NHL Player News

Ekblad (lower body) is "close" to returning, but coach Paul Maurice wants the defender to log at least two "heavy practices" before rejoining the lineup, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Ekblad will miss a seventh straight contest Tuesday against Boston, but it sounds like he could be ready to return sooner rather than later. The 28-year-old vet has had a down year from an offensive standpoint, picking up just 17 points through 47 contests.

Forsling (illness) will be back in action Tuesday versus the Bruins, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Forsling is expected to return to a top-four role following his two-game absence. The 27-year-old Swede racked up seven points through his last eight games before missing time due to an illness.

Mayfield (lower body) underwent season-ending surgery, the team announced Tuesday.

The Isles didn't provide any clarification on the specific nature of Mayfield's lower-body injury but did say it wouldn't impact his offseason training program. The blueliner is in the first season of a seven-year deal he signed with the Isles in July of 2023. Even when healthy, Mayfield won't offer much in the way of fantasy value considering he has reached the 20-point threshold just once in his NHL career.

Graves (personal) returned to practice ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Carolina, freelance Penguins' reporter Shelly Anderson reports.

Graves missed Pittsburgh's two-game road trip following the birth of his child but is back on the ice ahead of Tuesday's tilt. Graves figures to reclaim his spot on the third pairing alongside John Ludvig, which will likely see Jack St. Ivany relegated to the press box or possibly returned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Considering Graves' minimal offensive impact this season, 14 points in 68 games, few fantasy players will have anxiously awaited his return.

Whitecloud notched an assist, two shots on goal and two PIM in Monday's 3-2 overtime win over the Blues.

Whitecloud has a helper in each of the last two games since he returned from a three-game stint as a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old's recent offense shouldn't be seen as a sign of things to come, as he remains in a third-pairing role. He's at 10 points, 43 shots on net, 106 hits, 90 blocked shots, 30 PIM and a minus-5 rating through 52 appearances on the year.

Theodore logged an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Monday's 2-1 overtime win over the Blues.

Theodore continues to be nearly automatic with 18 helpers over his last 16 contests. He's been held off the scoresheet just three times in that span. The 28-year-old defenseman is up to four goals, 32 assists, 83 shots on net, 61 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating through 36 contests on the year. Even with a three-month injury absence, Theodore ranks 32nd among NHL defensemen for points this season -- everyone else in the top 50 has played at least 55 games.

Cole notched an assist and three hits in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Kings.

Cole set up a Sam Lafferty tally in the first period. The 35-year-old Cole had been out of the lineup for the previous two games, though his lack of a scoring touch means that wasn't an issue for most fantasy managers. For the season, the hard-nosed defenseman has 10 points, 57 shots on net, 73 hits, 147 blocked shots, 57 PIM and a plus-11 rating over 69 appearances.

Hughes notched an assist and two PIM in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Kings.

After fading late in February, Hughes has bounced back with a goal and 10 helpers over 10 contests in March. The defenseman set up a Brock Boeser tally in the third period of Monday's loss. Hughes is up to 81 points, 169 shots on net, 45 blocked shots, 32 PIM and a plus-39 rating through 72 appearances. He needs just two more assists to reach 70 for the first time in his career, and just one more point would guarantee him a point-per-game campaign for the first time.

Spence logged an assist in Monday's 3-2 win over the Canucks.

Spence has two goals and three helpers over his last eight contests. The 23-year-old defenseman continues to see limited usage on the third-pairing, and the Kings' affinity for dressing seven blueliners has taken a further chunk out of his playing time. Spence is up to 21 points, 69 shots on net, 55 hits, 50 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating through 60 appearances, offering some scoring upside in deeper fantasy formats.

Olofsson was recalled from AHL Coachella Valley on Monday.

Olofsson dressed in three games for Seattle last year but has yet to see any NHL action this season. The 29-year-old blueliner has one goal and eight points in 41 AHL games this season.