NHL Player News

Lundestrom (Achilles) has resumed skating and is believed to be getting close to returning, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.

Lundestrom hasn't played yet in 2026-27 because of the injury. He had four goals and 12 points in 68 regular-season appearances with Columbus in 2025-26. Lundestrom will probably serve in a bottom-six capacity once he's healthy.

Askarov was the first goalie off the ice at Wednesday's morning skate, Max Miller of NHL.com reports, indicating that he'll draw the road start against Los Angeles.

Askarov has alternated wins and losses across his last five appearances, going 2-3-0 with a 1.82 GAA and .944 save percentage during that time. He'll be between the pipes for a second consecutive game Wednesday and will have a favorable matchup against the Kings, who have logged 2.77 goals per game to begin the regular season, which is the seventh-worst mark in the league.

Andrae was put on waivers by Columbus on Wednesday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Andrae has two assists in five appearances with Columbus in 2026-27. The 24-year-old will probably be sent to AHL Cleveland if he clears waivers.

Heinen was placed on waivers by the Blue Jackets on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Heinen spent the first month of the regular season with the Blue Jackets and was held scoreless with nine blocked shots and eight hits while averaging 10:10 of ice time across 10 appearances. He'll head to AHL Cleveland if he goes unclaimed on waivers, while Isac Lundestrom (Achilles) has resumed skating and appears to be close to returning to action.

Korczak notched two assists and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

Korczak dealt with a lower-body injury earlier in the week, but it didn't cost him a game. He has four helpers over his last six games, with the most recent two coming against the team that traded him away over the summer. The defenseman is still looking for his first goal as a Penguin, but he has eight assists, 15 shots on net, 21 blocked shots and 11 hits across 15 contests.

Rakell scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

Rakell has scored in four straight games. The 33-year-old is up to five goals, four assists, 37 shots on net, 16 hits, 13 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over 15 appearances. He had poor luck early in the season, but the recent surge has turned things around for Rakell, who should remain a steady top-six presence for the Penguins.

Lauzon notched an assist, six hits and six PIM in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Penguins.

This was his first point of the season. Lauzon has done what's expected of him in a bottom-four role so far in 2026-27 -- he adds grit and won't back down from a fight. He's racked up 22 shots on net, 67 hits, 30 PIM, 26 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 17 appearances. Lauzon is tough enough to help in banger leagues, but he's not a great option in standard fantasy formats.

Eichel logged two power-play assists in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Penguins.

Eichel assisted on both of Tomas Hertl's tallies in the contest. Prior to Tuesday, Eichel had gone two games without a point, something that has happened just twice this season. He's at seven goals, 15 assists, 40 shots on net, 10 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating across 17 appearances on the Golden Knights' top line.

Slafkovsky notched two power-play assists in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets.

Slafkovsky hasn't scored in six games, but he has four assists in that span. The winger has also gone four contests without logging a hit. He's up to 11 points (four on the power play), 35 shots on net, 10 hits, 11 blocked shots, 12 PIM and a minus-1 rating across 15 outings in a top-six role this season.

Beck scored a goal in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets.

Beck has earned three points over five appearances this season while filling a part-time role in the bottom six. He's added six shots on net, 10 hits, three blocked shots and five PIM. The 22-year-old has filled in fairly well, but he may find himself on the move to the AHL again once Nick Suzuki (hand), Ivan Demidov (foot) and Kirby Dach (illness) are all available.