NHL Player News

Samberg (personal) will not be available for Tuesday's road meeting with the Islanders, according to John Lu of TSN.

Head coach Scott Arniel noted that Samberg will rejoin the team ahead of Thursday's game against the Flyers. Haydn Fleury will replace Samberg in the lineup Tuesday and skate on the third pairing next to Colin Miller.

Ekblad registered a power-play assist, had two PIM, and provided three hits in Monday's 2-1 win against Tampa Bay.

Ekblad notched a secondary helper on Aleksander Barkov's go-ahead goal in the second period. The 29-year-old Ekblad is up to 28 assists, 31 points, 105 shots on goal and 88 hits in 54 games this season. With the recent acquisition of blueliner Seth Jones from Chicago, Ekblad gained some sizable competition for ice time with Florida's first power-play unit. Ekblad's assist Monday helps bolster his resume on the power play, where he has 10 of his 28 helpers this season. Jones joins the Panthers with 15 power-play points, but it seems as if Florida is placing its trust in the 11-year Panthers veteran Ekblad for the time being. While Ekblad is on the first-power play unit, he has decent value in standard fantasy formats.

Sanderson notched three assists, two on the power play, in Monday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Capitals.

It's Sanderson's third multi-point performance in the last 10 games, a stretch in which the blueliner has amassed four goals and 13 points. Sanderson is up to 40 points on the season -- a new career high -- in 59 appearances, and his 24 power-play points (four goals, 20 helpers) is second in the NHL among defensemen, behind only Cale Makar's 28.

Gudbranson (shoulder) is not expected back until sometime in April, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports Tuesday.

Gudbranson has started skating, but his shoulder needs time to heal fully after surgery back in October. At this point, the defenseman might not even play in 10 regular-season contests this year and will be hoping his teammates can hold onto at least a wild-card spot and make the postseason.

Thompson scored a goal in Monday's 3-2 shootout win over the Maple Leafs.

Thompson scored a goal for the first time since Nov. 11, and the Sharks have won two of the three games in which he's found the back of the net this season. That said, he has only six points in 22 games and is unlikely to play a significant role going forward, nor does he have a lot of fantasy upside, due to his role in the lineup.

Kulak is dealing with an illness and did not skate Monday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Edmonton recalled Cam Dineen from AHL Bakersfield on an emergency basis Monday, so Kulak's availability for Tuesday's game against the Ducks is in question. Kulak has yet to miss a game this season. If the left-shot blueliner can't suit up Tuesday, Troy Stecher or Dineen will fill his spot in the lineup.

Dineen was recalled from AHL Bakersfield on an emergency basis Monday.

Dineen hasn't made an appearance in the NHL since the 2021-22 campaign with the Coyotes. The 26-year-old New Jersey native has supplied five goals and 29 points across 45 games with the Condors this season. Brett Kulak is contending with an illness, so Dineen may have an opportunity to draw into the lineup Tuesday against the Ducks.

Maatta signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension with Utah on Monday.

Maatta has two goals, 14 points, 55 shots on net, 108 blocked shots and 17 hits in 58 games between Utah and Detroit this season. The 30-year-old defender chose to stay with Utah through the 2027-28 campaign rather than test the market as an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

Joseph (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Monday.

Joseph was sidelined versus the Maple Leafs on Sunday and will now miss at least two more games due to his placement on IR. In his 47 games for the Penguins and Blues this season, the 25-year-old blueliner has yet to find the back of the net while chipping in three helpers, 36 hits and 42 shots. With Joseph on the shelf, Ryan Graves should see an uptick in opportunities -- though Vladislav Kolyachonok figures to also be in the mix.

Mitchell was loaned to AHL Providence on Monday.

Mitchell has played in Boston's last two games, posting one hit, two blocked shots and a minus-1 rating. He could return to the NHL before Tuesday's matchup versus Nashville to play again or serve as an extra defender.