NHL News

Pierre-Luc Dubois • C • Capitals

Pierre-Luc Dubois Remains Unavailable Saturday

Washington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois (illness) will be absent for a fourth straight game on Saturday against New Jersey. He's having trouble recovering from illness. Dubois' absence has left the Capitals without a player who averaged a point per game across the first four contests of the year. On Saturday, Washington could also be without Justin Sourdif (illness), forcing head coach Spencer Carbery to make further changes up front. In this situation, Ethen Frank could earn a regular spot in the lineup. So far, he's appeared in only two games this season.

Oct 17

Pavel Zacha • C • Bruins

Pavel Zacha Exits Early Friday

Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha (undisclosed) had a great night that ended in frustration on Friday when he was forced to exit a 4-2 win over Anaheim with an injury. According to Scott McLaughlin of WEEI, Zacha didn't take a single shift after 8:59 remained in the third period. Before he left the contest, the Czech forward recorded two power-play assists, helping Boston turn a 2-0 deficit into an impressive road win. After a sluggish start to the campaign, Zacha has collected five points (two goals, three assists) in four games. It would be a significant blow for the Bruins if he can't play on Saturday night against Los Angeles. In Zacha's absence, Fraser Minten and Matthew Poitras would be candidates to take on bigger roles.

Oct 17

Egor Chinakhov • RW • Penguins

Egor Chinakhov Without Timeline for Return

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Egor Chinakhov (lower body) has no timeline for his return to action, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports. The Russian forward is dealing with a lower-body injury and was scratched for Friday's tilt against Colorado. In his first full season with the Penguins, Chinakhov has notched one goal and one assist. Both points came in the first two games of the season. Ville Koivunen filled the gap on the second line Friday and had an assist. That gives him three points (one goal, two assists) in six outings, making Koivunen worth watching.

Oct 17

Rasmus Dahlin • D • Sabres

Rasmus Dahlin to Remain Out Saturday

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (upper body) will be sidelined for a third consecutive game on Saturday against Montreal. The Swedish defensive star sustained an upper-body injury in Monday's win over Florida. On Monday, Dahlin scored his second goal of the season, taking his points tally to four after six games. Owen Power and Olen Zellweger are benefiting from Dahlin's absence. Power should be scooped up in all fantasy leagues after posting two goals and six assists in eight games. Only five defensemen have been more productive offensively.

Oct 16

Jake Walman • D • Oilers

Jake Walman Probable for Saturday's Action

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman (upper body) is "very likely" to play on Saturday night against the Utah Mammoth, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal reports. He's been unavailable for three games due to an upper-body injury. Walman has made a scoreless start to the season and will be expected to step up his game once he's back in action. The 30-year-old averaged about 0.5 points per game over the previous two campaigns. Utah has a top-10 defense, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect an immediate impact from Walman.

Oct 16

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins • C • Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on Track to Return Next Week

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) is expected to make his season debut next week, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal reports. The veteran playmaker has been on the shelf at the start of the campaign with a lower-body injury. He's set to sit out two more games before being available on Thursday against Carolina. The Oilers are getting some big guns back into the lineup, with Zach Hyman (undisclosed) expected to make his comeback in Saturday's matchup with Utah. As a result, players like Trent Frederic and Filip Hallander may have to settle for reduced roles.

Oct 16

Zach Hyman • LW • Oilers

Zach Hyman Set to Return Saturday

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (undisclosed) is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal reports. Hyman has been out for six games with an undisclosed injury. He exited the lineup after the season opener. The veteran forward logged 20.33 of ice time against Vancouver but finished pointless in an 11-game thriller. Hyman shouldn't take long to find his stride in the Oilers' top six. He comes off a very impressive year, scoring 31 goals and 52 points in 58 games last season.

Oct 16

Nicolas Roy • C • Avalanche

Nicolas Roy Misses Second Straight Game

Colorado Avalanche forward Nicolas Roy (lower body) will remain sidelined for a second straight game on Friday against Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old sustained a lower-body injury earlier this week. He remains day-to-day, but Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters Friday morning that Roy's status could turn to week-to-week. He said the same about left wing Zachary L'Heureux (upper body), who will miss a third consecutive game. While injuries can be very disruptive for teams, Roy's and L'Heureux's absences don't have fantasy consequences, as both players saw limited ice time before they were hurt.

Oct 16

Mikael Granlund • C • Ducks

Mikael Granlund Won't Play Friday, Considered Day-to-Day

Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund (upper body) will sit out Friday's clash against the Boston Bruins. He is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The Finnish forward is expected to join the team on its upcoming four-game road trip, suggesting Granlund's absence could be limited to a single game. Granlund has had a spectacular start to the season, playing some of the best hockey of his career. In six games, he has contributed two goals and six assists. Fortunately for the Ducks, Cutter Gauthier (upper body) is back in the fold and set to center the second line in Granlund's place.

Oct 16

Cutter Gauthier • LW • Ducks

Cutter Gauthier Returns to Action Friday

Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (upper body) will return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Boston Bruins. He suffered a minor upper-body injury last weekend against the Calgary Flames, sitting out a rematch between the teams on Tuesday. Gauthier has two goals and four points in five games this season. He is expected to center the second line on Friday, with Mikael Granlund (upper body) out of commission. Gauthier will also skate on the first power-play unit, looking to add to the three points he has picked up with the man advantage.

