NHL Player News

Back (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Friday, retroactive to Oct. 14.

Back exited Wednesday's matchup against the Avalanche due to his upper-body injury, and he's facing a multi-game absence after landing on injured reserve. It's not yet clear when Back or Wyatt Johnston (illness) will be able to return to action, but David Perron could see playing time after signing with the Stars on Thursday.

Sourdif didn't participate in Friday's practice session due to an illness, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

Sourdif hasn't yet missed a game to begin the regular season, recording a goal, 13 hits, eight PIM and two blocked shots while averaging 13:24 of ice time. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available for Saturday's game against the Devils, but Ethen Frank will be a candidate to enter the lineup if Sourdif is sidelined, especially if Pierre-Luc Dubois (illness), who also missed Friday's practice session, remains out.

Stamkos scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Sharks.

Stamkos provided one of Nashville's two regulation goals, and the veteran sniper remains a productive offensive threat, cracking the scoresheet in all but one of his seven regular-season appearances. He has eight points (four goals, four assists) and 13 shots so far, and his role in the top line of both even strength and power play suggests he should continue to find ample opportunities to produce moving forward.

O'Reilly scored a goal on four shots in Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Sharks.

O'Reilly continued to provide offensive production for Nashville, finding the back of the net while recording four shots -- he's taken multiple shots in three of his last four games while notching four points (three goals, one assist) in that span. The 35-year-old winger should remain a prominent offensive threat for the Predators while being a regular fixture in the Preds' first line both in even-strength and power-play scenarios.

Copp scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Flyers.

Copp scored one of the Red Wings' two goals and finished with a plus-1 rating. The 32-year-old veteran plays a bottom-six role, so he's not expected to be a major scorer. He has two goals this season, but he's been a bit more active offensively lately -- this was his second straight game with two or more shots on goal.

Chytil picked up an assist in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers.

Seeing his first action of the season after finally recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered back in February, Chytil dug the puck out of the corner during a stretch of 4-on-4 hockey and set up an Elias Pettersson tally late in the first period that gave the Canucks a 2-0 lead. Chytil saw time on the second power-play unit as well as on the penalty kill, and the 27-year-old has been dropped right into a key role in the top six. Since being acquired from the Rangers at the 2024-25 trade deadline as part of the J.T. Miller deal, Chytil has only been healthy enough to play 28 games for the Canucks, collecting five goals on 68 shots with five assists, but an extended run of better injury luck should allow him to be more productive.

Winterton scored a goal Thursday in a 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay.

It was Winterton's second goal of the season and fifth point (two goals, three assists) in his last four games. Not bad for a 23-year-old depth grinder whose best season was 2025-26, when he scored four goals, added 14 assists and delivered 74 hits in 68 games. This is a nice run, but Winterton does little in any fantasy arena.

James logged an assist, three hits and two PIM in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Kraken.

James missed a couple of weeks to begin the season while recovering from a broken hand. He got a little time at AHL Syracuse over the weekend to get up to game speed, but he should be a bottom-six regular for the Lightning moving forward. As a rookie last year, he put up 15 points over 43 regular-season outings, giving him 30-point potential if he can avoid further injuries and show a little development in his second NHL campaign.

Lombardi notched two assists, two shots on goal and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 7-1 win over the Rangers.

Lombardi is up to three helpers over seven contests to begin his rookie year. The 23-year-old forward had added 14 shots on net, eight PIM and three hits from a fourth-line role. Lombardi's potential will be limited in the bottom six, but he has done well with the playing time he's been given so far.

Mercer logged two assists, three shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 7-1 win over the Rangers.

Mercer's offense is starting to surface -- he has three helpers over his last two games. The 24-year-old forward had gone five contests without a point to start the season. Mercer has added 18 shots on net, four blocked shots and a minus-2 rating. He's in a top-six role, so he should have plenty of opportunities to contribute, but his overall usage, particularly on the power play, is down to start 2026-27.