NHL Player News

Heinola was scratched for 10 straight games leading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

The Jets are carrying eight defensemen, and Heinola has not been able to pry playing time away from the current third pair of Logan Stanley and Colin Miller. The Jets don't want to lose Heinola on waivers either, so he's stuck in the press box until the team needs him to play. He didn't do much with his opportunities earlier in the campaign, earning one assist, 10 shots on net, 13 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating over 16 appearances.

Ristolainen (upper body) won't play against Pittsburgh on Saturday, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Ristolainen will miss his third straight game but could still represent Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He has registered two goals, 15 points, 74 shots on net, 85 blocked shots and 83 hits through 54 appearances this season.

Hanley (personal) will miss Saturday's game against Seattle to be with his wife for the birth of their child, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun reports.

Hanley has three assists, 24 hits and 45 blocked shots across 27 games this season. He will probably return to the lineup against San Jose on Feb. 23 after the 4 Nations Face-Off. Ilya Solovyov will enter the lineup to replace Hanley on Saturday.

Lindgren notched an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Penguins.

Lindgren has been relatively productive lately with five assists and a plus-2 rating over his last 11 games. He helped out on an Adam Fox tally in the second period of Friday's contest. Lindgren is now at 14 points, 35 shots on net, 89 blocked shots, 56 hits, 34 PIM and a minus-3 rating through 49 appearances. He's on pace for a career high in points -- his current high-water mark is 18 over 63 games in 2022-23. While his offense is up, the 26-year-old has sacrificed some physicality, keeping him at the level of a marginal fantasy option.

Graves suited up in a sixth straight game in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.

Graves hadn't played in that many consecutive games since December. The 29-year-old's playing-time outlook improved when the Penguins traded Marcus Pettersson to the Canucks, opening up a spot on the left side of the defense while newcomer Vincent Desharnais operates on the right side. Graves has consistently played over Ryan Shea over the last couple of weeks. For the season, Graves is still struggling -- he has yet to record a point while posting a minus-9 rating, 25 PIM, 26 shots on net, 44 hits and 48 blocked shots over 39 appearances.

Fox tallied a goal and posted four shots on net in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Penguins.

Fox's goal gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead and arrived slightly over one minute after Blake Lizotte's equalizer for Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old Fox has four goals, 43 points, 93 shots on net and 74 blocks across 54 games this season. The Rangers' alternate captain is currently riding a three-game point streak. While his goal numbers are much lower than last year, his assist total of 39 is on pace to compete with the 56 helpers he registered in 72 regular-season appearances in 2023-24. Fox has great value in fantasy for the rest of the season and is among the best playmakers from the blue line.

Ristolainen (upper body) will be a game-time decision versus Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Ristolainen could be an option, according to coach John Tortorella. He has missed two games due to the injury and will have an extra two weeks off for the 4 Nations Face-Off break should he not play Saturday. Ristolainen has two goals, 13 assists, 83 hits and 85 blocked shots in 54 outings this season.

Anderson (finger) will miss Saturday's tilt versus Anaheim, John Hoven of SiriusXM NHL Network Radio reports.

Anderson will miss his fourth straight game but could return versus Utah on Feb. 22 following the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Anderson has five goals, nine assists, 68 hits and 83 blocked shots across 49 appearances this season. Once Anderson is ready to return, Brandt Clarke could be a healthy scratch.

Smith logged an assist and five PIM in Friday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Kings.

Smith set up a Matt Duchene tally late in the first period and then closed out the frame by fighting Tanner Jeannot. The 36-year-old Smith saw some action as a seventh defenseman late in January, but he was in the lineup Friday to cover the absence of Ilya Lyubushkin (undisclosed). Smith is likely to be scratched again when Lyubushkin returns. For the season, Smith has just four helpers with 19 shots on net, 31 PIM, 31 hits, 15 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 23 appearances.

Dumba notched an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Friday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Kings.

Dumba ended an 11-game point drought with the helper. He was scratched a few times in January, but his spot in the lineup is secure for now because Miro Heiskanen (knee) is month-to-month after surgery, and Nils Lundkvist (shoulder) won't play again this season. The 30-year-old Dumba has had an unimpressive campaign, earning three helpers, 28 shots on net, 50 hits, 36 blocked shots, 35 PIM and a minus-5 rating over 35 appearances. While he should be able to stick in the lineup, he'll likely be limited to bottom-four minutes.