NHL Player News

Gudbranson (shoulder) took the ice with the Blue Jackets' other injured skaters Thursday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.

Gudbranson should still be considered out indefinitely at this point, as this is just the first step in his recovery process. Still, it's a step in the right direction for the veteran blueliner, who has been out of action since the third game of the 2024-25 campaign. Once cleared to play, Gudbranson should retake his spot on the blue line, though he shouldn't be expected to offer much in the way of offensive contributions considering he's reached the 20-point threshold just once in his career.

Johnson (illness) will miss Thursday's tilt against Seattle, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.

Johnson has not been an offensive force this season, as the veteran defenseman has only two assists in 27 games. He could return as early as Saturday in St. Louis. Damon Severson will return to the lineup in place of Johnson on the third pairing, alongside Jake Christiansen.

Sergachev logged a power-play assist and a minus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Panthers.

Sergachev has gone somewhat quiet lately with just three assists and a minus-13 rating over his last seven outings. The defenseman plays heavy minutes on Utah's top pairing, so it tends to show up clearly in his numbers when the team is struggling as much as it has lately. For the season, he has 29 points (12 on the power play), 66 shots on net, 75 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating through 40 appearances.

Forsling logged an assist, three shots on goal, two hits, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Utah.

Forsling has three points over his last five contests, a marked improvement compared to the two points he registered over the prior 17 games. The 28-year-old blueliner doesn't necessarily have to score to be effective on the ice, but it is crucial to his fantasy value. Forsling has six goals, 10 helpers, 106 shots on net, 39 hits, 46 blocked shots and a plus-21 rating through 42 appearances this season.

Mikkola (upper body) is expected to be in the lineup versus Utah on Wednesday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Mikkola missed five games with the injury, but it looks like he's ready to resume a top-four role. He skating on the second pairing in warmups. Mikkola had gone without a point in three games prior to his absence, so he'll be looking to get his offense back on track.

Ekblad (undisclosed) is expected to play versus Utah on Wednesday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Ekblad was unavailable Monday versus the Avalanche, but it looks like that will be the extent of his absence. The 28-year-old defenseman took line rushes in warmups on the top pairing, and he should also feature on the power play in his return.

Petry (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, retroactive to Jan. 2.

Petry would be eligible to return Friday versus the Blackhawks, but this roster move makes that unlikely to happen. The 37-year-old defenseman doesn't have a clear timeline to return after getting hurt against the Blue Jackets on Jan. 2.

Forbort (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday versus the Capitals, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports.

Forbort was labeled a game-time decision but does not appear to be at risk of missing a contest with the issue. The 32-year-old blueliner should be able to take on a little less ice time now that Quinn Hughes is back in action. Forbort has three assists and 16 blocked shots over 13 appearances this season.

Suter produced an assist, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Wild.

Suter ended his 11-game skid with the helper. While he saw first-pairing minutes for a large segment of the season following Nick Leddy's lower-body injury and a knee issue that sidelined Philip Broberg for nearly a month, the Cam Fowler trade has bolstered the Blues' defense enough to keep Suter on the third pairing now. He's unlikely to generate as much offense in a more limited role. The 39-year-old is at eight points, 33 shots on net, 53 blocked shots, 26 hits and a plus-1 rating through 42 appearances.

Faulk notched two assists, three shots on goal and a minus-3 rating in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Wild.

Faulk helped out on goals by Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou, with the latter's tally coming on the power play. This was Faulk's first game back after missing two due to an upper-body injury. The defenseman has six points over his last four outings, and he also earned his first power-play point since Dec. 10. For the season, the 32-year-old has 15 points, 68 shots on net, 48 hits, 52 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating over 38 appearances, but it looks like his offense is coming around.