NHL Player News

Gaudette (lower body) will return to the lineup Wednesday versus the Kings, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Gaudette will return after a three-game absence. He'll draw in for Ty Dellandrea (lower body), who was hurt Tuesday against Columbus. Gaudette figures to play in a bottom-six role in his return.

Henrique (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and will be out through the Olympic break.

Henrique will be out for a minimum of nearly two months after getting hurt in Tuesday's 6-2 win over Nashville. The 35-year-old forward's absence will initially be covered by either Trent Frederic or Andrew Mangiapane, who were scratched Tuesday versus the Predators. However, the Oilers have an extra roster spot to work with and may turn to a young forward call-up from AHL Bakersfield for reinforcements.

Nesterenko cleared waivers Wednesday and will remain with the Ducks, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports.

Nesterenko's waivers timer will reset, and he can now play another 10 games or spend 30 days on the NHL roster before needing to pass through waivers again. With Nesterenko staying on the roster, the Ducks have a full 23-man roster of 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies.

Washe was summoned from AHL San Diego on Wednesday.

Petr Mrazek (lower body) was put on injured reserve in a corresponding move. Washe has 13 goals and 25 points in 30 outings with San Diego in 2025-26. The 24-year-old hasn't played in the NHL yet this season, but he had no points, two shots and four hits across two regular-season appearances with Anaheim in 2024-25.

Kopitar (lower body) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Sharks, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Kopitar suffered a lower-body injury during Monday's game against the Wild. While he's considered day-to-day and isn't believed to be facing a long-term absence, he'll be forced to miss at least one game due to the issue. His next opportunity to suit up will be Friday in Winnipeg, but it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to return for that matchup.

Dellandrea (lower body) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Kings, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Dellandrea suffered a lower-body injury during Tuesday's game against the Blue Jackets, and he didn't travel with the Sharks ahead of the second half of the back-to-back set. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return, but his next opportunity to suit up will be Saturday against the Stars.

Vilardi registered two assists and a plus-3 rating in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Golden Knights.

Vilardi has a trio of multi-point efforts over his last six games, but he's gone scoreless in the other three outings in that span. The 26-year-old remains productive for a Jets team that has lacked consistency aside from a handful of players. Vilardi is up to 37 points (10 on the power play), 86 shots on net, 17 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 41 appearances this season.

Howden scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Jets.

Howden has three goals and two helpers over his last seven outings. With the Golden Knights healthier up front, he's slipped back into a bottom-six role. The 27-year-old forward is at eight goals, 14 points, 42 shots on net, 66 hits, 20 PIM and a minus-5 rating over 37 appearances this season.

Ritchie scored a goal in Tuesday's 9-0 win over the Devils.

Ritchie has scored in three of the last four games. The 20-year-old is playing on the third line, but he's starting to find a rhythm, though that could be tough to sustain without a substantial boost in ice time -- he's averaging 12:23 per game since the start of December and 11:55 on the season. Ritchie has seven goals, four assists, 37 shots on net, 18 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating through 32 appearances.

Pettersson scored a goal on three shots and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

Pettersson has three goals and an assist over his last five games. The consistency is a positive sign, but the first-line center has the potential to be more explosive on offense. He's up to 11 goals, 26 points, 69 shots on net, 56 blocked shots, 32 hits and a minus-11 rating through 34 appearances.