NHL Player News

Lyubushkin sustained an upper-body injury in Sunday's game versus the Blues and is questionable to return.

Lyubushkin crashed into the end wall on his first shift after a collision with St. Louis' Radek Faksa, who received a minor penalty on the play for boarding. Cody Ceci and Matt Dumba will receive extra ice time on the right side if Lyubushkin is unable to return to Sunday's divisional contest.

Bryson notched an assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Canadiens.

Bryson had been scratched for three games prior to Saturday. He had also gone five contests without a point before his trip to the press box. The 27-year-old's playing-time outlook could improve if the Sabres trade away a blueliner, namely Henri Jokiharju, prior to Friday's deadline. For the season, Bryson has five helpers, 13 shots on net, 38 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 34 appearances in a part-time role.

Matheson provided an assist and four blocked shots in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Sabres.

Matheson has four points over his last nine outings while maintaining a top-four role. The 31-year-old blueliner is at 26 points, 108 shots on net, 115 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating through 48 appearances. Matheson can provide a bit of category coverage, but his offense has taken a hit with a smaller power-play role following the emergence of Lane Hutson as the first-unit quarterback this season.

Hughes (undisclosed) had a maintenance day Sunday, and the Canucks will see how he feels each day ahead of Wednesday's game against the Ducks, Ben Kuzma of Postmedia reports.

Hughes tweaked something during Saturday's game against the Kraken, but head coach Rick Tocchet said Sunday that it wasn't related to his previous oblique injury. The Canucks will have a day off Monday before practicing Tuesday, and Hughes' level of participation in practice could provide an indication of whether the team expects him to play Wednesday.

Hutson dished two assists, took two shots on net, and made two blocks during Saturday's 4-2 win over the Sabres.

Hutson provided helpers on Montreal's second and third goals of the night. The 21-year-old blueliner is up to 42 assists, 46 points, 70 shots on net and 85 blocks in 60 appearances this season. With 42 helpers, Hutson ranks fifth among all defensemen in assists and is tied for 20th among all skaters. The second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is having a standout rookie season and is competing against San Jose's Macklin Celebrini and Philadelphia's Matvei Michkov as the likely favorites for this year's Calder Trophy. If Hutson can maintain his current form and stay healthy, he'll at least be a nominee for the award at the end of this season.

Brodin (lower body) will not play Sunday against Boston and is considered week-to-week, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

It appears that Brodin could be in for another extended absence -- the 31-year-old blueliner played just seven games since returning from a 12-game IR stint with another lower-body injury. Zach Bogosian, who missed Friday's contest with a lower-body injury, will return and take Brodin's place in the lineup Sunday.

Bogosian (lower body) will play Sunday against Boston, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Bogosian will return to the lineup after missing Minnesota's last game Friday with the injury. The 34-year-old blueliner has four goals and 12 points through 59 games while typically working on the third pairing.

Bouchard tallied an empty-net goal and took three shots on net in Saturday's 3-1 win against the Hurricanes.

Bouchard found the back of the net in the final second of regulation in Saturday's contest. His tally helped Connor McDavid get on the scoresheet with an assist and gave Leon Draisaitl his second helper. Bouchard has 10 goals, 46 points, 177 shots on net and 85 blocks in 60 appearances this season. He's currently tied for ninth in points from the blue line this season and is a top-tier option for fantasy the rest of the season while skating premium minutes alongside Edmonton's superstar forwards.

Fleury has played in just five of 13 games since returning from a lower-body injury Jan. 22.

Fleury was in the lineup on the second half of a back-to-back Thursday in Nashville, but he was back in the press box Saturday against the Flyers. The Jets are tinkering with their third defense pair while carrying eight blueliners on the roster -- Fleury is in competition with Colin Miller and Ville Heinola for a place in the lineup. Any or all of those players could end up losing time if the Jets opt to upgrade their defense with a trade. Fleury is at six assists, 32 shots on net, 39 hits, 51 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating across 30 appearances this season.

Drysdale scored a goal and added two PIM in Saturday's 2-1 shootout win over the Jets.

Drysdale has earned three points and a plus-3 rating over his last six games. The 22-year-old defenseman converted on an assist from Noah Cates at 3:48 of the second period Saturday, tying the game at 1-1. Drysdale is up to three goals, 14 points, 42 shots on net, 68 blocked shots and a minus-18 rating across 49 appearances. He was limited to a total of 10 points over 42 contests over the last two years combined, so this is a little progress. Drysdale is not at risk of losing his place in the lineup currently, but he doesn't need to be rostered in most fantasy formats.