According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, New York Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (illness) will remain sidelined on Friday evening when the Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Vaakanainen was sidelined during their previous game on Wednesday evening and will now miss his second-straight contest. As a result, Zach Jones will continue to remain in the starting lineup and play on the bottom pairing. Over his previous six contests, Vaakanainen has tallied three helpers and logged four hits, six blocks, and five shots on goal. Across 27 total games, Vaakanainen has tallied six points (all helpers) with a +2 rating, 12 penalty minutes, 12 hits, and 29 blocked shots. In his last game, Jones tallied just one hit and one block across 13 minutes of ice time and should not be targeted in DFS competitions.
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (undisclosed) will not be available for Friday's clash with Detroit. He missed Thursday's practice and is expected to be replaced in the lineup by Drew Helleson, who was called up from the minors earlier in the week. Vaakanainen has skated in five contests with the Ducks this season, recording one assist with three shots and seven blocks. Helleson has seen action in only a handful of NHL games so far, featuring three times in 2022-23. He has zero points with 14 penalty minutes in 12 AHL appearances this season. The 23-year-old is expected to provide physicality on the third defensive pairing.
Urho Vaakanainen Rejoins Ducks Lineup On Wednesday
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen will be back in the lineup Wednesday against Columbus, replacing Gustav Lindstrom. He will rejoin the action after sitting out Monday's 4-3 win over Buffalo as a healthy scratch. Vaakanainen has registered one goal and eight assists with 48 shots in 46 games while logging 56 blocks on the defensive end. He'll have plenty to prove on Wednesday after finishing his last outing against Toronto with a season-worst minus-four rating.
Urho Vaakanainen
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