NHL Player News

Ristolainen (undisclosed) won't play Thursday versus the Senators, Gabriela Carroll of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ristolainen is slated to miss his second straight game. He has one goal, four hits and seven blocked shots over three outings this season. With Ristolainen out, David Jiricek is in a top-four role and Simon Benoit is getting playing time on the third pairing. Ristolainen's next chance to play is Saturday in Boston, which is the first half of a back-to-back set.

Maatta (lower body) won't play Thursday versus the Lightning.

David Spacek will enter the lineup. Maatta can be considered day-to-day for now. His next chance to play is Saturday versus the Panthers. Maatta has one assist, three blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over three appearances this season.

Crotty (illness) won't play Thursday versus the Flyers, per TSN 1200 Ottawa.

Crotty's absence, along with the ongoing injury concerns for Jake Sanderson (lower body) and Artem Zub (knee), will give Hoyt Stanley a chance to make his NHL debut. Crotty can be considered day-to-day beyond Thursday. The Senators' next game is Saturday at home versus the Predators.

Bernard-Docker (upper body) was activated from injured reserve Thursday.

Bernard-Docker began the regular season on injured reserve due to his upper-body issue, but he's been cleared to return after missing the Red Wings' first three games of the year. He made 63 regular-season appearances for Detroit last year, recording a goal, four assists, 87 blocked shots, 66 hits and 25 PIM while averaging 14:49 of ice time.

Siegenthaler (undisclosed) is improving and hasn't been ruled out against Vancouver on Saturday, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News reports.

According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, Siegenthaler could be on the ice Friday in the hopes of playing in Saturday's tilt. If the veteran blueliner can't go, the team may have to call up a defenseman from the minors, unless Johnny Kovacevic (knee) is ready to play.

Sergachev (upper body) will play in Thursday's game against the Bruins, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.

Sergachev departed Tuesday's game against the Devils in the second period due to an upper-body injury, but he participated in Thursday's morning skate and will be in the lineup against Boston. The 28-year-old has had a hot start to the season, recording a goal, five assists, six blocked shots, six PIM and three hits while averaging 20:58 of ice time over his first four appearances.

Lindgren (upper body) was placed on injured reserve by the Kraken on Thursday and is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Lindgren suffered the upper-body injury in the first period of Tuesday's clash against the Golden Knights before he ultimately was removed from the game ahead of the second stanza. Prior to going down, the 28-year-old blueliner compiled a plus-three rating, seven PIM, three shots on goal and four blocked shots across four outings to begin the 2026-27 campaign. While he is sidelined over the next four to six weeks, Josh Mahura is expected to see an increased role.

Petrovic was loaned to AHL Charlotte on Thursday.

Petrovic was called up by Florida on Saturday, but he didn't appear in any games during his time with the NHL club. His return to the minors suggests that Aaron Ekblad (personal) could be back in action soon, while Petrovic should see more consistent opportunities for playing time in the minors.

Sanderson (lower body) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Flyers, Claire Hanna of TSN reports.

Sanderson suffered a lower-body injury Saturday against the Maple Leafs and was unavailable for the end of the Senators' recent road trip. The team returns home Thursday, but the 24-year-old will be unavailable for at least one additional matchup. It's not yet clear when Sanderson will be able to return, but Cameron Crotty should continue to see time in the lineup during his absence.

Zub, who has been recovering from a knee injury, was seen skating during Senators' morning skate Thursday, per Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet.

Zub faced a setback in his recovery in the late stages of Ottawa's training camp. While he's missed each of the Senators' first three games of the new season, his presence at morning skate Thursday indicates that he could be nearing a return. The 31-year-old blueliner had a career year offensively in 2025-26, where he compiled five goals, 30 points, 92 shots on net, 66 hits and 120 blocked shots across 81 regular-season games. Once he's ready to return, he'll likely occupy a top-four pairing alongside either Thomas Chabot or Jake Sanderson.