NHL Player News

D'Astois scored a goal on three shots, dished a power-play assist, added two PIM, levied five hits, blocked three shots in and went plus-2 in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Avalanche.

D'Astous has bounced back well after a healthy scratch Oct. 15 versus the Kraken. He's earned four points, including two on the power play, over his last three games. For the season, the 28-year-old defenseman has two goals, three assists, 14 shots, 12 hits, 15 blocks and eight PIM. If he continues to see power-play time, he offers enough all-around production to be in the mix in fantasy.

Toews scored a goal on two shots, added an assist, logged two PIM and went plus-3 in Friday's 6-3 win over the Lightning.

Toews opened the scoring 1:08 into the game. The 32-year-old defenseman already has three goals this season, matching his total from 68 regular-season outings a year ago. He's up to nine points, 16 shots, six blocked shots, five hits, six PIM and a plus-10 rating over 11 appearances in 2026-27. It sure looks like a bounce-back season for Toews, who continues to fill a top-pairing role alongside Cale Makar.

Cole had two blocked shots in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Canadiens.

This was Cole's 1,000th career game. The 37-year-old defenseman is still looking for his first point of the season through 10 appearances. He's added six shots on net, 17 blocked shots, nine hits and a plus-1 rating so far. Don't expect a repeat of his 23-point performance from 82 regular-season outings with the Mammoth last year, especially considering his slow start on offense in 2026-27.

Matheson scored an empty-net goal on three shots in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Matheson missed four games due to a lower-body injury. He saw 20:15 of ice time Friday, fourth-most among Montreal blueliners. Now that he's healthy again, expect decent offense and all-around production from Matheson, enough to make him a depth option in fantasy. He has two points, 12 shots on net, 11 blocked shots, three hits, six PIM and a minus-2 rating over six outings this season.

Guhle scored a goal on two shots, added a shorthanded assist, doled out three hits, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Guhle has earned all three of his points this season over his last three games. The defenseman is back in a top-four role after initially getting eased into the lineup following a groin surgery recovery that lingered into October. He's added nine shots on net, 15 hits, four blocked shots and a plus-1 rating across six appearances on the year.

Hedman (undisclosed) left Friday's game versus the Avalanche early, and there was no update on his status after the game, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports.

The Lightning didn't acknowledge Hedman's early exit with an in-game update. The defenseman has been playing a smaller role this year, often on the third pairing. The team has also dressed seven defensemen frequently to further lighten his load, so it won't be difficult to replace him in the lineup if he's unavailable versus the Mammoth on Saturday.

Smith scored a goal and added two assists in Penn State's 5-1 win over Canisius University on Friday.

Smith doubled his point total for the year with this big game. He has a goal, five assists and a minus-2 rating over five outings. Smith racked up 26 points over 35 appearances as a freshman with Penn State last year. The Blue Jackets prospect has some skill, which was a major part of what made him the 14th overall pick in 2025.

Burns was called up from AHL Springfield on Friday.

Burns will come up from the AHL to replace Theo Lindstein, who was sent down Thursday. Burns has yet to make his NHL debut, and it's unclear how much playing time he'll get during this turn with the big club.

Byram (upper body) is not in the lineup versus the Canadiens on Friday, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Byram was considered day-to-day as of Oct. 15, but he hasn't gotten healthy enough to return even after an extended break between games for the Blackhawks. Ethan Del Mastro remains in the lineup in Byram's absence.

Duda signed a two-year, $1.85 million contract extension with the Mammoth on Friday.

Duda has yet to make his NHL debut, but the Mammoth have secured his place with the franchise for another two years. It's a two-way deal in 2027-28 and a one-way deal in 2028-29. The defenseman is currently with the big club as a spare blueliner. He will probably return to AHL Tucson once John Marino (upper body) is cleared to rejoin the lineup.