NHL Player News

Motte (upper body) will miss Thursday's game against New Jersey, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.com.

Detroit is also missing J.T. Compher due to an illness, so the Red Wings will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, including blueliner Olli Maatta, who was a healthy scratch Tuesday. For Motte, this is his third straight game on the shelf. He has no points, no shots, six hits and two blocks in four appearances in 2024-25. Motte will likely serve on the fourth line once he's healthy.

Pinto (undisclosed) is expected to be a game-time decision for Friday's game against Vegas, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports Thursday.

Pinto didn't participate in Thursday's practice. He has a goal and three points in six appearances this season. He hasn't missed a game yet in 2024-25, and he recorded two hits and one block in 17:22 of ice time in Ottawa's 4-0 win over Utah on Tuesday. If Pinto, David Perron (personal) and Artem Zub (concussion) are all unavailable, then Ottawa will need to recall someone from the minors or dress just 11 forwards and six defensemen Friday.

Karlsson (undisclosed) is slated to return versus the Sharks on Saturday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

This news effectively rules Karlsson out versus the Senators on Friday, but it seems there is a clear plan to get the center back on the ice. Once given the all-clear, the Swede figures to move into a third-line center role, which could mean Cole Schwindt is dropped from the lineup and possibly reassigned to AHL Henderson. If he's cleared to play Saturday, Karlsson will first need to be activated off injured reserve.

Head coach Ryan Huska said Thursday that Sharangovich (lower body) has been upgraded to day-to-day, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Sharangovich has been sidelined since the start of the regular season and will remain out for Thursday's game against the Hurricanes while on injured reserve. However, he's now day-to-day instead of week-to-week, signaling that he could return to action sometime in late October or early November. Sharangovich had a strong season during the 2023-24 campaign while appearing in all 82 games, totaling 31 goals and 59 points while averaging 17:19 of ice time.

Rooney (concussion) is expected back in the lineup versus Carolina on Thursday, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Rooney missed the Flames' previous five games following a concussion suffered in the season opener against Vancouver on Oct. 9. With the veteran forward retaking his spot on the fourth line, Adam Klapka will find himself back in the press box after suiting up in the prior two matchups. For his part, Rooney has never reached the 15-point threshold in his seven full NHL seasons, so fantasy players shouldn't be banking on him for offensive contributions.

Konecny scored a power-play goal on five shots, added two PIM, logged three hits and went minus-4 in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Capitals.

It was a mixed performance for Konecny, who snapped a three-game slump with his tally. The 27-year-old winger has three goals, one assist, 22 shots on net, 13 hits, 17 PIM and a minus-10 rating over seven contests. While his offense has been a bit quiet and he's struggled to prevent the Flyers from getting badly outscored, Konecny is among the team's best forwards and should put together a strong season, at least on offense.

Protas notched an assist and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Flyers.

Protas helped out on a Nic Dowd tally in the second period. Through six contests this season, Protas has a goal, three assists, nine shots on net and a plus-1 rating. The 23-year-old has played on the top line at even strength, but his scoring upside is likely to remain somewhat capped since he isn't receiving regular power-play usage.

Strome notched an assist and blocked three shots in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Flyers.

Strome's point streak was on the line late, but he kept it alive by setting up Alex Ovechkin for an empty-netter. The 27-year-old Strome has three goals, six assists, 11 shots on goal, seven blocked shots and a plus-4 rating through six outings this season. He remains in a top-line role between Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas, though Strome's had the most success among the members of that line.

Dowd scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Flyers.

Dowd scored a shorthanded goal Tuesday, and his goal Wednesday came just after he finished serving a penalty for holding early in the second period. The fourth-line center is up to three points, eight shots on net, 15 hits, eight blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-6 rating over six contests. Dowd won't rack up huge scoring numbers, but the Capitals have him playing significant ice time, so he could have some appeal in deep fantasy formats that count hits and faceoffs.

McMichael scored a pair of goals and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Flyers.

McMichael scored both goals in a span of 3:12 in the second period, with his second tally holding up as the game-winner. This was McMichael's third straight multi-point effort. The 23-year-old forward has three goals, five assists, 12 shots on net and a plus-7 rating over six appearances. As long as he can maintain his top-six role, the first-round pick from 2019 could be poised for a breakout campaign.