NHL Player News

McAvoy has undergone facial surgery, Jim McBride of The Boston Globe reports Wednesday.

There's no timetable for McAvoy's return, but it seems fair to believe that he'll be out for a while after having surgery. The 27-year-old defenseman has 14 assists, 26 PIM, 25 shots, 26 hits and 32 blocks in 27 outings this year. Jonathan Aspirot might play regularly during McAvoy's absence.

Moser notched an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Devils.

Moser has picked up three helpers over his last six games. The 25-year-old defenseman is helping to hold the fort while Victor Hedman (undisclosed), Erik Cernak (lower body), Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) and Max Crozier (undisclosed) are all out. Moser is up to five points, 24 shots on net, 17 hits, 17 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating through 17 appearances this season, mainly in a top-four role.

Harley (lower body) remains week-to-week and won't accompany the Stars on the team's four-game road trip, Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports Wednesday.

Harley is mired in a 16-game goalless streak while chipping in a mere two helpers over his last nine outings. Further to the point, the 24-year-old defenseman failed to put a shot on net in three of his previous four outings. However, his nagging injury probably contributed to his offensive struggles.. With Ilya Lyubushkin (undisclosed) also not making the trip, the recently recalled Vladislav Kolyachonok should see plenty of minutes.

Rinzel notched an assist, 10 PIM and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Flames.

The helper snapped a 10-game point drought for Rinzel, who was a healthy scratch Saturday versus the Maple Leafs. The 21-year-old defenseman started the season as a top-pairing option, but he's now operating as the seventh blueliner when the Blackhawks choose to dress seven defensemen. Fantasy managers who were banking on Rinzel being the next big thing will either have to be patient or look for a replacement, as his current role isn't fantasy-friendly. He's at four points, 27 shots on net, 18 hits, 22 blocked shots, 22 PIM and a plus-4 rating over 18 appearances, and he still has plenty of long-term appeal for managers in dynasty formats.

Lyubushkin (undisclosed) won't travel with the Stars for their upcoming four-game road trip that begins Thursday in Vancouver, Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Lyubushkin was unavailable for Tuesday's game against the Islanders because of an undisclosed injury, and it appears as though he'll be out for at least four additional matchups. Vladislav Kolyachonok will likely continue to see playing time for Dallas during Lyubushkin's absence.

Christiansen has yet to record a point in 2025-26 after being held scoreless with a minus-2 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Jets.

Christiansen has appeared in 16 of the Blue Jackets' 20 games so far, but he's not seeing much ice time. He's averaged 10:26 per game while racking up nine shots on net, 12 hits, seven blocked shots and a minus-7 rating. There's a good chance Christiansen will exit the lineup when Erik Gudbranson (hip) is ready to return, but there's no timeline for that to happen.

Raddysh potted a goal, tallied two assists, placed two shots on net and picked up two PIM in Tuesday's 5-1 win over New Jersey.

After grabbing an assist in his previous outing, Raddysh posted his best offensive performance of the season with a goal in the third period alongside two power-play assists. The 29-year-old blueliner is up to two goals, five assists and 25 shots on net in 13 games this season. He has stepped up in the absence of Victor Hedman (undisclosed), averaging 22:19 per game and over four minutes of power-play time without the team captain in the lineup. With Hedman's timetable still unknown, Raddysh is a strong streaming option in fantasy across most formats.

Severson logged an assist and three shots on goal in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Jets.

Severson has three helpers over his last six games following a stretch of eight contests without a point. The 31-year-old defenseman has been entrusted with top-four minutes regularly to begin 2025-26, averaging 20:00 of ice time over 20 games. He's at six points, 24 shots on net, 23 hits, 20 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating. The offense isn't great, but the overall production could be enough to help in deep fantasy formats.

Stanley scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets.

Stanley has earned a goal and two assists over his last four games. The 27-year-old defenseman has gotten far more involved on offense this season than in past years. He's already up to three goals and nine points over 19 appearances, and he's added 20 shots on net, 28 hits, 26 blocked shots, 26 PIM and a plus-8 rating. He had a career-high 14 points in 63 regular-season outings in 2024-25, but that mark looks like one he'll topple easily in 2025-26.

Boqvist was scratched in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Stars, but there may be room for him in the lineup if Alexander Romanov (upper body) misses time.

Boqvist has been a seventh defenseman this season, but he has managed to get into six of the Islanders' first 20 games. He's yet to record a point while adding one shot on goal, four blocked shots and two PIM. The 25-year-old could be the next man up to cover any potential absence for Romanov, who was boarded hard by Mikko Rantanen late in Tuesday's contest. Boqvist still won't have much fantasy appeal, as he lacks a clear path to power-play time even when he plays.