NHL Player News

Sandin didn't participate in Thursday's practice session due to an upper-body injury, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Sandin logged a season-low 15:01 of ice time during Tuesday's 4-1 win over Seattle, and he's apparently dealing with an injury afterward. The Capitals have an upcoming back-to-back set, and it's not yet clear whether Sandin will be available Friday against the Blue Jackets or Saturday against the Senators. If Sandin is held out of game action, Declan Chisholm and Dylan McIlrath are candidates to enter the lineup.

Romanov (upper body) was designated for injured reserve Thursday.

Romanov was placed on IR retroactive to Oct. 16, so he can technically be activated as soon as he is ready to play -- though he has already been ruled out for the next two games at least. With the available roster spot, the Isles figure to bring up some emergency depth on the blue line -- most likely Isaiah George.

Dillon scored a goal in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Wild.

Dillon found the back of the net for a second straight game, as he also bagged a goal in the 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. This time, the defenseman doubled New Jersey's lead with a slap shot at the 6:08 mark of the second period. Although Dillon is playing as part of the third defensive pairing, he's making his presence felt on offense with four points (two goals, two assists) over his last five games.

Matheson scored a goal on three shots, blocked three shots and added two PIM in Wednesday's 2-1 overtime win over the Flames.

Ivan Demidov sent a pass across the top of the crease for Matheson to one-time home at the minute mark of overtime. After his first multi-game point drought of the year, Matheson was able to bang the shot home. He's up to two goals, three assists, 11 shots on net, 11 hits, 18 blocks and a plus-5 rating across eight appearances this season. The 31-year-old could slow down as Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson carry more of the scoring load from the blue line, but Matheson is proving just as capable and should have a good chance for at least 30 points again.

Kettles scored a goal on two shots and added an assist in WHL Swift Current's 4-3 overtime loss to Red Deer on Wednesday.

Kettles performed well in his season debut for the Broncos. The defenseman sustained an injury before the Penguins' prospect tournament that sidelined him for all of NHL training camp and nearly a month of the WHL campaign. The 18-year-old defenseman was selected 39th overall by Pittsburgh in 2025. He will likely have another year in junior hockey after this one before making a move to either the NCAA, as long as he doesn't sign an entry-level contract, or the AHL if he does sign a deal.

Byram notched a power-play assist and three shots on goal in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Red Wings.

Byram has earned two assists over his last four games, with both coming on the power play. That's all of his offense through seven outings in 2025-26. The defenseman has added seven shots on net, eight hits, seven blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating. He's locked in as a top-four blueliner, but his fantasy value is trending down due to his lack of offense in the early going this year.

Timmins logged two assists and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Red Wings.

Timmins led the Sabres with 22:39 of ice time Wednesday. It's the third time he's exceeded 20 minutes in a game this season. The 27-year-old has mostly filled a defensive role so far, but he's been up to the task. He's produced two helpers, seven shots on net, 20 blocked shots, four hits, eight PIM and a minus-3 rating through seven appearances. He had a career-high 15 points in 68 regular-season outings between the Maple Leafs and the Penguins in 2024-25, so it's tough to expect Timmins to be a big contributor on offense.

Casey (lower body) was activated off injured reserve and reassigned to AHL Utica on Wednesday.

Casey was going to be a long shot to make the Devils' roster coming out of training camp, but his lower-body issue didn't do him any favors. The 21-year-old blueliner appeared in 14 regular-season clashes for New Jersey last season, recording four goals and four assists, including a trio of power-play points. If Casey can produce at that level in the minors, he should be on the short list of potential call-ups once he gets his legs under him with Utica.

Hanifin (lower body) won't travel with the Golden Knights on the team's upcoming three-game road trip, according to Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday.

Vegas moved Hanifin to injured reserve earlier in the day, and Jaycob Megna joined the big club from the minors in a corresponding move. The 28-year-old Hanifin has already missed the last six games and will sit out at least two more. However, it remains unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup.

Chychrun scored a power-play goal on four shots in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.

Chychrun has scored in back-to-back games and in three of his last four contests. The 27-year-old defenseman is off to a strong start in 2025-26, racking up six points, 19 shots on net, eight hits, six blocked shots, four PIM and a plus-7 rating through seven appearances. The Capitals' defense is fairly versatile, but Chychrun commands top-four minutes and power-play time, making him a reliable fantasy option.