NHL Player News

Sebrango (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup Thursday versus the Bruins, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

Sebrango was facing an injury concern, but he checked out fine after the contest and shouldn't miss time. The 24-year-old will likely get to continue seeing top-four minutes because Aaron Ekblad (hand) and Dmitry Kulikov (head) won't play in Thursday's matchup. Sebrango has two assists over his last six games but has yet to see an uptick in power-play usage despite the Panthers' numerous injuries.

Mintyukov (lower body) won't play versus the Sharks on Wednesday, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports.

Mintyukov will be out of the lineup for the second time in three games due to a lower-body issue. Radko Gudas (lower body) is also out, creating room for Ian Moore and Drew Helleson to play. Mintyukov can be considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's game versus the Blues, which is the first half of a back-to-back.

Kulikov (head) won't play Thursday versus the Bruins, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

Kulikov's CT scan results haven't been revealed, but he is hurt enough to sit out of a game that has no impact for the Panthers. The 35-year-old will join Aaron Ekblad (hand) as the most recent injuries for the Panthers. Mikulas Hovorka and Tobias Bjornfot will take their places in the lineup Thursday.

Ekblad (hand) is not expected to play Thursday versus the Bruins, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

Ekblad hurt his hand blocking a shot and will miss at least one more game. Given how late in the season it is, he may ultimately be shut down early if he has sustained even a moderate injury. Tobias Bjornfot and Mikulas Hovorka were called up from AHL Charlotte on Wednesday to provide reinforcements on the blue line.

Hovorka was called up from AHL Charlotte on Wednesday.

Hovorka made his NHL debut Feb. 5 versus the Lightning. He could be in line to play in Thursday's clash with the Bruins due to several injuries on the Florida blue line. In the minors, the 24-year-old defenseman has tallied four goals and 12 assists in 53 contests. The Czech native will be hard-pressed to offer much in the way of fantasy value, given his limited offensive upside.

Bjornfot was recalled from AHL Charlotte on Wednesday.

Bjornfot has appeared in 11 NHL games for the Panthers this year, generating two goals, one assist, nine shots on net, eight hits and eight blocked shots while averaging just 11:33 of ice time. He will probably play in Thursday's matchup against Boston after Aaron Ekblad (hand) and Dmitry Kulikov (head) suffered injuries in Tuesday's 6-3 win over Ottawa.

Jiricek signed a two-year, $3 million contract extension with the Flyers on Wednesday.

Jiricek has four goals and 20 points in 34 AHL outings between Iowa and Lehigh Valley in 2025-26. He also had no points, 14 PIM, 15 shots, eight hits and 19 blocks in 25 appearances with Minnesota this season before he was dealt from the Wild to Philadelphia on March 6 in exchange for Bobby Brink. Although Jiricek is in the minors, his new contract suggests that Philadelphia anticipates him playing in the NHL next season.

Klingberg (upper body) will be a healthy scratch Wednesday versus Anaheim.

Klingberg missed the last three games due to injury. He's now available to play at any time, but the Sharks opted not to put him back into the lineup yet. The 33-year-old defenseman has 10 goals and 24 points in 54 outings in 2025-26.

Byram scored an empty-net goal on two shots and blocked three shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Islanders.

Byram ended a 31-game goal drought with the empty-netter, which ended up as the game-winner when the Islanders scored late. Byram earned seven points, 27 shots on net, 17 hits and 12 blocked shots over 15 outings in March. He's matched his career high of 38 points and set a personal best with 11 goals through 75 outings this season. The defenseman has added 104 shots on net, 87 blocked shots, 49 hits, 48 PIM and a plus-13 rating while filling a top-four role.

Clifton notched an assist, two hits and a plus-3 rating in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Red Wings.

Clifton avoided getting skunked in March, with the helper being his first point in 15 games. The 30-year-old defenseman is going to have a heavy competition on his hands for a third-pairing job, but it looks to be his over Jack St. Ivany for now. The Penguins also have Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov and Caleb Jones on their roster for defensive depth. Through 44 appearances this season, Clifton has just six points with 30 shots on net, 168 hits, 70 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-3 rating.