NHL Player News

Girard (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision for Thursday's home game against the Mammoth, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports.

Girard has missed each of the last three games with an undisclosed injury. It appears that he has a chance to play Thursday, but the Penguins would need to activate him from injured reserve prior to the contest if he's to appear in the lineup. Prior to going down with the injury, the 28-year-old blueliner got off to a strong start to the season with a goal, seven points, 12 shots on net, five hits and 10 blocked shots over nine appearances. If he's ultimately given the green light, he'll likely rejoin the team's second defensive pairing, where he should continue to be a relevant fantasy asset in deep leagues this season.

The Wild announced Thursday that Spurgeon (undisclosed) is considered week-to-week, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Spurgeon exited Tuesday's game against the Mammoth due to an undisclosed injury, and he's facing a multi-game absence. It's not yet clear when the 36-year-old will be able to return to action, but David Spacek and Carson Lambos are candidates to see additional playing time in the near future, while it's possible that Spurgeon will land on injured reserve at some point.

Lambos was Michael Russo of The Athletic from AHL Iowa on Thursday, per Michael Russo.

Lambos will head up to the big club Thursday after Jared Spurgeon (undisclosed) suffered an injury in Tuesday's win over the Mammoth. The 23-year-old Lambos has been solid for AHL Iowa across his eight appearances this season, where he's posted two points and a minus-2 rating. He'll likely serve as the team's seventh defenseman in practice ahead of Thursday's clash against the Islanders, but he might have a chance to make his season debut if Spurgeon's injury persists.

Hedman (lower body) will play in Thursday's game against the Jets, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Hedman sustained a lower-body injury during Friday's game against the Avalanche, and he was unavailable against Utah on Saturday. However, he'll return to game action after having several days to recover. Across his six appearances prior to his one-game absence, Hedman had logged two goals, two assists, four blocked shots, two PIM and a hit while averaging 12:44 of ice time.

Taylor was recalled from AHL Texas on Thursday.

With Kyle Capobianco (leg) sidelined for at least a week after sustaining a leg injury in Tuesday's clash, Taylor was likely called up to take the former's spot in the lineup. Overall, the 24-year-old Tayor has compiled three assists, a minus-6 rating and 18 shots on net across eight games with AHL Texas this season. If he does ultimately hit the ice in Thursday's home clash against the Canadiens, he'll be making his NHL debut after three seasons in the AHL.

St. Ivany notched two assists with one shot on net, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Flyers.

Making his Capitals debut after being claimed off waivers from the Jets, St. Ivany made an immediate impact on the third pairing, helping to set up tallies by Alex Tuch in the first period and Jordan Kyrou in the third. St. Ivany hasn't provided much offense during his NHL career, recording zero goals and 11 assists in 58 games spread over four seasons, but he's offered plenty of production in other categories with 122 hits and 70 blocked shots. The 27-year-old will offer some depth on the blue line until Rasmus Sandin (knee) and Vincent Desharnais (abdomen) get healthy.

Ekholm scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Flames.

Ekholm returned after missing two games with a concussion and immediately contributed, beating Dustin Wolf with a point shot early in the second period. The veteran defenseman has two goals this season, and his return strengthens Edmonton's blue line at both ends of the ice. His offensive involvement provides useful fantasy value, particularly in formats that reward shots and blocked shots.

Raddysh notched two assists, including one on the power play, in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Kraken.

This was Raddysh's first multi-point effort of the season. The 30-year-old defenseman is seeing top billing at even strength and on the power play, but he's still adjusting to Toronto after his breakout year with the Lightning in 2025-26. Raddysh has eight helpers, 33 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 15 appearances. The shot volume is the key here -- while he's not shooting as much as last year, he's still getting enough looks to believe that his luck will take a positive turn as the season progresses.

Mahura scored a goal and added three hits in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Maple Leafs.

Mahura snapped a five-game point drought with his first goal in over year. He last scored Oct. 18, 2025, also against the Maple Leafs. The defenseman has three points, seven shots on net, 12 hits, 11 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over 10 outings this season. Mahura looks set to play regularly at least until Ryan Lindgren (upper body) comes off injured reserve.

Evans scored a goal on two shots, dished out five hits, blocked two shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Maple Leafs.

Evans turned in another gem of an all-around effort for fantasy managers. The 24-year-old has a point in four of the last five games and has solidified his place in the Kraken's top four with his steady play. He's at three goals, seven points, 12 shots on net, 24 hits, 17 blocked shots, 14 PIM and a plus-4 rating through 13 appearances this season.