NHL News
Artem Zub Logs Full Practice On Monday
Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub (concussion) was a full participant in Monday's practice. A concussion has knocked the Russian blue-liner out for eight games, but it looks like he could be back in action when the Senators visit Buffalo on Tuesday. Zub was an impactful two-way player for Ottawa last season, notching 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) with 85 shots, 122 blocks, and 139 hits. He was one of only three regular defensemen with a positive plus/minus rating on the team. The concussion has limited Zub to three appearances this campaign.
Nov 4
Bryan Rust Will Join Penguins Road Trip
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (lower body) appears to be edging close to his return to action. He will join the team for Pittsburgh's upcoming road trip, which begins in New York with a game against the Islanders on Tuesday. However, Rust didn't practice with the team on Monday, meaning he will likely miss at least one more game. The experienced winger has been out since Oct. 26. Rust tallied three goals and four points in eight games before getting hurt. Rust's absence has resulted in Evgeni Malkin joining Sidney Crosby on the first line. Both Penguins stars boast fantastic career numbers in matchups against the Islanders and should make a big impact again on Tuesday.
Nov 4
Juraj Slafkovsky Practices On Monday
Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky (head) practiced on Monday. Slafkovsky made an early exit against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, leaving his status questionable ahead of the new week. However, he has escaped serious injury and looks set to remain in the lineup on Tuesday versus Calgary. Slafkovsky has already missed some time with an upper-body injury this season, skating in nine games. He has been limited to one goal with 14 shots but boasts seven assists. In recent games, Slafkovsky has skated on the second line while logging time with the first power-play unit. The Canadiens face a 72.6 percent penalty kill on Tuesday.
Nov 4
Macklin Celebrini Ready To Return On Tuesday
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (hip) has told reporters he will return to the lineup on Tuesday versus Columbus. The teenage sensation hurt his hip in San Jose's season opener. The injury is an early blow for Celebrini's rookie campaign, but he should still have a good shot at winning the rookie scoring race. In his debut, Celebrini posted one goal and one assist. He joined Tyler Toffoli and Mikael Granlund on the first line Monday, and Celebrini should get a lot of power-play usage once he's back in the lineup.
Nov 4
Samuel Ersson Misses Monday Practice
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson (lower body) wasn't at Monday's team practice after leaving Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins in the first period. Ersson was seen pointing to his left leg before being taken out. The 25-year-old has been the undisputed number-one goalie in Philly, and if he is set to miss a significant amount of time the team may struggle to find a replacement. Aleksei Kolosov and Ivan Fedotov would likely split time, but neither has inspired much confidence in limited playing time so far this season.
Nov 4
Connor McDavid Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (ankle) skated on Monday and is now considered day-to-day. McDavid was originally given a two-to-three-week timeline to return from an ankle injury suffered on October 28, but appears to be slightly ahead of schedule. The 27-year-old superstar didn't rule out a return against Vancouver this Saturday, something both the Oilers and his fantasy owners would be ecstatic about. McDavid has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games this season and is just eight points away from 1000 for his career. Knowing McDavid, that could be done in just a few games after he gets back on the ice.
Nov 4
Philip Broberg Will Miss Several Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg (lower body) will miss the next four to six weeks due to a leg injury suffered on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Broberg went into the boards funny after getting tangled up with Mitch Marner and had to leave the game early, and will now miss significant time. Broberg was getting a good amount of ice time, including some time on the powerplay, and succeeding in that role. Colton Parayko will likely take some of that powerplay time, but Justin Faulk will continue to see most of the work on the man advantage.
Nov 4
Valeri Nichushkin Will Return When First Eligible
Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) will return on November 15th from the NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Nichushkin was suspended for six months and placed into the program in May and will be ready to go when first eligible to return. The 29-year-old will provide a much-needed boost to the heavily depleted Avalanche forward group and should immediately join the top six and first powerplay unit. He had 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists) in 54 games last year in a similar role. He is a must-roster player and is available in almost half of Yahoo leagues.
Nov 4
Zach Hyman Records Two Points In Battle Of Alberta Win
Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman amassed two points as the team won the second Battle of Alberta of the season against Calgary 4-2 on Sunday. Hyman picked up a first-period assist and struck the game-winning goal on the power play in the middle of the third frame. The 2024-25 campaign has been a tough one for Hyman, but he has finally started to show some signs of life. Hyman's only two goals have come in the past two games, and he has boosted his scoring total to four points with a three-point outburst in these contests. Based on his shooting numbers, we should start seeing Hyman among the goal-scorers more often in the near future. He's a 13.5 percent career shooter but has only converted 6.1 percent of his shots so far.
Nov 4
Matt Boldy Hits Overtime Winner Versus Toronto
Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy scored in a second consecutive game on Sunday, netting the game-winner in a 2-1 overtime victory against Toronto. This is the third time this season Boldy has scored in back-to-back games. He hasn't had a three-game goal streak since February. Half of Boldy's six goals have been game-winning tallies, and he's added seven assists to his account in 11 games. The 23-year-old is on pace to shatter his career high of 69 points from last season. A quick boost for his numbers could be on the horizon for Boldy, as he has matchups against the Kings and Sharks coming up. Both teams have struggled to keep the puck out of their net this season.
