NHL Player News

Forsling logged an assist, three shots on goal, two hits, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Utah.

Forsling has three points over his last five contests, a marked improvement compared to the two points he registered over the prior 17 games. The 28-year-old blueliner doesn't necessarily have to score to be effective on the ice, but it is crucial to his fantasy value. Forsling has six goals, 10 helpers, 106 shots on net, 39 hits, 46 blocked shots and a plus-21 rating through 42 appearances this season.

Mikkola (upper body) is expected to be in the lineup versus Utah on Wednesday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Mikkola missed five games with the injury, but it looks like he's ready to resume a top-four role. He skating on the second pairing in warmups. Mikkola had gone without a point in three games prior to his absence, so he'll be looking to get his offense back on track.

Ekblad (undisclosed) is expected to play versus Utah on Wednesday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Ekblad was unavailable Monday versus the Avalanche, but it looks like that will be the extent of his absence. The 28-year-old defenseman took line rushes in warmups on the top pairing, and he should also feature on the power play in his return.

Petry (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, retroactive to Jan. 2.

Petry would be eligible to return Friday versus the Blackhawks, but this roster move makes that unlikely to happen. The 37-year-old defenseman doesn't have a clear timeline to return after getting hurt against the Blue Jackets on Jan. 2.

Forbort (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday versus the Capitals, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports.

Forbort was labeled a game-time decision but does not appear to be at risk of missing a contest with the issue. The 32-year-old blueliner should be able to take on a little less ice time now that Quinn Hughes is back in action. Forbort has three assists and 16 blocked shots over 13 appearances this season.

Suter produced an assist, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Wild.

Suter ended his 11-game skid with the helper. While he saw first-pairing minutes for a large segment of the season following Nick Leddy's lower-body injury and a knee issue that sidelined Philip Broberg for nearly a month, the Cam Fowler trade has bolstered the Blues' defense enough to keep Suter on the third pairing now. He's unlikely to generate as much offense in a more limited role. The 39-year-old is at eight points, 33 shots on net, 53 blocked shots, 26 hits and a plus-1 rating through 42 appearances.

Faulk notched two assists, three shots on goal and a minus-3 rating in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Wild.

Faulk helped out on goals by Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou, with the latter's tally coming on the power play. This was Faulk's first game back after missing two due to an upper-body injury. The defenseman has six points over his last four outings, and he also earned his first power-play point since Dec. 10. For the season, the 32-year-old has 15 points, 68 shots on net, 48 hits, 52 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating over 38 appearances, but it looks like his offense is coming around.

Jiricek was recalled by the Wild on Wednesday.

Jiricek has spent nearly a month at AHL Iowa, but he'll rejoin the NHL club Wednesday since Brock Faber sustained an upper-body injury Tuesday against the Blues. Jiricek's role will likely depend on whether Faber is able to suit up in the near future, beginning with Thursday's home game against the Avalanche. However, Travis Dermott is also a candidate to enter the lineup in Faber's place, which would presumably leave Jiricek as an extra defenseman. Jiricek made six NHL appearances for the Blue Jackets earlier this year before being traded to Minnesota, and he logged an assist, six hits and four blocked shots while averaging 11:12 of ice time.

Mikkola (upper body) is set to be a game-time decision Wednesday versus Utah, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.

Mikkola is expected to take part in warmups before a determination on his status is made. He has four goals, 14 points, 53 hits and 47 blocks in 36 outings in 2024-25. Aaron Ekblad (undisclosed) is also a game-time call, so Florida has a lot of unknowns when it comes to its defense Wednesday.

Ekblad (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision for Wednesday's matchup against Utah, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Ekblad missed Monday's road game against the Avalanche due to an undisclosed issue, and his status for Wednesday's game is up in the air. Head coach Paul Maurice said that Ekblad will go through pregame warmups Wednesday and will play if he feels good afterward. Over his last 15 appearances, Ekblad has logged a goal, six shots, 22 hits, 19 blocked shots and 12 PIM while averaging 23:55 of ice time.