NHL Player News

Rutta (lower body) will not be in the lineup Saturday versus Columbus, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.

Rutta will miss his fourth consecutive game. He could be ready to go Sunday when the Sharks face Chicago as they near the end of their five-game road trip. Rutta has three goals, 15 points and 90 blocked shots in 56 contests this season.

MacDonald (illness) will return to the lineup versus Columbus on Saturday, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.

MacDonald was a late scratch Thursday in Pittsburgh, forcing the Sharks to play with only five healthy defensemen. The 31-year-old veteran saw plenty of action as a fourth-line forward earlier in the campaign and has seven points (six goals) in 24 games this season. He is expected to line up alongside Calen Addison on the third pairing Saturday.

Chabot (lower body) won't play Saturday against the Islanders.

Chabot will miss his fifth straight contest. He has six goals, 22 points, 87 shots on net and 75 blocked shots across 38 appearances this season. Maxence Guenette has been playing during Chabot's absence.

Grzelcyk (illness) is expected to return to the lineup Saturday against the Flyers, Belle Fraser of The Hockey News reports.

Grzelcyk missed Boston's game Thursday with an illness, though he appears ready to return to a top-pairing role Saturday versus Philadelphia. The 30-year-old blueliner has two goals, eight points and a plus-6 rating through 51 games this season.

Lyubushkin (undisclosed) participated in Saturday's morning skate and is expected to be in the lineup versus Carolina, according to Mark Masters of TSN.

Lyubushkin was injured Thursday in Philadelphia. The Maple Leafs won't take any chances and will have Simon Benoit partake in the warmup prior to puck drop, just in case Lyubushkin suffers a setback. Lyubushkin has six assists in 61 games this season.

DeMelo produced a goal and an assist while adding three hits, two PIM, two shots on net and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 6-0 win over the Ducks.

The 30-year-old blueliner snapped a 63-game goal drought with his tally early in the third period, as DeMelo's only other goal this season came in Winnipeg's second game back on Oct. 14. Despite the inconsistent offensive contributions, he's performed well this campaign, reaching triple-digits in hits (127) and blocked shots (109) for his third straight season while posting a career-high plus-32 rating (fourth in the NHL).

Lilleberg was called up from AHL Syracuse on Saturday.

Lilleberg has recorded three assists in 23 appearances with the Lightning this season. He also has two goals and 13 points in 33 AHL outings this campaign. Lilleberg could play Saturday against Florida after Haydn Fleury (undisclosed) was injured Thursday versus the Rangers.

Bortuzzo (lower body) was activated from long-term injured reserve Friday, per CapFriendly.

Bortuzzo could be an option for Saturday's contest against Ottawa following a 28-game absence. The 34-year-old blueliner has been credited with five shots on goal, 20 blocked shots, 21 hits and 19 PIM over 15 appearances between the Blues and Islanders this season.

Morrissey recorded three assists, including two on the power play, in Friday's 6-0 shutout victory over the Ducks.

Morrissey can be a tough player to gauge on a per-game basis. While the top-pairing defenseman has been blanked offensively in 32 games this season, he's earned exactly one point 18 times, and there have been 16 multi-point efforts from Morrissey in 2023-24. On a macro level, he's among the elite blueliners based on eight goals, 48 assists and a plus-22 rating through 66 contests. The alternate captain, who also has 14 power-play points, earns $6.25 million AAV on an eight-year deal that takes him through the 2027-28 season.

Pionk registered a power-play assist in Friday's 6-0 win over the Ducks.

Think of Pionk as a no-frills fantasy defenseman. It's not likely that he'll light up the box score on a given night, but Pionk has a safe floor as he's close to making it five straight seasons with 30 points or more while representing the Jets. Pionk has displayed a well-rounded game this season, stacking up five goals, 19 assists, 86 blocked shots, 183 hits and a plus-11 rating through 66 contests.