NHL Player News

McAvoy produced an assist and three shots on goal in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Rangers.

McAvoy has seven helpers over his last 11 contests. The 27-year-old has found a little more consistency, though his assist Thursday was his first since the holiday break. The defenseman is up to 17 points, 80 shots on net, 72 hits, 65 blocked shots, 44 PIM and a plus-9 rating through 40 outings as a strong all-around blueliner with the potential to pick up the pace on offense in the second half.

Savard (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision versus Chicago on Friday.

Savard has a goal and four assists in his last seven games. The 34-year-old defenseman has one goal, nine assists, 31 hits and 90 blocked shots through 35 games this season. Should Savard sit out, Jayden Struble will enter the lineup on the third pairing, alongside Arber Xhekaj.

Pickering (concussion) is considered a game-time decision for Friday's game against the Panthers, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports.

Pickering fully participated in Tuesday's morning skate before being ruled out, and the Penguins' medical staff will want to see how he feels in the hours leading up to Friday's puck drop before determining his status against the Panthers. The 20-year-old made 14 appearances before sustaining his injury, racking up a goal, an assist, 12 blocked shots and six hits while averaging 15:47 of ice time.

Gudas notched a goal and an assist in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Jets. He also recorded four shots on goal, two hits, five blocked shots and a plus-1 rating.

Gudas recorded a goal and an assist for the first time this season, and there's a strong argument to say the 34-year-old blueliner is going through his most productive stretch of the season. Gudas is up to six points (one goal, five assists) across his last eight games.

Faulk will be a game-time decision against the Senators on Friday with an undisclosed injury.

Faulk was unable to participate in Friday's game-day skate and will need to be further evaluated ahead of puck drop. While the blueliner is coming off a three-point performance versus Chicago on Dec. 31, that outing followed a 34-game goal drought during which he managed just seven helpers. If Faulk can't play Friday, Ryan Suter figures to step into the lineup in his stead.

Werenski produced a goal on eight shots while adding two assists, four blocked shots, one hit, two PIM and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Red Wings.

It was another big performance for the 27-year-old blueliner, who nearly single-handedly kept the Blue Jackets in the game after they fell behind 3-1 in the first period. Werenski has three multi-point efforts in the last five games, a stretch in which he's erupted for a goal and 11 points, and on the season he's already amassed 12 goals and 43 points in 39 appearances as he roars toward a career-best campaign.

Murphy (groin) will not play versus Montreal on Friday, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio.

Murphy will miss his first game of the season. The 31-year-old defenseman has one goal, 12 assists, 38 PIM, 70 hits and 93 blocked shots across 38 contests this season. Wyatt Kaiser will draw into the lineup for Murphy and be paired on the top unit alongside Seth Jones.

Myers agreed to terms on a two-year, $1.7 million contract extension with Toronto on Friday.

Myers has been in and out of the Leafs' lineup all season, in part due to a long-term injury, limiting him to just 11 appearances. Still, it seems the club has seen enough to warrant an extension for the 27-year-old defenseman, who was signed to a one-year deal only six months ago.

Slavin scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Panthers.

After helping to set up Brent Burns for a first-period tally, Slavin gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead on a wild play that saw Jesperi Kotkaniemi crash into Sergei Bobrovsky and then get pinned to the ice in the crease by Matthew Tkachuk, only for a shot to carom off Kotkaniemi's skate and bounce straight to Slavin for the rebound. It was Slavin's first multi-point performance since Nov. 11, and it equaled his production for the entire month of December, when the veteran blueliner managed only two assists in 13 contests.

Rifai was reassigned to AHL Toronto on Friday.

Rifai has been a healthy scratch in all seven games he has been recalled for by the Maple Leafs. Rafai had two goals and two assists in 24 AHL games before his recall.