NHL Player News

Benson (upper body) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Penguins, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.

Benson sustained his upper-body injury during Monday's win over the Panthers, and he'll be unavailable for a second consecutive game heading into the Olympic break as he continues to receive treatment. He'll have several weeks to recover during the league's layoff, and his next opportunity to suit up will be Feb. 25 against New Jersey.

Van Riemsdyk recorded an assist in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Mammoth.

Van Riemsdyk slid the primary helper on Dylan Larkin's lone goal for Detroit. With the apple, van Riemsdyk is up to 11 assists, 25 points, 82 shots on net and 23 blocked shots through 49 games this season. The 17-year NHL veteran has been a steady source of secondary offense for the Red Wings all season. He has particularly excelled since the calendar turned to 2026, scoring five goals and accumulating 14 points across 17 games. He holds strong streaming value in deep fantasy leagues once the Red Wings return to action following the Olympic break.

Allen will defend the home crease against the Islanders on Thursday, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News reports.

Allen has struggled since the beginning of the calendar year, going 1-5-0 with a 3.25 GAA and .883 save percentage over his last six starts. He'll have a favorable matchup in the Devils' final game before the Olympic break, as the Islanders are scoring 2.84 goals per game this year, which is tied for the eighth-worst mark in the league.

Larkin scored a power-play goal, placed two shots on net, served two PIM and dished out three hits in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Utah.

Larkin tallied the lone goal of the game on a power play for Detroit with less than five minutes remaining in the contest. Overall, the 29-year-old center is up to 26 goals, 51 points, 169 shots on net, 32 hits and 29 blocked shots across 58 games this season. Wednesday's goal was his fifth since Jan. 5, a span in which he has 13 points and 47 shots on net across 15 contests. After competing for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, he'll look to stay on track for another 70-plus-point campaign.

Lizotte will not be in the lineup Thursday in Buffalo, as he and his wife are expecting their first child.

Lizotte has six goals and 11 assists over 46 games for the Penguins this season. Look for Kevin Hayes to replace Lizotte on the fourth line Thursday.

Milano has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Nashville due to personal reasons, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Milano appeared in each of the last three games, recording an assist, a hit and a minus-1 rating during that time. He'll be unavailable for the Capitals' final game before the Olympic break, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him back in action when the team resumes play in late February.

Rinzel was reassigned to AHL Rockford on Thursday.

Rinzel potted a goal in his recent three-game stint with Chicago, averaging 22:52 of ice time. Overall, the 21-year-old has two goals, seven assists, 28 hits and 36 blocked shots over 31 NHL appearances this season. Rinzel should be recalled when the NHL returns to action after the Olympic break.

Pitlick was assigned to AHL Iowa on Thursday.

Pitlick has two goals, 76 hits and 17 blocked shots across 31 NHL games with the Wild this season. He could be recalled when the Wild resume action Feb. 26 in Colorado.

Petersen was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Thursday.

Petersen backed up Filip Gustavsson the last two games, as Jesper Wallstedt was out of action with an illness. Petersen was 4-13-0 with a 2,82 GAA and an .897 save percentage at the AHL level before his recall.

Jiricek was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Thursday.

Jiricek spent the past several weeks with the NHL club, and he recorded no points, five blocked shots, three hits and two PIM while averaging 10:38 of ice time over seven appearances during that time. He'll be sent to the minors ahead of the Olympic break, which should allow him to see playing time in Iowa during the league's layoff.