NHL Player News

Kurashev (upper body) won't be with the Sharks when they leave for a four-game road trip, Max Miller of NHL.com reports, though he could join up later if cleared.

Kurashev has been out of action since getting hurt Dec. 13 versus the Penguins, a stretch of 12 games on injured reserve. Prior to getting hurt, the winger was mired in a 12-game goal drought, during which he generated a mere 11 shots to go with three helpers.

Lizotte agreed to terms on a three-year, $6.75 million contract extension with Pittsburgh on Monday.

While Lizotte may not have a ton of fantasy upside, he has 10 points in 35 games this season, but he plays significant shorthanded minutes for the Penguins (2:32 per game). As such, it's not a shock to see the organization locking up the fourth-line center for another three years at a reasonable $2.25 million cap hit.

Karlsson (lower body) is not expected back before the March 6 trade deadline, SinBin Vegas reports Monday.

Karlsson could be in danger of missing the rest of the season, and it appears surgery has not been ruled out. If the team does officially shut the 33-year-old center down, it would be able to get the full relief from his $5.9 million cap hit. If this does mark the end of his season, Karlsson will finish the year having generated four goals and three assists in 14 contests.

Thomas (lower body) is questionable for Tuesday's matchup against Carolina, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Thomas didn't participate in Monday's practice. He has compiled 11 goals, 33 points, 60 shots on net and 23 blocked shots across 42 appearances this season. If Thomas is unavailable to play against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, Brayden Schenn will probably center the Blues' top line.

Rossi (lower body) is expected to be sidelined for 2-3 more weeks, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Rossi's timeline puts him in danger of not returning before the Olympic break. In his eight games with the Canucks since being acquired via trade, the 24-year-old center has notched one goal, one assist and nine shots. At this point, there is little chance that Rossi will reach the 60-point threshold as he did last season, and he could be at risk of missing the 40-point mark.

Eriksson Ek (lower body) will not be in the lineup versus New Jersey on Monday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Eriksson Ek will miss his second straight game due to his lower-body problem, but he continues to be classified as day-to-day. Over his last 11 outings, the 28-year-old center generated four goals, four assists and 34 shots while averaging 18:26 of ice time. Once given the all-clear, Eriksson Ek should reclaim a spot in the top six for the Wild in addition to seeing power-play minutes.

Ivan was recalled from AHL Colorado on Monday.

Ivan has contributed one assist, three shots on goal, one blocked shot and one hit in four NHL outings this season. He will probably occupy a fourth-line role against the Maple Leafs on Monday.

Hischier scored a goal on two shots in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Jets.

Hischier has three goals over his last six games after going 13 contests over the bulk of December without scoring. The 27-year-old center is still looking to improve his consistency, and he has just two multi-point efforts since the start of December, so he hasn't been very explosive either. He's up to 13 goals, 33 points, 120 shots on net, 41 blocked shots, 36 hits and a minus-6 rating over 45 outings this season, mainly in a top-line role.

Toews scored a goal and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Devils.

This was Toews' second game in a row with a goal, and he's gotten on the scoresheet in six of the Jets' last nine contests. That's been enough for him to regain a second-line role after a dip into the bottom six. Toews is at five goals, 15 points, 60 shots on net, 23 blocked shots, 22 PIM and a minus-11 rating through 44 appearances this season.

Vilardi scored a goal on four shots and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Devils.

Vilardi has two goals and five assists over six games in January. His tally Sunday tied the contest at 3-3 late in the second period. The 26-year-old remains a steady scorer in the top six, earning 18 goals, 40 points, 90 shots on net and a plus-1 rating over 44 appearances this season. The Jets have gotten out of their funk with back-to-back wins, so Vilardi should be able to continue contributing strong offense as the team aims for better results.