NHL Player News

Coghlan scored twice in AHL Henderson's 2-1 overtime win over Bakersfield on Wednesday.

Coghlan was with the Golden Knights during their recent road trip, which wrapped up Tuesday in Montreal. Vegas is unlikely to carry an extra defenseman for the last week before the Olympic break, as it is at home for four of the next five games, with the lone exception being Sunday's game in Anaheim. Coghlan is likely to spend the bulk of the rest of 2025-26 in the AHL, where he has seven goals and 18 points over 30 appearances.

Brunicke registered three assists in WHL Kamloops' 5-2 win over Red Deer on Wednesday.

Brunicke is up to 10 points in six WHL outings this season. The 19-year-old defenseman doesn't really have much left to prove in the WHL, but the Penguins didn't want to burn off the first year of his entry-level deal after having him on the NHL roster to begin the season. He'll be in contention for a spot with the big club in training camp ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Werenski notched two assists and two shots on goal in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Flyers.

Werenski had a hand in first-period goals by Charlie Coyle and Kirill Marchenko. January has been another excellent stretch for Werenski, who has five goals, 12 assists and 40 shots on net over 13 outings this month. He's up to a total of 57 points, which leads all NHL defensemen, as well as 172 shots on net, 62 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating through 48 appearances.

Gudbranson scored a goal on two shots and added two PIM in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Flyers.

Gudbranson has three points over six games since he returned from a hip injury. The 34-year-old defenseman has reclaimed a significant shutdown role on the blue line for Columbus, and he should be a regular in the lineup as long as he avoids further injuries. He's produced three points, 11 shots on net, 16 hits, 13 blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-1 rating over 10 outings this season.

Ristolainen (lower body) won't return to Wednesday's game versus the Blue Jackets.

Ristolainen was playing in just his second game following a stint on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury. While this new issue is different, it's possible the 31-year-old will end up missing more time. His status for Thursday's game in Boston is uncertain.

Pulock (upper body) is expected to be in the lineup versus the Rangers on Wednesday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Pulock was considered a game-time decision, but he skated alongside Matthew Schaefer during warmups. Pulock should also be expected to play on the penalty kill and could see some power-play time. Adam Boqvist will yield a spot in the lineup to make room for Pulock.

Tanev (groin) was placed on long-term injured reserve Wednesday, per PuckPedia.

Tanev remains out indefinitely. He has already missed the requisite time for LTIR, so he can be activated whenever he's ready, but that is not imminent.

Thrun was assigned to AHL Toronto on Wednesday.

The Maple Leafs recalled Marshall Rifai from the minors in a corresponding move. Thrun has been a healthy scratch for the last three games. He should see more consistent playing time in the minors, where he has three goals and 14 points in 28 games this season.

Rifai was summoned from AHL Toronto on Wednesday.

The Maple Leafs also sent defensemen Henry Thrun and Dakota Mermis to the minors. Rifai hasn't drawn into an NHL game since the 2023-24 campaign, when he appeared in two regular-season games with the Maple Leafs. The 27-year-old has four assists and 23 PIM across 12 outings with AHL Toronto this season.

Ekholm (undisclosed) is day-to-day ahead of Thursday's home game with the Sharks, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.

Ekholm didn't participate in Wednesday's practice and is questionable for Thursday's contest. The news comes just two days after he scored his first career hat trick, which highlights his recent seven-point, five-game run of scoring. Overall, the 35-year-old blueliner has six goals, 26 points, 95 shots on net, 50 hits and 87 blocked shots across 54 games this season. He will likely have to rejoin the mix at Thursday's practice if he wants a chance play against the Sharks.