NHL Player News

Romanov (undisclosed), who left the morning skate early, will be a game-time decision for Saturday's tilt against Utah, per Andrew Gross of Newsday.

The 25-year-old blueliner has nine assists, 73 hits and 65 blocks in 30 appearances in 2024-25. If Romanov can't play, Grant Hutton will probably draw into the lineup after spending the Islanders' past four games as a healthy scratch.

Ekblad (undisclosed) won't play Saturday against Boston, Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Ekblad will miss Saturday's contest after he appeared to aggravate an injury Wednesday against Utah. Tobias Bjornfot will remain in the lineup while Ekblad is sidelined.

Orlov logged an assist and three blocked shots in Friday's 2-0 win over the Canucks.

Orlov has earned a helper in three of the last four games, adding seven shots on net and six blocked shots in that span. The extra opportunities on offense likely stem from Shayne Gostisbehere's (upper body) ongoing absence, though Orlov hasn't seen an uptick in power-play time. For the season, the 33-year-old blueliner has 20 points, 70 shots on net, 57 hits, 30 blocks and a plus-16 rating through 43 appearances. Considering he had just 26 points over 82 regular-season games last year, Orlov has enjoyed quite the bounce-back campaign so far.

Girard (upper body) will remain out of the lineup Saturday in Winnipeg, according to Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press.

Girard was a late scratch Thursday in Minnesota. He has two goals, 16 assists, 38 hits and 67 blocked shots across 42 appearances this season. Calvin de Haan will remain in the lineup.

Johnson (illness) has been cleared but will serve as a healthy scratch Saturday against St. Louis, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.

Johnson missed Columbus' last game with an illness. While he's healthy Saturday, the veteran blueliner will ultimately miss a second straight contest as a scratch. Johnson has a goal and seven points in 42 games this season.

Ludvig was called up from AHL Colorado on Saturday.

Ludvig spent the entire two weeks of his conditioning stint with the Eagles after being a healthy scratch the previous 10 games with the Avalanche. Ludvig had one assist in five AHL games. He has seen action in eight NHL games this season, picking up two assists and 16 hits.

Per Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post, coach Paul Maurice said that Ekblad (undisclosed) is doubtful for Saturday's encounter with Buffalo.

Ekblad missed Friday's practice. He played Wednesday in Utah but sat out the previous game in Colorado on Monday. Tobias Bjornfot could replace the 28-year-old Ekblad in Saturday's lineup.

Guhle logged an assist, one shot on net, three blocks and four hits in Friday's 3-2 overtime win over the Capitals.

Guhle out-battled two Washington skaters along the boards in the offensive zone, which led to Cole Caufield's goal that tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period. Typically not a prolific producer of offense, Guhle has four points (one goal, three assists) over the last seven outings. Any offense the defenseman provides is value-added for Montreal; his most significant contributions come on the back end. He has 13 blocked shots over the last three games and ranks second on the club with 85 blocks.

Hutson had an assist, one shot on net and two blocks in Friday's 3-2 overtime win over Washington.

The Capitals had the numbers during a rush in overtime, but Hutson broke up a pass that led to Montreal's 2-on-1 break and the game-winning goal by Nick Suzuki. After a four-game dry spell, Huston has points (one goal, four assists) in three consecutive games. The rookie blueliner ranks second on the team with 28 assists, including a team-high 13 on the power play.

Ceci notched an assist and two blocked shots in Friday's 2-1 loss to Utah.

Ceci helped out on Fabian Zetterlund's goal just 58 seconds into the game. The 31-year-old Ceci has two points and nine blocks over four outings in January while continuing to play in a top-pairing role. The veteran defenseman is up to 12 points, 46 shots on net, 78 blocks, 45 hits and a minus-8 rating through 44 appearances. The offense is nothing special, but his large role has allowed him to contribute semi-regularly. He's on pace to top the 20-point mark for the sixth time in his career.