NHL Player News

Walman (undisclosed) is week-to-week, per Tony Brar of Oilers TV on Monday.

Walman has already missed the last six games, as his injury has lingered longer than expected. At this point, his return may not arrive until after the Christmas break, but it's still unclear when he will be ready to play. Walman has three goals, 10 points, 23 shots on net and 31 blocked shots in 17 appearances this season.

Bean (undisclosed) is undergoing an evaluation for an injury and won't be available for Monday's game against Buffalo, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Bean played in two straight games after being a healthy scratch in six of the previous seven contests. He has one goal, two points, 16 shots on net and 29 blocked shots across 16 appearances this season. Due to Bean's absence, Brayden Pachal will play against the Sabres on Monday. The Flames also recalled Hunter Brzustewicz from the minors, but he will probably be a healthy scratch.

Harley (lower body) will join the Stars for their two-game road trip but may not be ready to face the Jets on Tuesday, Stars beat writer Robert Tiffin reports.

Harley has been sidelined for 12 games and counting due to his lower-body injury. The blueliner managed just one point, and assist, in his previous six outings prior to getting hurt and hasn't found the back of the net since the second game of the year.

Lyubushkin (lower body) won't accompany the Stars on the team's upcoming two-game road trip, according to Sam Nestler of DLLS Stars on Monday.

Lyubushkin is poised to be out for about five days. That would sideline him for the next three games, starting with Tuesday's matchup against Winnipeg. He also sat out Sunday's 3-2 shootout win over Pittsburgh. Lyubushkin has generated five assists, 41 blocked shots and 30 hits in 21 appearances this season.

McAvoy (face) will travel with the Bruins ahead of their three-game road trip that begins Tuesday in St. Louis, and he hopes to return at some point during the trip, Scott McLaughlin of WEEI reports.

McAvoy has been sidelined since mid-November after being hit in the face by a slap shot against the Canadiens on Nov. 15. However, he resumed skating in late November and appears to be drawing closer to a return. The 27-year-old hasn't yet received final clearance to return to game action, but it seems possible that he'll be back on the ice at some point within the next three matchups.

Brzustewicz was called up from AHL Calgary on Monday.

Brzustewicz's promotion would seem to indicate that there is an injury among the Flames' blueliners ahead of Monday's game versus the Sabres. While the 21-year-old defenseman is far from a lock to play, he could offer the team some offensive upside, having tallied four goals and eight helpers in 23 minor-league games for the Wranglers.

Gostisbehere dished out a power-play assist, fired a shot on net and blocked a shot in Sunday's 4-1 loss to San Jose.

Gostisbehere slid the primary helper on Jordan Staal's lone goal of the game for Carolina. With the apple, Gostisbehere has 18 assists, 21 points and 34 shots on goal through 19 games this season. The 32-year-old blueliner has been phenomenal when healthy, as he's registered a point in all but five games this season. Despite missing nine games this year, Gostisbehere is tied for 13th among defensemen in points. He's currently on a three-game point streak, and his last two assists have occurred with a man advantage. Carolina's power-play specialist is a must-roster in all fantasy leagues that place a premium on points and has a case to be rostered in most standard league formats.

Heiskanen scored a goal in Sunday's 3-2 shootout win over the Penguins.

Heiskanen wasn't performing at his usual level in the early stages of the season, but the star blueliner has turned things around of late. He's now found the back of the net in three games in a row, and he's up to six goals and 26 total points in 30 regular-season appearances. He's tied for fourth in the league in points among defenseman, tied with Adam Fox (upper body) and only surpassed by Evan Bouchard, Zach Werenski and Cale Makar.

Zamula played for the fifth time in eight games in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche.

Zamula is in a part-time role, though the absence of Cam York (upper body) has opened the door for Zamula to play more. A lack of offense isn't helping Zamula's case to stay in the lineup -- he has just one assist with nine shots on net, 15 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 13 appearances this year. Even if he plays more regularly, he'll likely be limited to a third-pairing role.

Helleson's point drought reached 12 games in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Blackhawks.

The Ducks saw 14 different skaters get on the scoresheet, but Helleson was one of the four who didn't. He has gone minus-2 with nine shots on net, 24 blocked shots and eight hits during his 12-game slump. On the year, he's at nine points, 27 shots on net, 30 hits, 43 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating across 29 appearances. With his physicality also trending down, his fantasy appeal is heavily limited.