scoring pressure through Kucherov, Point, Guentzel and Hagel, even with Hedman unavailable. Vasilevskiy remains the stabilizing force that allows the Lightning to survive stretches where the defensive structure bends.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Medium-high
Forecheck: Structured pressure
Blue Line: Reduced without Hedman
Goalie Stability: Elite
X-Factor: Kucherov health and playmaking
Montreal Canadiens - Projected lineup
Forwards
Cole Caufield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook - Oliver Kapanen - Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc - Jake Evans - Josh Anderson
Joe Veleno - Phillip Danault - Brendan Gallagher
Defense
Mike Matheson - Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble - Lane Hutson
Kaiden Guhle - Arber Xhekaj
Goalies
Jakub Dobes
Jacob Fowler
Scratched: Samuel Montembeault, Adam Engstrom
Injured: Kirby Dach (upper body), Alexandre Texier (lower body), Alexander Carrier (upper body), Patrik Laine (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Montreal continues to lean on Suzuki, Caufield and Demidov for offensive creativity while Matheson and Dobson give them strong puck-moving support. Anderson’s return gives the Canadiens more straight-line pressure and physical detail.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Medium-high
Forecheck: Active support game
Blue Line: Strong puck movement
Goalie Stability: Unclear compared to Tampa
X-Factor: Demidov offensive reads
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Tampa
Transition Edge: Tampa
Defensive Stability: Tampa
Goaltending Edge: Tampa
Game Control Projection: Montreal has enough skill to create moments, but Tampa owns the stronger all-zone structure and finishing ceiling.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Carolina Hurricanes
Faceoff: 01:30 CET
Columbus Blue Jackets - Projected lineup
Forwards
Mason Marchment - Adam Fantilli - Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner - Sean Monahan - Conor Garland
Cole Sillinger - Charlie Coyle - Danton Heinen
Kent Johnson - Isac Lundestrom - Miles Wood
Defense
Zach Werenski - Dante Fabbro
Egor Zamula - Ivan Provorov
Denton Mateychuk - Erik Gudbranson
Goalies
Jet Greaves
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratched: Jake Christiansen, Luca Del Bel Belluz
Injured: Damon Severson (upper body), Dmitri Voronkov (hand), Mathieu Olivier (upper body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Columbus still has enough offensive bite through Fantilli, Marchenko, Monahan and Werenski to make this dangerous, but the blue line is thinner without Severson. Johnson returning gives the lineup more skill and more puck-carrying support deeper in the forward group.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Medium-high
Forecheck: Competitive pressure
Blue Line: Weaker than usual depth
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Fantilli transition pushes
Carolina Hurricanes - Projected lineup
Forwards
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers - Jordan Staal - Jordan Martinook
William Carrier - Mark Jankowski - Eric Robinson
Defense
Jaccob Slavin - Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller - Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere - Alexander Nikishin
Goalies
Brandon Bussi
Frederik Andersen
Scratched: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mike Reilly
Injured: Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Carolina remains one of the league’s cleanest structure-and-pressure teams, and their forward depth keeps pressure alive shift after shift. Bussi starting is the only change, so the Hurricanes still bring a stable overall tactical identity.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: High pressure pace
Forecheck: Elite layered pressure
Blue Line: Strong mobility and support
Goalie Stability: Slightly reduced with Bussi over Andersen
X-Factor: Aho line pace control
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Carolina
Transition Edge: Carolina
Defensive Stability: Carolina
Goaltending Edge: Carolina
Game Control Projection: Columbus has enough offensive talent to respond in spurts, but Carolina still carries the stronger system, pressure profile and overall control path.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Winnipeg Jets
Faceoff: 02:30 CET
Chicago Blackhawks - Projected lineup
Forwards
Ryan Greene - Connor Bedard - Frank Nazar
Tyler Bertuzzi - Anton Frondell - Nick Lardis
Andre Burakovsky - Ryan Donato - Ilya Mikheyev
Teuvo Teravainen - Sam Lafferty - Landon Slaggert
Defense
Alex Vlasic - Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser - Sam Rinzel
Kevin Korchinski - Ethan Del Mastro
Goalies
Spencer Knight
Arvid Soderblom
Scratched: Sacha Boisvert, Dominic Toninato
