NHL Player News

Girard (undisclosed) was taken off injured reserve Thursday.

Girard was previously termed a game-time decision, but his activation indicates that he'll draw into the lineup against Utah on Thursday. He has a goal and seven points in nine appearances this campaign, which is a fantastic start for a defenseman who didn't record more than 24 points in any of the previous three regular seasons.

Roy logged an assist, nine hits, two blocked shots and four PIM in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Flyers.

Roy picked up his first point in five appearances this season. The 31-year-old defenseman missed six games due to a lower-body injury earlier in the campaign. Roy should fill a top-four role while providing decent category coverage for deeper fantasy formats. He has racked up three shots on net, 18 hits, eight blocked shots and four PIM on the year.

Capobianco (leg) is expected to miss around four weeks, per Stars TV host Brien Rea.

After initial reports regarding Capobianco's injury expected him to miss at least one week, he's likely going to miss four times that following his recent MRI. It's a tough loss for the Stars and Capobianco, who had posted three shots on net, four PIM, two hits and three blocked shots across five appearances this season. In his absence, Trey Taylor is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday and likely play until Esa Lindell (lower body) is activated from injured reserve. Barring any setbacks, Capobianco should have a chance to rejoin the Stars' lineup prior to the start of December.

Faber (skull) has cleared his return to play protocol and could resume skating within a few days, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

While there's no official timetable for Faber's return yet, he checked off a crucial box in his recovery Thursday, as he's progressed through his return to play protocol. The 24-year-old blueliner suffered his skull injury in the preseason, which has kept him sidelined on injured reserve throughout the entire regular season thus far. He remains one of the best IR stashes for fantasy managers who drafted him, and when he's able to return, Faber is a must-start in all fantasy formats given his two-way success to begin his NHL career.

Byram (upper body) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Red Wings, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports.

Byram continues to deal with an upper-body injury, and he'll be unavailable for a sixth consecutive matchup. However, he skated in a non-contact sweater during the team's morning skates Tuesday and Thursday, so he at least appears to be trending in the right direction.

Vlasic is questionable for Thursday's game against the Red Wings due to an illness, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports.

Vlasic didn't participate in Thursday's morning skate, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be forced to miss a game due to his illness. The 25-year-old defenseman has appeared in each of the Blackhawks' first 12 games of the regular season, recording two assists, 17 blocked shots, four hits and two PIM while averaging 20:26 of ice time.

Girard (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision for Thursday's home game against the Mammoth, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports.

Girard has missed each of the last three games with an undisclosed injury. It appears that he has a chance to play Thursday, but the Penguins would need to activate him from injured reserve prior to the contest if he's to appear in the lineup. Prior to going down with the injury, the 28-year-old blueliner got off to a strong start to the season with a goal, seven points, 12 shots on net, five hits and 10 blocked shots over nine appearances. If he's ultimately given the green light, he'll likely rejoin the team's second defensive pairing, where he should continue to be a relevant fantasy asset in deep leagues this season.

The Wild announced Thursday that Spurgeon (undisclosed) is considered week-to-week, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Spurgeon exited Tuesday's game against the Mammoth due to an undisclosed injury, and he's facing a multi-game absence. It's not yet clear when the 36-year-old will be able to return to action, but David Spacek and Carson Lambos are candidates to see additional playing time in the near future, while it's possible that Spurgeon will land on injured reserve at some point.

Lambos was Michael Russo of The Athletic from AHL Iowa on Thursday, per Michael Russo.

Lambos will head up to the big club Thursday after Jared Spurgeon (undisclosed) suffered an injury in Tuesday's win over the Mammoth. The 23-year-old Lambos has been solid for AHL Iowa across his eight appearances this season, where he's posted two points and a minus-2 rating. He'll likely serve as the team's seventh defenseman in practice ahead of Thursday's clash against the Islanders, but he might have a chance to make his season debut if Spurgeon's injury persists.

Hedman (lower body) will play in Thursday's game against the Jets, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Hedman sustained a lower-body injury during Friday's game against the Avalanche, and he was unavailable against Utah on Saturday. However, he'll return to game action after having several days to recover. Across his six appearances prior to his one-game absence, Hedman had logged two goals, two assists, four blocked shots, two PIM and a hit while averaging 12:44 of ice time.