NHL Player News

Smith scored a goal on four shots and went plus-2 in Friday's 2-1 win over the Jets.

Smith has four goals and two assists over his last six games. His tally Friday was clutch, breaking a 1-1 tie with 4:21 left in the third period, and that goal stood as the game-winner. This was Smith's second game-winner of the season, and the 20-year-old is up to six goals, 14 points, 32 shots and a plus-8 rating through 15 appearances to begin his second NHL campaign positively.

Celebrini scored a goal on six shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Friday's 2-1 win over the Jets.

Celebrini tied the game at 1-1 in the first period with his goal and set up Will Smith for the game-winner at 15:39 of the third. While the Blackhawks' Connor Bedard put up four points against the Flames on Friday to get to 22 on the year, Celebrini's two-point effort gave him 23, and sole possession of first in the league through Friday's action. The 19-year-old has three goals and three helpers over four outings in November. Celebrini is at nine goals, 14 assists, 46 shots and a plus-6 rating through 15 appearances this season in what's looking like a straightforward path to superstardom for the 2024 No. 1 pick.

Bedard scored a goal on four shots, added three assists and went plus-3 in Friday's 4-0 win over the Flames.

Bedard set up three goals by the Blackhawks, including two by Tyler Bertuzzi, one of which was on the power play. To close out the scoring, Bedard forced a turnover and scored an unassisted tally to complete his second four-point effort in his last six games. He's produced six goals and nine assists during a seven-game point streak. He's also the youngest player in Blackhawks history to reach 150 career points, which he did with his goal. The 20-year-old has eight tallies, 14 helpers, 50 shots on net and a plus-10 rating over 15 appearances. His 22 points rank second in the NHL, one behind the Sharks' Macklin Celebrini, who had two points Friday versus the Jets to maintain the lead for another day.

Nazar (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day and could still play Sunday versus the Red Wings after suffering an injury Friday against the Flames, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

The Blackhawks will wait and see how Nazar's recovery progresses in the next couple of days, but this is a positive update. Nazar's absence looks to be likely minimal, if there is one at all. Should he miss time, Sam Lafferty would likely get into the lineup while Ryan Donato or Nick Foligno could see extra minutes.

Nazar (undisclosed) will not return to Friday's game versus the Flames.

Nazar was injured in the first period after an awkward fall following a hit. The 21-year-old has emerged as a key part of the Blackhawks' top six with 11 points in 15 games, so any potential absence would be a big loss. It's unclear if he'll be ready to play Sunday in Detroit.

Nyquist (undisclosed) isn't expected to play Friday in San Jose, but he did participate in the morning skate while wearing a non-contact jersey.

Although Nyquist probably needs to take contact in a practice before Winnipeg can put him back into the lineup, the fact that he's traveling and skating with the team is a good sign. The 36-year-old has five assists in 11 appearances this year. Nikita Chibrikov is projected to serve on the third line Friday, but Nyquist might have occupied that role if he were healthy.

Duchene (upper body) won't travel with the Stars for Saturday's game in Nashville, per Dallas beat writer Robert Tiffin on Friday.

Duchene hasn't been in the lineup since Oct. 18. He has a goal and an assist in four appearances with the Stars in 2025-26. The Stars are hoping to have Duchene join the team for their upcoming two-game road trip to Canada, which begins Tuesday in Ottawa, so he might be getting close to returning. When Duchene is ready, he'll probably serve in a middle-six capacity and receive power-play ice time.

Seguin scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Ducks.

Seguin has two goals over his last five games. He worked on a line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson in this contest, though the Stars have had a lot of moving parts up front due to injuries. The 33-year-old Seguin is now at four goals, six points, 20 shots on net, 10 hits and a minus-1 rating through 14 outings this season. He should continue to occupy a top-six role.

McTavish scored an empty-net goal, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Thursday's 7-5 win over the Stars.

McTavish continues to provide consistency from the second line with three points over his last four games. The 22-year-old is up to three goals, 10 points, 23 shots on net, 17 hits, 16 PIM and a plus-1 rating through 13 appearances. McTavish offers a little grit in addition to a fair amount of offense, making him a solid fantasy option for category coverage.

Hyman (wrist) will miss Saturday's game against Colorado, but he might make his season debut within the next week, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports Friday.

Hyman will probably take a spot on the top line alongside Connor McDavid as well as serve on the first power-play unit once he's healthy. Hyman's return might also lead to Andrew Mangiapane shifting to the second line and Jack Roslovic moving out of the top six.