NHL Player News

Stankoven (lower body) will return to action for Monday's game against Utah, Mike Heika of the Stars' official site reports.

Stankoven has missed the last two games due to his lower-body injury, but he'll be back on the ice in the second half of a back-to-back set Monday. Over 21 appearances this season, he's logged four goals, 15 points, 15 hits and seven blocked shots while averaging 15:19 of ice time.

Kasper notched two assists and four hits in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Canucks.

Kasper has three assists, four shots on goal and eight hits over his last two contests. The rookie center had previously gone four games without a point. Kasper is up to seven points, 32 shots on net, 32 hits and eight PIM over 20 appearances, providing depth scoring and a bit of an edge from the third line.

Rasmussen scored a power-play goal in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Canucks.

Rasmussen has a pair of power-play points over his last three games. The 25-year-old is still listed on the fourth line at even strength, but he's logged over 15 minutes of ice time in those three contests, suggesting he's received a boost in his role. The winger has seven points, 18 shots on net, 50 hits, 12 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 23 appearances, and he may be worth considering in deeper formats while he's seeing steady power-play usage.

Joshua logged an assist and five hits in Sunday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.

Joshua has a pair of helpers over nine games this season. The 28-year-old winger has also brought plenty of physicality with at least two hits in every game, totaling 38 overall. He's held onto a middle-six role and will likely continue to see steady playing time, though with just two shots on net so far, he's not pushing enough on offense to bolster his fantasy value.

Head coach Jared Bednar said Monday that Colton (foot) will travel with the Avalanche during their upcoming road trip and could return to action before the team returns home, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.

Colton resumed skating last week and appears to be closing in on a return to game action. Colorado begins a five-game road trip Tuesday in Buffalo, with the final matchup in the trip coming Dec. 10 against Pittsburgh, so Colton could be back in action within the next week. Bednar said that Colton will start back on the wing once he's healthy given his success at the position before sustaining his injury.

Lafferty (lower body) didn't practice Monday and is week-to-week, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.

Lafferty sat out Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Islanders after being injured in Friday's 4-3 overtime defeat versus Vancouver. He has earned one goal, 13 shots on net and 27 hits through 22 appearances this season. During Lafferty's absence, Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Tyson Kozak could see playing time in the bottom six.

Pageau (lower body) is considered a game-time decision for Tuesday's matchup against Montreal, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Pageau has missed the last two games due to a lower-body injury, and the Islanders want to see how he feels in the hours leading up to Tuesday's puck drop before determining his status. The 32-year-old has made 23 appearances, racking up five goals, 10 points, 48 hits and 17 blocked shots while averaging 17:47 of ice time.

Ivan was recalled from AHL Colorado on Monday.

Ivan has been shuffled between the AHL and NHL clubs early in the season, likely to save cap space. He'll now rejoin the Avalanche after being sent down Sunday morning. The 22-year-old has racked up five goals, eight points, eight hits and five blocked shots while averaging 11:18 of ice time over 25 appearances with the Avalanche this year.

Prishchepov was recalled from AHL Colorado on Monday.

Prishchepov was sent to the minors Sunday but will rejoin the Avalanche after a brief stint in the AHL. He's made seven appearances for the Avalanche this year, tallying 10 hits and two blocked shots while averaging 7:10 of ice time.

Bowers was reassigned to AHL Utica on Monday.

Bowers was called up by the Devils on Nov. 18, and he made four appearances during his time with the NHL club. The 25-year-old logged nine hits and a minus-1 rating while averaging 8:15 of ice time, but he'll head back to the minors after Mike Hardman and Nathan Legare were recalled by New Jersey on Monday.