NHL Player News

McLaughlin (undisclosed) has been activated off long-term injured reserve and put on waivers Wednesday.

McLaughlin hasn't played yet this season due to the injury. He had two goals and three points in 14 regular-season outings between New Jersey and Boston in 2024-25. If he clears waivers, New Jersey will send him to AHL Utica.

Lindholm (upper body) was taken off injured reserve Wednesday, per the NHL media site.

Lindholm will play for Team Sweden against Italy on Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He missed Boston's final three games before the break due to the injury. He has 11 goals and 37 points in 44 outings this campaign. After he's done playing for Sweden, he should make his return with the Bruins against Columbus on Feb. 26.

Hlavaj is set to start for Slovakia against Finland on Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Patrik Mitas of STV reports.

Hlavaj has a 3.33 GAA and an .884 save percentage in 18 outings with AHL Iowa in 2025-26. The 24-year-old was never drafted, but he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Minnesota on April 5, 2024. This is the first game of the tournament for Slovakia and Finland, but the Finnish team is expected to be very good. Hlavaj will be facing the likes of Roope Hintz, Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen, as well as other NHL talent.

Schmidt scored twice and added an assist in WHL Seattle's 3-1 win over Spokane on Tuesday.

Schmidt has racked up 18 points over 14 contests with the Thunderbirds since he was traded from WHL Vancouver. Overall, the crafty winger has 78 points in just 54 appearances this season, matching his production from 61 regular-season outings in 2024-25. The Stars prospect has shown the ability to score and create for teammates over multiple junior campaigns.

Chiarot scored a goal and added two assists in OHL Kitchener's 5-2 win over London on Tuesday.

Chiarot, a Canucks prospect, has struggled since a late December trade from Brampton to Kitchener. He's earned just eight points in 17 outings for Kitchener, with this being his first multi-point effort with his new club. He's at a total of 33 points in 48 appearances, which is still a better pace than 2024-25, when he had 35 points in 66 regular-season games.

Stevenson was loaned to AHL Hershey on Tuesday.

Washington recalled Garin Bjorklund from the minors in a corresponding move. Stevenson has gone 11-8-3 with a 2.57 GAA and a .912 save percentage across 24 AHL appearances during the 2025-26 campaign. He also has a 2-1-0 record and has stopped 66 of 73 shots in three NHL outings this season. Stevenson may return to the Capitals after the Olympic break if Charlie Lindgren (lower body) remains unavailable.

Bjorklund was recalled from AHL Hershey on Tuesday.

Clay Stevenson was loaned to Hershey in a corresponding transaction. Bjorklund is now the No. 2 goaltender on Washington's roster behind Logan Thompson, as Charlie Lindgren is currently on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. The 23-year-old Bjorklund has yet to appear in an NHL game.

Boumedienne was named the Hockey East Defender of the Week on Tuesday.

Boumedienne had two assists over two games for Boston University last week. The defenseman has had a fairly modest 2025-26 with 10 points in 28 appearances for the Terriers. A first-round pick of the Jets in 2025, Boumedienne projects as more of a middle-pairing blueliner who can chip in some offense, but he's unlikely to be a standout in fantasy.

Saros will be between the pipes for Team Finland's game against Slovakia on Wednesday in the preliminary round of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Shawn Roarke of NHL.com reports.

As expected, Saros will get the starting nod over Joonas Korpisalo and Kevin Lankinen. The 30-year-old Saros has been struggling of late with the Predators, allowing at least three goals in nine straight games while going 4-2-2 in that span. The Finns are heavy favorites heading into Wednesday's matchup against the Slovaks -- the disparity in the talent up front between the two teams is substantial.

Rakell (lower body) is expected to play against Italy on Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

Rakell sat out Pittsburgh's 5-2 loss to Buffalo on Thursday before the Olympic break, but he will be available to play in Sweden's tournament opener. He has been skating alongside Elias Pettersson and Mika Zibanejad during practices. The 32-year-old Rakell has 10 goals, 24 points, 103 shots on net, 30 blocked shots and 50 hits across 35 NHL appearances this season.