Injured: Oliver Moore (lower body), Andrew Mangiapane (upper body), Matt Grzelcyk (upper body), Artyom Levshunov (fractured left hand)
IHM Lineup Note:
Chicago still has enough youth, pace and skill through Bedard, Nazar and Donato to create danger, but the lineup is clearly lighter on structure than Winnipeg’s. The Blackhawks need their top skill to convert early before the game settles into a more physical pattern.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Medium-high if Chicago controls flow
Forecheck: Active but inconsistent
Blue Line: Weaker than Winnipeg
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Bedard shot creation
Winnipeg Jets - Projected lineup
Forwards
Kyle Connor - Mark Scheifele - Alex Iafallo
Cole Perfetti - Adam Lowry - Gabriel Vilardi
Cole Koepke - Jonathan Toews - Brad Lambert
Isak Rosen - Danii Zhilkin - Parker Ford
Defense
Josh Morrissey - Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg - Elias Salomonsson
Jacob Bryson - Dylan DeMelo
Goalies
Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie
Scratched: Ville Heinola, Haydn Fleury
Injured: Morgan Barron (concussion), Nino Niederreiter (knee), Colin Miller (knee), Vladislav Namestnikov (lower body), Gustav Nyqvist (undisclosed)
IHM Lineup Note:
Winnipeg remains built around Hellebuyck’s stability, Scheifele’s top-line control and Morrissey’s transition support. Even with injuries, the Jets still look like the more structurally complete team in this matchup.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Controlled with selective pushes
Forecheck: Disciplined
Blue Line: Stronger structure than Chicago
Goalie Stability: Elite
X-Factor: Hellebuyck game control
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Winnipeg
Transition Edge: Winnipeg
Defensive Stability: Winnipeg
Goaltending Edge: Winnipeg
Game Control Projection: Chicago can generate moments through talent, but Winnipeg owns the stronger structure and should control more of the full-game rhythm.
Edmonton Oilers vs Seattle Kraken
Faceoff: 03:00 CET
Edmonton Oilers - Projected lineup
Forwards
Vasily Podkolzin - Connor McDavid - Matthew Savoie
Jack Roslovic - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Zach Hyman
Josh Samanski - Jason Dickinson - Kasperi Kapanen
Max Jones - Adam Henrique - Curtis Lazar
Defense
Mattias Ekholm - Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse - Connor Murphy
Jake Walman - Ty Emberson
Goalies
Connor Ingram
Tristan Jarry
Scratched: Roby Jarventie, Spencer Stastney
Injured: Colton Dach (undisclosed), Leon Draisaitl (lower body), Trent Frederic (undisclosed), Mattias Janmark (shoulder)
IHM Lineup Note:
Edmonton still runs through McDavid’s pace and Bouchard’s puck movement, but the lineup remains thinner without Draisaitl. The Oilers need clean support below the top line to avoid giving Seattle too much space to push back in waves.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: High when McDavid drives it
Forecheck: Pressure off quick entries
Blue Line: Strong puck movement
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: McDavid transition control
Seattle Kraken - Projected lineup
Forwards
Berkly Catton - Matty Beniers - Jordan Eberle
Bobby McMann - Chandler Stephenson - Kaapo Kakko
Jared McCann - Shane Wright - Eeli Tolvanen
Ben Meyers - Oscar Fisker-Molgaard - Frederick Gaudreau
Defense
Vince Dunn - Adam Larsson
Ryker Evans - Brandon Montour
Ryan Lindgren - Jamie Oleksiak
Goalies
Philipp Grubauer
Joey Daccord
Scratched: Cale Fleury, Josh Mahura, Jacob Melanson, Logan Morrison, Matt Murray, Ryan Winterton
Injured: Jaden Schwartz (upper body), Shane Wright (undisclosed)
IHM Lineup Note:
Seattle still carries enough blue-line movement and top-nine skill to make this competitive, especially if Beniers and McCann can keep the pace high. The Kraken are most dangerous when they turn games into fast, multi-wave attacks rather than a settled half-ice structure.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Pace: Medium-high
Forecheck: Active support pressure
Blue Line: Mobile and attack-oriented
Goalie Stability: Medium
X-Factor: Dunn-Montour puck movement
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Edmonton
Transition Edge: Edmonton
Defensive Stability: Edmonton slight edge
Goaltending Edge: Even
Game Control Projection: Edmonton has the higher ceiling through McDavid, but Seattle has enough depth and pace to make this uncomfortable if the Oilers lose structure outside the top unit.
Q&A: Projected Lineups and Starting Goalies
What are projected lineups?
Expected combinations based on latest reports.
Can lineups change?
Yes, before puck drop.
Are goalies confirmed?
Usually but not guaranteed.
Why do lines change?
Matchups and injuries.
Main factor?
Goaltending and chemistry.