NHL Player News

Werenski (undisclosed) could return to the lineup versus Utah on Thursday, according to Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.

Werenski was a full participant at Thursday's morning skate, putting him in line to return after a one-game absence, barring any setbacks. The 27-year-old defenseman has already tied his career high in points with 57, set last season. Werenski has 17 goals, 40 assists, 19 power-play points, 200 shots and 92 blocked shots over 53 games this season.

Nemec was promoted from AHL Utica on Thursday.

While Nemec's call-up came after Nico Hischier (upper body) was placed on IR, Nemec will be providing emergency blue-line depth after Jonas Siegenthaler (undisclosed) was injured in Tuesday's matchup with Pittsburgh. For his part, Nemec has been generating plenty of offense in the minors, recording 22 points over 32 games for the Comets. If Nemec does play Thursday, it would likely come at the expense of Kurtis MacDermid.

Hutson notched an assist, two hits and three blocked shots in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Kings.

Hutson has a helper in each of the last two games after going five contests without a point. The 20-year-old blueliner also earned multiple hits and blocked shots in a game for the first time since Jan. 25. The defenseman is up to 41 points, 62 shots on net, 77 blocked shots, 31 hits, 32 PIM and a minus-16 rating through 54 appearances.

Mailloux scored a goal and added three hits in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Kings.

Mailloux has racked up two goals and two assists over six outings at the NHL level this season. This was his first appearance with the big club since Oct. 29. Mailloux will compete for playing time with Jayden Struble while Kaiden Guhle (quadriceps) is on the mend. Mailloux has added nine hits, seven blocked shots and a minus-3 rating. He's in a third-pairing role, but if he keeps putting up points, he may be worth considering in DFS or as a streaming option in season-long formats.

Carrier scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM, blocked two shots and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Kings.

Carrier buried a long-range shot off a turnover in the third period. The defenseman continues to play steady in a top-four role, and he earned a point in consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 21-23. The 28-year-old blueliner is up to three goals, 19 points, 54 shots on net, 51 hits, 94 blocked shots and a minus-10 rating over 51 appearances. Carrier's offense isn't elite, but he can do enough to help fantasy managers with all-around production.

Matheson scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Kings.

Matheson's shot deflected high in the air and bounced into the net. That's one way to end a 10-game goal drought, which is what Matheson did. He had just one assist in that stretch, but he's maintained a top-four role because of his defensive duties. The blueliner is at four goals, 20 assists, 97 shots on net, 102 blocked shots, 39 PIM and a minus-8 rating through 52 appearances this season.

Clarke scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Canadiens.

Clarke has played in two games in a row since Mikey Anderson (finger) got hurt. The 21-year-old Clarke was the one to lose his place in the lineup when the Kings shifted back to six blueliners and Drew Doughty returned from an ankle injury. It's perhaps not fully fair to Clarke, who has four goals, 25 points, 93 shots on net, 84 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating over 49 appearances. Uncertainty in his role may scare away fantasy managers in redraft formats, but those in dynasty leagues need to be patient with the young defenseman -- he'll be an everyday player soon enough.

Gavrikov scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Canadiens.

Gavrikov has three point over two outings in February after going 16 games without a point. The 29-year-old defenseman has remained in a top-pairing role alongside Drew Doughty, though Mikey Anderson (finger) has missed a couple of games and could cause the defense pairings to be mixed when he returns. Gavrikov now has three goals, 19 points, 68 shots on net, 103 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating across 51 appearances.

Brodie was held off the scoresheet for the 11th game in a row Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers.

Brodie was scratched twice in that span, though he should face less pressure for playing time as long as Louis Crevier (concussion) is out of action. Brodie has mainly handled bottom-four minutes this season, and he hasn't produced much in any area. The veteran blueliner has nine points, 20 shots on net, 53 blocked shots and a minus-18 rating over 48 appearances.

Vlasic's point drought reached 14 games in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers.

Vlasic has an even plus-minus rating, 21 blocked shots, 15 hits and 12 shots on net in that span. The 23-year-old set a career high in points with a helper Jan. 3 versus the Canadiens, but his offense has fallen flat since that game. He's at 17 points, 76 shots, 102 blocks, 42 hits and a minus-11 rating through 53 outings overall. Despite the lack of offense, Vlasic's overall game is strong enough to keep him in a top-four role.