NHL Player News

Roy (upper body) is available for Tuesday's game in St. Louis, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post.

The Avalanche are now at full strength up front, as Roy and Valeri Nichushkin (upper body) will both be in Tuesday's lineup. Roy missed seven games due to his injury and will serve in a bottom-six role now that he's moved past his upper-body injury. The right-shot forward scored three goals in an eight-game span prior to getting hurt, but he hasn't recorded a helper since Feb. 3 in Edmonton, when he was still a member of the Maple Leafs.

Smith scored a goal on two shots in Monday's 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Smith gave the Sharks a 3-1 lead with a snap shot at the 3:28 mark of the third period, and since the Blackhawks pulled one back later, Smith's tally ended up being the game-winning goal -- his fourth of the campaign. This goal also marked Smith's 100th point of his NHL career, and he needed 137 games to reach that sum. The 21-year-old playmaker has the looks of a future franchise cornerstone, and he's already surpassed the numbers he posted in 2024-25. Over 63 contests, Smith is up to 55 points, tallying 23 goals and 32 assists.

Bussi will protect the home net against Boston on Tuesday, according to Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site.

Bussi has stopped 76 of the 86 shots he has faced during his four-game winning streak. He has a 29-6-1 record this campaign with two shutouts, a 2.46 GAA and an .894 save percentage through 36 appearances. Boston is tied for 10th in the league with 3.27 goals per game this season.

Mintyukov (lower body) will suit up against Nashville on Tuesday, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports.

Mintyukov returns following a three-game stint on the shelf due to his lower-body issue. In his last 15 outings, the 22-year-old blueliner has managed just one goal, two assists and 22 shots while dishing out 29 blocks. With Mintyukov back, Olen Zellweger figures to land in the press box as a healthy scratch.

Sherwood scored a goal in Monday's 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Sherwood is up to 22 goals on the season, but he shouldn't be considered a reliable goal-scoring threat based on the cold streak he's going through. This goal snapped a nine-game goalless skid for the 31-year-old, who racked up only two points while posting a minus-10 rating over that stretch. Sherwood should continue to find opportunities to score as a top-six forward who also has a role in the power play, but as of late, he's simply not doing much with the chances he's creating. Over his last 10 games, Sherwood is averaging 2.2 shots on goal per contest.

McCann scored a goal on three shots in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Jets.

McCann has two points, six shots on net and a minus-3 rating over five games since he returned from a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old is up to 19 goals, 38 points, 109 shots on net, 39 hits and a minus-6 rating over 49 appearances. He's close to securing a fifth straight 20-goal campaign despite significant missed time this season, which has been a rarity during his Seattle tenure.

Wedgewood will between the road pipes against the Blues on Tuesday, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.

Wedgewood has gone 3-1-0 with a 1.48 GAA and a .940 save percentage over his last four appearances, with his most recent performance being a 17-save shutout in Dallas on Saturday. The Avalanche lost to the Blues in Colorado on Sunday, but Mackenzie Blackwood was in goal for that game. This will be Wedgewood's first start against St. Louis in 2025-26. He is 3-1-1 with a 2.21 GAA and a .923 save percentage across five regular-season games against the Blues during his career.

Lambert scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Monday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Lambert scored at 5:59 of the third period to answer a Jared McCann tally, cutting off the Kraken's attempt at a comeback. The 22-year-old Lambert is getting a regular run in a bottom-six role, though he snapped a seven-game point drought with that goal. He's earned six points, 22 shots on net, 16 hits and a minus-1 rating over 20 appearances this season, which is good experience for him to get as he looks to become a full-time NHL option in 2026-27.

Makar (upper body) will likely miss a few more games, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports Tuesday.

Makar will miss his fourth straight game against St. Louis on Tuesday. He will probably sit out Thursday's matchup versus Calgary and Saturday's contest against Vegas. It's unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup, but head coach Jared Bednar expects the 27-year-old blueliner to play before the end of the regular season. Makar has amassed 20 goals, 75 points, 192 shots on net and 118 blocked shots across 73 appearances this campaign.

Namestnikov scored an empty-net goal in Monday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Namestnikov had missed the previous 18 games due to a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old returned to center the third line, and he'll likely see bottom-six minutes while the Jets continue their long-shot push for a playoff spot. He's produced eight goals, six assists, 71 shots on net, 72 hits, 36 blocked shots, 28 PIM and a minus-11 rating over 58 outings this season.