NHL Player News

Benoit (personal) won't be in the lineup Saturday versus Pittsburgh, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Benoit has two assists, 17 PIM, 55 hits and 34 blocks in 23 appearances this year. Philippe Myers is set to draw into the lineup for the first time since Nov. 15 due to Benoit's absence.

Fox left Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Lightning after sustaining an upper-body injury, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic.

Fox suffered the injury when he was struck into the boards by Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel. The 27-year-old Fox had an assist in 16:27 of ice time before exiting the game. He's up to three goals and 26 points in 27 outings, including Saturday's action. Fox is still being evaluated, but if he misses time due to this injury, then Scott Morrow will probably draw into the lineup.

Desharnais (upper body) will miss Saturday's game against Vegas, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.

Desharnais also missed Friday's 3-2 win over Vancouver. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky revealed Saturday that Desharnais has been dealing with this injury "for a little bit." Desharnais is currently considered day-to-day, but the Warsofsky also said he's "gotta get it looked at," which suggests that the 29-year-old defenseman will undergo further evaluation. Desharnais has two assists, 28 hits and 34 blocks in 20 outings this season. 

Struble (upper body) won't play against Colorado on Saturday.

Struble will miss at least one game after logging 17:09 of ice time in Friday's 4-1 victory over Vegas. He has collected four assists, 10 shots on goal, 11 blocked shots and 36 hits across 19 outings this season. With Struble unavailable, Adam Engstrom will be in the lineup versus the Avalanche on Saturday.

Carrier logged an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.

Carrier has earned three helpers over his last nine outings. The 29-year-old defenseman continues to fill a third-pairing role on a blue line that has emerged as a strength for the Canadiens. Carrier is at eight points, 16 shots on net, 56 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating through 23 appearances this season, so he may have some appeal in deeper fantasy formats.

Kessel scored a goal in Friday's 4-3 win over the Senators.

Kessel had been a healthy scratch for the previous two games. The 25-year-old is battling for ice time with Tyler Tucker and Logan Mailloux. Kessel is up to two goals, eight shots on net, five hits, six blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 14 appearances, and even if he secures a steady bottom-four role, he likely won't produce enough in any area to help much in fantasy.

Kuznetsov scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and blocked four shots in Friday's 5-3 win over the Panthers.

Kuznetsov has a goal and an assist over his last two games. He went nine contests without a point after earning an assist in his season debut. Despite the lack of offense, the 23-year-old's overall play has been strong enough to secure him a top-four spot on the blue line. He's earned three points, 14 shots on net, 18 hits, 21 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 12 appearances.

Weegar scored a goal on five shots, added two PIM, logged two hits and blocked four shots in Friday's 5-3 win over the Panthers.

Weegar put an 11-game point drought to rest, and the goal was his first of the season. The 31-year-old hasn't come anywhere close to matching his production from the last two years, as he's been hit particularly hard by the Flames' lackluster offense. For the year, he's at one goal, four helpers, 56 shots on net, 64 hits, 53 blocked shots, 33 PIM and a minus-20 rating through 26 outings. The non-scoring production is still steady, and he'll be interesting as a reclamation project in fantasy if he can get his offense on track.

Edmundson scored a goal on four shots and added two hits in Friday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Ducks.

Edmundson has three points over his last two games. The 32-year-old has chipped in a surprisingly decent level of offense while seeing top-four minutes this season. He's up to two goals, 11 points, 36 shots on net, 29 hits, 28 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating through 24 appearances. He's well on his way to reaching the 20-point mark for the third time, and exceeding that threshold would give him a career year.

Chabot (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Ottawa recalled Dennis Gilbert from AHL Belleville on Saturday in a corresponding move. Chabot has missed six of the last seven games. He probably won't be an option for the rest of the team's road trip, which ends against Montreal on Tuesday, but it's unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup. Chabot has earned two goals, 10 points, 22 shots on net, 36 blocked shots and 13 hits across 18 appearances this season.