NHL Player News

Hunt was recalled from AHL Colorado on Saturday.

Hunt has a team-leading 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) in 70 games at the AHL level this campaign. He will provide depth on the blue line for the Avalanche during the playoffs.

Lohrei was reassigned to AHL Providence on Saturday, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports.

Lohrei was recalled Friday to practice with the big club. He had four goals, 13 points, 32 hits and 63 blocks in 41 NHL games during the 2023-24 regular season. Lohrei will be in the lineup for Providence on Saturday against Bridgeport.

Pouliot was recalled from AHL Texas on Saturday, Sean Shapiro of EP Rinkside reports.

Pouliot isn't likely to suit up in the postseason for Dallas, but he'll provide extra depth on the blue line. Pouliot saw action in five NHL games this season, averaging 12:08 while failing to record a point. He had nine goals and 46 points in 64 AHL contests.

Jensen (upper body) skated in a non-contact jersey before practice Saturday, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.

Jensen was stretchered off the ice a week ago against Tampa Bay and missed the last two games of the regular season. Jensen will have to get better in a hurry if he hopes to play in Game 1 versus the Rangers on Sunday. Jensen had 14 points, 62 hits and 123 blocked shots in 78 games during the regular season. Should Jensen be unable to play, expect to see Vincent Iorio remain in the lineup.

Sandin (upper body) is at morning practice Saturday in a non-contact jersey, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

The Capitals play Game 1 versus the Rangers on Sunday, and it's starting to look like Sandin won't be ready to return. He missed the last five games of the regular season with the injury, finishing with three goals and 20 assists in 68 appearances. Should Sandin be unavailable Sunday, look for Dylan McIlrath to dress as the Capitals' sixth defenseman.

Maatta posted four goals, 14 assists, 96 blocked shots and a team-leading plus-14 rating through 72 games this season.

Maatta didn't post the type of stat that would enthrall the masses in fantasy hockey but was efficient for a retooled Red Wings blue line that desperately needed more cohesion and consistency. The 2024-25 campaign will be a contract year for Maatta before potentially being able to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

Walman finished the season with a career-high 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) to complement 42 hits and 151 blocked shots through 63 games.

Walman was bogged down by an illness in January, and a lower-body issue limited him to two games in the season's final month. But when healthy, Walman surfaced with a series of special moments. The skilled defenseman surged to a three-point performance while facing the Predators in the penultimate contest of 2023, and his penalty-shot goal in overtime against the Canucks on Feb. 11 roused the home crowd. Walman's industrious style of play makes him a good fit in Detroit, though he may be a bit too injury-prone to stay on fantasy rosters for a sustained period.

Chiarot finished with five goals, 15 assists, 163 hits and 167 blocked shots for the 2023-24 campaign.

Chiarot averaged 19:47 of ice time in his second season with the Red Wings. He's a serviceable blueliner, albeit not the type that will captivate the masses in fantasy hockey. Chiarot's power-play role was left behind in Montreal when the Habs dealt him to the Panthers in March of 2022, and the Wings have since rendered him more of a stay-at-home style of defenseman. Chiarot is halfway through a four-year, $19 million deal with the Wings, which has a modified no-trade clause baked in there as well.

Holl was a part-time player for the Red Wings in 2023-24, with five assists representing his point total through 38 games.

Expectations were high for Holl since the Wings granted him a three-year, $10.2 million contract last summer, but the right-shot defenseman wasn't utilized nearly as often as he was with the Maple Leafs for the first six years of his NHL career. In 2022-23, Holl picked up a pair of goals, 16 assists, 139 blocked shots and 151 hits in 80 games for Toronto, and he averaged 20:14 of ice time. The Wings' blue line was much more crowded in comparison this year, leaving Holl as the odd-man out in terms of opportunities.

Letang will get a second opinion to determine whether he'll need surgery to address his undisclosed injuries, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.

Although Letang was banged up down the stretch, he appeared in all 82 games for Pittsburgh during the 2023-24 season, racking up 10 goals and 51 points. Another update on the veteran blueliner's status should surface if surgery is required.