NHL Player News

Hedman (lower body) played 22:22 in his return to action Tuesday in a 5-3 win over Columbus.

Hedman fired one shot, blocked two shots and laid one hit in his return. Get him back in your lineup. Hedman has 25 points, including 21 helpers, in just 27 games in 2024-25. He could challenge for another 70-plus point season this year.

Peeke provided an assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Flames.

Peeke has a helper in each of the last two games after snapping a dry spell of seven contests. The 26-year-old blueliner set up Morgan Geekie's goal in the third period, which sparked the Bruins' comeback. Peeke has six assists, 25 shots on net, 29 hits, 48 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 27 appearances, serving as a defensive specialist on the third pairing.

Lohrei notched an assist in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Flames.

Lohrei has five helpers over seven appearances in December, though he was scratched last Thursday versus the Kraken after a minus-3 showing last Tuesday against the Jets. The 23-year-old still has a few warts in his game, but he's proven himself to be a solid bottom-four defenseman with scoring upside. He's at 13 points over 28 contests, matching his point total from 41 outings a year ago.

McAvoy logged an assist and three shots on goal in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Flames.

McAvoy has a helper in three of the last four contests. His assist Tuesday was clutch, as he set up David Pastrnak's game-winning tally at 4:22 of overtime. McAvoy is up to 13 points, 69 shots on net, 58 hits, 51 blocked shots, 38 PIM and a plus-5 rating over 33 outings. While his offense is off the mark compared to previous seasons, he's showing a little more consistency in recent games and still offers plenty of physicality.

Hutson had two power-play assists, one shot, two blocks and two PIM in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Sabres.

Hutson assisted on two power-play tallies by Patrik Laine, which were 50 seconds apart in the second period. The blueliner has 10 points over his last 10 outings and ranks second in the league among rookies with 22 points.

Fabbro (lower body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Lightning.

Fabbro was on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee hit from Conor Geekie in the second period. It's unclear if Fabbro will be forced to miss time beyond the end of Tuesday's contest. If he does, the Blue Jackets may need to call up a defenseman, as Jack Johnson (eye) is also unavailable.

Hedman (lower body) will play against Columbus on Tuesday, according to Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com.

Hedman will return to the top pairing and first power-play unit after missing the last two games. He has generated four goals, 25 points, 64 shots on net and 47 blocked shots across 26 appearances this season. With Hedman back in the lineup, Declan Carlile will be a healthy scratch versus the Blue Jackets.

Mackey was reassigned to AHL Hartford on Tuesday.

Mackey apparently is the odd man out on the Rangers' blue line after Urho Vaakanainen (upper body) was activated off injured reserve ahead of Tuesday's clash with Nashville. The 28-year-old Mackey logged two games with the Rangers so far this season, recording five PIM, one shot and four hits while averaging 16:08 of ice time.

Kulak posted an assist and two shots on goal in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Panthers.

Kulak continues to chip in a little depth scoring from the blue line with four points and a plus-8 rating over his last 12 contests. He's still seeing second-pairing minutes, though more as a defensive presence. The 30-year-old blueliner is up to 11 points, 52 shots on net, 41 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating through 31 outings. He's on pace to surpass his career high of 21 points from 2021-22, a season he split between the Oilers and Canadiens.

Bouchard notched an assist, four shots on goal, two PIM and a minus-2 rating in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Panthers.

Bouchard has five assists over seven contests in December even after a brief lower-body injury scare last week. The 25-year-old blueliner hasn't been able to replicate last year's point-per-game pace in 2024-25. He's at six goals, 17 assists, six power-play points, 78 shots on net, 51 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 31 appearances in a top-pairing role.