NHL Player News

Jones (upper body) has resumed taking full contact but won't play in Thursday's game against the Blue Jackets, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.

Jones has been sidelined since early January due to his upper-body injury, but he's progressing in his recovery. Head coach Paul Maurice said Thursday that Jones' return to game action will be determined based on when he's able to do some harder, basic things with the puck, and it's not yet clear when that will occur. However, the 31-year-old appears to be trending toward a return at some point in the near future.

Cowan logged an assist and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils.

Bobby McMann was scratched for roster management Wednesday, opening the door for Cowan to claim a top-line assignment. If the Maple Leafs succeed in their sell-off before Friday's trade deadline, Cowan is poised to see significant minutes to close out the campaign. The 20-year-old winger has seven goals, 18 points, 66 shots on net, 48 hits and 23 blocked shots over his first 46 NHL outings.

Kaiser (lower body) will return to the lineup Friday against Vancouver, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

The defenseman missed four games due to his lower-body injury, suffered in the Blackhawks' final game before the Olympic break Feb. 4. He has five goals and seven assists over 57 games this season. Ethan Del Mastro is expected to come out of the lineup for Kaiser.

Benoit logged an assist and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils.

Benoit ended a three-month point drought which spanned 28 games. He went minus-9 with 19 shots on net, 81 hits and 46 blocked shots in that span. The defenseman adds grit in a bottom-four role, but he has just four assists to go with 144 hits, 84 blocks and 37 PIM over 54 appearances this season. That lack of offense won't fly in most fantasy formats.

Maccelli scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils.

Maccelli has four goals and two assists over seven games since the start of February. He has 17 shots on net in that span, well over two shots per game, compared to the 1.35 shots per game he's averaging this season. The winger is at 11 goals, 27 points, 69 shots on net and a minus-13 rating over 51 appearances while mainly featuring in a middle-six role.

Knies scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils.

Knies is filling a middle-six role currently, so he is unlikely to be a major factor on offense. However, he still has a spot on the first power-play unit, so there is upside to his game. He's produced 16 goals, 50 points, 114 shots on net, 120 hits and a minus-15 rating through 59 appearances this season.

Nylander scored a power-play goal on two shots in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils.

Nylander has scored in three straight games, and his last two tallies have come with the man advantage. The 29-year-old winger continues to see plenty of premium ice time, and he's maintained a high standard on offense even as Toronto has struggled overall. Nylander has 21 goals, 57 points, 100 shots on net and a minus-2 rating through 45 appearances this season.

Siegenthaler's point drought reached 11 games in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Maple Leafs.

Siegenthaler is still playing regularly, but he's gone cold on offense. The Swiss defenseman also went scoreless in five games at the Olympics. For the season, he has just seven assists with 47 shots on net, 80 hits, 102 blocked shots, 44 PIM and a minus-12 rating. While he's been healthy this season, he's at risk of a third straight campaign under the 10-point mark.

Glendening has been a healthy scratch for the last six games after sitting out Wednesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Maple Leafs.

There's no room for Glendening in the lineup, especially after Nick Bjugstad was acquired from the Blues on Feb. 4. Until an injury opens a spot, Glendening will likely remain in the press box. The 36-year-old has just four helpers with 30 shots on net, 66 hits, 45 blocked shots and a minus-11 rating over 52 appearances this season, so his time out of the lineup won't be noticed in fantasy.

Brown scored a goal on six shots in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Maple Leafs.

Brown's tally with 2:21 left in the third period forced overtime, erasing the third deficit the Devils faced in the contest. The winger has a goal and three assists over his last three outings. He's up to 11 goals, 26 points, 79 shots on net, 30 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating through 55 appearances. He's getting ice time in all situations and should be able to provide some depth scoring in fantasy.