NHL Player News

Matthews (upper body) was a partial participant in Monday's practice session but has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Islanders, Dave McCarthy of NHL.com reports.

Matthews has been sidelined since sustaining an upper-body injury against Buffalo on Dec. 20, but he's been getting some ice time during practice in recent days. While he'll be unavailable for a fifth consecutive game Tuesday, he appears to be trending in the right direction. His next opportunity to return will be Thursday in a rematch against the Islanders.

Crosby recorded a power-play assist in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Islanders.

With this helper in the early stages of the second period, the star playmaker reached 1,034 NHL assists, passing Mario Lemieux for the most in Penguins history. It also extended what has been a very productive month for Crosby, who has notched 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) in 12 games this month.

Gaunce was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Monday.

Gaunce was a healthy scratch in Sunday's 3-1 loss to Ottawa. He hasn't earned a point in four NHL appearances this season while posting three shots on goal and five hits.

Drury (hand) was placed on injured reserve Monday.

Drury underwent hand surgery in mid-December that is expected to sideline him for at least a month, so his placement on injured reserve isn't particularly surprising. Tyson Jost should continue to have a spot in the Hurricanes' lineup while Drury is sidelined.

McDavid collected a pair of power-play assists in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Ducks.

McDavid set up Leon Draisaitl's 25th and 26th goals of the season. McDavid's point streak is at 11 games, and he's generated a multi-point effort in six of those contests. The generational talent has been held off the scoresheet on just one occasion over his last 17 games. The three-time Hart Trophy winner is up to 15 goals, 37 assists and a plus-9 rating through 33 appearances this season.

Dowd scored a goal in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Red Wings.

Dowd has scored in back-to-back contests after going eight games without a point. The 34-year-old center is up to 10 goals in just 36 outings this season -- he's now reached double-digit tallies in five straight campaigns, and his career high of 13 is very much within reach. The fourth-liner has 13 points, 49 shots on net, 68 hits, 35 blocked shots, 36 PIM and a plus-10 rating.

Poehling produced an assist in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Kings.

Poehling has a helper in two of the last three contests, and he has four points over his last seven games. The fourth-line center continues to stick in the lineup for his defensive skills. He's at 12 points, 47 blocked shots, 25 shots on net and a minus-1 rating through 34 appearances this season. Poehling's lack of offense makes him a non-factor for most fantasy formats.

Frost notched an assist in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Kings.

Frost is in a bit of a groove with three goals and two assists over his last five outings. The 25-year-old center is still seeing limited usage despite functioning as a second-line option with power-play time. Frost has struggled at times this year, but he's still managed 17 points, 54 shots on net, 24 blocked shots, 22 hits and a minus-8 rating through 33 appearances.

Laughton scored a goal and added an assist in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Kings.

Laughton and Matvei Michkov set up each other's goals in this contest after being united on the second line. The 30-year-old Laughton hadn't scored over the previous six games, though he had five assists in that span following his four-goal game Dec. 12 against the Red Wings. The veteran forward is up to eight goals, 21 points, 69 shots on net, 83 hits, 21 blocked shots and a minus-9 rating through 37 appearances. His defensive duties will occasionally take focus, but he's consistent enough to help in deep fantasy formats.

Turcotte notched an assist in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Flyers.

Turcotte ended a three-game slump when he assisted on an Adrian Kempe tally in the first period. The 23-year-old Turcotte is seeing time on the first line at even strength, but his overall role remains somewhat limited. He's produced 14 points, 32 shots on net, 14 hits and a plus-11 rating through 31 appearances this season.