NHL Player News

Romanov (shoulder) is expected to participate in contact drills during practices this week, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday on Monday.

Romanov might be available to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season. He has missed the last 58 games after having shoulder surgery in late November. Romanov has contributed one assist, 17 shots on goal, 31 blocked shots and 31 hits across 15 appearances this campaign.

Hunt was scratched for the 16th game in a row in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Red Wings.

Hunt's path to playing time is currently blocked, though that could change if the Wild opt to rest some players ahead of the playoffs. The 23-year-old defenseman would otherwise need another blueliner to get hurt to open space for him in the lineup. Hunt has five helpers, 15 shots on net, 39 blocked shots and 19 hits over 29 appearances this season.

Blankenburg notched an assist and went plus-2 in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Blues.

This was just the sixth game Blankenburg's played for the Avalanche. He's getting a chance due to Cale Makar (upper body) sitting out, and that should allow Blankenburg to continue playing at least early in the next week. He's poisted a career-high 22 points with 60 shots on net, 53 blocked shots, 52 hits and a minus-12 rating over 55 appearances between the Avalanche and the Predators this season, but his opportunities will likely be limited come playoff time.

Burns scored a goal on three shots, added an assist and blocked two shots in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Blues.

Burns has a pair of multi-point efforts over his last three games. He was limited to just two points over 15 outings in all of March. The defenseman became the second skater in NHL history to play in 1,000 consecutive games in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Stars, though it's unclear if Burns will return in 2026-27 to take a run at Phil Kessel's record streak of 1,064 consecutive regular-season games. Burns has remained effective this season with 12 goals, 33 points, 161 shots on net, 86 blocked shots and a plus-31 rating, though he's averaging just 18:50 of ice time since the Avalanche have the talent to keep him in a smaller role. He hasn't exceeded 20 minutes in any game since the end of January.

Sandin-Pellikka scored a goal, registered an assist, put two shots on net and served two PIM in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Wild.

Sandin-Pellikka scored his first goal since being called up from AHL Grand Rapids on April 4. His tally helped spark Detroit's offense to eventually tie the game late in the third period. Overall, the 21-year-old blueliner is up to seven goals, 21 points, 65 shots on net and 52 blocked shots across 65 NHL games this season. The young defenseman is making the most of his second chance with Detroit. He has solid upside in dynasty fantasy leagues and should remain involved for the Red Wings this season until Justin Faulk (lower body) returns to the lineup.

Johansson tallied a goal in Sunday's 5-4 loss to Minnesota.

Johansson found the back of the net just under two minutes into regulation Sunday. He is up to three goals, a career-high 10 points, 58 shots on net, 53 hits and 89 blocked shots through 77 games this season. The 25-year-old blueliner offers solid category coverage and could make an impact in dynasty fantasy leagues if he continues to develop offensively over the next few seasons.

Fox scored a power-play goal and added two assists in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Capitals.

One of his helpers also came on the power play. Fox extended his point streak to seven games with one of his best efforts of the season. During the streak, he's earned three goals and 10 helpers, including seven power-play points. Fox is up to eight goals, 50 points, 83 shots on net, 72 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating over 51 appearances. His counting stats are at the usual levels due to his lengthy injury absences this season, but he's been in peak form on a per-game basis.

Donovan was loaned to AHL Belleville on Sunday.

Donovan was brought up ahead of Saturday's game against Minnesota but did not suit up, and he also didn't play in Sunday's 6-3 win over Carolina. The Senators currently have six healthy blueliners on their roster, so another defenseman might be brought up as insurance for Tuesday's home matchup versus Tampa Bay.

Joseph logged an assist, three hits and two PIM in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Mammoth.

Joseph has played in six of seven games since he returned from an upper-body injury that cost him nearly three weeks. The 26-year-old defenseman will likely close out the campaign in a third-pairing role, offering minimal fantasy upside. He's picked up six points, 21 shots on net, 24 blocked shots, 18 hits and a minus-16 rating across 30 outings this season.

Hronek notched two power-play assists, three shots on goal, two blocked shots, two hits, two PIM and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Mammoth.

Hronek has earned seven assists over his last seven outings, and six of them have come on the power play. The 28-year-old defenseman remains a strong all-around option, aside from an abysmal plus-minus rating that comes from playing big minutes on the league's worst team. Hronek has produced eight goals, 46 points, 119 shots on net, 123 hits, 97 blocked shots and a minus-19 rating through 76 appearances. He needs three more points to establish a new career high.