NHL Player News

Desharnais (upper body) is questionable for Saturday's clash against the Rangers, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports Friday.

Desharnais was able to play through his upper-body injury Thursday versus Toronto, but coach Ryan Warsofsky cautioned that it's a fairly significant issue, so the 28-year-old might need to sit out Saturday. Desharnais has three assists, 45 PIM, 87 hits and 83 blocks in 51 appearances between Vancouver, Pittsburgh and San Jose in 2024-25. The Sharks might need to recall a defenseman because Marc-Edouard Vlasic (upper body) is also questionable, while Henry Thrun (upper body) and Jan Rutta (lower body) are expected to miss the upcoming game.

Englund notched an assist, five hits and five PIM in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Blues.

The helper was Englund's first point with the Predators. The 29-year-old has combined for two points, 15 shots on net, 59 hits, 30 blocked shots, 41 PIM and a minus-5 rating between Nashville and Los Angeles this season. Englund is not a lock for the lineup in any given game, as Jordan Oesterle will push him for playing time. Englund's physical playing style doesn't make up for his total lack of scoring -- most fantasy managers can do better in filling out their depth.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky said Friday that Thrun (upper body) has been upgraded to day-to-day but won't suit up Saturday against the Rangers or Sunday against the Kings, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Thrun aggravated his upper-body injury in the first half of March, and he was initially considered week-to-week. While he seems to be trending in the right direction, the 24-year-old will be unavailable for at least two more games, making his next chance to return Tuesday against the Ducks. Lucas Carlsson will likely continue to see playing time for the Sharks while Thrun remains sidelined.

Skjei scored a power-play goal on two shots, blocked two shots and went minus-2 in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Blues.

Skjei's offense has taken a turn for the better lately, with six points, including four on the power play, over his last 11 contests. The 31-year-old blueliner has quietly reached the 10-goal mark for the season, and he's added 17 helpers, 140 shots on net, 78 blocked shots, 50 hits and a minus-17 rating. It's not a guarantee Roman Josi (upper body) will return this season, so Skjei is in line to handle a large role as the Predators play out their schedule.

Leddy notched an assist in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Predators.

Leddy helped out on Dylan Holloway's go-ahead goal in the third period. The 34-year-old Leddy has largely been a defensive presence during the Blues' recent surge -- he has just three points over 13 contests in March. That's all of his offense over 23 appearances this season, and he's added 17 shots on net, 19 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating.

Fowler scored a goal in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Predators.

Fowler has been good for much of March, but this was his first goal in 13 games this month. He tied the score at 2-2 to help the Blues pull off a comeback win. Fowler is up to eight goals, 24 assists, 73 shots on net, 80 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating over 60 appearances this season. The 33-year-old remains a strong source of offense from the blue line in a top-four role.

Zadorov (personal) rejoined the Bruins for Friday's practice.

Zadorov missed Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Anaheim because he was away from the team. He should draw back into the lineup Saturday versus Detroit, which might result in Ian Mitchell being a healthy scratch. Zadorov has four goals, 17 points, 135 PIM, 183 hits and 96 blocks in 72 appearances with Boston this campaign.

Jiricek suffered a lacerated spleen while playing for AHL Iowa on Saturday and will miss the remainder of the season.

Jiricek made 12 NHL appearances between the Blue Jackets and Wild this year, and he recorded a goal, two assists, 12 hits and seven blocked shots while averaging 12:07 of ice time. While his season will be cut short due to his injury, he's expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Timmins logged an assist in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Sabres.

Timmins has been a good fit for the Penguins' top four since he was acquired from the Maple Leafs. He has five points, a plus-6 rating, 12 hits and seven blocked shots over his nine outings with Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old defenseman is at 13 points, 60 shots, 52 hits, 84 blocks, 28 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 60 contests overall, putting him two points shy of establishing a career high.

Graves notched an assist and two hits in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Sabres.

Graves has three points over his last seven appearances. The Penguins dressed seven defensemen due to injuries among the forwards Thursday, but with recalls coming Friday, look for the team to cut back to a traditional six-blueliner lineup Sunday against the Senators. Graves remains in competition with Ryan Shea and Vladislav Kolyachonok for a spot on the third pairing. Graves is at just four points with 36 shots on net, 61 hits, 68 blocked shots, 27 PIM and a minus-14 rating over 53 outings this season.