NHL Player News

Karlsson suffered a lower-body injury and is considered week-to-week, the Golden Knights announced Thursday. Additionally, Karlsson was designated for injured reserve, per the NHL media site.

At this point, Karlsson may be hard-pressed to get back into the lineup ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off, which could keep him out of action until late February. Prior to getting hurt, the 32-year-old center was stuck in a 14-game goal drought in addition to a seven-game pointless streak. Since Cole Schwindt (lower body) is also on the shelf, the Golden Knights will need to bring up a player from the minors to ice a full complement of forwards.

Smith (back) was designated for injured reserve Thursday.

Smith has already been out of action for the Hawks' last six games due to his back injury. With the decision to put the veteran winger on injured reserve, he almost certainly won't be in the lineup against the Lightning on Friday. In a corresponding move, Ethan Del Mastro was elevated from AHL Rockford and could be an option to face Tampa.

Ivan was reassigned to AHL Colorado on Thursday.

Ivan has gone 18 games since Thanksgiving without a point in NHL action. The 22-year-old has five goals and eight points over 40 appearances with the Avalanche this season, his first in the NHL. Colorado recalled Chris Wagner in a corresponding move.

Laughton (personal) will miss his second straight game Thursday against the Rangers, according to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Laughton has nine goals, 14 assists and 105 hits over 45 games this season. He has been slumping of late with only one goal and one assist in his last 10 games. Look for Anthony Richard to enter the lineup Thursday. Laughton could return as early as Friday when the Flyers remain in New York, this time to take on the Islanders.

Motte (upper body) has been ruled out for Thursday's home game against the Canadiens, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Motte will be unavailable for a fifth consecutive game due to his upper-body injury. However, head coach Todd McLellan said before Thursday's game that the Red Wings will have a better idea of Motte's return timetable following Friday's practice. Elmer Soderblom will likely remain in the lineup Thursday.

Sillinger (upper body) will be a game-time decision in Carolina on Thursday, according to Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.

Sillinger sat out Wednesday's tilt in Toronto after playing 19:10 against the Islanders on Monday. The 21-year-old has seven goals and 23 points in 45 games this season. Should Sillinger be healthy enough to play, Jordan Harris could be a healthy scratch with Jack Johnson returning to the blue line.

Matthews scored a goal on six shots in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Matthews missed six games between Dec. 21 and Jan. 2 with an upper-body injury, but he's been nothing short of spectacular since stepping back on the ice. He's scored goals in five consecutive games and has cracked the scoresheet in all but one of his last 10 outings, recording nine goals and 15 points in that stretch.

Del Bel Belluz notched a goal and an assist while taking three shots on goal in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

Del Bel Belluz has made eight appearances in his NHL career, with seven of those coming in 2024-25, and he's been very productive with six total points (three goals, three assists) in that span. The 21-year-old is part of Columbus' youth patrol and should continue to see opportunities, especially given how productive he's been to start his NHL tenure.

Fantilli recorded a hat trick, including a shorthanded goal, in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

Fantilli recorded points in seven straight games between Jan. 2 and Jan. 16, and while he went pointless in the Blue Jackets' last two games, he bounced back admirably in this one with the first hat trick of his NHL career. The 20-year-old is up to 14 goals and 12 assists this season, and he's only two points away from surpassing the numbers he posted as a rookie last season.

Mercer recorded two goals on three shots in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Bruins.

Mercer endured a six-game pointless streak but snapped the drought in this huge win Wednesday after finding the back of the net twice in the second period. The 23-year-old is up to 12 goals and 23 total points across 50 games this season.