NHL Player News

Wedgewood will protect the road goal versus the Flames on Thursday.

Wedgewood will make his first start of the season while the Avalanche wrap up a back-to-back set. Mackenzie Blackwood has looked good while going 2-1-0 with eight goals allowed over his first three starts of the year. If Blackwood continues to start regularly, Wedgewood will have to settle for the backup role, though he's also a fairly reliable goalie in his own right.

Eklund (lower body) won't return to Thursday's game versus the Flyers.

Eklund was unable to put weight on his leg as he left the ice. The 23-year-old winger has collected two points over his first four games with the Senators, but an injury of this nature could end up being significant. The Senators should have an update on his status prior to Saturday's game versus the Predators.

O'Connor (lower body) will not play Thursday in Calgary following the sudden passing of his father, Myles.

O'Connor is away from the team to be with his family during this hard time. The 30-year-old forward was nearing a return from his injury, but that will be put on hold while he deals with more important things.

Celebrini (lower body) won't play Thursday versus the Blues, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports.

Celebrini didn't take the ice for warmups after previously being labeled a game-time decision. This will be his second straight game out of the lineup due to the injury. Celebrini's next chance to play is Saturday at home versus the Oilers.

Soderblom will protect the road goal versus the Islanders on Thursday, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

Soderblom will make his second start of the season, despite Spencer Knight coming off a win Tuesday versus the Blues. Soderblom gave up six goals on 32 shots versus the Mammoth in his season debut last Thursday. Until the 27-year-old shows more reliable results between the pipes, he's a risky fantasy option.

Ristolainen (undisclosed) won't play Thursday versus the Senators, Gabriela Carroll of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ristolainen is slated to miss his second straight game. He has one goal, four hits and seven blocked shots over three outings this season. With Ristolainen out, David Jiricek is in a top-four role and Simon Benoit is getting playing time on the third pairing. Ristolainen's next chance to play is Saturday in Boston, which is the first half of a back-to-back set.

Kapanen (lower body) won't play Thursday versus the Predators, J-F Chaumont of LNH.com reports.

Kapanen is absent from the lineup for a fourth straight game. The center's next chance to play is Saturday versus the Red Wings. Kapanen's ongoing absence has given Florian Xhekaj a chance to play on the fourth line.

Doan (lower body) will suit up Thursday versus the Stars, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Doan is playing through a lower-body issue, and his move from the top line to the fourth line may be a way to manage his minutes. He's also started slow this season, failing to log a point over three contests. Fantasy managers may want to be patient with Doan while he's in the bottom six.

Maatta (lower body) won't play Thursday versus the Lightning.

David Spacek will enter the lineup. Maatta can be considered day-to-day for now. His next chance to play is Saturday versus the Panthers. Maatta has one assist, three blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over three appearances this season.

Kochetkov will tend the twine at home versus the Canucks on Thursday, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Kochetkov allowed two goals on 18 shots against the Flyers in his season debut on Saturday. Brandon Bussi struggled against the Canadiens in his last start, so Kochetkov will get a chance to bring some stability to the crease. While Kochetkov is nominally in the backup role to begin the year, this could become a timeshare if he continues to play well.