NHL Player News

Huberdeau (hip) was put on injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Huberdeau will undergo season-ending hip surgery in March. He'll conclude the year with 10 goals and 25 points in 50 regular-season appearances. The 32-year-old forward has an eight-year, $84 million contract with a no-movement clause that runs through 2030-31, making it likely he will return to Calgary next season.

Crozier (abdomen) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Crozier is poised to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season after he underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury. He had one goal, nine assists, 44 shots on net, 31 blocked shots and 38 hits across 34 NHL appearances this campaign.

Hlavaj will start for Slovakia against Finland in Saturday's bronze-medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Hlavaj allowed four goals on 23 shots before being pulled midway through the second period in Slovakia's 6-2 loss to Team USA in the semifinals Friday. His GAA is up to 3.39, but that contrasts with a strong .915 save percentage across four outings in the tournament. After competing for a medal Saturdy, he'll probably rejoin AHL Iowa. He has a 3.33 GAA and an .884 save percentage in 18 appearances with Iowa in 2025-26.

Saros will start for Finland in the bronze-medal game against Slovakia on Saturday at the 2026 Winter Olympics, per Jaakko Perttila of Leijonat.com.

Finland will turn to Saros for the sixth consecutive time. Despite a strong performance that resulted in a 3-2 loss against Canada on Friday in the semifinals, the 30-year-old netminder has been excellent at the tournament with a 1.80 GAA and a .934 save percentage across five starts. Saros gives Finland a strong chance to take home the bronze medal, but it will not be easy against a Slovakian team that ranks fourth at the Olympics with 18 goals.

Rantanen (lower body) won't play in Saturday's bronze-medal game against Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Rantanen sustained the injury late in Friday's semifinal loss to Canada. The Finns will use Oliver Kapanen on the top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Artturi Lehkonen due to Rantanen's absence. Rantanen's availability for Wednesday's game against Seattle is unclear, but he will undergo further evaluation after returning to Dallas.

Paul (undisclosed) doesn't have a timeline in place for his return to the lineup, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday.

Paul hasn't been participating in practices after missing two straight games before the Olympic break. He isn't expected to be available to play next week when Tampa Bay's schedule resumes against Toronto on Wednesday, and it sounds like he will miss additional time afterward. Paul has six goals, 12 points, 48 shots on net and 42 hits in 34 appearances this season.

Zacha (concussion) will return to the lineup Thursday versus Columbus.

Zacha was unable to play for Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics after suffering a concussion against Philadelphia on Jan. 29. He will likely center Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson on the second line in his return to action. Zacha has 15 goals and 22 assists in 54 appearances this season, including 15 points on the power play.

Lekkerimaki will undergo shoulder surgery and will miss the remainder of the season, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports Saturday.

Lekkerimaki was selected 15th overall in 2022 and played 13 games at the NHL level this season, tallying a pair of goals and one assist. He managed 13 goals and seven assists in 21 AHL games before his injury. It's unclear if he will be ready for training camp in September, but he will compete for an NHL roster spot if he's healthy.

Tarasov (lower body) will be available for Thursday's home tilt versus Toronto, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Tarasov allowed five goals on 25 shots in a 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Feb. 5 before leaving the game due to an injury. He will probably serve as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup versus Toronto. Tarasov is 8-8-2 with a 2.83 GAA and an .899 save percentage across 19 appearances in 2025-26.

Ekblad (undisclosed) is expected to play against Toronto on Thursday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports Saturday.

Ekblad sat out a 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Feb. 5 before the Olympic break, but he has been a regular at practices ahead of the NHL's return. He has accounted for three goals, 21 points, 74 shots on net, 88 blocked shots and 67 hits through 55 appearances this season.