NHL Player News

Vilmanis (upper body) is set to play Thursday versus Tampa Bay, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.

Vilmanis exited Wednesday's 5-4 shootout win over Boston, but it seems he won't miss a full game due to the injury. He has two goals, four points, four PIM and 27 hits in 13 appearances while averaging 10:07 of ice time this season. Vilmanis is projected to serve on the fourth line against the Lightning.

Ekblad has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Lightning for an undisclosed reason, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

While the reason for Ekblad's absence isn't yet known, he's one of several players who will miss the Panthers' final game before the Olympic break. The 29-year-old has recorded a goal, five assists, 24 hits, 24 blocked shots and 17 PIM while averaging 22:45 of ice time over 17 appearances since the start of the calendar year. Mikulas Hovorka will draw into the lineup to make his NHL debut Thursday, while head coach Paul Maurice indicated that he isn't concerned about Ekblad's status following the Olympic break.

Marchand (undisclosed) won't be in the lineup Thursday versus Tampa Bay, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.

Marchand returned from an undisclosed injury for Wednesday's 5-4 shootout win over Boston, but he logged just 10:55 of ice time in that game. It's not clear if Marchand is dealing with a new injury or if this is an extension of the issue that previously forced him to miss time. Marchand's next chance to play for Florida will come Feb. 26 versus Toronto, but if he's healthy, Marchand is expected to play for Team Canada during the Olympics. Canada's first game of the tournament is set for Feb. 12 against Czechia.

Rodrigues will miss Thursday's game in Tampa Bay due to an illness, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.

Rodrigues has 10 goals and 25 points in 56 outings in 2025-26. Luke Kunin is set to draw into the lineup due to Rodrigues' absence. This is Panthers' final game before the Olympic break, so Rodrigues' next opportunity to play for Florida will come Feb. 26 versus Toronto.

Tarasov is set to start on the road against Tampa Bay on Thursday, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.

Tarasov is getting his first opportunity to play since he stopped 26 of 31 shots en route to a 5-4 loss to St. Louis on Jan. 29. He's 8-7-2 with a 2.67 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 18 outings in 2025-26. Tampa Bay has been one of the league's top teams dating back to Dec. 20, posting an 18-1-1 record while scoring an outstanding 4.10 goals per game over that stretch.

Shepard was recalled from AHL Belleville on Thursday.

Shepard was sent to the AHL in late January, but he'll rejoin the Senators ahead of their final game before the Olympic break since Linus Ullmark (illness) will be unavailable. James Reimer will serve as the starter during Thursday's road matchup against Philadelphia, while Shepard will serve as the backup before presumably returning to the minors.

Reimer will defend the road crease against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Reimer struggled on the road against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, allowing four goals on 19 shots (.789 save percentage) in a 4-3 regulation loss. However, he'll draw a second consecutive start leading up to the Olympic break since Linus Ullmark (illness) will be unavailable, while Hunter Shepard was recalled from AHL Belleville to serve as the backup netminder. The Flyers are tied for 21st in the NHL with 2.93 goals per game this year.

Ullmark has been ruled out for Thursday's road game against Philadelphia due to flu-like symptoms.

Ullmark returned from a 14-game absence in late January and has picked up wins in each of his two starts since getting back on the ice, posting a 1.50 GAA and .930 save percentage during that time. However, he'll be unavailable for the Senators' final game before the Olympic break, while James Reimer will draw the start. Hunter Shepard was called up by Ottawa to provide additional depth Thursday, but Ullmark will presumably be able to return when the Senators resume play Feb. 26 against Detroit.

Point (lower body) has been ruled out of the upcoming Olympics for Team Canada, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports Thursday.

Point is on long-term injured reserve and hasn't played for the Lightning since Jan. 12 due to his lower-body injury. His status for the Olympics was up in the air, but he'll ultimately be held out and replaced by Seth Jarvis. His next opportunity to suit up for Tampa Bay will be Feb. 25 against Toronto, but it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to do so.

Liljegren scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Avalanche.

Liljegren has two points over his last three outings. The 26-year-old defenseman has played a majority of the time lately, but he offers only modest upside on offense. For the season, he's at one goal, 11 points, 34 shots on net, 36 hits, 83 blocked shots, 27 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 42 appearances.