NHL Player News

Kulak was obtained by the Avalanche from the Penguins on Tuesday in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick.

Kulak will now play for his third different team this season after being dealt to the Penguins from the Oilers in December. Kulak is known more for his efforts in the defensive zone, but his offensive numbers could marginally improve playing on a high-flying Colorado squad. With his new club, Kulak will fill a bottom-four role, most likely on the third pairing next to Sam Malinski.

D'Astous (lower body) is expected to be an option for Wednesday's home contest against the Maple Leafs, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

D'Astous missed the Lightning's last five games before the Olympic break due to his injury. The team's blue line is almost at full strength, so it remains to be seen how the coaching staff will handle deploying its defensemen going forward. D'Astous has collected three goals (two game-winners), 17 points, 52 shots, 53 hits, 45 blocks and 57 PIM over 43 appearances in 2025-26.

Rantanen (lower body) will be out for a minimum of two weeks, according to Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine on Tuesday.

While an exact timeline for Rantanen's return remains unclear, he should be back before the end of the regular season. He is on injured reserve after getting hurt while representing Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Rantanen sustained the injury in Friday's semifinal matchup against Canada. He has compiled 20 goals, 69 points, 126 shots on net, 27 blocked shots and 38 hits across 54 NHL appearances this season.

Girard was traded to the Penguins from the Avalanche, along with a 2028 second-round pick, in exchange for Brett Kulak on Tuesday.

Girard's move could see him get power-play minutes on the Penguins' No. 2 unit, a role that has been missing this season with Colorado. Through 40 games with the Avs this season, the 27-year-old blueliner has notched just 12 points, but he could return to being a 30-plus point producer with an expanded role. He'll cost Pittsburgh more against the cap, $5 million AAV, but is under contract through next season and comes with the valuable second-round pick.

Point (lower body) is expected to draw into the lineup against Toronto on Wednesday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Point was placed on injured reserve Jan. 16 after getting hurt in Philadelphia on Jan. 12. The right-shot center was then transferred to LTIR in early February and wasn't able to represent Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics due to his injury. Now that he's back in the fold, it may take some time for Point to get back up to speed, but prior to getting hurt, he was playing at an extremely high level, amassing eight goals, 19 points and a plus-16 rating across a 15-game stretch.

Lilleberg (undisclosed) will be activated from injured reserve ahead of Wednesday's game against Toronto, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Following a 23-game absence, Lilleberg will return to the lineup against the Maple Leafs. He has supplied two goals, six points, 24 shots on net, 33 blocked shots and 53 hits through 32 appearances this season.

Hedman (lower body) said Tuesday that he will be ready for Wednesday's home game versus the Maple Leafs and expects to be in the lineup, according to Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com.

Hedman sustained his lower-body injury during warmups of last Wednesday's quarterfinals matchup for Sweden against the United States and did not play as a result. The left-shot blueliner has already missed 34 games for the Lightning this season due to an elbow injury. The 35-year-old should be good for his role in all situations against Toronto, though his ice time might be relatively low in the first half of a back-to-back -- Tampa Bay will also face Carolina on Thursday.

Washe was elevated from AHL San Diego on Tuesday, per Patrick Present of The Hockey News.

Washe was sent to the AHL prior to the Olympic break to get some games in with the Gulls. He posted a goal, an assist, 14 PIM and a minus-1 rating over six games during that stint in the minors. The 24-year-old will now get back to serving in a depth capacity for the Ducks.

Moore was summoned from AHL San Diego on Tuesday.

Moore spent the Olympic break in the minors, playing in three games. He hasn't earned a point in four AHL appearances this season. Moore has spent the majority of the 2025-26 campaign in the NHL, collecting two goals, seven assists, 39 shots on net, 63 blocked shots and 17 hits in 41 contests for the Ducks.

Simashev was recalled from AHL Tucson on Tuesday.

Simashev has split time between the NHL and AHL this season. He has one assist in 24 appearances with the big club in 2025-26 while notching seven goals and 25 points in 27 minor-league outings.