NHL Player News

Ekman-Larsson (leg) said Saturday that he will be in the lineup versus Edmonton on Saturday, Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun reports.

It appeared that Ekman-Larsson would be out a while after he needed help off the ice Thursday against the Sharks. Ekman-Larsson said that his leg injury has improved dramatically since then, and he was a full participant at Saturday's morning skate. Ekman-Larsson has four goals, 16 assists, 40 hits and 26 blocked shots over 30 appearances this season.

Cernak (undisclosed) was moved to long-term injured, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times on Saturday.

Cernak will miss his 11th straight game against the Islanders on Saturday, and he isn't close to returning to the lineup. He hasn't been practicing and didn't accompany his teammates on the road. Cernak has four assists, 13 shots on goal, 43 blocked shots and 40 hits through 19 appearances this season.

Nemec (lower body) sustained an injury during Friday's practice and will miss some time, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Saturday.

Nemec's injury is not day-to-day, but a timeline for his return is unclear. He has seven goals, 18 points, 50 shots on net and 46 blocked shots through 31 appearances this season. Dennis Cholowski will replace Nemec in Saturday's lineup against Anaheim.

Addison was recalled from AHL Utica on Saturday.

Addison has spent all season with Utica, tallying a pair of goals and seven assists across 21 games. He will likely be an extra defenseman for the Devils at this time. New Jersey placed Timo Meier (personal) on the non-roster list in a corresponding move.

Lindgren posted an assist, five blocked shots and four PIM in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Mammoth.

Lindgren ended a 10-game point drought with the helper. The defenseman has seen steady top-four minutes in a shutdown role on the second pairing this season. He's at four helpers, 20 shots on net, 50 blocked shots, 37 PIM, 16 hits and a minus-3 rating over 29 appearances. Lindgren's offense has always been limited, and that's been exacerbated by the Kraken's scoring struggles.

Kaiser scored a goal on three shots in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Blues.

Kaiser has two goals over his last five games, which are his only tallies this season. The defenseman is up to six points, 31 shots on net, 29 blocked shots, 20 hits, 16 PIM and a plus-3 rating over 31 appearances. He's seeing steady ice time in a third-pairing role, but he has limited upside in fantasy since he doesn't tend to get involved much on offense.

Tucker notched an assist in Friday's 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Tucker snapped a 19-game point drought when he set up Justin Faulk's second-period tally, which stood as the game-winner. The 25-year-old Tucker has been an occasional scratch this season, but he seems to have a bit more security in the lineup than Logan Mailloux and Matt Kessel. Tucker is at five points, 25 shots on net, 33 hits, 20 blocked shots, 39 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 29 appearances in a bottom-four role.

Mailloux scored a goal on two shots and added five PIM in Friday's 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Mailloux had a busy first period, scoring at 3:41 of the frame before fighting Colton Dach later on. The 22-year-old Mailloux's tally was his first goal as a Blue. He's seen limited usage on the third pairing this season, picking up two points, 21 shots on net, 27 hits, 14 blocked shots, 17 PIM and a minus-17 rating through 20 appearances.

Faulk scored a goal on two shots and blocked four shots in Friday's 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Faulk has a goal and two assists over his last four games. For the season, the 33-year-old defenseman has provided some all-around stability in a top-four role for the Blues. He's at seven goals, 16 points, 62 shots on net, 66 blocked shots, 29 hits and a minus-4 rating over 33 appearances. Faulk has reached the 15-goal mark in four previous seasons, most recently when he potted 16 in 2021-22.

Pickford scored twice and added two assists in WHL Medicine Hat's 6-5 overtime win over Moose Jaw on Friday.

That's four multi-goal games in a row for Pickford, who has 10 goals and six assists over his last six outings. The Canadiens prospect missed out on Team Canada's World Junior Championship roster, but that will allow him to keep rolling in the WHL. Overall, he has a stunning 22 goals and 40 points over 29 appearances this season.