NHL Player News

Lauzon (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday.

Nashville recalled Kevin Gravel in a corresponding move. Lauzon will miss his third straight game against Winnipeg on Tuesday, but an exact date for his return remains unclear. He has produced one assist, 25 shots on goal, 34 blocked shots, 127 hits and 37 PIM through 28 appearances this season.

Gravel was called up from AHL Milwaukee on Monday.

Gravel has logged three NHL games for the Predators this season in which he has generated one assist, four hits and four blocked shots while averaging 18:19 of ice time. With Jeremy Lauzon (lower body) placed on injured reserve in a corresponding move, it will likely come down to Gravel or Spencer Stastney for the final spot in the lineup against Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Hughes (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision against Montreal on Monday, according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic.

Hughes participated in Sunday's practice and worked on the top power-play unit, suggesting he is very close to returning from a four-game absence. He has amassed eight goals and 42 points through 34 appearances this season. If Hughes receives the green light to play against the Canadiens, Guillaume Brisebois could come out of the lineup.

Hamonic (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per the NHL media site.

Hamonic was previously ruled out for 2-4 weeks due to his lower-body injury, so his placement on injured reserve shouldn't come as a surprise. With the extra roster spot, the team recalled Nikolas Matinpalo, who could be pressed into service versus the Red Wings on Tuesday if Nick Jensen (illness) remains unavailable.

Matinpalo was summoned from AHL Belleville on Monday.

Matinpalo logged 10:24 of ice time in a 3-1 win over Minnesota on Dec. 29 but could be a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game against Detroit if Nick Jensen (illness) is available to play. Ottawa needed an extra blueliner on the roster due to the absence of Travis Hamonic (lower body).

Brodie notched an assist and went minus-2 in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Rangers.

Brodie ended a seven-game point drought with the helper. The 34-year-old defenseman has been limited to bottom-four minutes for much of the campaign, which further depresses his already-low scoring potential. He's contributed nine points, 16 shots on net, 45 blocked shots, 13 hits, 12 PIM and a minus-18 rating through 37 appearances. A lack of offense and insufficient non-scoring production makes Brodie a non-factor in the vast majority of fantasy formats.

Miller notched an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Blackhawks.

The helper was Miller's first point in five games since he returned from missing six contests due to an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old defenseman has played on the second pairing and second power-play unit, but the Rangers' overall struggles have made it tough for any of their players to find much consistency on offense lately. Miller has been particularly poor on offense with seven points through 33 outings, way down from the pace that saw him log 30 points in 80 appearances in the 2023-24 regular season. He's added 55 shots on net, 62 hits, 47 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating in 2024-25.

Trouba notched an assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Lightning.

This was Trouba's second helper over 14 games since he was traded from the Rangers to the Ducks. The 30-year-old defenseman's offense hasn't taken off with his new team, but he has seen steady top-four usage while offering his usual physicality. Trouba is now at eight helpers, 65 shots on net, 74 hits, 111 blocked shots, 28 PIM and an even plus-minus rating over 38 appearances this season. He's on pace to miss the 20-point mark for just the second time in his career.

LaCombe scored a goal and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Lightning.

LaCombe has goals in back-to-back games and a total of five points over his last six outings. The 23-year-old defenseman is up to eight goals, eight assists, 57 shots on net, 52 blocked shots, 23 hits and a plus-4 rating through 32 appearances. As long as he's seeing top-four minutes and power-play time, he provides an interesting scoring profile for a blueliner, which is at least worth a look in fantasy.

Kaiser potted his first career NHL goal in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Rangers.

It took 71 NHL games, but Kaiser finally got his first marker after being set up by Frank Nazar late in the second period. Kaiser has points in back-to-back games after not being in the lineup for Chicago's prior five contests. The 22-year-old could be sent to AHL Rockford when Alec Martinez (neck) and Connor Murphy (groin) are ready to return, but Kaiser is skating alongside Seth Jones on the top pairing in the meantime. Through 30 appearances in 2024-25, Kaiser has contributed one goal and two helpers while averaging 17:37 of ice time.