NHL Player News

Miller (personal) will return to the Canucks' lineup Thursday versus Florida, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports.

Miller didn't participate in Vancouver's previous 10 games. He has six goals and 16 points in 17 outings in 2024-25. Now that Miller is back, he should serve in a top-six capacity and on the first power-play unit. Pius Suter might see a reduction in his ice time as a result.

Faksa will not be available to face the Sharks on Thursday due to a groin injury, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Faksa is currently mired in an 11-game goal drought during which he generated just 14 shots -- though he did chip in three helpers over that stretch. As long as he doesn't miss any significant time, the 30-year-old center should still be capable of challenging for the 20-point mark after coming up just one point shy last year. With Faksa on the shelf, Mathieu Joseph is expected to suit up Thursday.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Thursday that Drury will undergo hand surgery and doesn't have a timetable to return, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Drury exited Tuesday's game against the Sharks, and Brind'Amour revealed Thursday that the 24-year-old broke a bone in his thumb and will undergo a procedure to address the issue. Over his first 28 appearances of the season, Drury had logged three goals, six assists, 19 blocked shots and 15 hits while averaging 13:09 of ice time. Tyson Jost will likely have a chance to see some playing time in Drury's absence.

Gaucher signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on Thursday.

Gaucher is having a good season at AHL Lehigh Valley, where he leads the team with 10 goals in 23 games. The 23-year-old was on an AHL-only contract before signing with the Flyers.

McMann (lower body) is reportedly close to getting back in the lineup and could be an option versus the Red Wings on Saturday, Joshua Kloke of The Athletic reports.

McMann's timeline will rule him out versus the Ducks on Thursday, but it seems like he should be back in action sooner rather than later. Prior to getting hurt, the 28-year-old forward managed just four points in 18 games while putting 44 shots on net. Once back in the lineup, McMann will likely take on a bottom-six role, which could mean a return to the minors for Fraser Minten.

Per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, Barzal (upper body) is skating and considered day-to-day, but there is still no timetable for his return, coach Patrick Roy said Thursday.

Barzal has been out of action since Oct. 30 in Columbus and has missed 20 games to date. He was given a 4-6 week recovery time frame, but he has already surpassed the six-week mark with no time for a return in site. Barzal has two goals and five points in 10 games this season, after striking for 80 points in 80 regular-season games in 2023-24.

Ivan was recalled by the Avalanche on Thursday.

Ivan was sent to AHL Colorado on Tuesday, but the move was apparently just a paper transaction, as he'll rejoin the NHL club ahead of Thursday's home game against Utah. Over five appearances with the Avalanche this month, he's logged two hits, a blocked shot and a plus-2 rating while averaging 9:08 of ice time.

Olivier (lower body) will be in the lineup against Washington on Thursday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.

Olivier has registered just one point in his last seven games while generating a mere six shots on net. The only upside for fantasy players during his recent run of play is that he dished out 26 hits over that stretch. While he does see time with the man advantage, Olivier's scoring slump makes him a risky fantasy option.

McTavish notched an assist and three hits in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Senators.

McTavish has gone eight games without a goal since returning from an upper-body injury, but he has three assists in that span. The 21-year-old center is up to 11 points, 32 shots on net, 17 hits and a minus-7 rating over 21 appearances. He's filling a third-line role, though his power-play duties occasionally allow him to see something along the lines of top-six usage.

Pinto has not recorded a point over 14 games since he returned from an undisclosed injury Nov. 12.

Pinto was held off the scoresheet again in a 5-1 win over the Ducks, though he led the Senators' forward group with 19:29 of ice time in the blowout win. He's seen steady middle-six usage and remains part of the power-play mix amid his scoring struggles. The 24-year-old now has three points, 31 shots on net, 23 hits and a minus-9 rating over 20 appearances. Pinto flashed 50-point potential last season, earning 27 points in 41 games with an average of 18:07 of ice time. He's seen a reduced role this year, but that doesn't explain the totality of his slump.