NHL Player News

Chabot (upper body) was a full participant in Monday's practice in Vegas and is nearing a return to the lineup, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

While Chabot was a full participant in Monday's practice, Garrioch noted that the 29-year-old skated on an extra defensive pairing, so a decision on his availability for Tuesday's game against the Golden Knights won't be made until after the morning skate. Regarding Chabot's outlook going forward, head coach Travis Green said, "I'm not sure if he's going to go tomorrow, but he's definitely close to playing. We'll see." If he ends up sitting out Tuesday, Chabot's next opportunity to return to the lineup will be in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Johansson (undisclosed) will not play in Monday's road clash against the Oilers, per Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News.

Johansson was a surprise scratch Monday, as he didn't suit up due to an undisclosed injury. Prior to Monday, the 25-year-old blueliner had posted an assist, 14 shots on net and 12 blocked shots across 11 outings this season. In his absence, both William Wallinder and Andreas Englund should see increased minutes. Depending on the severity of Johansson's injury, his next chance to return to the lineup is Thursday's home matchup against Chicago.

Aitcheson was recalled from AHL Hamilton on Monday.

Aitcheson has registered one assist and seven shots on net in nine AHL outings this season. The 20-year-old defender may get a chance to make his NHL debut during his stint with the Islanders, but it's unclear if he will play against Nashville on Tuesday.

Fabbro (hand) could return to action for Tuesday's game against Philadelphia, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports.

Fabbro participated in Monday's practice session, but the Blue Jackets will reassess the 28-year-old defenseman Tuesday morning to determine whether he's ready to suit up against the Flyers. Fabbro has been trending in the right direction recently after missing the start of the regular season due to a hand injury. It's unclear whether he'll face any limitations if he's able to suit up Tuesday.

Pulock logged an assist, two hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Stars.

This was Pulock's first point of the season. The 32-year-old defenseman is firmly in a top-four role as a shutdown specialist, though the heavy minutes Matthew Schaefer logs has led to less ice time for the rest of the Islanders' defense. Pulock has accumulated six shots on net, 11 hits, 18 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 11 outings.

Bichsel notched an assist, two PIM and a plus-4 rating in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Islanders.

Bichsel helped to force a turnover and then set up Mikko Rantanen on the Stars' last goal. The 22-year-old Bichsel isn't a strong source of offense, but he is playing in a top-four role at even strength. He has a helper, six shots on net, 24 hits, 19 blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-2 rating over 11 outings this season. If he continues to block shots at a significant rate, he'll have some appeal in banger leagues, though hits will be his top area of production.

Korchinski notched an assist and went plus-2 in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Panthers.

Korchinski has had limited opportunities to play this season -- this was just his second game. The defenseman did better than in his first outing Oct. 3 versus the Sabres, though he had a miscue that led to a Florida goal. Korchinski is a non-factor in fantasy until his place in the lineup stabilizes. He'll battle with Ethan Del Mastro for playing time until Bowen Byram (upper body) is ready to return.

The Flyers announced Monday that Ristolainen is expected to miss approximately two weeks due to an upper-body injury.

Ristolainen returned to game action Saturday against the Ducks following a nine-game absence due to a hand injury. However, head coach Rick Tocchet said Monday that Ristolainen aggravated the issue, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, which will result in another multi-week absence. Ristolainen could return at some point in the first half of November, but the Flyers' blue line will get a boost before then as Cam York (upper body) has been practicing recently and appears to be trending toward a return.

Nikishin (not injury related) will need some time before he makes his 2026-27 debut, according to Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal on Monday.

After agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Hurricanes on Sunday, Nikishin has no timeline in place for his season debut. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters Monday that Nikishin will need a "mini training camp" to get up to speed. The 25-year-old Nikishin registered 11 goals, 33 points, 132 hits, 122 shots on net and 94 blocked shots in 81 regular-season appearances with Carolina in 2025-26.

Schaefer scored a goal in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Stars.

Schaefer found twine for a second straight game and extended his point streak to four games (two goals, two assists). His offensive involvement, both at even strength and on the power play, and his ability to contribute across multiple categories make him a valuable fantasy asset in all formats. He has cracked the scoresheet in eight of his last 10 appearances, tallying two goals and eight assists over that span.