NHL Player News

McAvoy (personal) won't play against Toronto on Saturday, Jim McBride of the Boston Globe reports.

McAvoy is back in Boston due to a family matter, and he will miss at least one game. He has accounted for 12 assists, 21 shots on goal, 26 blocked shots, 24 hits and 24 PIM across 16 appearances this season. With McAvoy unavailable, Mason Lohrei will draw back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the last five games.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Saturday that Chatfield (upper body) is out of action indefinitely, Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Brind'Amour was not sure if Chatfield suffered a concussion Thursday against Minnesota. The defenseman has three assists, 10 hits and 14 blocked shots across 12 appearances this season. Charles-Alexis Legault will replace Chatfield on the blue line.

Hamilton (lower body) will be out of action for at least one week, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Saturday.

Hamilton sustained a minor injury in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over Montreal, and the Devils will give him some time to recover. The 32-year-old defender has four goals, seven points, 35 shots on net, 18 blocked shots and 15 hits through 14 appearances this season. Colton White will replace Hamilton in Saturday's lineup against Pittsburgh.

Tane (upper body) was back skating Saturday, Mark Masters of TSN reports.

Tanev was stretchered off the ice Nov. 1 in Philadelphia after his neck snapped back. It's believed he could have suffered whiplash on the play, as he wasn't diagnosed with another concussion. The veteran defenseman is eligible to return from injured reserve Saturday against the Bruins, but will likely need to sit out a bit longer. Tanev has two assists in eight games this season.

Pickford scored a goal on six shots and added an assist in WHL Medicine Hat's 4-3 shootout loss to Edmonton.

Pickford has logged five multi-point efforts this season, including three over his last seven games. He's at eight goals, eight helpers, 64 shots on net and a plus-16 rating through 16 outings for Medicine Hat this season. The 19-year-old blueliner is showing consistency for the second year in a row, and his big shot from the blue line could be a plus as he continues his development.

Morrissey scored a goal on two shots in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Sharks.

Morrissey buried a quick shot off a faceoff win at 12:34 of the first period. The Jets held that 1-0 lead for all of 1:12 before Macklin Celebrini tied the game, which then settled into a stalemate until Will Smith's third-period tally tipped it in favor of the Sharks. Morrissey has gotten on the scoresheet in six of the last seven games, and in total, he has two goals, 10 assists, 25 shots on net, 27 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating through 14 appearances. He'll continue to be one of the most reliable scoring blueliners in fantasy while playing on a strong team.

Parekh (upper body) will miss "a little bit of time" after sustaining an injury Friday versus the Blackhawks, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun reports.

Head coach Ryan Huska's postgame update was not particularly concerning, but Parekh missing time is still disappointing. It's safe to assume the 19-year-old defenseman will miss upcoming road games versus Minnesota on Sunday and St. Louis on Tuesday at a minimum. Jake Bean is likely to reenter the lineup unless Kevin Bahl (undisclosed) overcomes his injury in time for the road trip.

Aitcheson scored three goals in OHL Barrie's 6-3 win over Sudbury on Friday.

Aitcheson has a good chance to be the OHL Player of the Week come Monday, as he has torched Sudbury with six points over the last two games. The defenseman is now at 15 goals and 23 points in 18 games for the Colts this year, extending his lead among OHL defenders in goals scored. Aitcheson looks to be a tantalizing prospect for the Islanders, and he's getting better by the game.

Danford posted two assists in OHL Brantford's 5-4 win over Oshawa on Friday.

Danford was traded to Brantford from Oshawa last Friday. The move has done wonders for Danford's offense, as he has six assists in four games with the Bulldogs after logging just four points in eight outings with the Generals to begin the year. The Maple Leafs' prospect should benefit from playing in the OHL's leading offense -- Brantford has 96 goals this year, 11 more than the next closest team.

Parekh (upper body) won't return to Friday's game versus the Blackhawks.

Parekh was hurt on a Nick Foligno hit in the second period. The 19-year-old Parekh can be considered day-to-day for now. If he can't play Sunday in Minnesota and Kevin Bahl (undisclosed) remains out, Jake Bean will likely reenter the lineup for the Flames.