NHL Player News

Stolarz will start Wednesday's road game against Tampa Bay, Mark Masters of TSN reports.

Stolarz went 1-2-0 with a 3.73 GAA and .874 save percentage over three outings before the Olympic break after returning from a lengthy injury absence. His appearance between the pipes could lead to Joseph Woll starting in the second half of the road back-to-back against Florida on Thursday.

Bichsel (lower body) is expected to suit up versus the Kraken on Wednesday, Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Bichsel will be activated from long-term injured reserve following a 31-game absence. Prior to exiting the lineup, the 21-year-old blueliner recorded just three points in 26 contests, so fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting a ton of offensive output from him. However, he should be capable of registering plenty of hits.

Lamoureux was reassigned to AHL Tucson on Wednesday.

Lamoureux is returning to the minors after being recalled Tuesday. He has an assist in five appearances with Utah in 2025-26. Lamoureux has also recorded three goals, 14 points and 48 PIM across 42 outings with Tucson this campaign.

Simashev was reassigned to AHL Tucson on Wednesday.

Simashev has logged 24 games in the NHL this year, recording one assist, eight hits and 23 shots while averaging 15:28 of ice time. If the 21-year-old blueliner sees additional time with the Mammoth this season, he may not play enough to offer more than low-end fantasy value.

Henrique (undisclosed) will be activated off long-term injured reserve ahead of Wednesday's game in Anaheim, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Henrique hasn't played since Jan. 6 due to the injury. He has two goals and 10 points across 43 appearances in 2025-26. Henrique will probably occupy a bottom-six role while replacing Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed) in the lineup.

Vladar will get the starting nod on the road against the Capitals on Wednesday, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Vladar was struggling prior to the break, going 1-1-2 in his last five outings despite a decent 2.54 GAA. With the Czech backstop getting the start Wednesday, fantasy managers can probably expect to see Samuel Ersson (lower body) play in Thursday's road matchup versus the Rangers, assuming he's healthy enough to play.

Cirelli (undisclosed) isn't expected to play Wednesday versus Toronto or Thursday in Carolina, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

The Lightning are hoping to get Cirelli back for Saturday's match against Buffalo. Cirelli missed Tampa Bay's past two games and the Olympics because of the injury. He has 15 goals and 35 points in 49 appearances in 2025-26.

Newhook (ankle) will be activated from injured reserve ahead of his return to the lineup versus the Islanders on Thursday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Newhook will suit up for the first time since Nov. 13 against Dallas, a stretch of 40 games on the shelf due to a fractured ankle. While the 25-year-old center will slot into a bottom-six role, he should also see time with the second power-play unit. Prior to getting hurt, Newhook was having a solid 2025-26 campaign, racking up six goals and six helpers in 17 appearances.

Zibanejad isn't available for Wednesday's practice due to an illness, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic.

Zibanejad has 23 goals and 52 points in 56 appearances in 2025-26. His status for Thursday's game against Philadelphia isn't known. If Zibanejad can't play, then Noah Laba might shift into the top six, and Brendan Brisson would probably make his NHL season debut.

Paul (undisclosed) was put on long-term injured reserve Wednesday, per PuckPedia.

Paul hasn't played since Feb. 1 due to the injury, and there is no timeline for his return. The Lightning officially activated Emil Lilleberg (undisclosed) from IR, Charle-Edouard D'Astous (lower body) from IR and Brayden Point (lower body) from LTIR in corresponding moves. Paul has six goals and 12 points in 34 appearances in 2025-26. He'll likely serve in a middle-six capacity once he's healthy.