NHL Player News

Martinez (illness) will play against Minnesota on Sunday, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Martinez won't miss any game action after sitting out Saturday's practice. He has accumulated two goals, four assists, 21 shots on net, 52 blocked shots and 13 hits in 21 appearances this season. Seth Jones (illness) will return to Sunday's lineup, and T.J. Brodie will be a healthy scratch.

Jones (illness) will be in the lineup for Sunday's matchup against the Wild, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio.

Jones should return to the top pairing and first power-play unit after missing Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay. He has generated four goals, 20 points, 57 shots on net, 56 blocked shots and 40 hits across 31 outings this season. Jones will replace T.J. Brodie in Sunday's lineup.

Crozier was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Sunday.

Crozier has played in Tampa Bay's last five games, collecting nine shots on goal, six blocked shots and 11 hits. If his demotion is for salary cap reasons, the 24-year-old defender could return to the Lightning before Tuesday's matchup versus Chicago.

Spurgeon notched an assist, two shots on goal and five blocked shots in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Flames.

Spurgeon missed nine games due to a lower-body injury, and this was his second contest since his return. The 35-year-old defenseman has immediately reclaimed a second-pairing role and a spot on the power play, and his shot-blocking Saturday suggests he's feeling pretty close to 100 percent. Spurgeon has 14 points, 61 shots on net, 58 blocks, 28 hits and a plus-2 rating over 34 appearances this season. Spurgeon plays a heavily defensive style, which opens the door for injury risk and could ultimately limit his scoring output.

Friedman was reassigned to AHL Abbotsford on Sunday.

Friedman has appeared in just five games for the Canucks this year, failing to log a point while posting a minus-4 rating. He'll likely remain in the AHL as a depth option.

Stastney was reassigned to AHL Milwaukee on Sunday.

Stastney will return to the AHL after serving as a healthy scratch in three of the Predators' previous four games. The 25-year-old defenseman has gone scoreless in seven NHL games this season.

Andersson scored a power-play goal, added four PIM and logged two hits in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Wild.

Andersson was a thorn in the Wild's side all game, especially after shoving Marc-Andre Fleury in the mask during a net-front scrum. The defenseman got the last laugh with a goal in the second period, ending his slump of seven contests without a point and 20 games without a goal. His poor January has done a number on his overall production -- he has seven tallies, 19 points (six on the power play), 92 shots on net, 114 blocked shots, 40 PIM and a minus-10 rating through 47 appearances. He's among the top shot-blockers in the league and needs to be rostered in fantasy formats that count that category, but the rest of his numbers remain pedestrian.

Lindell scored a power-play goal in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Blues.

Lindell was on the ice near the end of a power play and cashed in for the Stars' second goal. The tally ended an eight-game point drought for the defenseman, and it was his first contribution with the man advantage since the 2021-22 campaign. Lindell plays more of a shutdown role and is unlikely to challenge Miro Heiskanen or Thomas Harley for power-play time moving forward. This season, Lindell is at four goals, 11 assists, 65 shots on net, 104 blocked shots, 34 hits and a plus-14 rating over 49 appearances.

Englund was scratched for a sixth straight game in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets.

Englund played three times earlier in January when Joel Edmundson was unavailable. However, Englund has since returned to being a frequent healthy scratch, and his path to the lineup has gotten even tougher since the Kings have resumed playing just six blueliners. Drew Doughty (ankle) is also nearing his season debut. While the Kings could take an unconventional approach and carry nine defensemen on the active roster for a while, one of Englund, Kyle Burroughs or Jacob Moverare will likely need to be waived eventually. Given Englund's limited playing time and uninspiring play, there's a good chance he could be the odd man out.

Severson notched an assist and two PIM in Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over the Kings.

Severson has earned three helpers and a plus-6 rating over his last nine games. He was scratched a couple of times earlier in January, but it appears he's no longer at a high risk of that happening, especially if the Blue Jackets continue to dress seven defensemen. Severson has 20 points, 73 shots on net, 79 blocked shots, 33 hits and a plus-5 rating across 47 appearances this season, though he's been in a bottom-four role lately.