NHL Player News

Dobson (lower body) was designated for injured reserve Friday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Dobson was riding a three-game point streak prior to getting hurt but will now have to wait at least a week before rejoining the lineup. Depending on his the blueliner's recovery progresses, it's possible he will be held out until after the 4 Nations Face-Off -- though the team hasn't provided a specific recovery timeline other than calling Dobson week-to-week.

DeSimone provided two assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Wild.

DeSimone has three assists over five games with Utah. He's received a larger opportunity than he did in New Jersey, though DeSimone could find himself back in the press box once Mikhail Sergachev (upper body) is able to return. For the season, DeSimone has five points, 14 shots on net, 18 hits, 25 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over 16 appearances while often seeing third-pairing minutes.

Korczak was scratched for the 20th consecutive game Thursday against the Blues.

The Golden Knights typically don't make changes to their defensive pairings outside of injury situations, which haven't popped up recently. Korczak remains in a wait for his next chance to play while Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud maintain spots on the third pairing. Korczak has three assists, 13 shots on net, 27 hits, 20 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating through 17 games.

Evans missed practice Friday for an undisclosed reason and will be a game-time decision ahead of Saturday's matchup with Pittsburgh, Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network reports.

Evans has logged at least 20 minutes of ice time in each of his last six contests, so his potential absence would create a significant gap on the Kraken's blue line. If the defenseman can't give it a go, Seattle would need to bring a player up from the minors -- possibly Cale Fleury or Gustav Olofsson.

Johnson provided two assists and two blocked shots in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Hurricanes.

Johnson has played in the last three games, partially aided by the Blue Jackets' return to using seven defensemen. This was his first multi-point effort in nearly a year -- his last came Feb. 18, 2024 versus the Coyotes. The 38-year-old blueliner doubled his point total for this season with Thursday's effort. He's now at four assists, 16 shots on net, 25 blocked shots and a minus-4 rating over 30 appearances. When he plays, he fills a third-pairing role.

Vaakanainen notched an assist and two blocked shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flyers.

Vaakanainen has three helpers over his last five contests. He's played well during a stretch in which the Rangers are 7-0-3, which has helped the Finn stay in the lineup over Zac Jones. Vaakanainen is up to five assists, 12 shots on net, 26 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating through 23 appearances between the Rangers and the Ducks this season.

Lindgren notched an assist, three blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flyers.

Lindgren has three helpers over his last five outings, and he's also gone plus-4 in that span. He's collected six assists during the Rangers' run of 10 straight games without a regulation loss, a span that accounts for half of his points this season. He has two goals, 10 helpers, 30 shots on net, 51 hits, 85 blocked shots, 26 PIM and a minus-1 rating across 43 contests overall.

DeAngelo inked a one-year contract with the Islanders on Friday.

DeAngelo played in the KHL this season before SKA St. Petersburg terminated his contract despite his six goals and 32 points over 34 KHL contests. The defenseman will add some offense to an Islanders team that is last in power-play goals with 14 and are missing their top offensive blueliner, Noah Dobson, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Carlo logged an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 2-0 win over the Senators.

Carlo has two helpers over his last three outings. The 28-year-old typically doesn't add consistent offense, so it's unlikely this recent uptick will last in the long run. The blueliner has seven points, 52 shots on net, 102 blocked shots, 52 hits and 18 PIM over 50 appearances, putting him on track for his lowest-scoring full-length season since 2018-19.

Xhekaj's point drought reached 16 games in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Red Wings.

Xhekaj has 29 PM and 34 hits during his 16-game point drought, so he's still supplying plenty of the rough stuff. The 23-year-old defenseman has a bit of short-term security in the lineup after Jayden Struble was sent to AHL Laval on a conditioning loan Friday. Xhekaj has just five points to go with 110 hits, 72 PIM, 47 shots on net, 44 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 45 appearances this season.