21 mins agoNew Jersey Devils center Curtis Lazar has been ruled out indefinitely after he underwent a procedure on his left knee. Lazar, who operates as New Jersey's fourth-line center, was injured in a game against Anaheim on Sunday. The 29-year-old has picked up one goal and one assist in 12 outings this season, with 36 hits registered. Justin Dowling filled the center role on the fourth line Wednesday versus Vancouver and notched an assist in his season debut. He might stick with the team for a while now, but fantasy managers should not expect him to appear on the score sheet regularly.Source: NHL.com
32 mins agoWashington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (upper body) will sit out Thursday's game against Montreal. After getting injured on Tuesday versus the Rangers, Chychrun was on the ice Thursday morning but wore a non-contact jersey and isn't ready to play. The 28-year-old exits the lineup with four points (two goals, two assists) in eight games to his name. Alex Alexeyev will enter the lineup for his season debut on Thursday, with Martin Fehervary moving up to the first defensive pairing. Fehervary is an offensively limited player and likely won't make as big of an impact in the offensive zone as Chychrun does.Source: Sammi Silber
41 mins agoMontreal Canadiens defensemen Justin Barron (upper body) and Kaiden Guhle (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Thursday versus Washington. Barron returns from a three-game absence, while Guhle has been absent for five games. The two will provide a good boost for the Canadiens backline. Guhle, who boasts four points (one goal, three assists) in five games this season, is the more attractive fantasy option of the pair. He will skate with Mike Matheson on the first defensive pairing. Barron, who has been limited to one assist in seven outings, joins Jayden Struble on the third pairing.Source: Arpon Basu
46 mins agoPittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (concussion) has been activated from Injured Reserve ahead of Thursday's meeting with Anaheim. He's available to make his season debut after recovering from a concussion. Lizotte was hurt in a preseason game after linking up with the Penguins on a two-year, $3.7 million deal in the summer. The 26-year-old will fill a bottom-six role on the team. Last season, Lizotte produced 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 62 appearances. He has averaged around 0.33 points per game for his career, meaning Lizotte can make an impact offensively at times, but he definitely isn't somebody who gets on the score sheet regularly.Source: Pittsburgh Penguins
54 mins agoSeattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (personal) will not be in the lineup against Toronto on Thursday. Montour returned to Seattle due to the birth of his second child. The talented blue-liner is fresh off his first career hat trick and a four-point game. Ryker Evans is set to play a larger role at the back on Thursday and should replace Montour on the first power-play unit. The 22-year-old has been effective offensively for the team, recording six points (three goals, three assists) in 10 games.Source: Luke Fox
1 hour agoColorado Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg has been suspended for two games. He was handed the suspension for charging Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak in Wednesday's 5-2 loss. Stienburg received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the incident. Cernak was injured on the play and missed the third period. The suspension will keep Stienburg out from Saturday's game against Nashville and a meeting with Seattle next Tuesday. The 24-year-old has gone scoreless in his first eight career NHL games this season, averaging 6:05 of ice time on the fourth line. He has amassed 22 penalty minutes, 17 of which came in Wednesday's contest.Source: Sportsnet
1 hour agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (lower body) will be out week-to-week, head coach Rod Brind'Amour announced Thursday. Andersen will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday versus Boston. The Danish veteran has gone 3-1-0 in four starts this season, allowing 1.49 goals with a .941 save percentage. Pyotr Kochetkov will carry most of the workload until Andersen is ready to return. He also owns a 3-1-0 record for the year but has weaker numbers in other areas. The 25-year-old has given up 2.77 goals with a .894 save percentage.Source: ESPN
8 hours agoTampa Bay Lightning left wing Jake Guentzel provided two goals as the team beat Colorado 5-2 on away ice Wednesday night. Guentzel potted a pair of even-strength goals in the first and second periods, putting Tampa Bay 4-1 ahead. He's now on four goals and 11 points in 10 appearances with his new team. Brought in as essentially Steven Stamkos' replacement, Guentzel has quickly adapted to his new surroundings and already has four multi-point efforts for the campaign. He has a chance to record a third consecutive multi-point game in the next matchup against Minnesota.Source: ESPN
