NHL Player News

D'Astous (lower body) was placed on injured reserve by the Lightning on Sunday, Lightning beat writer Diandra Loux reports.

D'Astous left Saturday's loss to the Blue Jackets in the third period and didn't return. He was one of three Lightning players that didn't finish the game. The 27-year-old will head to injured reserve, meaning he'll have to miss at least the next four games. He has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 43 games on the season. Maxim Groshev has been recalled from the AHL and will likely draw into the lineup as a result.

Groshev has been recalled by the Lightning from AHL Syracuse, the team announced Sunday.

Groshev has come up due to Lightning defensemen Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed) and Erik Cernak (upper boddy) being day-to-day. The 24-year-old Groshev has one goal and 12 assists in 35 games with AHL Syracuse. If he were to suit up in an NHL game, it would be his second of the season and his career.

Letang (upper body) is expected to return to the lineup against Vancouver on Sunday, Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff reports.

Following a two-game absence, Letang will probably return to the second pairing and second power-play unit against the Canucks on Sunday. He has produced three goals, 25 points, 77 shots on net, 60 blocked shots and 65 hits across 48 appearances this season.

Lyubushkin (lower body) is doubtful to play against St. Louis on Tuesday, according to Robert Tiffin of D Magazine.

Lyubushkin didn't participate in Sunday's practice and will likely miss at least one game. He is poised to accompany the Stars on the team's three-game road trip, but it's unclear if he'll return to the lineup before the trip ends against Utah on Saturday. Lyubushkin has one goal, six assists, 24 shots on net, 67 blocked shots and 54 hits in 39 appearances this season.

Carlile's point drought extended to 13 games in Saturday's 8-5 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Carlile has just two helpers over 20 appearances during his current stint in the NHL. Despite the lack of offense, he may be pressed into a larger role as the Lightning deal with a potential availability crisis on the blue line. Max Crozier (illness) was out Saturday, while Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed) and Erik Cernak (upper body) left the contest with injuries. The Lightning are also missing Victor Hedman (elbow), Emil Lilleberg (undisclosed) and Ryan McDonagh (lower body) at this time, and it's unclear who will fill out the blue line for Monday's game versus the Mammoth. Carlile has three points over 29 outings but may end up getting top-four minutes if none of the injured defensemen are available.

Werenski notched two assists and three shots on goal in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Lightning.

Werenski is now tied with Cale Makar and Evan Bouchard atop the points list for defensemen -- all have 55, though Werenski has done it in fewer games than the other two. This was his fourth multi-point effort in January. For the season, the 28-year-old is at 19 goals, 36 helpers, 170 shots on net, 61 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating. Injuries are the only thing that have slowed down Werenski over recent years, and he's managed to limit his absences to four games in 2025-26, setting him up to match his 82-point effort from last season.

Maatta was scratched for the 16th consecutive game in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Predators.

Maatta returned from an upper-body injury Dec. 12 versus the Kraken and played in three straight games. Since then, he's been scratched in favor of Nick DeSimone. As long as the Mammoth's defense stays healthy, it will be tough for Maatta to carve out a full-time role. Even an injury may not open a door if the team opts to bring up Dmitri Simashev or Maveric Lamoureux for a look with the big club. Maatta has just one assist with nine shots on net and 16 blocked shots over 19 outings this season.

Kesselring logged an assist, three blocked shots and two PIM in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Islanders.

Kesselring has been working back to full strength after an ankle injury cost him most of January. That's his third lengthy absence of the season. Kesselring has mostly worked in a third-pairing role on Buffalo's deep blue line, picking up one assist, 26 shots on net, 27 blocked shots, 16 hits and 23 PIM over 19 outings.

Spacek has been reassigned to AHL Iowa by the Wild, the team announced Sunday.

Spacek played two games in the time he spent with the Wild, the first being his NHL debut. The 22-year-old didn't record a point, had a minus-1 rating, and posted one hit and two blocked shots in those two outings. He will head back to AHL Iowa, where he has three goals and 16 assists in 35 games.

Toews (upper body) won't play against Toronto on Sunday, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post.

He will miss his 10th straight game. According to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette, Toews accompanied the Avalanche on the team's four-game road trip, which ends against Detroit on Saturday. Toews has contributed one goal, 13 points, 68 shots on net, 58 blocked shots and a plus-26 rating across 40 appearances this season.