NHL Player News

Brunicke logged three assists in WHL Kamloops' 7-3 win over Vancouver on Friday.

Brunicke has earned four helpers over his last two contests. The defenseman has earned two goals and 20 helpers over 23 appearances for the Blazers after starting the year in the NHL with the Penguins. He'll likely get a long look in training camp with Pittsburgh in the fall.

Mikkola sustained an apparent left knee injury Friday versus the Flames, and he is expected to miss time pending further evaluation, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Mikkola was hurt in the third period after taking contact to his knee. The Panthers have already been rotating players out of the lineup, so if this injury is even of moderate severity, the 29-year-old defenseman could get shut down. Donovan Sebrango figures to receive steadier playing time in the event Mikkola is sidelined for most or all of the rest of the season.

Crevier (undisclosed) is unlikely to play Sunday versus the Predators, but he is expected to be on the Blackhawks' road trip, which starts Tuesday versus the Islanders, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

Crevier looks set to miss a second game, but he could be back in less than a week. The 24-year-old defenseman will probably handle a bottom-four role once he's cleared to return. In his absence, Ethan Del Mastro should continue to play regularly.

Soderstrom scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Providence's 4-3 win over Utica on Friday.

Soderstrom has five points over his last four games. He's gotten on the scoresheet in nine of his last 15 outings to show some consistency late in the campaign. Overall, Soderstrom has eight goals, 27 points, 79 shots on net and a plus-9 rating across 48 appearances.

Crevier (undisclosed) won't be in the lineup Friday versus the Avalanche, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Crevier was apparently injured versus the Wild on Thursday, though he's not expected to miss much time. The 24-year-old defenseman's absence will force the Blackhawks to go back to six blueliners Friday, with forwards Dominic Toninato and Sam Lafferty entering the lineup to cover Crevier and Andrew Mangiapane's (undisclosed) absences.

Mancini signed a two-year, $2 million contract extension with the Canucks on Friday.

Mancini will get a chance to stay in the Canucks' organization as a potential building block on the blue line. He has failed to record a point over 18 appearances this season, adding eight shots on net, 22 hits, 22 blocked shots and a minus-10 rating. While his short-term future is secured, there's no guarantee he'll be an everyday option for Vancouver during his new deal.

Emberson (undisclosed) is slated to return for Saturday's game against the Lightning, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.

Emberson has missed the last five games due to an unspecified issue, but head coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday that the 25-year-old should be able to return Saturday. Emberson has appeared in seven games since the Olympic break, recording a goal, eight hits, seven blocked shots and two PIM while averaging 14:35 of ice time.

Desharnais is considered a game-time decision for Saturday's matchup against the Flyers due to an upper-body injury, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.

Desharnais hasn't missed a game since mid-January, but he's dealing with an upper-body injury and will be evaluated in the hours leading up to Saturday's puck drop before the Sharks determine his status. Across 12 appearances since the Olympic break, he's recorded an assist, 23 hits, 20 PIM and 19 blocked shots while averaging 19:33 of ice time. If the 29-year-old is unable to play Saturday, John Klingberg will likely enter the lineup.

Benning notched two assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Oilers.

The Edmonton native's first NHL game in his hometown also marked his first multi-point effort. Benning has three helpers, one shot on net, four blocked shots and three hits through four outings. The Panthers appear to be giving Benning an extended audition late in the season, so it's possible he'll be in contention for an NHL job on a full-time basis in 2026-27.

Ufko scored a goal in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Kraken.

Ufko's two NHL goals have come against the Seattle -- he scored his first March 10 to help the Predators in another win in a key matchup for wild-card positioning. Ufko has two goals, three assists, five shots on net, three hits, two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over seven total contests in a third-pairing role. His limited ice time (13:10 per game) makes him risky in fantasy, but there is scoring upside.