NHL Player News

McMichael (upper body) was activated from injured reserve Wednesday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

McMichael was placed on injured reserve at the end of January, but he should be back in action Wednesday against the Flyers, which is the Capitals' first game following the Olympic break. The 25-year-old has recorded eight goals, 23 assists, 30 hits and 30 blocked shots while averaging 17:03 of ice time over 55 appearances this season.

Hintz (illness) will miss Wednesday's game against Seattle, per Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine.

Hintz had a goal and four points across six outings with Team Finland during the 2026 Winter Games. He also has 15 goals and 44 points in 52 appearances with Dallas in 2025-26. Arttu Hyry was summoned from AHL Texas on Wednesday and is set to make his NHL season debut.

Matinpalo will not be available against the Red Wings on Thursday due to an undisclosed injury, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Matinpalo has appeared in just two games of Ottawa's last 19 games while sitting out the others as a healthy scratch. In his 30 appearances this year, the Finnish blueliner has yet to find the back of the net while managing four assists, 19 shots and 27 hits along the way.

Stolarz will start Wednesday's road game against Tampa Bay, Mark Masters of TSN reports.

Stolarz went 1-2-0 with a 3.73 GAA and .874 save percentage over three outings before the Olympic break after returning from a lengthy injury absence. His appearance between the pipes could lead to Joseph Woll starting in the second half of the road back-to-back against Florida on Thursday.

Bichsel (lower body) is expected to suit up versus the Kraken on Wednesday, Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Bichsel will be activated from long-term injured reserve following a 31-game absence. Prior to exiting the lineup, the 21-year-old blueliner recorded just three points in 26 contests, so fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting a ton of offensive output from him. However, he should be capable of registering plenty of hits.

Lamoureux was reassigned to AHL Tucson on Wednesday.

Lamoureux is returning to the minors after being recalled Tuesday. He has an assist in five appearances with Utah in 2025-26. Lamoureux has also recorded three goals, 14 points and 48 PIM across 42 outings with Tucson this campaign.

Simashev was reassigned to AHL Tucson on Wednesday.

Simashev has logged 24 games in the NHL this year, recording one assist, eight hits and 23 shots while averaging 15:28 of ice time. If the 21-year-old blueliner sees additional time with the Mammoth this season, he may not play enough to offer more than low-end fantasy value.

Henrique (undisclosed) will be activated off long-term injured reserve ahead of Wednesday's game in Anaheim, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Henrique hasn't played since Jan. 6 due to the injury. He has two goals and 10 points across 43 appearances in 2025-26. Henrique will probably occupy a bottom-six role while replacing Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed) in the lineup.

Vladar will get the starting nod on the road against the Capitals on Wednesday, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Vladar was struggling prior to the break, going 1-1-2 in his last five outings despite a decent 2.54 GAA. With the Czech backstop getting the start Wednesday, fantasy managers can probably expect to see Samuel Ersson (lower body) play in Thursday's road matchup versus the Rangers, assuming he's healthy enough to play.

Cirelli (undisclosed) isn't expected to play Wednesday versus Toronto or Thursday in Carolina, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

The Lightning are hoping to get Cirelli back for Saturday's match against Buffalo. Cirelli missed Tampa Bay's past two games and the Olympics because of the injury. He has 15 goals and 35 points in 49 appearances in 2025-26.