NHL Player News

Jiricek scored a goal and added two assists in OHL Brantford's 5-2 win over Niagara on Wednesday.

Jiricek has three goals and five assists over seven outings in March. The defenseman is up to 18 goals and 57 points through 54 appearances this season, to go with a plus-30 rating and 156 shots on net. The Blues prospect will likely be in the AHL for 2026-27.

Kuznetsov (upper body) isn't in the lineup Wednesday versus the Blues, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation reports.

Kuznetsov will miss his second straight game with the injury. The 23-year-old's absence continues to be covered by Hunter Brzustewicz, who will skate on the second pairing. Kuznetsov's next chance to play is Friday versus the Panthers.

Vaakanainen (upper body) will not return to Wednesday's game versus the Devils.

Vaakanainen's injury occurred in the first period, and he logged only 3:05 of ice time in the contest. Vincent Iorio will likely fill in if Vaakanainen can't play Thursday versus the Blue Jackets.

Girard (upper body) won't play Wednesday versus the Hurricanes.

Girard is set to miss his fifth straight contest due to the injury. That allows Connor Clifton the opportunity to stay in the lineup. Girard's next chance to play is Saturday versus the Jets, though that is the first half of a back-to-back set.

Gostisbehere (lower body) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Penguins, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Gostisbehere will be unavailable for a sixth consecutive matchup as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury. Although head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Monday that Gostisbehere is "trending closer" to a return, it's not yet clear when he'll be cleared for game action, but his next opportunity to suit up will be Friday against the Maple Leafs.

Morrissey scored a goal on two shots and blocked three shots in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Predators.

Morrissey has two goals and two assists over his last six games. The defenseman is now at 12 goals, 46 points, 113 shots on net, 102 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over 62 appearances. The Jets are still on the fringe of the playoff race, so expect Morrissey to continue playing a large role from the blue line as long as they're competing.

Kaiser posted an assist and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Wild.

Kaiser missed one game due to a shoulder injury. The 23-year-old was on the second pairing as the Blackhawks went full youth movement on the blue line by scratching veteran Matt Grzelcyk. Kaiser has earned 13 points, 60 shots on net, 38 hits, 54 blocked shots, 26 PIM and a minus-11 rating through 62 appearances this season and should be in the lineup regularly for the remainder of the campaign.

Brodin logged an assist and three blocked shots in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks.

Brodin's been back in the lineup for eight contests after returning from a 14-game absence due to a lower-body injury. He's added 13 shots on net, 16 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating since his return. The 32-year-old defenseman brings structure and stability to the Minnesota defense, and he can occasionally make an impact on offense. For the season, he's at 16 points, 56 shots on net, 107 blocks and a plus-17 rating over 50 outings. He had 20 points in 50 regular-season games a year ago.

Crevier scores a goal and added an assist in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to Minnesota.

The 24-year-old blueliner got Chicago on the board midway through the first period before helping to set up a Ryan Greene tally in the second. Crevier snapped a 13-game point drought with the performance. He has contributed five goals, 17 points, 106 hits, 96 shots on net, 71 blocked shots, 53 PIM and a minus-2 rating over 64 contests this season.

Faber pocketed three assists, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over Chicago.

After having a hand in first-period tallies by Ryan Hartman and Vladimir Tarasenko, Faber picked up his third helper on Mats Zuccarello's game-winner. The three-point effort was a season high for the 23-year-old blueliner. He has delivered one goal and nine points in his last 11 games. Faber needs one more point to tie the career-high 47 he produced as a rookie in 2023-24.