NHL Player News

Dellandrea is considered questionable for Thursday's game against the Stars due to an upper-body injury, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Dellandrea sustained an upper-body injury while blocking a shot during Tuesday's game against Calgary, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be available against Dallas. If the 25-year-old is unable to suit up against his former team, Adam Gaudette will presumably enter the lineup after moving past his lower-body issue. Dellandrea has yet to miss a game this year, and he's recorded two goals, eight assists, 97 hits, 31 blocked shots and 12 PIM while averaging 14:52 of ice time over his first 34 appearances of the season.

Gaudette (lower body) told reporters he was fully fit ahead of the Sharks' clash with Dallas on Thursday, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Even with his injury concern behind him, Gaudette is far from a lock to suit up versus the Stars, and could still find himself serving as a healthy scratch. The veteran forward is stuck in a rut, going six games without finding the back of the net while generating six shots and two assists.

Eichel (illness) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Devils, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Eichel left Tuesday's practice early due to his illness, and he'll be unavailable for at least one game. He's considered day-to-day, and his next opportunity to suit up will be Saturday in Calgary. Reilly Smith and Alexander Holtz are candidates to enter the lineup in Eichel's absence.

Misa (lower body) has been loaned to Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championship, the Sharks announced Wednesday.

Misa has been on long-term injured reserve and was sent to AHL San Jose on Dec. 3 for a conditioning stint, but his assignment to Team Canada seems to suggest that he's recovered from his injury. He has an assist in two outings in the AHL as well as a goal and three points in seven appearances with the Sharks this season. Suiting up for Canada at the tournament is an opportunity for him to play an integral role in high-stakes situations, which should be beneficial to his development. He'll probably resume playing for the Sharks after the tournament, which runs through Jan. 5.

Danault (illness) will not be in action versus the Panthers on Wednesday, Jared Shafran of LAKingsInsider.com reports.

Danault will miss his third straight game while battling the flu. The 32-year-old center has yet to find the back of the net in 30 games this year, though he has chipped in five assists, 42 shots and 22 hits along the way. With Danault on the shelf, Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte will hold down the middle-six center roles.

Byfield (illness) is expected back in the lineup against Florida on Wednesday, Jared Shafran of LA Kings Insider reports.

Byfield is poised to step into a second-line role heading into Wednesday's matchup after missing just one game due to his illness. The 23-year-old forward is mired in a 13-game goal drought during which he has notched three helpers, four PIM and 24 shots.

Heinen scored a goal on three shots, added four hits and logged two PIM in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Oilers.

Heinen picked up his first goal of the season and his first point in three games during his current NHL stint. Overall, the 30-year-old has collected two points, 13 shots on net, 14 hits, nine blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-2 rating over 12 NHL appearances this season. He is likely to see most of his ice time in a fourth-line role.

Savoie scored a goal and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Penguins.

Savoie has four goals and a helper over his last seven games. A steady spot on the second line at even strength has helped him stay productive, and he's also on the second power-play unit. The 21-year-old rookie has a total of 12 points, 50 shots and a plus-2 rating over 34 appearances this season. Savoie's worth a look in a deeper leagues that prioritize offense, but he doesn't offer much non-scoring production.

Couturier notched two assists, four shots on goal, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Canadiens.

Couturier ended a four-game slump with the pair of helpers. He assisted on Carl Grundstrom's game-tying goal in the first period and Travis Konecny's empty-netter in the third. The 33-year-old Couturier is now at 19 points, 45 shots on net, 31 hits, 23 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 31 appearances. While the even-strength production is a positive, he has yet to record a power-play point. Couturier doesn't really separate himself from the average top-six center in fantasy.

Hayton scored a power-play goal in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Bruins.

Hayton's tally opened the scoring at 8:34 of the first period, but it was all the Mammoth could muster against Jeremy Swayman. The 25-year-old has two points over his last two games after going six contests without one and getting scratched twice in that span. The center has struggled this year despite regularly seeing top-six minutes, earning seven points, 50 shots on net, 20 PIM, 11 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 30 appearances.