NHL Player News

Cernak (lower body) isn't available for Thursday's clash against Edmonton, according to Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

Cernak did participate in Thursday's morning skate, so he might still be able to play Saturday in Washington. The 28-year-old has three assists, 21 PIM, 39 hits and 40 blocks in 18 outings this year. The Lightning are projected to dress 12 forwards and six defensemen Thursday, but they might shift to an 11-7 split once Cernak is available, possibly at the expense of Dominic James.

Durzi (upper body) has been upgraded to day-to-day and is nearing a return to action, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports Thursday.

Durzi has missed 18 games and will sit out Thursday against Vegas. The 27-year-old defenseman was placed on injured reserve Oct. 11 and has one assist in two games this season. He could return as early as Saturday against the Rangers.

Borgen is considered day-to-day due to an upper-body injury and will miss Thursday's game against Colorado, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

Borgen returned from a two-game absence Tuesday against the Golden Knights, but he's still dealing with an upper-body issue that will force him to miss another matchup. Head coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday that the injury is the same issue Borgen previously dealt with, and the team will need to monitor it moving forward. Borgen's next opportunity to suit up will be Saturday against Utah, but whether he'll be available for that matchup remains to be seen.

Head coach Jon Cooper said Thursday that Hedman (undisclosed) will be out "probably a couple more weeks," according to Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

Hedman has already missed four games and is expected to miss at least another eight contests. The blueliner had 12 assists in 15 games prior to his injury. Hedman was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day.

Hedman (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Hedman is slated to miss a fifth consecutive game Thursday against the Oilers, and his placement on injured reserve won't impact his return timetable. However, head coach Jon Cooper said Thursday that Hedman will be out "probably a couple more weeks." Hedman's move to IR will clear space on the roster for Nick Paul (upper body), who was activated from long-term injured reserve in a corresponding move.

Samuelsson produced a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Flames.

Both points came in the second period as the Sabres erased an early 2-0 deficit, but the game got away from the home side in the third. Samuelsson has gotten onto the scoresheet in three straight games, delivering two goals and four points, and the 2018 second-round pick is well on his way to a career-best campaign with four goals -- already tying his career high -- and 10 points in 18 contests.

Andersson scored a goal on three shots on net and added two assists, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Sabres.

The veteran blueliner opened the scoring early in the first period before helping to set up tallies by Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee in the third. Andersson is likely to be on the move before the trade deadline, and while that cloud hanging over him may have contributed to his sluggish start to the season, he's found a groove in November with three goals and eight points in the last eight games.

Chychrun pocketed two assists with three blocked shots, one hit and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Oilers.

The 27-year-old blueliner extended his point streak to five games with his first multi-point performance since Nov. 5. Chychrun has taken his game to another level in his second season with Washington, and through 20 contests he's delivered four goals and 16 points, putting him on pace to blow past the career-best 47 points he produced in 2024-25.

Carlson racked up three assists with two PIM and a plus-4 rating in Wednesday's 7-4 win over Edmonton.

The three points were a season high for the veteran blueliner, who has been on a tear in November with two goals and 10 points in the last seven games. Carlson has seen his production tail off the last few seasons, but the 35-year-old may be turning back the clock -- with four goals and 17 points in 19 contests, he's on pace to top 70 points for the first time since 2021-22.

Nurse scored two goals on four shots on net while adding two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating in Wednesday's 7-4 loss to the Capitals.

The Oilers never led in the contest, but Nurse helped keep things close early by ripping a couple first-period shots past Logan Thompson. Nurse snapped a nine-game point drought with the performance, and the last time he got on the scoresheet was Oct. 30, when he also scored two goals against the Rangers. On the season, the veteran blueliner has five tallies and nine points in 22 games with 58 blocked shots, 51 shots on net, 34 hits and a minus-7 rating.