NHL Player News

Kuemper will protect the home goal versus the Predators on Thursday, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Kuemper was pulled Saturday versus the Mammoth, and even with three days between games, he'll fill the backup role Wednesday against the Blues. Kuemper should see a majority of the starts down the stretch as the Kings compete for a playoff spot. The Kings have just one more back-to-back after this week's set.

Forsberg will start in goal at home versus the Blues on Wednesday, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Forsberg will take the first half of the back-to-back to afford Darcy Kuemper an extra day of rest. Forsberg was perfect in relief of Kuemper on Saturday versus the Mammoth, stopping all 11 shots he faced. The Blues have played well lately, winning four of their last six games with 18 goals scored in that span.

Mueller was recalled from AHL Abbotsford on Wednesday.

Mueller has 16 goals and 19 assists over 59 appearances for the minor-league club in his second AHL campaign. He will join the NHL roster because Evander Kane (undisclosed) is out for Wednesday's game against the Avalanche. It's unclear if Mueller will be in the lineup for the contest, but he could get a look over the last couple of weeks of the regular season.

Kulikov (head) won't play Thursday versus the Bruins, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

Kulikov's CT scan results haven't been revealed, but he is hurt enough to sit out of a game that has no impact for the Panthers. The 35-year-old will join Aaron Ekblad (hand) as the most recent injuries for the Panthers. Mikulas Hovorka and Tobias Bjornfot will take their places in the lineup Thursday.

Ekblad (hand) is not expected to play Thursday versus the Bruins, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

Ekblad hurt his hand blocking a shot and will miss at least one more game. Given how late in the season it is, he may ultimately be shut down early if he has sustained even a moderate injury. Tobias Bjornfot and Mikulas Hovorka were called up from AHL Charlotte on Wednesday to provide reinforcements on the blue line.

Hovorka was called up from AHL Charlotte on Wednesday.

Hovorka made his NHL debut Feb. 5 versus the Lightning. He could be in line to play in Thursday's clash with the Bruins due to several injuries on the Florida blue line. In the minors, the 24-year-old defenseman has tallied four goals and 12 assists in 53 contests. The Czech native will be hard-pressed to offer much in the way of fantasy value, given his limited offensive upside.

Bjornfot was recalled from AHL Charlotte on Wednesday.

Bjornfot has appeared in 11 NHL games for the Panthers this year, generating two goals, one assist, nine shots on net, eight hits and eight blocked shots while averaging just 11:33 of ice time. He will probably play in Thursday's matchup against Boston after Aaron Ekblad (hand) and Dmitry Kulikov (head) suffered injuries in Tuesday's 6-3 win over Ottawa.

Jiricek signed a two-year, $3 million contract extension with the Flyers on Wednesday.

Jiricek has four goals and 20 points in 34 AHL outings between Iowa and Lehigh Valley in 2025-26. He also had no points, 14 PIM, 15 shots, eight hits and 19 blocks in 25 appearances with Minnesota this season before he was dealt from the Wild to Philadelphia on March 6 in exchange for Bobby Brink. Although Jiricek is in the minors, his new contract suggests that Philadelphia anticipates him playing in the NHL next season.

Helenius (undisclosed) is still considered day-to-day and won't be in the lineup versus the Blues on Wednesday, per NHL.com.

With the Kings heading into a back-to-back, Helenius could be questionable, at best, to play in Thursday's clash with the Predators. The 23-year-old center hasn't scored a goal in 12 straight games while registering 11 shots, two assists and 40 hits.

Klingberg (upper body) will be a healthy scratch Wednesday versus Anaheim.

Klingberg missed the last three games due to injury. He's now available to play at any time, but the Sharks opted not to put him back into the lineup yet. The 33-year-old defenseman has 10 goals and 24 points in 54 outings in 2025-26.