NHL Player News

Gaudreau will be a game-time decision for Saturday's match against Ottawa due to an illness, per Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network.

Gaudreau has four goals and 18 points in 48 outings in 2025-26. If he ends up being unavailable Saturday, then Ryan Winterton is likely to dress as a member of the fourth line.

Connors was reassigned to AHL Ontario on Friday.

Connors has nine goals and 29 points in 49 appearances with Ontario in 2025-26. He also has no points, five shots, three hits and one block across two outings with Los Angeles this season.

Donato scored a goal, added two PIM and logged two hits in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Canucks.

Donato scored 1:08 into the game, but the Canucks had the next three tallies. This ended a five-game point drought for the 29-year-old forward. After the Blackhawks' sell-off at the trade deadline, Donato is one of the team's elder forwards, but he'll likely be limited to bottom-six minutes as the team sees what some prospects can do. He has 14 goals, 26 points, 90 shots on net, 68 hits and 36 PIM over 62 appearances this season, a far cry from his 31-goal, 62-point campaign last year.

Larkin (leg) will not play in Sunday's road clash against New Jersey.

Head coach Todd McLellan ruled Larkin out for Sunday's contest, but he added that the center will be considered day-to-day ahead of each game of Detroit's four-game road trip until his return. Larkin picked up the injury in Friday's contest against Florida and will miss his first game of the season. Overall, the 29-year-old star has 28 goals, 27 assists, 190 shots on net, 34 hits and 31 blocked shots across 63 games this season. His next chance to return to action is Tuesday against the Panthers.

Blueger scored a goal on two shots in Friday's 6-3 win over the Blackhawks.

Blueger snapped a four-game point drought with the tally. The 31-year-old center was subject to trade rumors prior to Friday's deadline, but he'll stick with the Canucks to close out this season before testing free agency in the summer. The defensive center has earned six goals, three assists, 26 shots on net, 34 hits and a minus-1 rating over 15 appearances in an injury-riddled campaign.

Rasmussen's point drought reached 19 games in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Panthers.

Rasmussen skated a season-low 7:43 in Friday's loss. The 26-year-old is on the fourth line and plays a decent physical game, but he won't be a factor in fantasy without a little offense. He has just 14 points with 61 shots on net, 59 hits, 52 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating through 58 appearances.

Trocheck (roster management) will return to the lineup in New Jersey on Saturday, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic.

Trocheck sat out Thursday's game against the Maple Leafs because the Rangers were looking to deal him at the trade deadline and did not want to risk an injury. The trade talks were unfruitful, and Trocheck remains on the roster. He is expected to center Will Cuylle and Taylor Raddysh on the second line, as well as seeing first power-play time. Trocheck has 12 goals, 27 assists and 139 hits over 46 contests this season.

Hyman scored two goals in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes.

Even though Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl grab most of the headlines when it comes to the Oilers, Hyman has been excellent of late and has posted five goals in his five outings following the Olympic break. Over that stretch, the 33-year-old winger has also racked up two assists, 14 shots, two hits, three blocked shots, two PIM and an even rating.

Staal scored a goal on two shots and posted a plus-3 rating in Friday's 6-3 win over the Oilers.

Staal snapped a four-game goal drought with a third-period empty-netter that gave the Hurricanes a 5-3 lead. The 37-year-old veteran remains productive in a bottom-six role. He's up to 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 59 contests in 2025-26. He looks poised to reach the 30-point plateau for a sixth straight season and could even hit the 40-point mark if he embarks on another hot streak. He hasn't recorded 40 points in a season since the 2017-18 campaign.

Protas (personal) will return to the lineup against Boston on Saturday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

After sitting out Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Utah, Protas will occupy a second-line role against the Bruins on Saturday. He has generated 20 goals, 42 points and 129 shots on net across 59 appearances this campaign.