NHL Player News

Sturm (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

Sturm suffered an upper-body injury in Monday's 4-2 win over Vegas. He will be out for at least the next three games after being moved to the IR list, starting with Tuesday's matchup against Winnipeg, but it's unclear when he will be ready to return. Minnesota recalled Justin Kirkland from AHL Iowa on Tuesday in a corresponding move.

Bedard (shoulder) is expected to be in the lineup against the Penguins on Tuesday, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Bedard is set to make his season debut nearly a month ahead of schedule from his original return date. With the 21-year-old center back in the lineup, he'll jump back into the top line while linking up with the No. 1 power-play unit. Given his offensive upside, Bedard should still be an elite fantasy option and is capable of generating above a point-per-game pace.

Bourque (upper body) is considered a game-time decision ahead of Tuesday's home clash against the Golden Knights, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.

Bourque missed Saturday's contest after he exited Thursday's game against the Canadiens, where he sustained the upper-body injury during the second period. Prior to the injury, he posted an assist, a plus-1 rating, two PIM, seven shots on net and four hits across his first four regular-season appearances with Nashville. If he can't go Tuesday, Vitali Pinchuk will likely be his replacement in the lineup once again.

Staal will be out for 1-2 months after sustaining a torn calf muscle, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports Tuesday.

Staal went pointless through the first six games of the season before missing Sunday's matchup with the Flyers. Even with his offense drying up, the 38-year-old center remains a key piece of the Canes' roster and figures to retake his third-line role once he is cleared to play. In the meantime, Mark Jankowski should be expected to take on a bigger role, including with the No. 2 power-play unit.

McQueen was called up from AHL San Diego on Tuesday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

McQueen's highly-anticipated NHL debut could be right around the corner. He was selected by the Ducks with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and has impressed in his collegiate and professional games since. He compiled 11 goals and 27 points with the NCAA's Providence College in the 2025-26 season before he ended the year with AHL San Diego. To kick off the 2026-27 regular season, he has three goals in just four outings. He's an exciting prospect for the Ducks, who will likely role him out in a middle-six role to join their electric, young offensive core of players. He's a priority waiver-wire add in dynasty-based fantasy leagues and a solid stash in standard formats.

Karlsson scored a goal on three shots and blocked two shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Wild.

Karlsson brought Vegas within one goal at 9:25 of the third period, finishing a two-on-one rush with Brett Howden after receiving a pass in the high slot. The goal was his first of the season and briefly gave the Golden Knights hope of overcoming a three-goal deficit, but they couldn't get the job done. Karlsson, who signed a two-year extension with the Golden Knights on Sept. 30, has endured a slow start to the season with just two points in his first seven appearances. He's a strong candidate for a bounce-back performance, but right now, he isn't doing much from a fantasy perspective.

Pinto scored a goal on one shot and blocked two shots in Monday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

Pinto broke a scoreless tie just nine seconds into the second period, converting a feed from Michael Amadio for his first goal of the season. Although he registered just one shot on goal, Pinto also made his presence felt on the defensive end with two blocked shots, giving him three on the year, along with 14 hits. His consistent playing time and opportunities in multiple situations should help sustain his fantasy relevance even if he's enduring a relatively slow start to the campaign. Through six games, Pinto has one goal and four assists.

Sturm (upper body) has been ruled out for the remainder of Monday's game versus the Golden Knights.

Sturm was unfortunately hit in the head by a puck in the second period. If the 31-year-old is unable to play in the second half of Minnesota's back-to-back Tuesday in Winnipeg, Tyler Pitlick, who was recalled from AHL Iowa on Monday, might draw into the lineup. However, the Wild could also choose to go with a configuration of 11 forwards and seven defensemen, which would result in Matt Kiersted or David Spacek suiting up against the Jets.

Pitlick was recalled from AHL Iowa on Monday.

Pitlick was called up by Minnesota in a corresponding move to Marcus Foligno's (lower body) placement on injured reserve. The 34-year-old Pitlick is off to a solid start to the 2026-27 AHL campaign, where he stacked up a goal, three points, a plus-3 rating, two PIM and nine shots on net across four outings prior to his call up. He appeared in 32 regular-season games for the 2025-26 regular season, and he's expected to be the rotational 13th forward for as long as Marcus and Nick Foligno (upper body) remain on injured reserve.

Studnicka was summoned from AHL Lehigh Valley on Monday.

Studnicka has one goal and two assists in three AHL outings this campaign. During his career, the 27-year-old forward has six goals and 16 points in 126 NHL regular-season appearances.