NHL Player News

Kirkland was shipped down to AHL Iowa on Thursday.

Kirkland will make way for defenseman Carson Lambos, as the Wild are dealing with some injuries on the blue line. The 30-year-old Kirkland served as a healthy scratch during his stint in the NHL and is unlikely to be anything more than an emergency depth option for the organization moving forward.

Lund (upper body) was reassigned to AHL San Jose on Thursday.

Lund began the regular season on non-roster injured reserve due to an upper-body injury, but his reassignment to the AHL signals that he's ready to return to game action. He made 37 regular-season appearances with the Barracuda last year and recorded nine goals, 16 assists and 12 PIM.

Granlund (upper body) did not practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day.

Granlund's status ahead of Friday's clash against the Bruins is in jeopardy following Thursday's injury designation. The 34-year-old center has been a rock for the Ducks to fall back on early this season, compiling two goals, eight points, 12 shots on net and six blocked shots across six outings. Granlund's status will be monitored closely over the next 24 hours, but if he can't go Friday, either Roger McQueen or A.J. Greer would likely take his place as the team's second-line center.

Namestnikov will be a game-time decision against the Blackhawks on Thursday after suffering an undisclosed injury during the morning skate, Mitchell Clinton of the Jets' official site reports.

Namestnikov has been struggling offensively this season, failing to score a goal through the first six games of the year and going without a shot in his last three outings. If the 33-year-old forward continues to underwhelm, he could find himself serving as a scratch even if healthy. If Namestnikov can't play Thursday, Brad Lambert will replace him in the lineup.

Dickinson's status for Thursday's game against the Mammoth is up in the air after he exited midway through the Oilers' morning skate for an undisclosed reason, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Dickinson missed the start of the regular season due to a foot injury, but he's been back in action for the past three games, recording no goals, an assist, three hits and three blocked shots while averaging 12:12 of ice time. It's unclear whether his early exit from Thursday's morning skate is related to his previous injury, but he'll presumably be monitored by the team's medical staff in the hours leading up to Thursday's puck drop.

Barzal (knee) will not join the Islanders for their two-game road trip, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports Thursday.

Barzal racked up 72 points in 81 regular-season games last year, including 20 power-play points and four game-winning goals. At this point, the team hasn't offered any specific recovery timeline for the 29-year-old center. Whenever Barzal returns, it should be in a top-six role that includes time with the man advantage.

Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) will be sidelined against Utah on Thursday, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports.

Nugent-Hopkins has been skating with his teammates but will not be ready to get into the lineup Thursday. In 72 regular-season games last year, the 33-year-old center produced 20 goals and 36 assists, including 29 power-play points. Once given the all-clear, Nugent-Hopkins figures to slot into a top-six role while also seeing power-play minutes.

Chytil (shoulder) will be in the lineup versus Florida on Thursday, Ben Kuzma of Postmedia reports.

Chytil hasn't appeared in an NHL game since Feb. 2 versus Utah due to his shoulder problem. With the 27-year-old Czech cleared to go, he figures to slot into the third-line center role while also linking up with the No. 2 power-play unit. In limited action last year, Chytil notched three goals and zero assists in 12 regular-season tilts.

Greig (strain) is expected to be in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Islanders.

Greig missed the final frame of Tuesday's game against the Blues due to a strain, but he's expected to center the fourth line a few days later. Across his five appearances to begin the regular season, he's recorded no goals, an assist, six hits, six PIM and five blocked shots while averaging 16:33 of ice time.

Bourque (upper body) will be a game-time decision for Thursday's clash with San Jose, Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports.

Bourque is at risk of missing his third straight game due to his upper-body problem, though he hasn't been officially ruled out. Even if the 24-year-old center does get into the lineup, it figures to be in a bottom-six role where he will offer minimal fantasy upside.