NHL Player News

Niederreiter (lower body) was activated off injured reserve Monday, per the NHL media site.

Niederreiter has been sidelined since late February, but he's been cleared to return to game action for the first time since the Olympic break. Across 55 appearances this year, he's recorded eight goals, 11 assists, 66 hits, 20 blocked shots and 14 PIM while averaging 13:54 of ice time.

Gauthier was reassigned to ECHL Wheeling on Monday, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.

Gauthier was able to serve as the backup against the Panthers on Sunday, but he won't be making his NHL debut any time soon. If Stuart Skinner (upper body) isn't ready to face the Devils on Thursday, fantasy managers can likely expect Sergei Murashov to be elevated from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton -- which means the 25-year-old Gauthier figures to spend the rest of the year in the minors.

Mangiapane (upper body) will be available for Monday's matchup against San Jose, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Based on Monday's morning skate, Mangiapane could replace Andre Burakovsky in the lineup versus the Sharks. The 30-year-old Mangiapane missed the last nine games due to injury. Since being acquired from Edmonton on March 4, he has one goal, one assist, six shots on net, eight blocked shots and 11 hits in seven appearances for Chicago.

Verhaeghe tallied a goal and fired five shots on net in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Penguins.

Verhaeghe ended Pittsburgh's run of four consecutive goals in Sunday's matchup with a power-play marker late in the third period. With the tally, he surpassed his point total from a season ago and is on pace to post the third-best campaign of his seven-year NHL career. Overall, Verhaeghe has 24 goals, 54 points, 183 shots on net, 66 hits and 21 blocked shots across 75 games this season. The 30-year-old winger has been one of the few players who have kept Florida's offense afloat during their recent struggles and still holds solid fantasy value for the remainder of the regular season.

Draisaitl (lower body) has not started skating but is expected to get on the ice soon, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports Monday.

Draisaitl has been on the shelf for nine straight games due to his lower-body problem and is expected to miss at least five more since the Oilers ruled him out for the regular season. Prior to getting hurt, the 30-year-old center was riding a nine-game point streak during which he produced six goals and 11 helpers. At this point, there is still time for the German to get back to 100 percent before the start of the playoffs, though it could be close.

Schwindt scored a goal on three shots and dished out three hits in Sunday's 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh.

Schwindt found the back of the net late in the opening period to tie the game at one apiece. Overall, the 24-year-old winger is up to four goals, six points, 15 shots on net, 30 hits and eight blocked shots across 24 games this season. Since his return from a lower-body injury, he has two points, three shots on net and five hits across two games. With a plethora of injuries in Florida's forward room, Schwindt should see steady playing time for the remainder of the season as the Panthers' fourth-line center.

Chinakhov dished out two assists in Sunday's 5-2 win over Florida.

Chinakhov continued his recent dominance with his third multi-point game over Pittsburgh's last four outings. The 25-year-old winger's move to the Penguins stands as one of the greatest acquisitions made by a team this season. Across 40 games in Pittsburgh, Chinakhov has 17 goals and 33 points. He's earned 19 of those points over his last 17 games, and his recent success has earned him a spot as the Penguins' top-line left winger. He provides both offensive upside and decent category coverage, making him an excellent waiver-wire addition in all leagues where he isn't already rostered.

Lankinen has been ruled out for Tuesday's home game against the Golden Knights due to an upper-body injury, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports.

Lankinen missed Saturday's game against the Mammoth due to an illness, but he's also dealing with an upper-body issue that will sideline him for a second consecutive matchup. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return, but Jiri Patera will presumably remain with Vancouver for Tuesday's game.

Kane is considered day-to-day due to an upper-body injury, Jeff Paterson of CanucksArmy.com reports Monday.

Kane has been in and out of the lineup due to a lingering undisclosed injury, including missing two of the last three contests. In his 71 appearances this year, the 34-year-old winger has notched 13 goals, 18 assists and 171 shots on net.

Namestnikov (lower body) will play against Seattle on Monday.

Following an 18-game absence, Namestnikov will occupy a bottom-six role and could see power-play time with the second unit against the Kraken on Monday. He has contributed seven goals, 13 points, 70 shots on net, 36 blocked shots and 71 hits across 57 appearances this season.