NHL Player News

Frank logged an assist and two PIM in Friday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets.

This was Frank's second NHL appearance of the season. He's holding a spot in the lineup over Sonny Milano for now, but Frank could be the one who heads back to AHL Hershey when Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower body) comes off injured reserve. The 27-year-old Frank has a helper, four PIM and two shots on net this season after posting seven points in 24 regular-season outings in 2024-25.

McMichael scored a power-play goal on two shots and added an assist in Friday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets.

It's been a poor start to the season for McMichael, but the Capitals haven't needed to adjust too much since they're off to a 6-2-0 start as a team. With Friday's performance, the 24-year-old has three points, 20 shots on net, four hits, three blocked shots and four PIM through eight outings. He broke out to the tune of 26 goals and 57 points over 82 regular-season contests last year, but he'll need to pick up the pace significantly to get back to that level in 2025-26.

Joshua scored a goal on two shots and added four hits in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

This was Joshua's first goal as a Maple Leaf. The 29-year-old winger has slotted into a bottom-six role to begin his Toronto tenure, providing his trademark physicality. He's up to two points, nine shots, 25 hits, six blocked shots and a minus-6 rating through eight appearances. Joshua had 14 points in 57 games with the Canucks last year, but he should push closer to the 20-point mark if he stays healthy this season.

Matthews scored a power-play goal on five shots and added two hits in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

It was Matthews' first power-play point of the season. He hasn't exactly been quiet so far, earning five goals and two assists over the first eight games of the season, and he's been over 20 minutes of ice time in each contest. That kind of workload, combined with a total of 34 shots (4.25 per game), is a recipe for extended success on offense. Matthews has added seven hits, 19 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating and will remain a high-end source of offense throughout 2025-26.

Kulich scored a goal, dished an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Friday's 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

Kulich has scored three times over the last five games, and his helper was the first of the year. The 21-year-old is working on building chemistry with Tage Thompson on the top line, and if that partnership sticks, it could boost Kulich's fantasy profile. With four points, 16 shots, 10 blocks and a minus-4 rating over eight appearances, the 21-year-old is already trending toward carrying value in deeper formats.

Thompson scored a goal on five shots, dished an assist, blocked two shots, added two PIM and went plus-3 in Friday's 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

Thompson helped out on a Jiri Kulich goal in the first period before scoring one of his own in the second. The tally was just the second of the season for Thompson, who has a pair of 40-goal seasons under his belt. He's opened 2025-26 with six points, 32 shots, 17 hits, five blocks, 10 PIM and a minus-4 rating over eight appearances in a top-line role.

Kozak (lower body) won't be in the lineup for Saturday's game versus the Maple Leafs, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.

Kozak was hurt in the first period of Friday's game against Toronto. The Sabres are pondering a recall, though they could shift Peyton Krebs over to center and dress Mason Geertsen to ice a full lineup. The 22-year-old Kozak is day-to-day pending further tests on his injury.

Kozak (lower body) won't return to Friday's game versus the Maple Leafs.

Kozak was injured in the first period and ruled out during the second frame. The 22-year-old had some momentum coming into the game, scoring in each of the previous two contests, though he didn't get a point Friday. His status for Saturday's rematch in Toronto is in doubt. Mason Geertsen would likely play if Kozak can't suit up.

Kerfoot (lower body/abdomen) underwent a core muscle surgery Friday and will miss 8-10 weeks.

Kerfoot was already recovering from a lower-body injury, and it's unclear if the surgery is related to that issue or a separate situation. In any case, the versatile forward is now expected to miss nearly all of the first half of the season, with a return in mid-December at the earliest. Once healthy, Kerfoot may struggle to get into the Mammoth's lineup regularly.

Duchene (upper body) won't play Saturday versus the Hurricanes, independent beat writer Robert Tiffin reports.

Duchene is still a possibility for Sunday's game versus the Predators. This will be his fourth absence in the last five games as he continues to deal with a nagging injury.