NHL Player News

McIlrath was scratched for the sixth time in eight games in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Sharks.

Despite John Carlson (upper body) being out, the Capitals opted to bring in left-shot blueliner Declan Chisholm rather than a righty in McIlrath. Sidelined by a lower-body injury for the first five games of the season, McIlrath has seen action in just three games since his Oct. 19 activation from injured reserve. He's earned no points while adding seven hits and two blocked shots. The 33-year-old provides toughness when he plays, but as part of an eight-man blue line on the Capitals' roster, his opportunities are few and far between.

Chisholm notched an assist and went plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Sharks.

Chisholm has been out of the lineup more often than not this season, but he got to play Wednesday because John Carlson (upper body) was out. Chisholm picked up his second helper of the year when he set up Sonny Milano's goal in the first period. For the season, Chisholm has added eight shots on net, nine blocked shots and a plus-3 rating through 11 appearances. When he plays, he's likely to be confined to the third pairing, limiting his already minimal appeal in fantasy.

Van Riemsdyk logged two assists, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Sharks.

Van Riemsdyk ended a nine-game slump when he helped out on goals by Sonny Milano and Ryan Leonard in the first period. In that stretch, van Riemsdyk was also scratched five times. The 34-year-old is in a part-time role this year, competing with Dylan McIlrath and Declan Chisholm for third-pairing minutes. Van Riemsdyk is at four points, 14 shots on net, 25 blocked shots, 10 PIM and a plus-2 rating through 21 appearances.

Roy notched three assists, two shots on goal, four blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Sharks.

Roy has five helpers over his last five games, and he's added 14 blocks and a plus-6 rating in that span. The 30-year-old continues to see ample playing time in a top-four role, though mostly in a defensive capacity. He's at one goal, eight assists, 37 shots on net, 63 blocked shots, 30 hits and a plus-19 rating over 28 appearances. Roy is on track to top the 20-point mark for the fifth year in a row, but he might miss out on the 100-hit threshold.

Pickford scored twice and added an assist in WHL Medicine Hat's 7-1 win over Prince Albert on Wednesday.

Pickford has three goals and seven points over his last three games. The Canadiens prospect is up to 15 goals and 16 helpers, as well as a plus-26 rating, through 26 appearances this season. Pickford is also captaining the Tigers this season, showing off his leadership traits in addition to a blossoming offense.

Engstrom was reassigned to AHL Laval on Wednesday.

Engstrom was scratched for two straight games, so a demotion to the Rocket shouldn't come as a surprise. He appeared in two games while with the Canadiens, logging two shots on net, two blocked shots and a hit. It's unclear if he'll be called up again prior to Saturday's game versus the Maple Leafs.

Heinola posted two assists in AHL Manitoba's 5-0 win over Chicago on Wednesday.

Heinola has done just alright this year in the minors, picking up eight points over 22 appearances. He's also posted a minus-14 rating, which is likely to keep him from being in the mix for a call-up. The Jets' NHL-level blue line is pretty deep as is, and Heinola missed out on it during training camp. At this point, the 2019 first-round pick would likely need a change of scenery to have a chance at carving out an NHL role.

Byram scored a goal and blocked three shots in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Flyers.

Byram has a goal in consecutive games after going four contests without a point. The 24-year-old defenseman is up to six goals, 13 points, 39 shots on net, 34 blocked shots, 14 hits and a minus-6 rating through 27 appearances. Byram has maintained steady ice time as a trusted part of the Sabres' blue line, though he's tracking for production roughly in line with last year's 38-point output from all 82 games.

Sanheim notched two assists, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and two PIM in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.

Sanheim earned his first multi-point effort since Oct. 13 versus the Panthers. Over the last seven games, Sanheim has collected four assists with a minus-1 rating. The 29-year-old blueliner plays a key all-situations role for the Flyers and is up to 11 points, 34 shots on net, 49 blocked shots and 18 hits over 26 appearances. While he gets plenty of ice time, his defensive duties will often get in the way of him shining on offense, which limits his effectiveness in fantasy.

York sustained an upper-body injury versus the Sabres on Wednesday, Charlie O'Connor of PHLY Sports reports.

York's injury was not specified when the Flyers announced him as out for the rest of the game. He was hurt on a hit behind the net during the second period. It's unclear if the blueliner will be ready to play Sunday versus the Avalanche.