NHL Player News

Jiricek exited Sunday's game against the Bruins due to a lower-body injury, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports.

Head coach John Hynes didn't have an update on Jiricek's status following Sunday's matchup, so the defenseman's status for Tuesday's game against the Capitals isn't yet clear. Jiricek saw a relatively normal workload prior to his departure, as he logged 12:52 of ice time. If Jiricek is unable to suit up against Washington, Matt Kiersted will be a candidate to enter the lineup.

Gleason had three assists in AHL Iowa's 6-0 win over Manitoba on Sunday.

Gleason had been limited to one assist over his previous 11 games. He's at 10 points in 25 outings this season, though he also has a minus-13 rating. The defenseman has logged a pair of three-assist efforts, which obscures his generally lackluster play overall.

Nystrom has been assigned to AHL Chicago, the team announced Sunday.

Despite just signing a four-year extension, it's Nystrom who is the roster casualty for the Hurricanes with the return of Jaccob Slavin (lower body) from injured reserve. It makes sense given the 23-year-old doesn't require waivers to be moved down to the AHL. He departs the NHL roster with five assists and a plus-3 rating in 24 games played, but he will likely be the first call-up should another injury strike the Carolina defense corps.

Slavin (lower body) was activated from injured reserve Sunday, per the NHL media site.

Following a 29-game absence, Slavin appears to be ready to return to the lineup against Philadelphia on Sunday. He hasn't earned a point in two appearances this season while posting two shots on net and three blocked shots.

York (upper body) will play against Carolina on Sunday.

York will return to the lineup after missing the last four games. He has registered one goal, 11 assists, 19 shots on net and 46 blocked shots over 23 appearances this season. York will replace Ty Murchison in Sunday's lineup against the Hurricanes.

Carlson posted a power-play assist, two shots on goal, two hits, four PIM and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Jets.

Carlson didn't have a great game, but he was able to get on the scoresheet in his second contest after missing three games due to an upper-body injury. The 35-year-old defenseman continues to provide quality offense in a top-pairing role this season. He's at 24 points (six on the power play), 62 shots on net, 40 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating through 28 appearances.

Chychrun scored a power-play goal on three shots and added two hits in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Jets.

With 3:28 left in the third period, Chychrun broke up Connor Hellebuyck's shutout bid. Through six outings in December, Chychrun has cooled off, earning three points and a plus-4 rating. The 27-year-old defenseman is at 12 goals, 26 points (six on the power play), 106 shots on net, 31 hits, 37 blocked shots, 31 PIM and a plus-23 rating over 32 outings. Even if his pace dips a bit, Chychrun is tracking toward the first 50-point campaign of his career.

Stanley scored a goal, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Capitals.

Stanley has two goals over his last three games. He's up to five tallies this season, matching his combined total from his first five NHL campaigns. The big defenseman has added six helpers, 31 shots on net, 54 hits, 55 PIM, 40 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over 31 appearances. Stanley's newfound offense may not last in the long run, but combined with his physical play, it makes him worth consideration in deep fantasy formats.

Gostisbehere notched two assists in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Flyers.

Gostisbehere has six helpers over as many games in December, and three of them, including both from Saturday, have been at even strength. The 32-year-old defenseman is still best as a power-play specialist, but he has been reliable in a large role for the Hurricanes this season. He's up to 24 points (seven on the power play), 37 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating over 22 appearances.

Nikishin scored a goal and added two hits in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Flyers.

Nikishin has a goal and an assist over his last two games. However, even with the goal Saturday, he was down to a season-low 13:26 of ice time. The 24-year-old has done a fine job with 11 points, 51 shots on net, 62 hits, 39 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating over 30 appearances. He could get pinched out of the lineup at times once Jaccob Slavin (lower body) returns to action, though it's also possible the Hurricanes send him to AHL Chicago to keep his workload up with bigger minutes with the farm team.