NHL Player News

Kleven (upper body) won't return to Thursday's game versus the Sabres.

Kleven blocked a shot up high in the first period and was unable to continue. Another injury on the blue line is a worst-case scenario for the Senators, who are already missing nearly a team's worth of defensemen. Kleven's status for Saturday's game versus the Wild will be updated later.

Hedman (personal) was moved to long-term injured reserve Thursday, per PuckPedia.

Hedman hasn't played since March 19 due to an illness and, more recently, personal reasons. He has a goal and 17 points in 33 outings in 2025-26. It's not known when Hedman might return, but this move seems to indicate that he won't be available anytime soon.

Jones will not return this season due to his lower-body injury, Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff reports Thursday.

Jones was activated off non-roster injured reserve Wednesday in a move that seemed to indicate he'd be back in the lineup, but it seems his injury is worse than originally believed. The 28-year-old blueliner's 2025-26 campaign ends with him having played in just seven games, and he notched one assist, 10 hits and five assists.

Lohrei (upper body) has been ruled out for Thursday's clash in Florida, per Jim McBride of The Boston Globe.

Lohrei will sit out his third straight game. He has seven goals and 25 points across 68 outings in 2025-26. Lohrei's next opportunity to suit up will be Saturday in Tampa Bay, and he would likely replace Henri Jokiharju in the lineup.

Myers (undisclosed) will be unavailable Thursday versus Winnipeg, Brien Rea of Victory+ reports.

Myers will miss his second straight game with the injury. He has one goal and nine assists with 79 hits and 106 blocked shots across 68 appearances split between Vancouver and Dallas this season.

Yakemchuk (concussion) is not expected to be in the lineup to face Buffalo on Thursday.

With Yakemchuk out of action, the Senators recalled Cameron Crotty from the minors and will put him in the lineup right away. The 20-year-old Yakemchuk has logged just four NHL games this year, tallying one goal, one assist and five shots while averaging 14:32 of ice time.

Ekblad suffered a broken finger Tuesday versus Ottawa and could be sidelined for the remainder of the season, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports Thursday.

Head coach Paul Maurice said that Ekblad would be out "weeks," and with only two weeks remaining in the regular season and the Panthers all but eliminated from playoff contention, it is likely the end of the campaign for the 30-year-old blueliner. Assuming he doesn't return down the stretch, Ekblad will end the season with four goals, 22 assists, 84 hits and 103 blocked shots across 72 regular-season games in 2025-26.

Kulikov is dealing with a broken nose but could return against Pittsburgh on Saturday or Sunday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports Thursday.

Kulikov has already been ruled out for Thursday's matchup with the Bruins, but it seems he wants to get back in the lineup despite his broken nose. In 17 games for the Panthers this year, the veteran blueliner has yet to register a point while averaging 17:56 of ice time.

Sanderson (upper body) was sporting a non-contact jersey ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Sabres, Claire Hanna of TSN reports.

With Sanderson still not cleared for contact, it seems he'll miss his 13th straight game due to his upper-body issue. In his last 13 outings, the 23-year-old blueliner notched one goal and eight assists, including five power-play points, while averaging 23:33 of ice time.

Crotty was recalled from AHL Belleville on Thursday.

Crotty has yet to appear in an NHL game this season, having logged two prior appearances in 2023-24 and 2024-25 for the Coyotes and Wild, respectively. The decision to bring Crotty up from the minors ahead of Thursday's tilt with the Sabres could be an indication that Carter Yakemchuk (upper body) and Jake Sanderson (upper body) will not be available.