NHL Player News

Horvat scored a power-play goal on three shots, added two hits and blocked two shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Wild.

Horvat continues to chip in offense at a steady rate with seven points over his last six games. He's earned two of his points in that span on the power play. The 31-year-old center is up to seven goals, seven assists, 41 shots on net, 24 hits and a plus-2 rating across 13 appearances this season.

Jankowski scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets.

Jankowski didn't score in his return from a four-game absence due to a lower-body injury. He was able to get back on the scoresheet in his second game back. He's returned to a third-line role which has proved fruitful for the 32-year-old since Jordan Staal (calf) went down. Jankowski has seven goals, one assist, 17 shots on net, six hits, five blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over 11 appearances. Don't expect this level of offense to last all season -- Jankowski has never had more than 17 goals or 32 points in a season, and those marks came from his first two campaigns.

Stankoven scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets.

Stankoven has had a nose for the net lately with five goals and an assist over his last five games. The 23-year-old continues to occupy a top-six role for the Hurricanes, who are rolling right along during their title defense. Stankoven is up to nine goals, three assists, 46 shots on net and a plus-11 rating over 15 appearances. His 19.6 shooting percentage is much higher than usual, but he'll likely make up for the eventual decline in efficiency by producing more helpers.

Zary underwent successful knee surgery Thursday and will be out week-to-week.

Zary was sent down in early October, and he's spent the last several weeks at AHL Calgary. Across six appearances with the Wranglers to begin the regular season, he's recorded a goal, three assists and a minus-1 rating, but he now faces a long-term absence as he recovers from his procedure.

Eriksson Ek is being evaluated by team doctors Friday after sustaining an apparent injury during Thursday's loss to the Islanders, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

While the exact nature and severity of Eriksson Ek's injury aren't yet clear, his status for Sunday's game against the Capitals appears to be up in the air. The 29-year-old has had a solid start to the 2026-27 campaign, recording five goals, seven assists, 20 hits, 10 PIM and five blocked shots while averaging 20:08 of ice time. A better idea of Eriksson Ek's status for Sunday's matchup could come into focus based on whether he participates in Saturday's practice session.

Head coach Todd McLellan said Friday that Appleton (undisclosed) is still 10 days to two weeks away from returning to game action, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Appleton has been considered week-to-week since landing on injured reserve in early October, and he'll require more time on the shelf despite practicing in a non-contact sweater Friday. The 30-year-old will presumably have opportunities to increase his activity level at practice in the near future before presumably being considered to return to game action around mid-November.

Head coach Todd McLellan said Friday that Kasper (upper body) is still 10 days to two weeks away from returning to game action, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Kasper skated in a non-contact jersey during Friday's practice session, but he isn't expected to return to game action for over a week as he continues to recover from an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old has been on injured reserve since Oct. 6 and has been considered week-to-week since then, but it appears as though he'll be in the mix to return around mid-November.

Shaw was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Friday.

Shaw spent nearly a week with the NHL club, but he didn't appear in any of Minnesota's four games across the past several days. The 27-year-old hasn't appeared in a regular-season game at the NHL level since the 2023-24 campaign, and he should see more consistent playing time in the minors.

Thomas scored an even-strength goal on two shots and added two power-play assists in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Bruins.

Thomas assisted on both St. Louis power-play goals and scored his second goal of the season during the middle frame. The center now has nine points (two goals, seven assists) through 13 appearances. Thomas' playmaking ability remains his primary fantasy strength, and his prominent role on the top power-play unit should help sustain his production even when his goal-scoring output fluctuates. With nine points in his last nine games, he seems to have left his slow start to the season on the rear view.

Johnston tallied a power-play goal, dished out an assist and placed two shots on net in Thursday's 5-2 loss to Montreal.

Johnston has been heating up as of late, as he's posted exactly one goal and assist in three of his last four appearances. Following Thursday's performance, the 23-year-old forward is up to three goals, 10 points, 29 shots on net, 11 hits and seven blocked shots across 11 outings this season. While his season got off to a slow start, he seemed to shake off any lingering rust from the offseason, compiling nine points over his last eight games. He still has a strong chance to challenge the 85-point threshold once again, making him a high-level fantasy option with positional flexibility.