NHL Player News

Zibanejad scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and logged three hits in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Devils.

Zibanejad has four goals and seven assists over nine outings in March. He continues to play well this season despite the Rangers' overall lackluster results. The 32-year-old is up to 28 goals, 64 points, 176 shots on net, 89 hits, 45 blocked shots and a minus-20 rating through 67 appearances in a top-six role.

Draisaitl (lower body) was placed on long-term injured reserve Thursday.

Draisaitl sustained the injury in Sunday's matchup against Nashville, and the Oilers announced Tuesday that he would miss the remainder of the regular season. He had 35 goals and 62 assists, including 42 points on the power play, over 65 games. The Oilers recalled Roby Jarventie from AHL Bakersfield on an emergency basis in a corresponding move.

Copp (leg) will be a game-time decision versus Montreal on Thursday, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Copp was injured March 10 in Florida and was supposed to be out at least two weeks. The center has eight goals, 37 points and 94 shots on goal over 65 games with the Red Wings this season. Should Copp return to the lineup, look for Sheldon Dries to be the odd-man out.

Laba (lower body) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Columbus, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

Laba suffered a lower-body injury during Wednesday's game against the Devils, and he'll be unavailable for the second half of the back-to-back set. Jonny Brodzinski and Juuso Parssinen are candidates to enter the lineup Thursday, while Laba's next opportunity to suit up will be Sunday against the Jets.

Hischier produced a goal and an assist, both on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Rangers.

The 27-year-old center got the Devils on the board late in the first period before helping to set up a Connor Brown tally in the second. Hischier has been running hot and cold in March, recording three multi-point performances in the last seven games but also getting held off the scoresheet completely three times. On the season, he's up to 24 goals and 52 points in 68 contest, and Hischier needs one more power-play point to reach 20 for the second straight campaign.

Hughes produced a goal and two assists, one on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Rangers.

It was the second straight three-point performance for the 24-year-old center, who continues to shine since returning to the Devils as an Olympic hero. Over 11 games since the NHL schedule resumed, Hughes has piled up six goals and 18 points, including two goals and four assists with the man advantage.

Stankoven scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime win over Pittsburgh.

Both points came in a wild third period that saw the two teams combine for seven goals. Stankoven is struggling to make a consistent offensive impact -- he hasn't recorded points in back-to-back games since early January -- but since the Olympic break he's managed a respectable four goals and seven points in 11 contests. Wednesday's power-play tally was his first of the season.

Rakell notched two assists, one on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime loss to Carolina.

With Sidney Crosby back in the lineup, Rakell was reunited with his usual center and helped set up Pittsburgh's captain for the team's first goal of the night. Rakell then had a hand on Erik Karlsson's first tally of the game just 59 seconds into the third. Rakell has been staying productive even without Crosby, as Wednesday's effort extended his point streak to seven games -- a stretch in which he's collected two goals and nine points, with four of his assists coming on the power play.

Crosby produced a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime loss to Carolina.

Seeing his first action since suffering a lower-body injury during the Olympics, Crosby got the Penguins on the board midway through the second period by jumping on a loose puck in front of Frederik Andersen and flipping a backhand past the veteran netminder. Crosby's return might have come in the nick of time to rescue Pittsburgh's playoff chances, as the team is only two points clear of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and on the season the future Hall of Famer has 28 goals and 61 points in 57 contests.

Protas scored an empty-net goal on two shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Senators.

Protas has two goals and two assists over six contests since he returned from a one-game absence for personal reasons. The 25-year-old forward continues to offer decent supplementary offense in a middle-six role. He's up to 22 goals, 46 points, 137 shots on net, 33 blocked shots, 32 hits and a plus-17 rating through 65 outings this season.