NHL Player News

Whitecloud (upper body) is expected back in the lineup versus Winnipeg on Thursday, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Whitecloud has been sidelined since Nov. 23 versus the Canadiens, a stretch of seven games on the shelf due to his upper-body issue. Considering he has just two points in 21 games this season, few fantasy players will be significantly impacted by his return to the lineup. Kaedan Korczak will likely be relegated to a spot in the press box with Whitecloud back in action.

Carrier (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.

Carrier sat out Tuesday's game in Calgary after he was helped off the ice in the third period of Saturday's contest against Ottawa. Carrier has a goal, six assists, 31 hits and 49 blocked shots across 28 appearances with the Predators this season. He is considered week-to-week at this time. Nashville called up Kevin Gravel from AHL Milwaukee earlier in the day to replace Carrier on the blue line.

Josi (lower body) won't play Thursday against Dallas and is considered day-to-day.

Josi sustained a lower-body injury during Tuesday's game against the Flames, and he'll be unavailable for at least one additional matchup. Kevin Gravel will likely draw into the lineup against the Stars after being called up Thursday, while Josi's next chance to suit up will be Saturday against Colorado.

McCabe (upper body) will be in the lineup against Anaheim on Thursday, Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun reports.

McCabe will be back in the lineup after missing the previous five games due to his upper-body injury. Prior to his absence, the blueliner was stuck in an 11-game pointless streak dating back to Nov. 2 versus St. Louis. After scoring eight goals over 73 regular-season games last year, the Wisconsin native has yet to find the back of the net this year.

Dumba (upper body) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Predators, Brian Rea of FanDuel Sports Network Southwest reports.

Dumba suffered an upper-body injury Sunday against Calgary that also forced him to miss practice Wednesday. It's not yet clear how long he'll be sidelined, but he'll be unavailable for at least one game, while Lian Bichsel is slated to draw into the lineup to make his NHL debut Thursday.

Head coach Patrick Roy said Thursday that Pelech (jaw) is considered day-to-day but doesn't yet have a timetable to return, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Pelech resumed skating in a non-contact sweater last Thursday, but he was wearing a regular jersey during Thursday's morning skate. While he'll remain sidelined for Thursday's home game against the Blackhawks, he's been trending in the right direction recently and appears to be closing in on a return to game action.

Middleton was recalled from AHL Colorado on Thursday.

Middleton was sent down Tuesday for salary cap purposes. The defenseman has played the last three games in a row for Colorado, picking up three hits and two blocked shots while averaging 12:17 of ice time. Look for Middleton to partner with Calvin de Haan on the third unit while John Ludvig is a healthy scratch.

Gravel was promoted from AHL Milwaukee on Thursday, Nick Kieser of 102.5 ESPN Nashville reports.

The Predators are down to only five healthy defensemen as Roman Josi left Tuesday's tilt versus Calgary with a lower-body injury in the opening period and did not return. Gravel played 23 games with Nashville during the 2022-23 season as a 30-year-old, his first NHL experience since the 2019-20 campaign, when he managed three games with the Maple Leafs. The 32-year-old journeyman defenseman had a goal and four assists in 20 AHL games before his recall. Look for Gravel to see third-unit minutes in Dallas, should Josi be unable to play.

Stillman was recalled from AHL Chicago on Thursday.

Stillman last played in the NHL during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring once while adding seven helpers in 50 games split between Buffalo and Vancouver. The 26-year-old defenseman has two assists and 11 PIM in seven AHL games this season. He will likely be a healthy scratch Friday versus Ottawa, barring any injuries on the Hurricanes' blue line as he has yet to make an appearance for Carolina in 17 previous games.

White was recalled from AHL Utica on Thursday.

White was sent to the minors ahead of the regular season, and he tallied a goal and seven assists over 20 appearances with the AHL club to begin the year. The 27-year-old last appeared in the NHL during the 2022-23 campaign, when he logged 46 appearances with Anaheim, but he should provide defensive depth for the Devils after being recalled.