NHL Player News

Middleton (upper body) is not expected to be in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Flames, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Middleton was labeled a game-time decision, but the defenseman wasn't on a pairing during line rushes. The 29-year-old could still be an option Saturday against the Canucks -- it's possible the Wild are simply avoiding having him play back-to-back games. Jon Merrill and Declan Chisholm will both be in the lineup because of Middleton's absence.

Dineen was reassigned to AHL Bakersfield on Friday.

Mattias Ekholm's return from an undisclosed injury Friday means Dineen is no longer needed on the NHL roster under emergency conditions. The 26-year-old Dineen has 43 points in 59 games with Bakersfield. Should the Condors miss the AHL playoffs, Dineen will likely be called up to serve as a depth option for the Oilers' postseason.

Ferraro's season-ending injury is a broken ankle that won't require surgery, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports Friday.

Ferraro was injured Wednesday versus the Wild. He had 17 points, 150 hits, 125 blocked shots, 53 PIM and a minus-25 rating as the Sharks' top shutdown defender this season. Avoiding surgery is a positive sign, and he is expected to have a fairly normal offseason after a 4-6 week recovery from the injury. He'll be entering a contract year in 2025-26, so he could end up being a top trade target in the likely event the Sharks are not in playoff contention.

Parayko (knee) is doubtful to play Saturday in Seattle and is targeting a return for Tuesday's home game versus Utah, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports.

Parayko was expected to get back in the lineup in one of the Blues' last two contests, so this update tracks with that plan. It is likely his absence will reach 18 games after Saturday. The 31-year-old should be expected to see top-four minutes once he's able to get back into the lineup.

Burns recorded two assists, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Capitals.

This was Burns' first multi-point effort since Jan. 15 versus the Sabres. He helped out on third-period goals by Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis as the Hurricanes dug out of a 4-2 hole to force overtime. Burns is up to 28 points, 172 shots on net, 97 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating over 78 appearances this season, so he's still at risk of falling short of the 30-point mark for the second time in five years.

Alexeyev has not played in the 16 games since he returned from his conditioning loan with AHL Hershey on March 6.

Alexeyev could have had a chance to play Thursday versus the Hurricanes when left-shot defenseman Jakob Chychrun (illness) was out, but the right-handed Dylan McIlrath drew in instead. This paints a clear picture that Alexeyev is eighth on the depth chart on defense, so it would take at least two absences to the Capitals' regular blueliners to get him in the lineup. He hasn't played an NHL game since Nov. 8.

Sandin notched an assist, two blocked shots and a minus-3 rating in Thursday's 5-4 shootout win over the Hurricanes.

Sandin has eight assists over 19 games since the start of March. The 25-year-old continues to fill a top-four role and has picked up power-play time on the second unit. For the season, he's at 29 points, 77 shots on net, 113 blocked shots, 91 hits and a plus-18 rating over 78 appearances. He has up to four more chances to get to the 30-point mark for the second time in his career.

Morrissey notched two assists, five shots on goal and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Stars.

Morrissey has three helpers over his last two contests following a recent four-game slump. The 30-year-old defenseman has largely been consistent as usual this year, earning 59 points (12 goals, 47 assists) over 78 outings. He's added 168 shots on net, 109 blocked shots and a plus-14 rating while playing big minutes on the Jets' top defensive pairing.

Pelech managed an assist, three shots on goal and a minus-5 rating in Thursday's 9-2 loss to the Rangers.

While Pelech got on the scoresheet, this was an ugly defensive performance for him and defense partner Ryan Pulock. The 30-year-old Pelech has four helpers and a plus-2 rating over the last seven contests, and he remains a steady part of the Islanders' lineup. For the season, he's at 21 assists, 106 shots on net, 84 blocked shots, 72 hits and a plus-5 rating through 57 outings.

Makar (rest) will not travel for the team's final two games, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports Friday.

As a result of the Avalanche's playoff position being set in stone, Makar is one of several players who will take the rest of the regular season off and won't travel for the remaining two games. It will be the first time that Makar will not play all year. He finishes his regular season with a career-high 92 points on 30 goals and 62 assists.