NHL Player News

Miner was reassigned to AHL Colorado on Wednesday.

Miner has a 1-0-3 record, 2.03 GAA and .923 save percentage in four appearances with the Avalanche in 2025-26. His reassignment corresponds with Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) being activated off injured reserve. Miner is likely to remain in the minors for the remainder of the regular season unless the Avalanche once again need a goaltender due to Blackwood or Scott Wedgewood being unavailable.

Andersson scored a power-play goal on three shots, added three hits, logged five PIM and went minus-3 in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Andersson had a busy second period, fighting Boone Jenner midway through the frame before scoring his goal after serving his penalty. This was Andersson's 10th goal of the season, three of which have come over the last seven contests. The defenseman is at 29 points (10 on the power play), 110 shots on net, 87 blocked shots, 53 PIM and 28 hits through 46 outings this season, which gives him a chance to push for a 50-point campaign.

Christiansen notched an assist and three blocked shots in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Flames.

Christiansen had been scratched for the previous three games. The absences of Damon Severson (illness) and Denton Mateychuk (upper body) opened the door for Christiansen to get back in on the third pairing, though it's likely to be a short-term bump in playing time. With Egor Zamula jumping into a bottom-four role immediately, Christiansen's playing time will probably remain low. Christiansen has two helpers, 18 shots on net, 18 hits, 15 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating over 27 outings this season.

Fabbro scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Flames.

Fabbro went a month between points, posting a minus-7 rating, 20 hits, 17 blocked shots and 10 shots on net during a 13-game drought. The 27-year-old defenseman saw an increased role for the second contest in a row as he helps the Blue Jackets deal with the absences of Denton Mateychuk (upper body) and Damon Severson (illness). Fabbro has just seven points with 46 shots on net, 41 hits, 78 blocks and a minus-16 rating across 46 appearances this season.

Vladar will start Wednesday's road game against Buffalo, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Vladar has posted an 0-1-1 record over his last two starts, but he carried a three-game winning streak prior to that stretch. Overall, he's gone 3-1-1 with a 2.60 GAA and an .897 save percentage across his past five outings. Buffalo has scored 3.18 goals per game this year, which ranks 12th in the NHL.

Lafferty (illness) might not be available for Thursday's game against Calgary, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio.

Lafferty missed Wednesday's practice. He hasn't been in the lineup since Dec. 28 despite being available, so his illness may not impact Chicago's short-term plans. The 30-year-old has a goal and an assist in 17 outings in 2025-26.

Wilson (lower body) might be able to return Thursday versus San Jose, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.

Wilson has missed the past five games because of the injury. He has 22 goals, 42 points, 59 PIM and 110 hits in 41 outings in 2025-26. If Wilson returns against the Sharks, then Brett Leason might lose his spot in the lineup.

Bedard (illness) returned to practice Wednesday, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Bedard missed Monday's game against the Oilers, but appears ready to play against Calgary on Thursday. The 20-year-old has made two appearances since returning from a 12-game absence due to a shoulder injury, recording two assists, seven shots on goal and a plus-1 rating while averaging 19:00 of ice time across that span. He has 19 goals and 46 points across 33 outings this season.

Texier signed a two-year, $5 million contract extension with the Canadiens on Wednesday, PuckPedia reports.

While Texier got off to a slow start as he struggled to carve out a consistent role with the Canadiens, he has flourished over the past month in a spot on the top line next to Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Over Texier's last eight games, he has four multi-point performances, including back-to-back three-point games Jan. 7 and 8. Overall, the 26-year-old forward has seven goals, 10 assists, 50 shots on net and 32 hits across 33 appearances this season. He'll likely continue to play big minutes for the Canadiens during the team's push for a playoff spot in the competitive Atlantic Division.

Shepard was loaned to AHL Belleville on Wednesday, Julian McKenzie of The Athletic reports.

After serving as Leevi Merilainen's backup for two games, Shepard will head back to the AHL to make room for James Reimer, who signed a one-year deal with Ottawa on Monday. In 12 appearances with Belleville this season, Shepard has a 5-6-1 record with a 3.41 GAA and an .897 save percentage. His stats at both levels make him a tough option to trust in fantasy if he receives another call-up to the NHL later this year.