NHL Player News

Dowd (upper body) was activated from injured reserve Wednesday.

Dowd appears ready to return after missing eight contests due to the injury. He'll likely slot back into a fourth-line role with ample time on the penalty kill. Bogdan Trineyev was reassigned to AHL Hershey in a corresponding move.

Hayton will not be in the lineup against Anaheim on Wednesday, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.

The reason behind Hayton's absence was immediately available, though it's possible he is serving as a healthy scratch, considering he has just one point in his last 15 outings. Regardless, with the 25-year-old center out of the lineup, Daniil But is expected to make his NHL debut versus the Ducks.

Granlund (lower body) might be able to return by the end of Anaheim's current homestand, according to Derek Lee of The Hockey News on Wednesday.

The Ducks' final home game in their current stretch is Sunday against Chicago. If Granlund isn't ready for that game, then head coach Joel Quenneville is leaving the door open for him to make his return on the road instead. Anaheim will begin a five-game road trip Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Granlund should serve in a top-six capacity once he's ready to play.

Misa (lower body) has been moved from regular IR to long-term injured reserve and loaned to AHL San Jose for a conditioning stint, the team announced Wednesday.

Misa has a goal and three points in seven appearances this season. He hasn't played since Nov. 1 because of the injury. Heading to the minors will be a good chance for Misa to shake off the rust and log big minutes as he continues his development.

Khusnutdinov scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Red Wings.

Khusnutdinov ended a seven-game point drought with the tally. The 23-year-old saw some extra usage when Elias Lindholm was out with a lower-body injury, but Khusnutdinov has dropped back into the bottom six recently. For the season, Khusnutdinov has produced four goals, three assists, 22 shots on net, 15 hits, 11 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in 23 appearances.

Rasmussen (undisclosed) is expected to be available for Thursday's game against Columbus, per Ansar Khan of MLive.com on Wednesday.

Rasmussen left Tuesday's 5-4 victory over Boston because of the injury. He has four goals and eight points in 22 appearances this season. Rasmussen will likely maintain his spot in Detroit's bottom six.

Acciari (upper body) is expected to travel with Pittsburgh for its two-game road trip, Wes Crosby of NHL.com reports.

Acciari won't be an option for Thursday's clash with Tampa Bay, but the fact that he is traveling with the team could be an indication he's nearing a return. While Acciari won't offer much in terms of offensive upside after picking up just three helpers in 13 games this year, he should see plenty of minutes in a fourth-line role.

Duchene (upper body) remains day-to-day, and it's still unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup, Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports reports Wednesday.

Duchene has been out since Oct. 18 versus the Blues, a stretch of 22 games on the shelf, and he's been day-to-day for just about all of it. He still needs to string together "good days" before he returns to the lineup. Once given the all-clear, the veteran center could shift to the wing to try to cover for Tyler Seguin (knee), who is facing an extended absence.

Seguin sustained an ACL injury that will keep him out long term, Mike Heika of the Stars' official site reports Wednesday.

If Seguin's ACL injury is a tear, fantasy managers can expect him to be on the shelf for 6-9 months, which not only keeps him out for the rest of this year but could sideline him until training camp in the fall. If this does mark the end of Seguin's 2025-26 campaign, he will finish the year with seven goals and 10 assists, including four power-play points, in 27 appearances. It would also mark the second straight year in which Seguin failed to reach the 30-game threshold.

Suzuki produced a goal and an assist, both on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Senators.

The Canadiens' lack of success at 5-on-5 doomed them, but Suzuki still had a productive night for his fantasy investors. The 26-year-old center has gotten onto the scoresheet in six straight games, a hot streak in which he's racked up four goals and nine points, including two goals and three assists with the man advantage.