NHL Hockey Player News

Jones has not played since December 10th due to a shoulder injury but looks like he could return Saturday vs. Dallas after participating in full Friday at practice. The 29-year-old has struggled offensively this season with little help around him in Chicago, as he is yet to score a goal but has 11 assists, 60 SOG, 14 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 27 games prior to the injury. He'll lineup up on first power play and the Blackhawks' top defensive pairing when he does return.

With news that Erik Cernak (upper body) is day-to-day heading into the weekend, Maxwell Crozier has earned his first NHL call up Friday from Syracuse (AHL). The 23-year-old was Tampa Bay's 2019 fourth round pick (120th overall) and is only spending his first full season in the AHL this year after joining the team from Providence (NCAA) in 2022-23.

Perets was recalled on Friday as Pyotr Kochetkov is in concussion protocol and remains out of the lineup indefinitely after exiting Thursday's contest against the Anaheim Ducks. Perets, who has a .906 SV% and 2.62 GAA in 15 games with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL, will likely serve as the backup to Antti Raanta while Kochetkov is out of the lineup.

Kochetkov was replaced by Antti Raanta late in Thursday's victory over the Anaheim Ducks and needed to be assisted off the ice. The Hurricanes net likely belongs to Raanta in the interim while we wait for a more definitive timeline for Kochetkov's return to the lineup.

Smith exited Thursday's game against the Vancouver Canucks in the first period with an upper-body injury after playing only 3:08 time-on-ice. Smith has gone without a point in six straight games, his second pointless skid of six games or more and is expected to be out of the lineup for an extended period.

Cernak suffered an upper-body injury after taking a hit from Nathan Bastian late in the first period of Thursday's game against the New Jersey Devils. Cernak has five points (0G / 5A), 90 hits, and 62 blocks in 39 games this season.

Kupari played one game with the Manitoba Moose as part of a conditioning stint after being activated from IR earlier this week and could serve as a roster replacement for Mark Scheifele, who exited Thursday's game with a lower-body injury. Kupari was averaging 9:35 time-on-ice in the 14 games before his injury, tallying one point (0G / 1A) and a -3 plus/minus.

Tarasov will start for the fourth straight game on Saturday in the Blue Jackets' return to the ice in their first game since Tuesday. Tarasov has been underwhelming for the Blue Jackets this season, allowing four or more goals in five of his seven appearances (2-3-2), posting an ugly .883 SV%. The Blue Jackets have lost two straight (0-1-1) and will be hard-pressed to get back into the win column against a Seattle Kraken squad riding an eight-game winning streak.

After being recalled from Henderson (AHL) on Thursday, Saville backed up Logan Thompson. Jiri Patera took the night off after starting their previous game in Colorado and will likely return to backup duties in their next game unless Adin Hill is cleared to play. Saville has a .914 SV% and a 4-3-1 record with the Henderson Silver Knights this season.

Brink will be a healthy scratch on Friday, exiting the lineup for the first time in over a month, allowing Nicolas Deslauries to draw back into the lineup. Brink has been held off the scoresheet in five straight games and has seen his ice-time dip to 12:07 after averaging 14:44 and scoring seven points (3G / 4A) in his previous 10.

Deslauries was a scratch in the last game after playing in three straight games for the Flyers but will return to the lineup on Friday. In his last outing, he played 7:43 time-on-ice, recorded three hits, and two shots on goal while playing on a line with Garnet Hathaway and Ryan Poehling.

Hart did not play in Philadelphia's 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday but will return to the crease on Friday for the third time in the last four games. Hart has been limited to only one win in his last six appearances (1-2-2), allowing four or more goals three times and posting a subpar .890 SV%. That said, Hart has a favourable matchup against a Minnesota Wild club that has scored only 12 total goals in their last seven games (1-6-0).

Thompson managed to score two points (2G / 0A) in an eventual 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators but exited the contest after playing only 12:27 time-on-ice with an undisclosed injury. Thompson already missed a significant portion of the season earlier with an upper-body injury and was finally starting to get his game in order with 12 points (7G / 5A) in his last nine games after scoring six (2G / 4A) in his previous 13. Thompson's potential absence from the lineup would be a crushing blow for a Sabres offence already without Jeff Skinner (upper-body).

Forsberg exited Thursday's game against the Buffalo Sabres after making six of seven saves (.857 SV%) with a groin injury. A concrete update hasn't been provided yet, but he is expected to miss time as Joonas Korpisalo will take the reigns between the pipes for the Senators.

Norris did not play on Thursday due to an upper-body injury and has been ruled out of Saturday's contest against the San Jose Sharks as he is day-to-day. The 24-year-old Norris is amid a seven-game pointless skid but was having a decent season before then with 20 points (8G / 12A) in his first 26 games.

Foligno, currently on IR due to a fractured finger, has made an impact in his first season with the Blackhawks, scoring 17 points (8G / 9A) in 39 games, his best point-per-game pace (0.44) in five seasons. Foligno has also contributed an impressive 73 shots and 84 hits this season. His $4.5 million AAV next season ranks second among all forwards on the Blackhawks, only behind Taylor Hall ($6 million AAV).

Lindgren backed up Darcy Kuemper on Thursday, his first game back with the team after being on the injured reserve for five games with a lower-body injury. The Capitals have gone 2-3-1 since Lindgren last played. Before his injury, Lindgren saved 56 of the last 59 shots he faced (.949 SV%), posting a 1-0-1 record. The Capitals will be taking on a New York Rangers squad that defeated them 5-1 less than three weeks ago with Kuemper between the pipes.

Wilson did not play in Thursday's contest against the Seattle Kraken because of a broken nose but is hopeful he can return to the lineup on Saturday against the New York Rangers. Wilson played 15:13 time-on-ice in his last game, tallying four shots and two hits, matching his lowest hit output in nine games.

Ovechkin was a game-time decision ahead of Wednesday's game against the Seattle Kraken, but suited up and scored one point (0G / 1A) and fired five shots on goal in 16:40 time-on-ice. Despite an overall disappointing season for the future Hall-of-Famer, Ovechkin is riding a six-game point streak, scoring seven points (2G / 5A) in that span.

With Filip Gustavsson still out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, Minnesota turned to rookie Jesper Walstedt in between the pipes on Wednesday, but after allowing seven goals on 34 shots (.794 SV%), they will turn back to the Fleury. Since Gustavsson's injury, Fleury and the Wild have struggled immensely, but it's not all on the veteran netminder. Despite recording just one win in seven games since Fleury took over, Minnesota has been limited to only 12 total goals, not a recipe for success given Fleury's pedestrian .892 SV% in that span. That said, Minnesota is a slight -111 home favourite against a Philadelphia Flyers club that has lost five of their last seven games (2-3-2).