NHL Player News

Middleton (hand) was placed on long-term injured reserve Friday.

Middleton sustained a hand injury during Thursday's game against the Oilers and will be forced to miss multiple weeks after his move to LTIR on Friday. The defenseman may require surgery to address his injury, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Over his first 29 appearances of the season, Middleton had racked up five goals, eight assists, 76 blocked shots, 42 hits and 15 PIM while averaging 20:36 of ice time. Cameron Crotty could see some playing time in the near future, while Jonas Brodin (upper body) resumed skating this week.

Per Heather Engel of NHL.com, Dahlin (back) returned to the ice Friday and is progressing, according to head coach Lindy Ruff.

Dahlin has been missed on the Sabres' blue line, as he has four goals and 13 assists while averaging 24:42 of ice time over 25 games. Dahlin has already missed four games, and his return may not be imminent.

Bichsel scored his first career goal while adding a team-high five hits, two shots on net, two PIM and a plus-1 rating in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Predators.

In his NHL debut, the 20-year-old defenseman spoiled a shutout bid for Justus Annunen with a quick shot from the top of the faceoff circle midway through the third period. Bichsel, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, isn't going to see prime ice time on a blue line that already has Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell entrenched in key roles, but he appears ready to handle a regular shift while Matt Dumba (upper body) is sidelined.

Miller (upper body) won't travel with the Rangers for the start of their upcoming road trip, which begins Sunday in St. Louis, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports.

Miller exited Wednesday's game against the Sabres due to an upper-body injury, and he'll be forced to miss some time due to the issue. The Rangers also face the Kings at home Saturday, so it seems as though Miller will also be sidelined for that matchup. Connor Mackey is in line to serve as the team's sixth defenseman in Miller's absence.

Dobson picked up a goal and an assist in Thursday's 5-4 win over Chicago.

The 24-year-old blueliner continues to put a sluggish start to the season behind him. Dobson has collected two goals and nine points over the last 10 games, and that surge has come without the benefit of much power-play production -- he has just two helpers with the man advantage over that stretch. He has only six power-play points -- all assists -- through 31 contests this season, a far cry from the 24 power-play points he racked up in 2023-24.

Brodie scored his first goal of the season in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Islanders.

The veteran blueliner blasted a shot through traffic midway through the third period that eluded Ilya Sorokin, starting a late rally that nearly erased a 5-1 deficit. Brodie has had a tough first season in Chicago, managing six points in 26 appearances with 34 blocked shots, 12 shots on net, eight hits, six PIM and a minus-8 rating.

Pesce scored a shorthanded goal in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Kings.

The 30-year-old blueliner gave the Devils an insurance tally late in the third period when Jack Hughes' initial shot was blocked by Brandt Clarke, but Pesce then followed up and used the Kings defender as a screen. It was Pesce's first goal of the season and only his second point in 23 appearances, and his first career shortie in his 10th NHL campaign.

Martinez (neck) was placed on injured reserve Friday, retroactive to Dec. 7, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Martinez has missed the last two games due to a neck injury, and he returned to Chicago on Thursday in order to be further evaluated. As a result, it isn't very surprising to see him land on injured reserve, and a better idea of his status could come into focus after he's evaluated by the team's medical staff.

Dunn scored a goal on four shots in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Bruins.

Dunn continues to bring an extra level to the Kraken's defense. He has three goals and four helpers since he returned from an upper-body injury, getting on the scoresheet in five of his last seven games. The blueliner batted home a third-period tally Thursday, which was upheld on a review to check for a high stick. Dunn is up to four goals, 10 points, 28 shots on net, 16 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 11 appearances.

Walman generated a goal and an assist in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Blues.

Walman registered an assist on the man advantage in the second period, and his goal to put San Jose up 4-2 in the third period stood as the eventual game-winner. The Ontario native was all over the scoresheet Thursday -- he logged four shots on net, three blocked shots, one takeaway and a plus-1 rating to go along with a team-high 23:52 of ice time. Walman was highly productive in November with 10 points in as many games, but he had just one point over four games in December prior to Thursday's multi-point effort. The Sharks' No. 1 blueliner is leading the club on the back end in scoring with five goals and 17 assists through 27 appearances. The 28-year-old also set a new career high in points in his sixth NHL campaign.