Oct 16

Alex Lyon • G • Sabres

Alex Lyon Suffers Setback in Recovery From Injury

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (shoulder) has suffered a setback in his recovery, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports. Lyon was expected to make his season debut this week, but he had a setback in practice. The 33-year-old netminder, who had an impressive 20-10-4 record last season, is rehabbing a left shoulder injury. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have shared goaltending duties in Buffalo at the start of the season. They have helped the Sabres to a 4-3-1 record, but the team has the fourth-worst save percentage in the league (.857).

Oct 16

Josh Morrissey • D • Jets

Josh Morrissey Now Week-to-Week

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (wrist) has been downgraded to week-to-week. He was initially considered day-to-day after injuring his right wrist against Colorado on Oct. 7. Thursday's overtime loss to Chicago marked Morrissey's third straight absence. Morrissey has recorded three assists and five blocks in four games this season. In his absence, Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk have shouldered a heavy workload. Pionk factored on all three goals in Thursday's 4-3 loss and deserves fantasy attention after amassing five points (one goal, four assists) since Morrissey's departure from the lineup.

Oct 16

William Eklund • LW • Senators

William Eklund Out 10-12 Weeks After Ankle Surgery

Ottawa Senators winger William Eklund (ankle) underwent surgery and will be out for 10-12 weeks. Senators head coach Travis Green provided the update before Thursday's matchup with the Islanders. Eklund's absence is a big blow for Ottawa's top six. With Eklund sidelined, Stephen Halliday has seen time on the first line. He had points in back-to-back games before going scoreless on Thursday. Players like Warren Foegele and Fabian Zetterlund could also receive some top-line usage until Eklund returns. Unfortunately, we may not see him back in action until 2027.

Oct 16

Brandon Montour • D • Kraken

Brandon Montour Sustains Lower-Body Injury Against Lightning

Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (lower body) is questionable for Saturday's clash against Florida after being injured in Thursday's loss to Tampa Bay. The former Panther sustained a lower-body injury in the opening frame. He initially tried to play through it before leaving the game in the second period. Montour has been productive at both ends of the ice this season, registering five assists, 13 SOG, 13 blocks, and seven hits in eight games. If Montour can't play this weekend, Cale Fleury will return to the lineup for his third appearance of the season, and the top defensive duo of Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson could see heavy minutes on the ice.

Oct 16

Josh Norris • C • Sabres

Josh Norris in Concussion Protocol

Buffalo Sabres forward Josh Norris is in concussion protocol after being hurt in Thursday's overtime win against Toronto. Shortly before Owen Power's game-winning goal in overtime, Norris was involved in a collision with Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and didn't finish the contest. Norris has had a tough start to the season, totaling just two points (one goal, one assist) in eight games. This is another setback for him. Buffalo lost Jiri Kulich (undisclosed) before Thursday's game, and Jason Zucker (abdomen) remained out, so the team's forward depth will be tested in the upcoming games.

Oct 16

John Tavares • C • Maple Leafs

John Tavares Hurt in Thursday's Loss

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares had a productive night cut short by an undisclosed injury on Thursday against Buffalo. He left the game in the third period after colliding with Sabres forward Josh Norris. Before leaving, Tavares set up two goals, making it his second straight multi-point game. In total, Tavares has seven points (two goals, five assists) in seven games. Gavin McKenna could rejoin the top six if Tavares misses time. On Thursday, this year's top draft pick played just 6:36 and saw his point streak come to an end at four games.

Oct 16

Kirill Kaprizov • LW • Wild

Kirill Kaprizov Fine After Injury Scare

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (undisclosed) is reportedly fine after being injured in Thursday's win over St. Louis. In the third period, he received a hit from Blues goaltender Joel Hofer and didn't finish the game. However, The Athletic's Michael Russo reported that a couple of teammates indicated after the game that Kaprizov was "OK." We should get an official update before Sunday's game against Columbus. Kaprizov has looked spectacular early in the season, recording 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in eight games. He has finished without a point only once and has four multi-point performances.

Oct 16

Artem Zub • D • Senators

Artem Zub Making Season Debut Against Islanders

Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub (knee) will slot into the lineup for his season debut on Thursday against the New York Islanders. He has finally shaken off a knee injury, providing much-needed reinforcement to Ottawa's blue line. On defense, the team will remain without Jake Sanderson (lower body) and Nikolas Matinpalo (upper body). Zub, who recorded a career-high 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) in 81 games last season, will join Thomas Chabot on the first defensive pairing. As a result, Jordan Spence must settle for a third-pairing role. Spence hasn't done much offensively this season and now has even less fantasy appeal.

Oct 15

Ridly Greig • C • Senators

Ridly Greig Set to Play Thursday

Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig (strain) will suit up on Thursday against the New York Islanders. He missed the end of Tuesday's loss to St. Louis with what head coach Travis Green described as a "strain," but Greig has been cleared to play on Thursday night. Greig has one point in five outings this season. He's struggled to produce offensively and likely won't make a significant impact against the Islanders either, as he will work on the fourth line and won't have power-play duties.

Oct 15

Bowen Byram • D • Blackhawks

Bowen Byram Out Against Jets With Upper-Body Injury

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram (upper body) is day-to-day and won't play on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. This will be Byram's second absence this season, after he missed one game at the start of the month for personal reasons. Since moving from Buffalo, Byram has struggled to meet his usual standards. He has recorded one assist and a minus-seven rating in his first six appearances for the Blackhawks. Still, Byram will be a big loss for Chicago, as he leads the team with 24:42 of ice time per game. With Byram out, Ethan Del Mastro is expected to join the blue line, but he offers little value from a fantasy perspective.

Oct 15

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