8 hours agoColumbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins stopped the Islanders from scoring on Wednesday, picking up his first shutout of the season with 26 saves in a 2-0 win. The Latvian netminder has now saved 57 of 58 shots across his last two starts since returning to the lineup from a lower-body injury. Merzlikins improved to 2-2-0 on Wednesday and has a 2.05 goals-against average for the season with a .925 save percentage. The next time he heads out, Merzlikins will be battling for his first three-game winning streak in three seasons.Source: ESPN
8 hours agoLos Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke sent out three assists in Wednesday's 6-3 victory over Vegas. He registered two even-strength and one power-play assist. Drew Doughty's (ankle) injury left the Kings' blue line in trouble, but his absence has allowed Clarke to play a more prominent role, and he's been very impressive with his work thus far. The 21-year-old averages a point per game through 11 outings, having notched one goal and 10 assists. Only three blue-liners in the league have been more productive offensively. Clarke isn't afraid to put his body on the line either, boasting 19 blocks for the year. He'll aim to extend his point streak to five games in Saturday's favorable matchup against the Blackhawks, who are allowing 3.30 goals per game.Source: ESPN
9 hours agoNew Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked away 20 shots to register his first shutout of the season in Wednesday's 6-0 victory against Vancouver. Markstrom, a former Canuck, neutralized a team that had scored at least three goals in five straight games. The Swedish netminder improved to 5-3-1 for the season, and he now boasts a 2.68 goals-against average with a .903 save percentage. It's safe to say Markstrom has enjoyed a good start with his new club. He's also been getting plenty of help from his teammates, as New Jersey has limited the opposition to 21.7 shots per game across the last three matchups.Source: ESPN
9 hours agoColorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder) is penciled in to return to the lineup on Tuesday versus Seattle. The Finnish forward has been sidelined for the start of the season because of shoulder surgery. He will sit out one more game as Colorado visits Nashville on Saturday. Lehkonen's return will be a big boost for a team that has lost a number of forwards to injuries, with Valeri Nichushkin also sitting because of a suspension. The Avalanche will use Lehkonen in a top-six role, and he should also get plenty of usage on the power play.Source: Evan Rawal
9 hours agoTampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak suffered an upper-body injury in Wednesday's contest against Colorado. He was forced to exit the game after taking a high hit by Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper did not have an update on Cernak after the game. Cernak is a physical force at the back for Tampa Bay, who also occasionally provides offense. He has recorded three assists in 10 games this season while blocking 15 shots and delivering 16 hits. Nick Perbix will likely rejoin the lineup if Cernak can't play on Friday versus Minnesota. He's also sitting on three assists through seven appearances.Source: Gabby Shirley
9 hours agoThe San Jose Sharks have acquired defenseman Timothy Liljegren in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Defenseman Matt Benning went the other way, along with a 2025 third-round and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick. Liljegren skated in just one game with the Maple Leafs this season, sitting as a healthy scratch. He made 55 appearances last season and performed well. Liljegren finished the 2023-24 campaign with 23 points (three goals, 20 assists), 62 shots, 116 blocks, and 92 hits. He should be a good addition to the Sharks blue line and will definitely have a chance to play regularly. Benning, on the other hand, will have to get used to sitting in the press box. He has zero points in seven games this season with seven shots, 10 blocks, and nine hits.Source: ESPN
1 day agoCalgary Flames left wing Samuel Honzek (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve on Wednesday. It looks like the young winger is ready to rejoin the lineup versus Utah. He has been out for five games with an upper-body injury. Honzek saw usage on the first line at the start of the campaign, but he has yet to score any points in four appearances. The 21-year-old is projected to rejoin the lineup as a member of the third line. It's a lesser role for Honzek, but his new linemates, Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, have also proven to be productive. The two have combined for nine points this season.Source: Calgary Flames