NHL Player News

Faber (skull) has cleared his return to play protocol and could resume skating within a few days, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

While there's no official timetable for Faber's return yet, he checked off a crucial box in his recovery Thursday, as he's progressed through his return to play protocol. The 24-year-old blueliner suffered his skull injury in the preseason, which has kept him sidelined on injured reserve throughout the entire regular season thus far. He remains one of the best IR stashes for fantasy managers who drafted him, and when he's able to return, Faber is a must-start in all fantasy formats given his two-way success to begin his NHL career.

Byram (upper body) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Red Wings, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports.

Byram continues to deal with an upper-body injury, and he'll be unavailable for a sixth consecutive matchup. However, he skated in a non-contact sweater during the team's morning skates Tuesday and Thursday, so he at least appears to be trending in the right direction.

Vlasic is questionable for Thursday's game against the Red Wings due to an illness, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports.

Vlasic didn't participate in Thursday's morning skate, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be forced to miss a game due to his illness. The 25-year-old defenseman has appeared in each of the Blackhawks' first 12 games of the regular season, recording two assists, 17 blocked shots, four hits and two PIM while averaging 20:26 of ice time.

Marchand (leg) has started skating and is tentatively three weeks away from returning, per George Richards.

Marchand has appeared in just two games for the Panthers this season, as he sustained a left-leg injury on Oct. 6. He seems to be progressing through his expected six-week timeline for return smoothly, as he's now down to half that. The 38-year-old winger will likely be ramped up over the next few weeks, and barring any setbacks, he should have a chance to return to the Panthers' lineup prior to U.S. Thanksgiving. For now, he's a solid IR stash in all fantasy formats.

Greaves will start Thursday's road game against Carolina, Dave Maetzold of DMaetz Media reports.

Greaves has sat out three of the Blue Jackets' last four games, but he'll return to the crease on the road Thursday. The 25-year-old has had a shaky start to the regular season, going 2-3-0 with a 3.33 GAA and .883 save percentage.

Barkov (lower body) resumed skating Wednesday, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

While head coach Paul Maurice said Thursday that Barkov is still believed to be approximately four weeks away from returning, the 31-year-old appears to be making encouraging progress in his recovery. Barkov initially received a return timetable of 6-8 weeks after sustaining a lower-body injury in early October, and Thursday's update puts him on track to return around the later end of that estimate.

Girard (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision for Thursday's home game against the Mammoth, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports.

Girard has missed each of the last three games with an undisclosed injury. It appears that he has a chance to play Thursday, but the Penguins would need to activate him from injured reserve prior to the contest if he's to appear in the lineup. Prior to going down with the injury, the 28-year-old blueliner got off to a strong start to the season with a goal, seven points, 12 shots on net, five hits and 10 blocked shots over nine appearances. If he's ultimately given the green light, he'll likely rejoin the team's second defensive pairing, where he should continue to be a relevant fantasy asset in deep leagues this season.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Thursday that Hall (undisclosed) will miss a few more games, Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Hall was already expected to miss more time after the Hurricanes announced Tuesday that he had tweaked something different from his previous upper-body injury. While the exact nature of his new injury aren't yet clear, the 34-year-old is expected to be sidelined for multiple additional games following his setback.

Malkin (illness) is expected to play in Thursday's home clash against the Mammoth, per Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site.

Head coach Dan Muse stated that the line of Malkin, Egor Chinakhov and Ben Kindel are all expected to make their respective returns to the lineup in Thursday's contest. The 40-year-old Malkin missed just one contest due to an illness, but he's set to pick up where he left off. Across 11 appearances this season, the 21-year NHL veteran has six goals, nine points, a plus-1 rating and 22 shots on net. Malkin can be placed back into fantasy lineups given his extensive resume of success in the NHL.

Oettinger was the first goalie off during Thursday's morning skate, Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine reports, indicating that he'll draw the home start against the Canadiens.

Oettinger has been strong over the past two weeks, going 4-0-0 with a shutout, a 1.71 GAA and a .909 save percentage across four starts during that time. The Canadiens have recorded 3.00 goals per game to begin the regular season, which is tied for 17th in the NHL.