NHL Player News

Hunt (undisclosed) will be taken off injured reserve and play Thursday in Seattle, per Sarah McLellan of The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Hunt hasn't been in the lineup since Dec. 16. He has two assists, four PIM, 11 hits and 18 blocks in 12 outings in 2025-26. Matt Kiersted might be a healthy scratch Thursday due to Hunt's return.

Parekh is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will miss Thursday's clash with Boston.

Parekh just rejoined the Flames following his stint with Team Canada for the World Junior Championship. It seems likely that the blueliner's injury is something he sustained while playing for Canada -- though it's unclear if it is the same problem that nearly prevented him from joining the junior team in the first place.

Del Mastro was reassigned to AHL Rockford on Thursday.

Del Mastro was recalled Dec. 15 and only played once, playing 15:07 in Toronto on Dec. 16. He was a healthy scratch in 10 straight games and will get in some much needed playing time in Rockford, where he had one goal and 10 assists in 27 AHL games before his recall.

Hutson scored a goal, blocked five shots and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

This was Hutson's second straight contest with a game-winning tally, with this one coming at 7:05 of the second period. Since Dec. 11, he has racked up three goals, 18 assists and a plus-19 rating over 14 appearances. It's safe to say the defenseman has avoided the sophomore slump, racking up a career-high eight goals with 35 helpers, 72 shots on net, 68 blocked shots and a plus-16 rating through 43 outings in his second NHL campaign.

Nemec will return to the lineup Thursday in Pittsburgh after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury, Wes Crosby of NHL.com reports.

Nemec has taken his game to a new level in 2025-26, tallying seven goals and adding 11 assists in 31 games before the injury. The second overall pick in 2022, Nemec will likely be eased back into the lineup given the length of his absence.

Smith underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee Tuesday and is expected to make a full recovery in 3-4 months.

Smith suffered his injury during the Blue Jackets' Dec. 29 win over Ottawa, and he was placed on injured reserve Friday. His return timetable signals that he'll likely be sidelined until at least early April, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Blue Jackets shut him down for the remainder of the year, especially since the team is currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Drysdale (undisclosed) is slated to miss Thursday's clash against Toronto.

Head coach Rick Tocchet said Thursday that Drysdale is improving and feeling better, but he is still doubtful after getting hurt Tuesday versus Anaheim. Drysdale has three goals, 15 assists and 41 blocked shots across 41 games this season. Noah Juulsen will enter the lineup and see third-pairing minutes Thursday while playing alongside Emil Andrae.

Brzustewicz notched an assist in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Canadiens.

The 21-year-old rookie recorded his first NHL point in his 12th game when he helped set up a Joel Farabee tally late in the second period. Brzustewicz, a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has yet to make a big impact as he gets his feet wet in the pros, but he flashed his offensive upside in his final season with OHL Kitchener back in 2023-24, racking up 13 goals and 92 points in 67 games.

Engstrom was reassigned to AHL Laval on Thursday.

Engstrom has played 11 games with Montreal, failing to pick up a point in any contest. The defenseman was a healthy scratch the last three games, and the Canadiens decided to give the 22-year-old playing time in the AHL. Engstrom was an offensive defenseman in the AHL, tallying five goals and 16 points in 20 games before being recalled.

Edmundson logged two assists, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Edmundson had a hand in third-period goals by Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere. The 32-year-old Edmundson has three helpers over his last five outings. For the season, the veteran defenseman is at 16 points, 59 shots on net, 51 hits, 42 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over 42 appearances. He's on pace for a career year and could have some appeal in deep fantasy formats thanks to his steady physical play.