NHL Player News

Makar (personal) is expected to be in the lineup versus the Stars on Wednesday.

Makar missed Tuesday's game in Dallas while awaiting the birth of his newborn twin sons. The 27-year-old was pictured arriving to Ball Arena by a team photographer Wednesday, which strongly suggests he'll be available and in the lineup for the rematch against the Stars. He should be back in his usual top-pairing role and on the first power-play unit.

Coghlan registered an assist, three shots on net and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Predators.

This was Coghlan's second appearance of the season. He is expected to continue filling in while Parker Wotherspoon (upper body) is out on a week-to-week basis. Coghlan has added three shots on net, three blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-4 rating over his two games so far. While he may see steady playing time, he probably won't be a factor in fantasy.

Andersson logged two assists, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Predators.

Andersson's offense is starting to come alive with three points over his last two games. Through eight outings overall, he has four points, 16 shots on net, eight blocked shots, eight PIM and a minus-4 rating. The 29-year-old blueliner can be a steady source of blocks and PIM even when he isn't at his best on offense, and he's a solid option in fantasy for category coverage.

Heiskanen logged a pair of assists, including one on the power play, and added two hits in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche.

Heiskanen earned his first multi-point effort of the season with this performance. The 27-year-old blueliner has two goals, three assists, 10 shots on net, nine blocked shots, three hits, four PIM and a plus-3 rating over six contests so far. Heiskanen probably won't be among the most elite offensive blueliners, but he offers strong scoring and reliable defense in a workhorse role for Dallas.

Pionk registered two assists, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild.

Pionk has earned three helpers this season, all coming in the last three games. The 31-year-old defenseman also has nine shots on net, 10 hits, 11 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over six appearances. Pionk was limited to a career-worst 12 points in 51 outings on a bad Jets team last year, but he battled injuries. With Winnipeg looking stronger to start 2026-27, Pionk is poised for a bounce-back campaign, which should put him on the radar as a well-rounded depth defenseman in fantasy.

Kessel notched an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks.

This was Kessel's team debut, and he was able to set up Kyle Palmieri's goal in the first period. The 26-year-old Kessel could see a larger role than initially expected after Alexander Romanov (knee) was given a timeline of 6-8 months to return from ACL surgery. Kessel is largely untested -- he's never played more than 39 NHL games in a season, and he's never picked up more than seven points, but he can handle a third-pairing assignment.

Mateychuk scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Panthers.

Mateychuk has a goal, an assist, 11 shots on net and eight blocked shots over five outings this season. The 22-year-old has maintained a top-four role so far, though the return of Damon Severson from shoulder surgery has bumped Mateychuk to the second pairing and out of the power-play mix for now. Mateychuk has enough upside to be considered in deeper fantasy formats as a depth blueliner.

Heinola was assigned to AHL Henderson on Wednesday.

Heinola was called up by the Golden Knights over the weekend, but he didn't appear in any games during his time with the NHL club. Across three regular-season appearances in the AHL this year, he's recorded a goal and four PIM, and he should have more consistent opportunities for playing time in the minors.

Johansson posted an assist and two blocked shots in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Devils.

Johansson's helper on an Emmitt Finnie goal was the former's first career NHL point. Over six outings this season, Johansson has four shots on net, six hits and eight blocked shots. The 22-year-old defenseman is seeing time in a bottom-four role and will likely continue to log sheltered minutes, especially when the Red Wings dress seven blueliners.

Chiarot notched an assist, two hits and four blocked shots in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Devils.

This was the first point of the season for Chiarot. The 35-year-old is filling a top-four role as a shutdown defenseman this year. That's likely more ice time than he was expected to get, but Simon Edvinsson (contract dispute) being out of the picture has opened up more minutes. Chiarot has added six shots on net, nine hits, 10 blocked shots and six PIM over six outings this season.