NHL Player News

Bouchard scored a power-play goal on five shots and added an assist in Friday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.

Bouchard ended a 13-game goal drought with his opening tally Friday. He also logged his 13th assist in 14 contests when he helped out on a Ty Emberson tally later in the first period. Bouchard's late surge has greatly improved his season numbers, and he's done a lot of it during a rough stretch of injuries for the Oilers. He's now at 14 goals, 66 points (26 on the power play), 229 shots on net, 107 blocked shots and a plus-14 rating over 79 appearances in 2024-25.

Cholowski was scratched for the fifth straight game in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Penguins.

Cholowski played in five of the first 10 games after he was traded from the Islanders. The 27-year-old defenseman has since slipped out of the lineup, with Seamus Casey stepping up to control the last spot on the blue line. Cholowski hasn't earned a point with the Devils, but he has 10 points, 28 shots on net, 32 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 38 appearances.

Casey logged an assist in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Penguins.

Casey has earned two assists over three contests since rejoining the NHL roster. The 21-year-old has jumped right into a third-pairing role over Simon Nemec and Dennis Cholowski. Casey hasn't looked out of place this season with seven points, 12 shots on net, nine hits and a plus-6 rating over 13 appearances. Dougie Hamilton (lower body) won't be ready for the first round of the playoffs, so Casey could get an extended look in postseason play.

Pesce logged an assist and four PIM in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Penguins.

Pesce picked up his second assist in the last four games. The 30-year-old defenseman was limited to just three points over the prior 15 contests. He's now at 16 points, 97 shots on net, 137 blocked shots, 27 PIM and a minus-3 rating over 70 appearances in his first year with the Devils. He is set to miss the 20-point mark for the second year in a row after reaching it in five of his first eight NHL seasons.

Grzelcyk notched two power-play assists, two blocked shots and two PIM in Friday's 4-2 win over the Devils.

Grzelcyk had gone three games without a point, but he has seven assists over his last 10 outings. Four of those helpers have come on the power play as he continues to contribute more than expected in that situation. For the season, the blueliner is at one goal, 37 assists, 15 power-play points, 92 shots on net, 97 blocked shots, 40 hits and a minus-7 rating over 80 appearances.

Spurgeon was unable to finish Friday's game versus the Flames after taking a puck to the throat in the second period, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Head coach John Hynes indicated Spurgeon was also feeling light-headed after attempting to return to the game in the third period. It's a bit of a concerning injury, especially with the Wild set to face the Canucks on Saturday. If Spurgeon and Jake Middleton (upper body) are both out, Cameron Crotty will likely have to enter the lineup.

Ekholm (undisclosed) won't finish Friday's game versus the Sharks, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports.

It's unclear how much of this is caution and how much is a true injury concern. Ekholm lasted just two shifts in his return from a seven-game absence, and he was seen falling down on the ice prior to his exit, per Spector. At this point, the Oilers may just shut Ekholm down prior to the postseason, assuming the injury isn't bad enough to endanger his chances of being available for Game 1.

Middleton (upper body) is not expected to be in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Flames, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Middleton was labeled a game-time decision, but the defenseman wasn't on a pairing during line rushes. The 29-year-old could still be an option Saturday against the Canucks -- it's possible the Wild are simply avoiding having him play back-to-back games. Jon Merrill and Declan Chisholm will both be in the lineup because of Middleton's absence.

Dineen was reassigned to AHL Bakersfield on Friday.

Mattias Ekholm's return from an undisclosed injury Friday means Dineen is no longer needed on the NHL roster under emergency conditions. The 26-year-old Dineen has 43 points in 59 games with Bakersfield. Should the Condors miss the AHL playoffs, Dineen will likely be called up to serve as a depth option for the Oilers' postseason.

Ferraro's season-ending injury is a broken ankle that won't require surgery, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports Friday.

Ferraro was injured Wednesday versus the Wild. He had 17 points, 150 hits, 125 blocked shots, 53 PIM and a minus-25 rating as the Sharks' top shutdown defender this season. Avoiding surgery is a positive sign, and he is expected to have a fairly normal offseason after a 4-6 week recovery from the injury. He'll be entering a contract year in 2025-26, so he could end up being a top trade target in the likely event the Sharks are not in playoff contention.