NHL Player News

Matheson (lower body) won't play Thursday versus the Stars.

Matheson will be evaluated when the Canadiens return home. That leaves his status in doubt for Saturday's game versus the Penguins as well. Matheson dealt with a lower-body injury earlier in October that cost him four games. Look for Arber Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom to handle third-pairing duties in Matheson's absence.

Vlasic (illness) is expected to play Thursday versus Detroit, per Scott Powers of The Athletic.

Vlasic has two assists, two PIM, four hits and 17 blocks in 12 outings in 2026-27. He was questionable for the game, but it looks like he won't miss any playing time due to the illness.

Knight will guard the road goal versus the Red Wings on Thursday.

Knight won his last start, stopping 25 of 26 shots against the Kings on Tuesday. The 25-year-old netminder will face a Detroit team that won't have Dylan Larkin (suspension) in the lineup, taking a big bite out of the offense. Knight has gone 4-6-0 with a 3.23 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 10 games amid the Blackhawks' rough first month of the season.

Lindgren is slated to start on the road against Nashville on Thursday.

Lindgren is 2-1-0 with a 2.98 GAA and an .886 save percentage in three appearances this season. He's coming off a 4-3 overtime win over Buffalo in his last start Saturday in which he stopped 18 of 21 shots. Nashville is 4-3-5 while averaging 2.83 goals per game this campaign.

Cossa will protect the road goal versus the Penguins on Thursday, Josh Getzoff of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports.

Cossa will get another look at the Penguins after earning the win by stopping 15 of 19 shots against them Oct. 19 in Utah. Cossa's start also allows Karel Vejmelka to get some rest after he started the last three games. Cossa has a 3.33 GAA and an .820 save percentage over four outings this season, which makes him a risky fantasy option.

Danforth (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, per the NHL media site.

Danforth's move to IR allowed the Sabres to activate Sam Carrick (middle body) ahead of Thursday's game versus the Ducks. Danforth remains without a clear timeline to return to action. He will miss his fourth straight game Thursday and will be eligible to return whenever ready, as long as he doesn't later end up on long-term injured reserve.

The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay Thursday as a result of his decision to no longer play for the team.

Larkin's desire to be traded has been known since the summer, but he nevertheless reported for training camp and initially played for the Red Wings. He had two goals and six points in 10 appearances in 2026-27 before the suspension, including a key goal in Detroit's 4-3 shootout win over Edmonton on Monday. The victory might go down as Larkin's final game as a member of the Red Wings, who will continue to look for a trade involving the 30-year-old forward.

Wallstedt will start Thursday's home game against the Islanders, Dylan Daniel of the Wild's official site reports.

Wallstedt picked up his second consecutive win Tuesday against Utah, and he'll remain in the crease Thursday as the Wild return home following a five-game road trip. Across his 12 starts to begin the regular season, Wallstedt has gone 8-2-2 with a 1.99 GAA and .922 save percentage.

Dries was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids on Thursday under emergency conditions.

Dries spent a week and a half with the Red Wings earlier this month, and he was held scoreless with 19 hits, six blocked shots and a minus-3 rating while averaging 9:45 of ice time across six appearances. He'll rejoin the NHL club to provide additional depth while the Red Wings deal with several absences among their forwards.

Carrick (middle body) is expected to be activated off injured reserve ahead of Thursday's game against the Ducks.

Carrick spent the past week on injured reserve due to a mid-body injury, but he centered the fourth line during Thursday's morning skate and should be able to return to action against Anaheim. Across his four regular-season appearances this year, Carrick has been held scoreless with nine hits and four PIM while averaging 7:23 of ice time.