NHL Player News
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Ryan O'Reilly C | NSH
Predators' Ryan O'Reilly: Hat trick, helper in win
O'Reilly scored three goals on six shots, added a power-play assist and went plus-4 in Friday's 7-3 win over the Avalanche.
O'Reilly gave the Predators a lead with each of his goals, and they made it stick after the third one. This was his first multi-point effort since Dec. 29 against the Mammoth, and his first multi-goal game since Oct. 25 versus the Kings. The veteran center has been steady this season with 16 goals, 43 points (10 on the power play), 85 shots on net, 36 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 47 appearances.
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Nick Bjugstad C | NJ
Blues' Nick Bjugstad: Lights lamp Friday
Bjugstad scored a goal in Friday's 3-2 shootout win over the Lightning.
Bjugstad has a goal in each of the two games he's played since returning from a month-long absence due to an upper-body injury. The 33-year-old has reclaimed a bottom-six role and should be a regular in the Blues' lineup moving forward. He's at seven points, 43 shots on net, 54 hits, 19 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 27 appearances this season.
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Justin Robidas C | CAR
Hurricanes' Justin Robidas: Nets two more goals for Wolves
Robidas scored twice in AHL Chicago's 5-4 win over Milwaukee on Friday.
Robidas has seven goals and two assists over his last seven games. He's up to a total of 17 goals and 29 points over 31 appearances with the Wolves this season. He's in a tie for 10th in the AHL for goals through Friday's action, but his productivity hasn't led to a long-term chance with the Hurricanes.
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Vinni Lettieri C | TOR
Maple Leafs' Vinni Lettieri: Leads Marlies in Friday's win
Lettieri scored twice and added an assist in AHL Toronto's 3-2 win over Iowa.
Lettieri has gotten on the scoresheet in 11 of his last 12 games, earning five goals and 11 assists in that span. The veteran forward is at 28 points (eight goals, 20 helpers) through 33 outings with the Marlies this season. While he's a little lacking in goals, shooting just 9.8 percent so far, he's been productive enough to potentially be an option for a call-up if the Maple Leafs' forward group gets thinned out by injuries.
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Ivan Ivan C | COL
Avalanche's Ivan Ivan: Sent back down
Ivan was reassigned to AHL Colorado on Friday.
Ivan played in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Predators but didn't record a point. The 23-year-old has shuffled between leagues frequently as the Avalanche look to accrue cap savings and also make sure young players continue to get plenty of ice time in the AHL. The Avalanche's next game is Monday versus the Capitals, so Ivan should have no trouble getting the necessary appearance with the Eagles before potentially getting another recall.
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Jan Chovan C | LA
Kings' Jan Chovan: Pots two goals in OHL win
Chovan scored twice on seven shots in OHL Sudbury's 7-2 win over Flint on Friday.
This was Chovan's third multi-point effort in the last six games. He produced one goal in five World Junior Championship games with Slovakia. Chovan is at 10 goals and 24 points over 35 OHL outings this season, but he should continue to grow on offense after the Wolves made significant trades earlier in January.
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Adam Benak C | MIN
Wild's Adam Benak: Earns trio of points in win
Benak scored twice and added an assist in OHL Brantford's 4-3 win over Peterborough on Friday.
Benak has nine points over four games since rejoining the Bulldogs after the World Junior Championship. The forward is up to 21 goals, 52 points and a plus-25 rating over 30 appearances in the OHL this season. A fourth-round pick of the Wild in 2025, Benak's prospect stock has surged this season.
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Leo Carlsson C | ANA
Ducks' Leo Carlsson: Out 3-5 weeks after procedure
Carlsson (thigh) underwent a procedure Friday to address a Morel-Lavallee lesion on his left thigh and will miss 3-5 weeks.
The procedure endangers Carlsson's participation for Sweden at the Olympics. If he's able to return on the short end of that timeline, he could still suit up during the tournament, though that decision will likely be up to Carlsson and his doctors. While Carlsson is out, look for Mason McTavish and Mikael Granlund to handle larger roles in the Ducks' offense.
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Noah Philp C | CAR
Hurricanes' Noah Philp: Lands on IR
Philp (concussion) was placed on injured reserve Friday.
Philp has no timeline to return at this point. He is in the concussion protocol. In a corresponding move, the Hurricanes replenished their defense by calling up Joel Nystrom.
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Bo Horvat C | NYI
Islanders' Bo Horvat: Unlikely to join team on road trip
The Islanders announced Friday that Horvat (lower body) is unlikely to join the team on its current road trip, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.
The Islanders have three games remaining on their seven-game road trip, and while Horvat was initially expected to be with the team for the start of the trip, he's now been ruled out for the entire trip. However, the Islanders said that the 30-year-old hasn't experienced a setback in his recovery process, and he continues to skate at the team's facility. Horvat's next opportunity to suit up will be when the team returns home to face the Sabres on Jan. 24.