NHL Player News
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Sam Rinzel D | CHI
Blackhawks' Sam Rinzel: Sent to minors
Rinzel was reassigned to AHL Rockford on Thursday.
Rinzel potted a goal in his recent three-game stint with Chicago, averaging 22:52 of ice time. Overall, the 21-year-old has two goals, seven assists, 28 hits and 36 blocked shots over 31 NHL appearances this season. Rinzel should be recalled when the NHL returns to action after the Olympic break.
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David Jiricek D | PHI
Wild's David Jiricek: Sent to AHL
Jiricek was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Thursday.
Jiricek spent the past several weeks with the NHL club, and he recorded no points, five blocked shots, three hits and two PIM while averaging 10:38 of ice time over seven appearances during that time. He'll be sent to the minors ahead of the Olympic break, which should allow him to see playing time in Iowa during the league's layoff.
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Noah Dobson D | MON
Canadiens' Noah Dobson: Two-point effort Wednesday
Dobson delivered two assists in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Jets.
The former Islander helped set up the Canadiens' first and last goals of the night. Dobson heads into the Olympic break riding a five-game point streak in which he's produced a goal and seven points, and through his first 57 games with Montreal he's racked up 10 goals, 38 points, 139 blocked shots, 114 shots on net, 39 hits, 28 PIM and a plus-12 rating.
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Sean Durzi D | UTA
Mammoth's Sean Durzi: Deposits opening goal
Durzi scored a goal, placed two shots on net and recorded two blocked shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Detroit.
Just under a minute into the contest, Durzi struck the back of the net for his second goal in five games. Overall, the 27-year-old blueliner has five goals, 19 points, 59 shots on net and 64 blocked shots across 36 games this season. The fifth-year defenseman has quietly been a strong option in fantasy over the last month and a half with 16 points, 40 shots on net, 11 hits and 38 blocked shots across his last 24 games. Once NHL action resumes following the Olympic break, Durzi is a solid streaming option in most fantasy formats for the foreseeable future.
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Uvis Balinskis D | FLA
Panthers' Uvis Balinskis: Big night on power play
Balinskis scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Wednesday's 5-4 shootout win over the Bruins.
Both points came early in the second period, as Balinskis tied the game at 2-2 just 30 seconds into the frame before having a hand in a Matthew Tkachuk tally a little over two minutes later. Balinskis has been getting a look on Florida's top power-play unit, and he's taken advantage with two goals and four points over the last four games -- all of it coming with the man advantage.
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Hampus Lindholm D | BOS
Bruins' Hampus Lindholm: Two helpers in Florida
Lindholm notched two assists in Wednesday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Panthers.
The veteran blueliner had a hand in tallies by Michael Eyssimont in the first period and Mark Kastelic in the third to help earn a point for the Bruins. Lindholm is set to represent Team Sweden in the Olympics, and he heads into the tournament with a goal and five points over nine games since returning from an undisclosed injury in mid-January.
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Zach Werenski D | CLB
Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Makes history Wednesday
Werenski scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday's 4-0 win over Chicago.
Werenski saw his centering attempt early in the first period pinball off Louis Crevier's stick, Alex Vlasic's skate and past Spencer Knight to give Columbus a 1-0 lead, and it proved to be all the support Jet Greaves would need. The goal was also Werenski's 20th of the season, making him the first defenseman in history with 20 goals prior to an Olympic break, per Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch. He's also the third American defenseman ever with consecutive 20-goal campaigns, joining Reed Larson and Hall of Famer Phil Housley. Werenski will now take his talents to Milan with Team USA while riding a seven-game point streak in which he's racked up two goals and 10 points.
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Josh Mahura D | SEA
Kraken's Josh Mahura: No playing time since holiday break
Mahura was scratched for the 21st game in a row in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Kings.
Even with a hefty January schedule, the Kraken didn't opt to give Mahura a look or two in a rotational capacity. The team's defense has been mostly healthy lately, and Cale Fleury appears to have priority over Mahura whenever an opening occurs. For the season, Mahura has three points, 12 shots on net, 32 blocked shots, 22 hits, 16 PIM and a plus-9 rating across 20 appearances.
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Adam Larsson D | SEA
Kraken's Adam Larsson: Pots go-ahead goal
Larsson scored a goal and blocked five shots in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Kings.
Larsson has a goal and three assists over his last five games. The 33-year-old blueliner doesn't offer a ton of offense, so it would be surprising if this uptick carries over after the Olympic break. Larsson is at a total of five goals, 15 points, 60 shots on net, 75 hits, 123 blocked shots, 32 PIM and a plus-3 rating through 56 appearances this season.
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Vince Dunn D | SEA
Kraken's Vince Dunn: Strikes on power play
Dunn scored a power-play goal on four shots and added two PIM in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Kings.
Dunn has gotten on the scoresheet in three straight games with a goal and two assists in that span. He's cooled off after a hot first half of January, but he's still seeing big minutes in a top-pairing role and on the power play. Dunn is up to eight goals, 34 points, 119 shots on net, 58 blocked shots and a minus-17 rating across 55 appearances this season. He's just five points shy of matching his total from 62 outings in 2024-25, and he already has a career-best 19 power-play points on his ledger.