NHL Player News

The Islanders placed Ritchie (lower body) on injured reserve Monday, retroactive to Oct. 17.

The Islanders announced last week that Ritchie would be sidelined approximately 4-6 weeks due to his lower-body injury, so his placement on injured reserve doesn't come as a surprise and won't impact his timeline. Mitchell Chaffee will likely continue to see increased playing time while Ritchie is unavailable.

Greene scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Panthers.

This was Greene's first goal of the season. The 23-year-old has maintained a bottom-six presence for much of the season, and that role will continue to limit his scoring potential. He's at three points, 11 shots on net and a plus-1 rating over 11 appearances.

Vilmanis scored a goal on four shots and added two hits in Sunday's 3-2 win over Chicago.

Vilmanis was scratched Thursday versus the Penguins amid a slow start to the campaign. That may end up serving as his wake-up call -- he scored Sunday while playing on the second line at even strength. Vilmanis has two points, 15 shots, 32 hits and a minus-2 rating over 11 appearances. If he can get his offense on track, the 22-year-old winger has fantasy potential as a power forward, though it'll be a couple of years before he's close to his peak.

Eller scored a goal on two shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over Chicago.

Eller's goal was the game-winner, coming with 2:23 left in the third period. The 37-year-old has moved around the lineup early in the campaign to help the Panthers overcome some early injuries. He's done a fair job of adding depth scoring with a goal and five assists over 12 outings. He's also produced 11 shots on net, seven hits, eight blocked shots and a plus-3 rating. Eller's value remains higher on the ice than in fantasy, as he doesn't do enough of anything to move the needle outside the deepest formats.

Backlund (upper body) will be a game-time decision against Toronto on Monday, per Pat Steinberg of QR Calgary 770 AM.

After missing the last two games with an upper-body injury, Backlund appears to be on track to play against the Maple Leafs. He returned to his regular top-line role during Monday's morning skate and went through his normal game-day routine. Backlund has earned one goal, two points, 24 shots on net, three blocked shots and seven hits in eight appearances this season.

Jankowski (lower body) won't play against Boston on Tuesday, per Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News.

Jankowski will miss his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury, but he is expected to rejoin his teammates for Tuesday's morning skate. He has contributed six goals, one assist, 15 shots on net, six hits and four blocked shots in nine appearances this season.

The Flyers announced Monday that Ristolainen is expected to miss approximately two weeks due to an upper-body injury.

Ristolainen returned to game action Saturday against the Ducks following a nine-game absence due to a hand injury. However, head coach Rick Tocchet said Monday that Ristolainen aggravated the issue, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, which will result in another multi-week absence. Ristolainen could return at some point in the first half of November, but the Flyers' blue line will get a boost before then as Cam York (upper body) has been practicing recently and appears to be trending toward a return.

Nikishin (not injury related) will need some time before he makes his 2026-27 debut, according to Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal on Monday.

After agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Hurricanes on Sunday, Nikishin has no timeline in place for his season debut. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters Monday that Nikishin will need a "mini training camp" to get up to speed. The 25-year-old Nikishin registered 11 goals, 33 points, 132 hits, 122 shots on net and 94 blocked shots in 81 regular-season appearances with Carolina in 2025-26.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday that Hellebuyck (not injury related) intends to play during the Devils' upcoming three-game road trip, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

While Hellebuyck appears to be close to making his team debut, Keefe said that there are "several boxes they'll need to tick" before the Devils officially give the green light to their new netminder. If Hellebuyck is held out during New Jersey's back-to-back set that includes a game against Dallas on Tuesday and a matchup against Colorado on Wednesday, Jake Allen and Remi Poirier would likely handle goaltending duties for the Devils.

Thompson (lower body) participated in Monday's practice and remains day-to-day ahead of Wednesday's home matchup against Philadelphia, per Sammi Silber of The District Standard.

Thompson missed Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over Buffalo due to a lower-body injury, but he is making progress. He has posted a 4-3-0 record, 2.90 GAA and .901 save percentage in seven appearances this season. Thompson remains on injured reserve for now, and it's unclear when he will be available to return to the lineup. Charlie Lindgren will handle the No. 1 role for the Capitals until Thompson is healthy, and Mitchell Gibson will serve as the backup.