NHL Player News

Head coach D.J. Smith relayed after Monday's 4-1 win over the Rangers that Kempe (lower body) is day-to-day, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Dooley also noted that Kempe wanted to play in Monday's game, but the Swedish winger ultimately ended up being a late scratch after taking part in pregame warmups. While Kempe's injury doesn't appear to be overly serious, fantasy managers will want to keep tabs on his status before the Kings take on the Flyers in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Hayes (upper body) is not in the lineup for Monday's game in Colorado.

Hayes hasn't been in the lineup since March 3 in Boston, and he's appeared in just four of the Penguins' last 30 games. The veteran forward's next chance to get into the lineup will be on the road Wednesday versus the Hurricanes, but he may end up being a healthy scratch once he's given the green light to return to game action.

Colton (upper body) will miss Monday's home game against the Penguins, per the NHL Media Site.

Colton is slated to miss his third straight game after sustaining an upper-body injury against the Oilers on Tuesday. His absence is a notable one for the Avalanche's offense, as the 29-year-old winger has 23 points and 137 shots on net across 60 contests this season. Until further updates are provided, Colton can be considered day-to-day, making his next chance to return Wednesday in a home matchup against the Stars.

Vanecek will start Monday's road matchup against the Stars.

Despite fellow netminder Karel Vejmelka leaving the ice first at Monday's morning skate, Vanecek will instead grab his first start since Mar. 9. Overall, the 30-year-old Vanecek has a 4-9-3 record, a 2.74 GAA and an .889 save percentage across 16 appearances this season. Since the Olympic break, Vanecek has posted a shutout while going 1-0-1 with three goals allowed on 42 shots over his pair of starts. He'll look to carry that momentum into Monday's fixture with the Stars, who have an elite 3.45 goals per game this season.

Contrary to a prior report, Vejmelka will not start in Dallas on Monday.

Vejmelka was the first netminder off the ice at the morning skate, which typically would indicate he'd be starting against the Stars, but Vitek Vanecek will tend the road twine Monday instead. Following Monday's game, the Mammoth have a back-to-back set in Vegas on Thursday and at home against the Ducks on Friday.

Girard (upper body) will miss Monday's road game against the Avalanche, per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports.

Girard is set to be absent for his fourth consecutive contest Monday and will miss out on the opportunity to face off against his former Colorado teammates. Since the Penguins acquired the 27-year-old blueliner via trade from Colorado on Feb. 24, he's struggled to find his footing offensively, as he's failed to record a point in seven games with his new team. Despite not suiting up Monday, he was spotted getting extra work in with Pittsburgh's other injured players, which shows he might be close to returning. His next opportunity to take the ice is Wednesday's road matchup against Carolina.

Stenlund isn't available for Monday's game in Dallas and is day-to-day.

This will be Stenlund's second missed game of the season. The Swedish center will be replaced in the lineup by Brandon Tanev on Monday. Stenlund will now have a few days to attempt to be ready for the first half of Utah's back-to-back, which is in Vegas on Thursday.

Kempe will not play in Monday's road game against the Rangers due to a lower-body injury.

Kempe seems to have sustained the injury during warmups -- he was on the ice for pregame line rushes. This will be the first time Kempe has missed a game in 2025-26. Mathieu Joseph was originally going to be a healthy scratch Monday, but he'll stay in the lineup due to Kempe's absence. The Kings' next game is at home Thursday versus the Flyers.

Gibson will start Monday's home game against the Flames, Red Wings in-game host Kara Wolfbauer reports.

Gibson has been inconsistent over the past week and a half, going 1-3-1 with a 2.58 GAA and .902 save percentage. He made a road start against Calgary on Dec. 10 and allowed three goals on 37 shots (.919 save percentage) in a 4-3 win. On the season, the Flames are generating 2.47 goals per game, which is the worst mark in the league.

Zharovsky scored a goal and added an assist in Salavat Yulaev Ufa's 5-3 win over the Shanghai Dragons on Sunday in the KHL.

With the effort, Zharovsky earned a 40-point campaign (15 goals, 25 assists) in 57 appearances. It's been a breakout year for the 19-year-old winger, who is among the better NHL-affiliated prospects currently in the KHL. Ufa will be in the playoffs, so he'll have a chance to keep contributing for a few more weeks.