NHL Player News

Spence notched a power-play assist, two hits, three blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Sabres.

The big question on the Kings' blue line was who would step up in the absence of Drew Doughty (ankle), and the answer through one game is Spence. The 23-year-old logged 22:07 of ice time and also skated with the first power-play unit. That latter role could eventually go to Brandt Clarke, but this is Spence's chance to solidify himself in the Kings' lineup after producing 24 points over 71 regular-season outings a year ago. Spence is worth a speculative add in most fantasy formats.

Edmundson logged an assist, two blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Sabres.

Edmundson was signed to a three-year in July, making him a virtual lock for the third pairing. The veteran defenseman isn't known to put up significant scoring numbers, nor has he been able to play a high number of games. Last season, he was limited to six points, 80 hits and 65 blocked shots over 53 games between the Capitals and the Maple Leafs. He saw 20:38 of ice time in his Kings debut, and he could be in line for more minutes while Drew Doughty (ankle) is out, but Edmundson offers minimal fantasy upside.

Petry (upper body) will not play Saturday against Nashville. Max Bultman of The Athletic reports.

Petry is considered day-to-day, and could return as early as Monday in New York against the Rangers. Petry missed practice Friday after he was injured in Thursday's contest with Pittsburgh. The Red Wings will recall Justin Holl in a corresponding move Saturday.

Holl will be called up by the Red Wings ahead of Saturday's game against Nashville, Max Bultman of The Athletic reports.

Holl was sent to the minors ahead of the regular season, but he's slated rejoin the NHL club since Jeff Petry (upper body) will be unavailable. Petry is considered day-to-day, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Holl return to the AHL once Petry is medically cleared. It's unclear if Holl will see any playing time against the Predators.

Hunt was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Friday.

Hunt was called up from the AHL ahead of Thursday's game against Columbus to serve as a seventh defenseman, and he was a healthy scratch for Minnesota's 3-2 win. He'll head back to the minors Friday, while Jesper Wallstedt was called up so the Wild can roster three goalies early in the season.

Sergachev picked up two assists in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win against the Islanders.

Sergachev registered the primary assist on Barrett Hayton's second-period marker before adding a power-play assist on Dylan Guenther's third-period tally. Sergachev added one shot, three blocks, two takeaways and a minus-1 rating in 24:59 of ice time. The left-shot defenseman is in his first year with his new club after being acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay in June. Sergachev should be a highly-valued blueliner from a fantasy perspective this season -- the 2016 first-round pick is skating on Utah's top defense pair while also being insulated with offensive talent on the club's top power-play unit.

Petry (upper body) was not on the ice for Friday's practice session, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Petry -- who was forced to leave Thursday's clash with Pittsburgh early -- should probably be considered questionable, at best, to feature against the Predators on Saturday. If the veteran blueliner is ruled out, Erik Gustafsson figures to see the biggest uptick in ice time, while Albert Johansson could make his NHL debut.

Dobson recorded two assists in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss versus Utah.

Dobson had the primary helper on Anthony Duclair's first-period power-play tally before adding a secondary assist on Bo Horvat's even-strength goal in the third period. Dobson didn't fire any shots on goal, but he had three blocks in 24:51 of ice time, the most of any New York skater. The right-shot blueliner is coming off a career-best 70-point season in 2023-24. That number will be difficult to surpass, but the opportunity is there with Dobson manning the Islanders' top power-play unit.

Lindgren (upper body) was skating with the regulars in a non-contact jersey during Friday's practice session, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports.

Lindgren was placed on injured reserve ahead of the regular season due to an upper-body injury, and it's discouraging that he hasn't yet shed his non-contact jersey. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action, but a better idea of his return timetable could come into focus once he ramps up his workload in practice.

Werenski scored a power-play goal and fired seven shots in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Wild.

Werenski led the Blue Jackets in total shots by a wide margin Thursday, as no other Columbus player finished with more than four shots, and while he found the back of the net late in the third period, it wasn't enough to spark a comeback. Werenski figures to be a consistent producer on the blue line for Columbus after posting a career-high 57 points in 2023-24.