NHL Player News

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.

Hildeby is expected to return to the lineup for Thursday's clash against the Kraken, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

Hildeby will likely be available to back up Andrei Vasilevskiy in Thursday's clash after Jonas Johansson was sent back to AHL Syracuse. Before Hildeby's one-game absence, the 25-year-old netminder posted a win in his lone outing of the season, stopping 34 shots in a 3-2 win over the Wild. Now that he appears to be healthy, he'll likely see another appearance within Tampa Bay's next handful of games.

Buchnevich returned to St. Louis ahead of the birth of his child, the team announced Thursday.

Buchnevich won't be available to face the Wild on Thursday and could be in danger of missing Saturday's clash with the Predators as well. Through six games this year, the 31-year-old winger has produced one goal and four assists, including a pair of power-play points. With Buchnevich away from the team, Dylan Peterson or Ross Johnston could move into a bigger role.

Head coach Scott Arniel said Thursday that Morrissey (wrist) is considered week-to-week, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Morrissey sustained a wrist injury against the Avalanche on Oct. 7 and was initially considered day-to-day. He's slated to miss a third consecutive game Thursday against the Blackhawks and will require more time to recover than the Jets initially expected. Arniel said that Morrissey isn't expected to require surgery to address the issue, but it's not yet clear when the defenseman will be back in action.

Knight will guard the home net in Thursday's clash against the Jets, per Jack Bushman of Chicago Hockey Now.

Knight will look to build momentum off his second win of the 2026-27 campaign, where he made 24 saves in a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh. Overall, the 25-year-old netminder has a 2-3-0 record, a 3.64 GAA and an .885 save percentage across five appearances. While he's trending in the right direction in fantasy, he'll face off against the Jets on Thursday, who have won four of their first six games to open the new season. Knight is a decent spot start for Thursday, but fantasy managers should exercise caution with him until the Blackhawks can string together multiple sound defensive performances.

Evangelista (illness) will not play in Thursday's home clash against the Rangers, per Kristy Flannery.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe shared that Evangelista hasn't been able to shake off a fever, which will keep him sidelined for his second consecutive contest. Prior to the illness, the 24-year-old winger posted two goals, three points, 12 shots on net and four blocked shots across five appearances. If he's able to get back to full health prior to Saturday's road contest against the Capitals, he'll have a chance to rejoin the team's top six.

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.

Nedeljkovic will start Thursday's road game against Nashville, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Nedeljkovic has seen limited playing time early in the 2026-27 campaign, as he started just one of the Sharks' first six games of the year. He was effective during his previous start, turning aside 24 of 26 shots (.923 save percentage) during an overtime win over the Blues on the road. Nedeljkovic made a pair of road starts against the Predators last year, going 1-1-0 with a 4.00 GAA and .830 save percentage.

Hyman (undisclosed) will not play in Thursday's home clash against the Mammoth, per Mark Spector of Sportsnet.

Hyman is slated to miss his sixth consecutive clash with an undisclosed injury. The 34-year-old winger posted a plus-1 rating, three shots on net and two hits in his lone outing of the 2026-27 season. He'll likely continue to carry the day-to-day tag until his return, with his next chance of coming back being Saturday's game in Utah.