NHL Player News

Matthews (upper body) was put on injured reserve Friday, retroactive to last Sunday.

Matthews was already ruled out for Friday's game against Detroit, but this move also makes him ineligible for Saturday's tilt versus Montreal. The good news is that there hasn't been any setback in his recovery, and his placement on injured reserve is instead for roster management, allowing Toronto to activate Connor Dewar from LTIR in a corresponding move, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. With that in mind, the door might still be open for Matthews to be activated in time to play Ottawa on Tuesday. The 27-year-od has five goals and 11 points in 13 appearances in 2024-25. Max Domi, Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner are projected to compromise the first line during Matthews' absence. Once the Leafs' star center is healthy, Domi might shift off the first unit.

Dewar (shoulder) was recalled from his conditioning stint with AHL Toronto and activated off long-term injured reserve Friday.

Dewar's promotion and activation comes after Auston Matthews (upper body) was placed on injured reserve in a corresponding move. Even with his return to the NHL roster, the 25-year-old Dewar is far from a lock to suit up against the Red Wings on Friday and may have to watch from the press box as a healthy scratch. Still, Dewar notched a goal and an assist during his conditioning assignment and could offer decent offensive upside in a bottom-six role if he can edge out Ryan Reaves, Steven Lorentz or David Kampf for a spot in the lineup.

Hayton logged an assist and won 13 of 16 faceoffs in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Blues.

Hayton rejoined Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz on the top line Thursday after ceding the first-line spot to Logan Cooley in recent games. The helper was Hayton's second point over his last four outings, though this improved stretch follows a five-game slump. He's at eight points, 32 shots on net and a plus-2 rating through 14 contests, and there's still the foundation of a breakout campaign in place despite Hayton's recent struggles.

Schmaltz posted an assist in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Blues.

Schmaltz had recently spent time on the second line, but he was reunited with Clayton Keller and Barrett Hayton for this contest. This was a return to Utah's original top line, which led them to a productive start to the season. Schmaltz has five helpers over the last six games, and he's up to 12 assists and 29 shots on net without a goal over 14 outings this season. He's still a key part of the offense, and he'll break through eventually.

Lizotte scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Hurricanes.

Lizotte's goal in the third period ended Pyotr Kochetkov's shutout bid. With two goals over four games this season, Lizotte has added a bit of unexpected depth scoring from the fourth line. He's produced four shots on net, 10 hits, three blocked shots and a plus-1 rating. The Penguins have frequently shuffled their lines looking for chemistry, and if Lizotte continues to play well, he may be due to move up the lineup.

Staal logged an assist and two PIM in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Penguins.

The helper was Staal's first point since he scored a goal Opening Night versus the Lightning. The 36-year-old center remains an unsung hero of the Hurricanes' system -- he's a consistent defensive center, though that usually comes at the expense of scoring chances. He has two points, 11 shots on net, 18 hits, five blocked shots, four PIM and a plus-4 rating over 12 appearances in his usual third-line role.

Krebs recorded an assist, three hits and two PIM in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Rangers.

Krebs helped out on linemate Sam Lafferty's goal in the second period, which chased Igor Shesterkin from the game. Playing in a fourth-line role, Krebs has four points, seven shots on net, 24 hits, 13 PIM and a minus-3 rating over 13 contests. He's averaging 11:40 of ice time per game, down from 12:30 last year, so the 23-year-old is likely to remain limited on offense. He can be productive in hits and PIM, but it's not often enough to move the needle in fantasy.

Lafferty scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Rangers.

The goal was Lafferty's first point through 13 appearances this season. The Sabres got contributions from all over the lineup Thursday, which has been a bit of a rarity early in 2024-25. Lafferty has added seven shots on net, 18 hits, 10 PIM and a minus-1 rating while averaging 9:49 of ice time per game in a fourth-line role.

Bennett notched an assist, three shots on goal and two PIM in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Predators.

Bennett saw a six-game point streak end Saturday in Finland versus the Stars, but he bounced back with a helper once the Panthers resumed their schedule stateside. The 28-year-old center is is up to eight goals, six assists, 45 shots on net, 31 hits, 16 PIM and 11 blocked shots over 14 contests. Bennett has never earned a 50-point campaign, but he looks motivated to have a career year as he plays for a new contract.

Sharangovich scored a power-play goal on four shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins.

Sharangovich has two goals over his last three contests after starting his campaign with four scoreless outings following his return from a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old forward has held down a top-six role and saw a season-high 21:56 of ice time Thursday. He's added 17 shots on net and a minus-5 rating. Fantasy managers will want more offense out of him -- he's unlikely to supplement his production with hits or PIM.