NHL Player News

Allen was the first goalie off during Wednesday's morning skate, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports, indicating that he'll draw the home start against the Sabres.

Allen was somewhat shaky leading up to the Olympic break, going 1-6-0 with a 3.08 GAA and .880 save percentage over his seven appearances since the start of the calendar year. However, he'll draw the start during the Devils' first game back in action after Jacob Markstrom played for Sweden at the Olympics.

Letang (foot) was taken off injured reserve Wednesday.

Letang will return to the lineup against New Jersey on Thursday after missing four straight games due to a fracture in his foot. Prior to his absence, the blueliner had an 11-game goal drought during which he notched five assists, 15 shots and 19 hits. The Montreal native will need to adjust to a new defense partner, as the team traded away Brett Kulak to Colorado on Tuesday.

Poirier was loaned to AHL Texas on Wednesday.

Poirier's return to the minors after being recalled Tueday signals that Jake Oettinger should be available to serve as Casey DeSmith's backup in Wednesday's home game against the Kraken. Poirier has yet to make his NHL debut, and he's gone 16-14-4 with a 2.74 GAA and .906 save percentage across 34 AHL appearances this year.

Hyry was recalled from AHL Texas on Wednesday.

Hyry made five appearances for Dallas last year, but Wednesday's recall is the first time he's joined the NHL club this season. Across 26 games in the AHL this season, he's recorded seven goals, 10 assists and 13 PIM.

Crosby (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and will be out of action for at least four weeks.

Crosby's timeline could put him on the shelf until late March at a minimum. He has amassed 27 goals and 59 points in 56 NHL games this season. Crosby sustained the injury while playing for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. With the 38-year-old center unavailable, Pittsburgh looks set to move Rickard Rakell to center alongside Bryan Rust and Avery Hayes.

Carlsson scored two goals in AHL San Jose's 5-3 win over Calgary on Tuesday.

Carlsson earned his second multi-goal game of the season with this performance. He's up to 11 goals and 20 points through 46 appearances, a bit behind the pace that saw him log 23 points in 45 outings in the 2024-25 regular season. Carlsson is unlikely to get NHL minutes to close out 2025-26, as the Sharks have a bit of a logjam on defense.

Howden (lower body) was transferred to long-term injured reserve Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Howden has already missed the requisite time, so he can return whenever he's healthy. Vegas has not provided an update on his status since he was placed on injured reserve Jan. 20. Once healthy, he'll contend for bottom-six minutes.

Hart (lower body) was transferred to long-term injured reserve on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Hart's move to LTIR created the cap flexibility necessary to activate Brayden McNabb (upper body). Hart's status hasn't been updated since he landed on injured reserve Jan. 15. Adin Hill and Akira Schmid will handle the goaltending for Vegas while Hart remains out.

Winterton signed a two-year, $2.25 million contract extension with the Kraken on Tuesday.

Winterton is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and he's emerged as a reliable bottom-six forward and penalty killer. He has picked up 15 points, 61 shots on net, 48 hits and 25 blocked shots over 54 appearances this season. Winterton is just 22 years old, so he may be able to grow into a more significant role during his new contract.

Portillo was loaned to AHL Ontario on Tuesday.

After getting the call-up earlier Tuesday, Portillo will return to Ontario, which indicates that Darcy Kuemper will likely be available for the Kings' matchup Wednesday. If the Kings end up needing Portillo during their upcoming back-to-back, he'll likely be called back up before the second game. Across 20 appearances in the AHL this season, the 25-year-old netminder has a 14-3-1 record, a 2.47 GAA and a .905 save percentage.