NHL Player News

Matheson (lower body) is expected to miss two weeks, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports Saturday.

Matheson will miss his second stretch of games this season due to a lower-body injury. It remains to be seen whether his current issue is a flare-up of his previous injury. Prior to going down, the 32-year-old defenseman posted a goal, three assists, a plus-1 rating, 15 shots on net, five hits and 13 blocked shots across eight appearances this season. In his absence, the 22-year-old Adam Engstrom should have a chance to earn more playing time over the next two weeks and beyond. If Matheson is ultimately shifted to injured reserve, he's a solid IR stash in deep fantasy leagues.

Tanev (upper body) was activated from injured reserve Saturday, per David Alter of The Hockey News.

After missing the last nine games, Tanev is poised to return to the lineup against Vancouver on Saturday. The 36-year-old blueliner has contributed one assist, one shot on goal, 14 blocked shots and one hit in six appearances this season.

Schneider (illness) missed Saturday's practice and has been deemed day-to-day, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic.

In order to play in Sunday's clash against the Oilers, Schneider will likely have to log at least a limited session at the Rangers' morning skate. Prior to the illness, the 25-year-old blueliner had posted two assists, 20 shots on net, 31 hits and 16 blocked shots across 14 appearances. If he can't go against Edmonton, Scott Morrow would likely occupy his spot in the lineup.

Durzi (undisclosed) is day-to-day ahead of Sunday's matchup against Edmonton, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic.

Durzi has been taking maintenance days recently and didn't participate in Saturday's practice. He hasn't missed a game yet, but it's unclear if he will be available to play against the Oilers on Sunday. Durzi has two goals, five points, 12 shots on net, 21 blocked shots and nine hits in 14 appearances this season.

George was recalled from AHL Hamilton on Saturday.

George hasn't earned a point in four AHL outings this season. He had one assist, two shots on goal, three blocked shots and one hit in four regular-season NHL outings with the Islanders in 2025-26. George could play against Edmonton on Saturday if Ryan Pulock (upper body) is unavailable.

Whitecloud logged an assist in Friday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Whitecloud set up a Matthew Coronato goal early in the third period. The helper was Whitecloud's first point of the season. The 29-year-old is in a tough role this year, filling top-four minutes as a shutdown defenseman on a rebuilding team. He's piled up 13 shots on net, 18 hits, 22 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating across 13 appearances. He's never had a 20-point regular season in the NHL, so he won't score his way into the mix for fantasy.

Bauer logged five PIM and two hits in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Panthers.

Bauer technically spent more time in the penalty box than on the ice -- he had just 2:59 of ice time. He dressed as a seventh defenseman but took a couple of shifts as a forward, and he also got into a fight with Bokondji Imama. Bauer has made eight appearances this season, racking up 17 hits, four blocked shots and 23 PIM. Either as a blueliner or a forward, Bauer doesn't look to have enough scoring potential to draw attention in fantasy.

Jones scored a goal, added two assists, blocked three shots and went plus-2 in Friday's 5-2 win over the Jets.

This was Jones' second three-point effort in a row, and he's also logged multiple power-play points in consecutive contests. The defenseman hasn't filled the net a ton, but he's had no trouble setting up his teammates. Jones is up to two goals, 16 assists, 37 shots on net, 15 hits, 14 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 14 appearances. Injuries have been a narrative for a few years with Jones, but he's showing what he can do when fully healthy, and the results are good.

Hughes scored a goal on two shots and went plus-3 in Friday's 5-2 win over the Golden Knights.

Hughes opened the scoring at 5:38 of the first period. The defenseman is starting to pick up the pace with three points across his last three outings, which follows a four-game skid. For the season, Hughes is at five goals, two assists, 36 shots on net, seven blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-7 rating across 14 appearances. That would put him on pace to get back above the 40-point mark he missed out in 2025-26.

Lindstein was recalled from AHL Springfield on Friday.

Lindstein was sent down by the Blues last week, but he'll rejoin the NHL club to provide additional depth ahead of Saturday's game against the Red Wings. He made four appearances with the Blues earlier in the regular season, recording an assist, two blocked shots and a hit while averaging 14:33 of ice time.