NHL Player News

Thompson scored a goal on five shots in a 3-1 defeat to Colorado on Monday.

Thompson was the lone bright spot for the Sabres, who are now 0-3-0 to start the 2025-26 campaign. While the 27-year-old center has just one goal to show for his efforts, fantasy managers can be encouraged by the fact that he has put 18 shots on net over the three games this year. If he keeps shooting at that level, Thompson is going to start finding the back of the net more often.

Necas notched two assists on a pair of Nathan MacKinnon goals in Monday's 3-1 win over the Sabres.

Necas now has eight points through the first four games of the year and is on pace to top his 2024-25 numbers in which he set new personal bests in both assists (56) and points (83) in 79 regular-season games. Being paired up with MacKinnon certainly seems to be benefiting Necas.

MacKinnon scored two goals on five shots in Monday's 3-1 victory over Buffalo.

MacKinnon has now scored in three straight games for a combined four goals and two assists. Considering the world-class center has three multi-point efforts in four games to open the year, he looks well poised to reach the 100-point threshold for the fourth consecutive year. MacKinnon figures to challenge the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the Hart Trophy again this year.

Pospisil (undisclosed) hasn't resumed skating yet, according to Ryan Pike of Flames Nation on Monday.

Pospisil has already missed the first three games of the campaign, and he doesn't appear to be close to returning to the lineup. He accounted for four goals, 25 points, 114 shots on net, 301 hits and 84 PIM across 81 regular-season outings in 2024-25.

Huberdeau (undisclosed) has begun skating but won't be ready to face Vegas on Tuesday, Ryan Pike of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Head coach Ryan Huska told reporters he was "hopeful" that Huberdeau would be able to return during the Flames' upcoming two-game road trip. The 32-year-old winger nearly hit the 30-goal threshold (28) last year, and could be capable of achieving that mark if he gets back into the lineup sooner rather than later. Once given the all-clear, Huberdeau should be a lock for a top-six role that includes time with the No. 1 power-play unit.

Hayton (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision for Monday's game against Chicago, per Catherine Bogart of Utah's official site.

If Hayton returns to action after missing the first two games of the season, Andrew Agozzino will be a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Hayton had 20 goals, 46 points and 155 shots on net over 82 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. Once he's healthy, he will probably play on the top line and see action on the second power-play unit.

Dickinson (upper body) will be a game-time call for Monday's contest versus the Mammoth, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Dickinson was originally expected to miss a week, but it seems he is ahead of schedule. If the center does suit up, it likely will come at the expense of Sam Lafferty, who stayed on late following Monday's game-day skate, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com. Through two games this season, Dickinson has yet to write his name on the scoresheet.

Back (undisclosed) has started skating but has yet to rejoin his teammates, Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports Monday.

Based on his absence from practice, Back should probably be expected to miss at least the Stars' next two matchups against the Wild and Canucks on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively -- though it could certainly be longer. Even once cleared to play, Back is far from a lock to play on a nightly basis and could find himself scratched periodically in favor of Justin Hryckowian.

Norris (upper body) will likely be sidelined for around eight weeks, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports Monday.

Head coach Lindy Ruff didn't want to fully commit to the eight-week timeline for Norris but told reporters it was pretty close to accurate. Based on that recovery timeline, the 26-year-old center wouldn't be back in action until mid-December, which will open up plenty of opportunities for Jiri Kulich to get top-six minutes.

Ritchie (lower body) was reassigned to AHL Bridgeport on Monday.

Ritchie's demotion to the minors clears the way for him to return to action following his lower-body issue that saw him start the year on non-roster, injured reserve. Once the 20-year-old center gets his legs back under him, he should be in the mix for a call-up, though he figures to play the bulk of his games in the minors.