NHL Player News

Boqvist (shoulder) practiced with the team for the first time Wednesday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.

Boqvist had been skating independently but seems to have taken the next step in his recovery. Barring any setbacks, the 23-year-old blueliner could return to the lineup against either Philadelphia or Minnesota on Thursday or Saturday, respectively. Whenever he does return, it will likely mean Jake Christiansen gets sent back to the minors.

Shea was brought up from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday.

Shea returns to the NHL as a result of an injury to John Ludvig (undisclosed), who was designated for injured reserve in a corresponding move. Even with his elevation to the NHL roster, Shea is far from a lock for a spot in the lineup with Pierre-Olivier Joseph likely ahead of him in the pecking order.

Ludvig (undisclosed) was designated for injured reserve Wednesday.

Ludvig was originally deemed as "banged up" by coach Mike Sullivan but it appears the blueliner is dealing with something more severe. Since returning from a concussion, Ludvig has been a mainstay in the Penguins' lineup, appearing in 18 straight games in which he recorded one assist, 35 hits and 23 blocks. In his stead, Pierre-Olivier Joseph should get an extended look while Ryan Shea will likely serve as the seventh defenseman.

Hedman notched a pair of assists in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Jets.

Both of Hedman's helpers came on the power play -- he set up Steven Stamkos in the opening period and Nikita Kucherov late in the third. The 33-year-old Hedman now has four assists in his last two games and 11 helpers in his previous eight contests. The four-time All-Star is up to 38 points (five goals, 33 assists) through 37 games this season.

Staal supplied a goal in a 5-2 loss to Edmonton on Tuesday.

Staal's tally was his first marker and second point in 15 contests this season. The 36-year-old defenseman was a healthy scratch in the Flyers' previous four games and has averaged just 13:22 of ice time this season. His role with Philadelphia is unlikely to grow as the campaign progresses, so Staal's fantasy value will probably remain minimal.

Weegar recorded a pair of assists in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Wild.

Weeger set up Andrew Mangiapane's opening tally in the first period before adding a second helper on Blake Coleman's empty-netter in the closing minute of the third. It's just the third multi-point game of the year for Weegar and his first since Nov. 1 -- the 29-year-old blueliner came into Tuesday with just one assist in his last five contests. Still, Weegar's overall numbers have been solid this season -- he's up to 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) through 37 games, putting him on pace to challenge his career high of 44 set with Florida in 2021.

Forsling had a goal and 17 penalty minutes in Florida's 4-1 win over Arizona on Tuesday.

Forsling fought Arizona's Jason Zucker late in the second period, drawing an instigator minor penalty, fighting major and 10-minute misconduct. After serving his time, Forsling collected an empty-net goal at 17:39 of the third frame. The game highlights the type of player the 27-year-old defenseman is for Florida -- a physical presence who also chips in offensively. Forsling has five goals, 13 points, a plus-21 rating, 33 PIM, 83 shots, 39 hits and 51 blocks in 37 outings this year.

Pionk tallied a goal, seven hits and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay.

Pionk got the Jets on the board early in the second period, redirecting a Brenden Dillon shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy to tie the game 1-1. Pionk now has two goals and four points in his last six games -- he had just a single point in his previous 12 contests. Overall, the 28-year-old blueliner has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) with a plus-10 rating, 80 hits and 45 blocked shots through 36 games this season on Winnipeg's second defensive pairing.

Wotherspoon was reassigned to AHL Providence on Wednesday, according to Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal.

Wotherspoon has a goal and five points in 19 contests with Providence this season. He's also registered two assists in 10 games with Boston. The 26-year-old was a healthy scratch for Tuesday's 4-1 win over Columbus.

Guhle scored a goal on one shot and recorded five blocks over 19:17 of ice time in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Stars.

Guhle started the new year with a bang by snapping a 17-game goal drought. He one-timed a big rebound off a Johnny Kovacevic shot past Scott Wedgewood for his first tally since Nov. 22. It was Guhle's third goal in 33 games, leaving him one shy of the career-high four he had in 44 games last season.