NHL Player News

Friedman was recalled from AHL Abbotsford on Monday.

Friedman was sent to the AHL in mid-December, but he'll rejoin the NHL club just over a month after being demoted. Noah Juulsen (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day, so Friedman should help to provide additional depth among the team's defensemen.

Sergachev (upper body) won't play against Winnipeg on Monday, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.

As expected, Sergachev will miss his second straight outing. He has generated eight goals, 30 points, 72 shots on net, 81 blocked shots and 23 hits through 44 appearances this season. Nick DeSimone will remain in the lineup for Monday's contest due to Sergachev's absence.

Head coach Andre Tourigny said Monday that Bortuzzo (lower body) is getting closer to full health but isn't yet ready to return to game action, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.

Bortuzzo has been on injured reserve since early January due to a lower-body injury. He was initially regarded as week-to-week but now appears to be closer to day-to-day. Even though he'll remain sidelined Monday against Winnipeg, it wouldn't be surprising to see him attempt to ramp up his workload in practice in the near future.

Ekblad (upper body) skated before Monday's practice and felt better than he thought he would, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.

Ekblad has missed the last five games, and it remains unclear if he will play against Anaheim on Tuesday. Still, head coach Paul Maurice believes the 28-year-old defender will return during Florida's four-game road trip. Ekblad has generated two goals, 20 points, 76 shots on net, 55 blocked shots and 59 hits through 41 appearances this season. Tobias Bjornfot has been filling in on the blue line due to Ekblad's absence.

Romanov (upper body) is considered a game-time decision for Monday's matchup against the Blue Jackets, but head coach Patrick Roy expects him to play, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

Romanov was also a game-time decision for Saturday's matchup against the Sharks, but he returned from a three-game absence and recorded five blocked shots and two hits in 23:26 of ice time. He participated in Monday's morning skate, so he appears to be trending in the right direction and will likely be available for a second consecutive game.

Vlasic (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's game against Boston, Sheng Peng of San JoseHockeyNow.com reports.

Vlasic played through an illness Saturday against the Islanders, but he was held out of practice Sunday, and head coach Ryan Warsofsky said that the 37-year-old had lost a lot of weight due to his ailment. Vlasic will be unavailable for the first half of a back-to-back set, and it's unclear whether he'll be in the mix to return against Nashville on Tuesday. Timothy Liljegren will draw back into the lineup Monday.

Crozier was summoned from AHL Syracuse on Monday.

Crozier played in Saturday's 5-1 win over Detroit, posting two shots on goal, four hits, three blocked shots and a plus-1 rating. The 24-year-old Crozier could be in the lineup again for Monday's matchup versus Toronto if Erik Cernak (undisclosed) remains unavailable.

White was assigned to AHL Utica on Monday.

White was a healthy scratch for the last three games. He hasn't seen any NHL action this season. White has produced one goal, 11 points and 27 PIM in 26 minor-league outings this campaign.

Smith was assigned to AHL Chicago on Monday.

Smith was a healthy scratch for the last two games. He has one goal, one assist, 14 shots on net and five blocked shots in eight NHL outings this season. Carolina might recall Smith before Wednesday's matchup against Boston to provide some defensive depth.

Edvinsson recorded an assist in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Stars.

Edvinsson was initially credited with the goal, but it was tipped home by Marco Kasper to break up Jake Oettinger's shutout bid. With four helpers over his last seven outings, Edvinsson has taken a step up on offense recently. The 21-year-old blueliner is at four goals, 18 points, 47 shots on net, 41 hits, 74 blocked shots, 20 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 42 appearances. Edvinsson will likely continue to handle top-four minutes.