NHL Player News

Theodore notched an assist in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Oilers.

Theodore set up Jack Eichel late in the first period for the first goal of the game. This was Theodore's third point over six contests since he missed a game due to an illness. The defenseman has produced 10 points, 21 shots on net, 11 blocked shots and a minus-4 rating across 12 outings this season. His offense will keep him on most fantasy rosters, but he's been a little lacking in non-scoring production so far, and Theodore may see lesser opportunities now that Noah Hanifin has moved past his early slump.

Hanifin scored twice on three shots, including one power-play goal, in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Oilers.

Hanifin has five points, including three goals, over his last two contests. The defenseman tied the game midway through the third period and then scored the go-ahead goal with 49 seconds left. Hanifin is up to three tallies, eight points, 25 shots on net, 22 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating through 13 appearances. He looks to be over his slow start and should be a reliable source of all-around production on the blue line for the remainder of the year.

Hague (undisclosed) won't play Wednesday versus the Oilers due to an injury, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Hague recently returned from a three-game absence due to a lower-body injury, but it's unclear if this is a new issue or an aggravation of the previous injury. The 25-year-old defenseman will be replaced by Ben Hutton in Wednesday's game, though Kaedan Korczak could also get a chance to play if Hague's absence lingers.

Forbort is expected to be sidelined for weeks, possibly as long as a month, due to a knee injury, Freelance reporter Irfaan Gaffar reports Wednesday.

Due to a personal matter and his knee problem, Forbort has played in just one of the Canucks' last eight contests. Now, the veteran blueliner is slated to miss as much as a month of action. Given his timeline, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Minnesota native placed on long-term injured reserve in the coming days. Erik Brannstrom should see the bulk of the minutes on the third pairing in Forbort's absence, though Noah Juulsen could also be in the mix.

Walman (coach's decision) will be back in action against Minnesota on Thursday, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Walman's benching versus the Blue Jackets on Tuesday was for non-hockey reasons, according to head coach Ryan Warsofsky. The 28-year-old blueliner had been rolling offensively before sitting out Tuesday, racking up seven points in his last four contests. With Walman back in the lineup, Jack Thompson figures to be relegated to be scratched Thursday.

Carlsson (undisclosed), who opened the campaign on the injured non-roster list, was put on waivers by the Sharks on Wednesday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Carlsson's placement on waivers suggests he's been cleared to play. He had 15 goals and 39 points in 52 regular-season outings with AHL Charlotte in 2023-24.

Makar (undisclosed) is feeling okay and might be able to play Thursday versus Winnipeg, according to Corey Masisak of The Denver Post on Wednesday.

That has to come as a huge relief for the Avalanche, who haven't otherwise gotten much in the way of encouraging news on the injury front this season. Makar is a vital part of the Avalanche's blue line, and he's been one of the league's top players, providing five goals and 23 points through 13 outings in 2042-25. He registered two assists before exiting Tuesday's game due to the injury, so his season-opening point streak is still intact.

George saw 15:41 of ice time in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Penguins.

George was brought up from AHL Bridgeport on Monday as a result of New York dealing with various injuries to its blue line. The 20-year-old didn't look out of place in his first career NHL game, and he was entrusted to defend in a tie game with under two minutes to play in the third period. The left-shot blueliner is an extremely smooth skater, and that trait appears to be the foundation of George's game. The 2022 fourth-round selection could get an extended look with New York while Alexander Romanov and Mike Reilly work their way back from upper-body injuries.

Grzelcyk logged a power-play assist and three blocked shots in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Islanders.

Grzelcyk is humming along with five helpers over his last seven contests in a top-four role on the Penguins' blue line. The 30-year-old defenseman is up to seven assists, 18 shots on net, 21 blocked shots, 11 hits and a minus-7 rating over 14 contests, and two of his helpers have come on the power play. He's never reached the 30-point mark in a single season, but he could challenge for that level if he's able to stay healthy in 2024-25, something that has often been a problem for Grzelcyk over his first seven full campaigns.

Iorio was reassigned to AHL Hershey on Wednesday.

Iorio didn't play for Washington during his NHL stint. He has a goal and three points across nine outings with Hershey in 2024-25. Matt Roy was activated off injured reserve in a corresponding move.