NHL Player News

Hamilton (lower body) will travel with the Devils ahead of Tuesday's game in Tampa, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Hamilton has been unavailable for just over a week due to his lower-body injury, but his return to game action appears to be imminent. The Devils haven't yet indicated whether Hamilton will be available against the Lightning, but even if he's sidelined Tuesday, it wouldn't be surprising to see him in the mix to return Thursday against Florida or Saturday against Philadelphia.

Kesselring (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday.

The Sabres recalled Zach Metsa from AHL Rochester in a corresponding move. Kesselring doesn't have a timeline for his return to the lineup after being injured in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over Detroit. He hasn't earned a point in nine appearances this season while posting 10 shots on goal, nine blocked shots and seven hits.

Doughty (lower body) is considered week-to-week, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports Monday.

Doughty's injury is unrelated to last season's ankle problem, but it will still sideline him for a little while. Considering the 35-year-old defenseman's recovery timeline, fantasy managers can likely expect him to be placed on injured reserve in the coming days. Look for Brandt Clarke to see an uptick in ice time with Doughty on the shelf.

McAvoy (upper body) won't play against Carolina on Monday, and there is no timeline for his return to the lineup, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reports.

McAvoy is going through evaluations by doctors and could undergo surgery to address the issue. He was struck in the face by a slap shot from Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson in the second period of Saturday's 3-2 win over Montreal. The 27-year-old McAvoy has 14 assists, 25 shots on goal, 32 blocked shots and 26 hits across 19 appearances this season.

Carlson (upper body) will be a game-time decision for Monday's matchup against Los Angeles, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Initial reports suggested that Carlson should be good to go for Monday's game, but the Capitals will wait to evaluate the defenseman in the hours leading up to puck drop before determining his status. If Carlson is able to suit up, Trevor van Riemsdyk will be a candidate to come out of the lineup.

Del Gaizo was elevated from AHL Laval on Monday.

Del Gaizo will likely serve as an emergency depth option for the Canadiens' trip to Columbus on Monday, but he is unlikely to get into the lineup ahead of Arber Xhekaj or Alexandre Carrier. Last season, the 26-year-old Del Gaizo saw action in 46 regular-season games with the Predators. It seems unlikely the blueliner will see that much playing time this year, given the Habs' blue line depth.

Carlson (upper body) is slated to be available for Monday's game against the Kings, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Carlson missed Saturday's game against the Devils due to an upper-body injury, but he should be back in action following his one-game absence. The 35-year-old was riding a five-game point streak prior to his injury, recording two goals, five assists, seven blocked shots, a hit, a plus-3 rating and two PIM while averaging 21:55 of ice time.

Kesselring (lower body) is undergoing further evaluation but is facing a long-term absence, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports Monday.

Kesselring was out of action for the Sabres' first nine games of the season due to a lower-body injury. It's not clear if this latest lower-body issue is related. Regardless, with Kesselring likely on the shelf for a while, Jacob Bryson is the most likely candidate to see increased minutes.

Harris (ankle) was shifted to long-term injured reserve Monday.

Harris has already been out of action for the Bruins' last 12 contests, so his placement on LTIR doesn't significantly impact his recovery timeline. The 25-year-old blueliner is currently expected to return in late December or early January. Even once given the all-clear, Harris is far from a lock to play on a nightly basis and could find himself serving as a healthy scratch periodically.

Metsa was called up from AHL Rochester on Monday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Metsa spent the last few weeks in the minors, but he was on the ice for morning skate ahead of Monday's matchup against the Oilers, signaling that he's rejoined the NHL club. Metsa made four appearances for the Sabres earlier in the year, and he recorded no points, two blocked shots, a hit, a plus-3 rating and two PIM while averaging 8:49 of ice time.