NHL Player News

Stephenson (upper body) won't play Tuesday versus the Flames, per the NHL media site.

Stephenson is set to miss his second game in a row. The 30-year-old center is considered day-to-day, but it's unclear if he'll be able to play at home Thursday versus the Oilers.

Carrick is awaiting the birth of his child and won't play Tuesday versus the Kings, Colin Stephenson of Newsday reports.

It's unclear if Carrick will remain away from the team for the rest of their road trip, which also features games Friday in Anaheim and Saturday in San Jose. Nicolas Aube-Kubel or Brett Berard will play in place of Carrick for Tuesday's game.

Novak (lower body) won't play in Tuesday's game versus the Lightning.

Novak has resumed skating, but he is set to miss his seventh straight game. His next chance to play is Thursday versus the Sabres.

Bemstrom (undisclosed) will return to action versus Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Bemstrom will occupy a bottom-six role following a three-game absence. He has earned one assist, 11 shots on goal and nine hits in 10 NHL outings this season. Bemstrom will replace Evgeni Malkin (upper body) in Tuesday's lineup.

Kulich (concussion) is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday versus the Senators, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.

Kulich was out for four games, but his presence in line rushes on the first line suggests he's ready to return. He has 19 points in 49 appearances this season and could carve out some fantasy value as a streaming option as long as he remains in the top six.

Malkin (upper body) won't play versus the Lightning on Tuesday.

Malkin did not take the ice for warmups, which indicates he will be absent. It's unclear when Malkin sustained the injury, as he scored in Sunday's game against the Panthers and played 20:04 in that contest. The Penguins will get Emil Bemstrom back from an undisclosed injury, while Kevin Hayes will get the promotion to the second line in Malkin's stead.

Dunne was promoted from AHL Rochester on Tuesday.

Dunne has nine goals, 26 points and 44 PIM in 58 outings with Rochester this season. He's also appeared in one game with Buffalo in 2024-25, recording no points, five PIM, four hits and one blocked shot in 7:16 of ice time. Buffalo now has at least 12 healthy forwards available for Tuesday's clash against Ottawa, even if Jiri Kulich (concussion) is unable to play.

Lavoie (upper body) was taken off injured reserve and reassigned to AHL Henderson on Tuesday, per the NHL media site.

Lavoie had been on the IR list since March 8. He has no points in nine games with Vegas in 2024-25. The 24-year-old also has 13 goals and 21 points in 32 outings with Henderson this campaign.

Halliday was returned to AHL Belleville on Tuesday, per the AHL media site.

Halliday was brought up Monday but is back with Belleville in short order. The 2022 fourth-round pick has been productive in the minors with 15 goals and 28 helpers across 59 outings in 2024-25. The 22-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut.

Smith logged an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 5-1 win over Utah.

The helper was Smith's first point to go with 10 shots on net, 13 hits and six blocked shots over seven games with the Red Wings. The 35-year-old forward was dealt to Detroit from Chicago at the trade deadline. Smith has 17 points, 84 shots on net, 43 hits, 26 blocked shots, 28 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 47 outings this season. He's a fourth-liner, so don't expect significant production.