NHL Player News

Sanheim did not register a point and was held to one shot on goal in 22:51 of ice time in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins.

Sanheim is the No. 1 defenseman on the Flyers, but it's been a tough go recently. The 28-year-old has just three points over his last 14 games and none since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Perhaps most concerning is the return of Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) and the skill set of Jamie Drysdale being better suited for the power play, who combined have left no room for Sanheim on the Flyers' power play, limiting his chances for future offensive contributions.

Balinskis scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Oilers.

Balinskis started the scoring in this rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals, ending his own eight-game point drought in the process. The 28-year-old defenseman didn't play in the postseason last year, but he could have a chance to this spring in the likely event the Panthers qualify. There's always a chance they make a trade to bolster their defensive depth as well -- which would likely threaten Balinskis and Nate Schmidt's roles on the third pairing. For the season, Balinskis has 15 points, 71 shots on net, 56 hits, 39 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 57 outings.

Schmidt scored a goal and went plus-2 in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Oilers.

Schmidt scored for the first time since Jan. 25 versus the Sharks. The defenseman chips in a little offense in a third-pairing role, picking up four points over his last 11 contests. For the season, the 33-year-old has 14 points, 47 shots on net, 58 hits, 42 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating across 58 appearances. Fantasy managers could do worse for streaming options on nights with light schedules, but Schmidt doesn't produce enough in any one area to justify being a long-term addition to most rosters.

Allan was loaned to AHL Rockford on Friday, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Allan was a healthy scratch Thursday in Vegas, the sixth time in his last eight games he has sat in the press box. The 21-year-old needs to play, and he will get every chance to do so with the IceHogs. Allan had one goal, seven assists, 61 hits and 48 blocked shots across 43 games with Chicago. The Blackhawks recalled Wyatt Kaiser in a corresponding move Friday.

Kaiser was called up from AHL Rockford on Friday, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio.

Kaiser played 35 games with the Blackhawks earlier in the season, picking up one goal and two assists before being sent to the AHL on Jan. 23. Kaiser had three assists over 17 AHL games before his recall. The Blackhawks sent Nolan Allan to Rockford in a corresponding move.

Kleven (lower body) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Sharks, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Kleven exited Wednesday's game against the Jets due to a lower-body injury that he sustained in a fight, but he's apparently dealing with a strain that is unrelated to the scuffle. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return, but his next chance to suit up will be Monday in Washington.

Doughty (lower body) will return to the lineup in Dallas on Friday, Sam Nestler of DLLS Stars reports.

Doughty missed Wednesday's game against Vancouver and stated that the injury is something he will have to deal with this season. The defenseman has played only eight games this season as he dealt with a broken ankle since training camp, an injury that cost him the first 47 games of the season. The Kings could go with seven defensemen and 11 forwards Friday.

The Islanders announced Friday that Reilly (chest) has been cleared for contact, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

Reilly has been sidelined since mid-November due to a heart condition, but he's been optimistic that he'll be able to return before the end of the 2024-25 season. It's not yet clear when the 31-year-old will be able to return to game action, but he seems to be trending in the right direction.

Bichsel (concussion) is skating but has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Kings, according to Brien Rea of FanDuel Sports Network Southwest.

Bichsel was injured against the Islanders on Sunday and has already missed one game ahead of Friday's tilt against Los Angeles. The 20-year-old rookie defenseman has two goals, three assists and 73 hits across 18 appearances for Dallas this season. The good news is that he has been progressing and could return as early as Sunday versus St. Louis.

Ekblad produced two assists in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Oilers.

The 29-year-old blueliner had a hand in Anton Lundell's second-period tally and Carter Verhaeghe's game-winner in the third. Ekblad had a slow start to the season and missed a big chunk of January with an upper-body injury, but since returning to the lineup, he's racked up a goal and nine points over 11 contests.