NHL Player News

Aston-Reese scored a goal on two shots and added two PIM in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

Aston-Reese ended a 57-game goal drought with his second-period tally. He had just eight assists in that span, so while he's been a regular in the Blue Jackets' lineup for much of the season, he's not a player who will help much in fantasy. He's just a point off his career high of 17 from the 2018-19 campaign, having earned five goals, 11 assists, 96 shots on net, 169 hits, 54 blocked shots and a minus-16 rating over 73 appearances in 2024-25.

Jenner scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

Jenner has six goals and three assists during his six-game point streak. He's doing everything the Blue Jackets could want, and that's great news for fantasy managers looking for a hidden gem late in the season. He's up to six goals, 12 assists, 47 shots on net, 33 hits and a plus-4 rating across 18 appearances while mainly serving in a second-line role since returning from a shoulder injury.

Monahan scored a goal on four shots and went minus-2 in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

Monahan has three goals and five assists over five contests since returning from a wrist injury, so he hasn't missed a beat on offense. The center is up to 17 goals, 32 assists, 117 shots on net and a plus-16 rating through 46 appearances. He's a safe bet to reach the 50-point mark for the second year in a row and the seventh time in his career, and he should close out 2024-25 in a first-line role.

Texier won't play against Colorado on Saturday due to an upper-body injury, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Texier has only appeared in four of the Blues' last 23 games, serving primarily as a healthy scratch this year. Even once the 25-year-old center is given the all-clear, he could struggle to break into St. Louis' lineup on a nightly basis. Mathieu Joseph figures to step into the lineup since both Texier and Dylan Holloway (lower body) are on the shelf.

Holloway (lower body) is expected to be sidelined for the "next couple of games," according to head coach Jim Montgomery on Friday.

Holloway probably should be expected to miss the Blues' next two games but he figures to be available ahead of the playoffs. Prior to Thursday's game in which he suffered his lower-body injury, Holloway had racked up 16 points in his prior 11 outings, including a trio of power-play points. While Holloway is on the shelf, Jimmy Snuggerud figures to step into a first-line role in addition to racking up power-play minutes.

Nelson scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Blue Jackets.

Nelson gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead late in the first period. He's earned four goals, four assists and 12 shots on net over his last eight contests. The center is up to 24 goals, 29 assists, 181 shots on net and a plus-9 rating over 75 appearances between the Avalanche and the Islanders this season, and he's looking right at home on Colorado's second line.

Head coach Paul Maurice said Friday that Sturm (upper body) should be available when the team returns home to Florida for Tuesday's game against the Maple Leafs, Katie Engleson of Scripps Sports reports.

Although Sturm's return timetable appears to be coming into focus, he's slated to miss Saturday's game against Ottawa and Sunday's matchup against Detroit. The 29-year-old is dealing with an upper-body injury that he sustained in Tuesday's game against the Canadiens. Tomas Nosek will likely remain in the lineup during the Panthers' next two games.

Kampf (upper body) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets, Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun reports.

Kampf sustained an upper-body injury during Wednesday's game against the Panthers, and head coach Craig Berube said Friday that the 30-year-old is considered day-to-day. Kampf will have a few days to recover before the Maple Leafs face Florida on Tuesday, but it's not yet clear whether the team expects him to be available for that matchup.

Kozak is week-to-week with a hip strain, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports Friday.

Kozak is unlikely to suit up for the Sabres for the remainder of the campaign as the regular season ends April 17. The Sabres hope that Kozak is well enough to play in the AHL playoffs for Rochester, where he had eight goals and six assists in 31 games before his recall. The 22-year-old rookie had three goals and five points across 21 NHL appearances before his injury.

Zibanejad (illness) is not at practice Friday, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic.

Zibanejad has struggled in 2024-25 with only 16 goals and 35 assists across 75 games, his worst season since 2017-18 when he managed 27 goals and 20 assists in 72 appearances. Zibanejad should be considered a game-time decision ahead of Saturday's matinee in New Jersey. Should he be unable to play, look for Nicolas Aube-Kubel to enter the lineup.