NHL Player News

Byram (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision against Carolina on Sunday, according to Heather Engel of NHL.com.

Byram fell awkwardly into the end boards in Friday's 9-3 win over Chicago but managed to finish the game. The Sabres will determine his status after Sunday's pregame warmups. If Byram can't play, Zach Metsa will be in the lineup versus the Hurricanes.

Ekholm scored a goal on three shots on net and added two assists, two hits and a plus-5 rating in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Panthers.

The Oilers' top pairing of Ekholm and Evan Bouchard combined for six points and a dominant plus-10 rating on the night. It was Ekholm's first multi-point performance since Oct. 28, and his first three-point effort since March 18 of last season. For the current campaign, the veteran blueliner has two goals, 10 points, 49 shots on net, 48 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 24 contests.

Bouchard pocketed three assists with one shot on net, one blocked shot and a plus-5 rating in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Panthers.

After setting up Jack Roslovic for a pair of tallies in the first period, Bouchard had a hand in what proved to be the game-winner by Vasily Podkolzin early in the second. It's the second time in the last six games that Bouchard has popped for a trio of helpers, and on the season the 26-year-old blueliner has three goals and 20 points in 24 contests.

Gustafsson has been recalled by the Red Wings from AHL Grand Rapids, the team announced Sunday.

Gustafsson has over 500 games of NHL experience to his name, but he has spent the entirety of the 2025-26 season in the AHL so far. The 33-year-old has eight assists in 10 games with AHL Grand Rapids this year. In 2024-25, the veteran defenseman had two goals and 16 assists but a minus-19 rating in 60 games.

Fehervary logged an assist in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Lightning.

The helper snapped an eight-game point drought for Fehervary. The 26-year-old defenseman saw a season-low 16:04 of ice time, which may have been a product of the Capitals chasing offense rather than trying to shut things down at the back. The blueliner is at one goal, six assists, 30 hits, 38 blocked shots, 27 shots on net, 13 PIM and a plus-7 rating through 22 appearances, a pace similar to the one that saw him put up a career-high 25 points in 81 regular-season outings a year ago.

Cernak notched an assist and three blocked shots in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Capitals.

Cernak returned from a two-game absence due to a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old saw 23:24 of ice time in his return, a season-high mark, so he appears to have no limitations going forward as long as he can avoid other injuries. He's at four helpers, 13 shots on net, 21 PIM, 40 hits and 43 blocks through 19 outings this season. That heavy playing style can take a toll, but Cernak is a worthy option for fantasy managers in banger leagues.

Evans logged two assists in Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over the Penguins.

Evans helped out on Matty Beniers' game-tying goal in the third period and Brandon Montour's game-winner at 4:10 of overtime. Over the last three games, Evans has racked up a goal and three assists while filling a third-pairing role. He's at two goals, four helpers, nine shots on net, five hits, four blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over eight appearances this season. The 23-year-old should have a steady place in the lineup, but it's unlikely he'll be able to sustain his recent success on offense without a bump in ice time.

Ekman-Larsson scored a goal on three shots, added two PIM, doled out four hits, blocked two shots and went minus-2 in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Canadiens.

Ekman-Larsson got the Maple Leafs on the board late in the second period to break up Jakub Dobes' shutout bid. The goal extended Ekman-Larsson's point streak to six games (two goals, four helpers). The defenseman has been among Toronto's steadiest players this season. He's at three goals, 16 points, a plus-4 rating, 32 shots on net, 34 hits, 24 blocks and 16 PIM through 22 contests. That kind of all-around production is more than enough to get the attention of fantasy managers.

Matheson produced two assists, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.

Matheson has a goal and four helpers over his last three contests. The 31-year-old defenseman set up Noah Dobson's first goal and Josh Anderson's second tally (an empty-netter) in this contest. Matheson continues to exceed expectations in a top-four role this season, which has seen him rack up four goals, 10 helpers, 26 shots on net, 46 blocked shots, 16 hits and a plus-12 rating over 21 appearances. That pace puts him closer to his 62-point effort in 2023-24 than his 31-point campaign in the 2024-25 regular season, which is good news for fantasy managers who scooped Matheson off the waiver wire early in the year.

Hutson scored a goal on three shots and blocked two shots in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens dominated the game early, and Hutson was responsible for the opening tally at 12:11 of the first period. The 21-year-old defenseman has two goals and four points over his last three contests. For the season, he's up to 18 points (three goals, 15 helpers), 34 shots on net, 33 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 21 appearances. It's a slightly better pace than the one that yielded six goals and 60 helpers for Hutson as a rookie in 2024-25, which led to a Calder Trophy win. The best news the Canadiens have gotten this year is the coexistence of two talented puck-moving blueliners in Hutson and Noah Dobson (two goals Saturday) in the team's top four.