NHL Player News

Rifai (lower body) will be placed on injured reserve following Thursday's game versus the Rangers, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Rifai is also considered week-to-week. The defenseman's absence was covered by Nick Blankenburg in Thursday's contest, but the Maple Leafs may want to bring up one of Cole McWard, Dakota Mermis or Philippe Myers for extra defensive depth once Rifai's move to IR is official.

Marino (upper body) won't play Thursday in Seattle.

Marino also missed Monday's 5-4 win against Pittsburgh. He has two goals and five points in nine outings in 2026-27. Nick DeSimone is set to play in his second straight game due to Marino's absence.

Lambos was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Thursday, per the NHL media site.

Lambos was removed from the NHL roster to make room for Jared Spurgeon's (upper body) return. Lambos didn't play for the Wild during this stint with the big club.

Mintyukov (lower body) returned to Anaheim on Thursday and won't play for the last two games of the road trip.

Mintyukov will miss Thursday's game versus the Devils and Saturday's contests against the Flyers. The 22-year-old defenseman is day-to-day beyond that. Tristan Luneau will take over for Mintyukov in a bottom-four role.

Rifai (undisclosed) is expected to miss Thursday's game against the Rangers, according to Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun.

Rifai was previously considered a game-time call due to the injury. He has a goal in two appearances this campaign. Nick Blankenburg might draw into the lineup due to Rifai's absence.

Heinola was called up from AHL Henderson on Thursday.

Heinola was summoned from the minors on two other occasions in October, but he hasn't made his NHL season debut yet. However, the 25-year-old has excelled in the minors with a goal and five points in five appearances with Henderson in 2026-27.

Maatta (upper body) is expected to play Thursday in Calgary, according to Joe Smith of The Athletic.

Maatta missed the previous three games because of the injury. He has two assists in six appearances in 2026-27. Jared Spurgeon (upper body) is also drawing back into the lineup Thursday, while Matt Kiersted and David Spacek are set to be healthy scratches.

Spurgeon (upper body) will play in Thursday's game against Calgary, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.

Spurgeon traveled with the Wild for the start of their current road trip, and he'll return to action with four games remaining in the trip. Spurgeon has missed the last four games due to his upper-body injury, but he recorded a goal, four assists, 14 blocked shots, five hits and four PIM while averaging 22:22 of ice time over his first six appearances of the regular season.

McCabe (face) will be in the lineup against the Rangers on Thursday, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

McCabe is pointless through 11 games this season, generating eight shots, 21 blocks and 16 hits while averaging 18:43 of ice time. That's the 33-year-old blueliner's fewest minutes since 2019-20, when he was with the Sabres. Unless McCabe's offensive production picks up soon, he could miss the 20-point threshold for the first time since 2020-21.

Girard (undisclosed) will not be an option versus the Panthers on Thursday, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports.

Girard has started skating, but he hasn't gotten on the ice with his teammates yet. The club brought up Chase Pietila from the minors to provide some defensive depth, but it's Ilya Solovyov who figures to continue playing on the blue line in Girard's absence.