Nov 4
Jared Spurgeon Delivers Two Assists In Sunday's Win
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon had a hand in both goals as the team defeated Toronto 2-1 in overtime on Sunday. Ryan Hartman scored off assists from Spurgeon and Frederick Gaudreau in the first period, and Matt Boldy was the overtime hero after being set up by his captain and Marco Rossi. These are Spurgeon's first points since returning to the lineup from a six-game absence. The veteran rearguard has been limited to three assists, five shots, nine blocks, and four hits in five games this season. Spurgeon has also seen significantly less ice time than in previous years, averaging 19:58 per game. His 22-minute shift on Sunday was the first time he surpassed the 20-minute mark this season.
Nov 4
Alex Ovechkin Extends Goal Streak To Four Games
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin continued to work his way toward Wayne Gretzky's goal record with another marker in Sunday's 4-2 road loss to Carolina. The veteran star extended his goal streak to four games when he found the back of the net in a power-play situation in the first period. Washington's captain is now 34 goals behind Gretzky. Ovechkin had a slow start to the campaign, but he's given his points tally a massive boost during the recent streak. He has totaled five goals and four assists during the prolific four-game stretch, reaching 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) after 11 games.
Nov 4
Dmitry Orlov Nets Two Goals Against Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dmitry Orlov took care of two goals in Sunday's 4-2 win over Washington. Entering Sunday, Orlov boasted only one goal for the season, but he put in a big performance against his former team. The Russian rearguard started the scoring with 14 minutes played in the opening frame and registered the eventual game-winning goal 5:26 into the second. Orlov is typically good for some defensive stats as well, but he didn't have any on Sunday across 20:18 of action. He appears to be more focused on his work on the offensive end lately, having collected four of his six points in the past four games. With 10 games played, Orlov has recorded three goals, three assists, 18 shots, five blocks, and 16 hits.
Nov 4
Jeremy Swayman Collects First Shutout Of The Season
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman got to celebrate his first shutout of the season on Sunday in a 2-0 win over Seattle. Swayman nullified the Kraken with 23 saves. This was a big response from Swayman after he was lit up for six goals in his last start against Carolina. Following back-to-back wins to start the campaign, Swayman has had a very bumpy ride, but Sunday will surely be a confidence booster for him. The Bruins No. 1 now sits on a 4-4-1 record, having allowed 3.16 goals with a .895 save percentage.
Nov 4
Connor Bedard Records Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard set up three goals in Sunday's 4-2 victory at Anaheim. He finished with two even-strength and one power play assist, adding five shots and one block in 17:41 of ice time. Bedard ended a three-game point drought on Sunday. While the teenage centerman has struggled to make an impact in recent games, his work overall has been solid this season. Through 13 games, Bedard sits on 12 points (three goals, nine assists). However, fantasy managers probably want to see a bit more consistency from Bedard, as he has finished seven games scoreless.
Nov 4
Artturi Lehkonen Activated From Injured Reserve
Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder) was activated from Injured Reserve on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said he expects Lehkonen to make his season debut in Tuesday's matchup against Seattle, and it now looks like he will indeed be ready to join the lineup. Lehkonen, who notched 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 45 appearances last season, should play a prominent role immediately. Rookie Ivan Ivan has been reassigned to the minors to make room for Lehkonen on the roster. The 22-year-old had a decent spell with the big club, posting four points (two goals, two assists) in 12 outings.
Nov 3
Brayden Point Exits With Injury Sunday
Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (lower body) will not finish Sunday's contest against Winnipeg. He was injured in the first period, and the team has announced that Point isn't expected to return. Point appeared to be grabbing his groin area after scoring a power-play goal at the 8:02 mark in the opening frame. He lit the lamp for the eighth time this season. The Lightning star has also amassed five assists during a productive start to the season. Mitchell Chaffee jumped on the top power-play unit in Point's absence on Sunday and could have a larger role to play going forward if Point is forced to miss additional time.
Nov 3
Dan Vladar Set For Second Consecutive Start Sunday
Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar will make a second consecutive start on Sunday versus Edmonton. The Flames have thus far rotated their goalies this season, but the pattern will be broken in Sunday's Battle of Alberta. It's fair to say Vladar has probably earned a second consecutive start as well after posting a shutout against a quality Devils team last time out. He sits on a 3-2-1 record for the campaign and has allowed 2.65 goals with a .909 save percentage. Vladar has already beaten the Oilers once in 2024-25, stopping 25 pucks in a 4-1 victory on Oct. 13. Edmonton has struggled for goals all year and visits Calgary without Connor McDavid (ankle), boosting Vladar's chances of success in the matchup.
Nov 3
Nicholas Robertson Re-Enters Maple Leafs Lineup Sunday
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Nicholas Robertson will rejoin the action on Sunday against Minnesota. The 23-year-old has had a tough time making an offensive impact and sat out Saturday's 4-2 loss to St. Louis as a healthy scratch. Robertson has managed one goal with 16 shots on net in 10 appearances this season. Given his struggles to hit form, fantasy managers should keep their expectations low regarding Robertson. The team hasn't yet announced which player comes out of the lineup to accommodate Robertson.
Nov 3
Jakub Vrana Scratched On Sunday
Washington Capitals left wing Jakub Vrana will sit out Sunday's contest against Carolina as a healthy scratch. The Czech forward has collected points in two consecutive games and has done well in a limited role with the team, but Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery wants to give Sonny Milano some playing time as Washington completes a back-to-back. Milano has skated in just one game this season, logging 5:52 of ice time in Washington's season-opening 5-3 loss to New Jersey. He likely won't play a big role in Sunday's game.
Nov 3
