NHL Player News

Morrissey is considered day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury in Tuesday's game against the Predators, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Morrissey was initially hurt in the first period and took just one short shift in the second before exiting the game for good. The 29-year-old defenseman scored a first-period goal Tuesday, giving him five goals and 38 points through 42 contests this season. The Jets have a home back-to-back up next with games Friday versus the Kings and Saturday versus the Avalanche. Morrissey will be evaluated further in the coming days, but if he is forced to miss time, the Jets will need to make a roster move to have a full complement of blueliners.

Kulak picked up two assists Tuesday in a 4-0 win over Boston.

Kulak has three assists in his last two games, and that gives him 14 points (five goals, nine helpers), 63 blocks and 63 shots in 40 games. Kulak is on a career pace in all three of those categories, so those points will help if you're deploying him for his blocking.

Faber (upper body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Blues.

Faber was injured midway through the first period. The 22-year-old defenseman is a key part of the Wild's defense, so any potential absence looms large, especially since Jared Spurgeon (lower body) is also out. If Faber can't play Thursday against the Avalanche, Travis Dermott is likely to draw into the lineup.

Lyubuhskin (upper body) is doubtful to return to Tuesday's game versus the Rangers.

It's unclear when Lyubushkin was injured, but he did not come out of the locker room for the third period. The 30-year-old defenseman can be considered day-to-day for now. If he misses Thursday's game in Philadelphia, Matt Dumba will likely draw into the lineup.

Lambos was returned to AHL Iowa on Tuesday, per the NHL media site.

Lambos' demotion comes as Jacob Middleton (hand) was activated off injured reserve ahead of Tuesday's matchup with St. Louis. The 21-year-old Lambos has yet to make his NHL debut and figures to continue spending the bulk of the campaign in the minors, where he has recorded two goals and three helpers in 27 contests.

Middleton (hand) was activated from long-term injured reserve Tuesday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Middleton will return to the lineup against St. Louis on Tuesday after missing the last 11 games. He has accounted for five goals, 13 points, 44 shots on net, 76 blocked shots and 42 hits in 29 appearances this season. Middleton will replace Travis Dermott in Tuesday's lineup.

Leddy (lower body) doesn't have a timetable for his return to the lineup, Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Tuesday.

Leddy has been skating, but setbacks have plagued his recovery. He will miss his 38th consecutive game against Minnesota on Tuesday. Leddy hasn't earned a point in four appearances this season while posting four shots on goal and five blocked shots.

Walman (lower body) is hoping to rejoin the lineup against Utah on Friday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

While the news effectively rules Walmn out versus Vegas on Tuesday, it appears the blueliner is making strides in his recovery. While the Toronto native had just one goal in 10 games prior to getting hurt, he did manage to rack up seven helpers over that stretch, including three with the man advantage. In order to face Utah, Walman will first need to be activated off injured reserve.

McCabe (upper body) doesn't have a timetable for his return to the lineup, Evan Doerfler of The Hockey New reports Tuesday.

McCabe moved to injured reserve Monday after being hurt in Sunday's 3-2 overtime win over Philadelphia. The Maple Leafs expect to know more about the 31-year-old defender's status once he resumes skating. He has produced 10 assists, 11 points, 37 shots on goal, 68 blocked shots and 72 hits through 36 appearances this season. Conor Timmins will replace McCabe in Tuesday's rematch with the Flyers.

Kovacevic picked up an assist and blocked two shots in Monday's 3-2 win over the Kraken.

Kovacevic helped out on Paul Cotter's second-period tally. The 27-year-old Kovacevic has just three assists to go with 21 hits and 24 blocked shots over 16 contests since the start of December. That highlights his skills as a physical, top-four defenseman, but his limited offense won't help most fantasy managers. Overall, he has 12 points, 37 shots on net, 54 hits, 57 blocked shots, 33 PIM and a plus-16 rating over 43 outings, so he should be able to top his career high of 15 points from 2022-23 with the Canadiens.