NHL Player News

Barkov sustained a lower-body injury late in Thursday's game versus the Senators, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Barkov will be evaluated through Friday, leaving his status for Saturday's road game in Buffalo in doubt. The center crashed feet first into the boards while trying to break up Tim Stutzle's empty-net goal. Barkov was unable to put weight on his right leg when he left the ice.

Lorentz scored a goal and added an assist Thursday in a 4-2 win over the Devils. The goal stood as the winner.

Lorentz's last NHL goal came more than 11 months ago when he scored the game-winning goal for Florida in a 2-0 victory over Detroit. The big-bodied pivot also had two hits and two blocks in 15:07 of ice time. Lorentz won't be a fantasy star, but he's the kind of hard-scrabble underdog that Leafs fans adore. He wasn't picked until the 12th round in the OHL draft, was overlooked in his first NHL draft and then went in the last round when he was picked by Carolina.

Johnston (undisclosed), as expected, will be in the lineup to face Nashville on Thursday, Brian Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports.

Johnston has yet to miss a game in his NHL career and will continue that streak heading into the 2024-25 campaign. The 21-year-old center looks set for a third-line role versus the Predators but should still see time with the No. 1 power-play unit. As such, Johnston should still offer top-half fantasy value given his offensive upside.

Lundestrom sustained an apparent lower-body injury during Thursday's practice session, Patrick Present of The Hockey News reports.

Lundestrom needed assistance getting off the ice and to the dressing room after sustaining his injury, and the severity of the issue isn't yet known. He'll have a few days to recover before the Ducks face the Sharks on Saturday, but Ross Johnston could see a role for Anaheim if Lundestrom is unavailable.

Rooney (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day after exiting Wednesday's matchup against Vancouver, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Rooney logged just 1:03 of ice time before he was forced out of the clash with the Canucks. The veteran center could still be available to face the Flyers on Saturday, while Matthew Coronato will be on standby to step into Rooney's fourth-line role if needed.

Lavoie was put on waivers by Edmonton on Thursday, per Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton.

Let us tell the tale of Lavoie. The saga began Sunday when the Oilers waive him with the dream of reassigning him to AHL Bakersfield, but that fantasy was snatched by Vegas, which claimed him. The Golden Knights evidentially had similar aspirations for Lavoie and consequently waived him Tuesday. Edmonton, not satisfied to let Vegas succeed where it had failed, reclaimed Lavoie on Wednesday. Typically, such a move would have allowed the team doing the reclaiming -- Edmonton in this case -- to send the player to the minors, bringing an end to the cycle, but this is no ordinary story, for you see, a mysterious third team also attempted to claim Lavoie on Wednesday, so while Edmonton got him back, he had to remain in the NHL. Thus, Lavoie is once more on waivers, and only time will tell if he clears and heads to the minors or if there is another chapter to come.

Mittelstadt scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 8-4 loss to the Golden Knights.

Mittelstadt had the only other goal aside from Mikko Rantanen's hat trick for the Avalanche in this loss. The 25-year-old center put up 57 points over 80 regular-season games between Colorado and Buffalo last year, which was enough to earn him a three-year contract to fill the No. 2 center spot in Denver. If he can stay on the top power-play unit, Mittelstadt has a chance to surpass the 60-point mark for the first time in his career, though the Avalanche's shaky wing depth could hinder his even-strength production.

Howden scored an empty-net goal on four shots in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Avalanche.

Howden had a productive game as the fourth-line center, though he saw 13:19 of ice time. The 26-year-old has played all over the Vegas lineup in recent years, so it's no surprise to see him earn more ice time than his role would suggest. The center had 19 points in 72 regular-season outings last year. Howden can offer a little depth scoring and physicality, but he's unlikely to be a factor on the power play, so he has limited fantasy utility.

Carrick scored a goal on two shots in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Penguins.

Carrick was signed in free agency to center the fourth line, and it didn't take him long to make an impact in his Rangers debut. His goal opened the scoring at 2:24 of the first period. It was his first career game-winning goal. The 32-year-old could play a larger role with the Blueshirts than he did down the stretch with Edmonton last season. That said, Carrick has never reached the 20-point mark in a single season, and his fourth-line usage isn't something that is likely to lead to a large increase in offense.

Chytil scored a goal on five shots and added two PIM in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Penguins.

Chytil got on the board in the second period. While Chytil and the third line didn't have a large impact on the scoresheet, they should provide solid forward depth in 2024-25. Last season, the 25-year-old center was limited to six assists in 10 regular-season games, but he put up 45 points in 74 appearances in 2022-23. He's a virtual lock to center the third line when healthy.