NHL Player News

Lehkonen scored two goals on two shots in a 4-3 loss to the Devils on Tueday.

Don't look now, but Lehkonen is tied for second in the NHL in goals with eight (10 games). He also has three assists. And his point streak stands at five games and seven points (five goals, two helpers). But there's a but with Lehkonen that impacts his game on the ice and your trust in him. He has skated in one full season and that's it, and 2018-19 is a long time ago. Still, Lehkonen is worth the gamble because he hops the boards with the Avs' top line at 5v5 and works alongside Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog on the second power-play unit.

Evangelista (illness) had a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-3 win over Colorado.

The forward had missed the previous three games. Evangelista had a two goals, one assist, one PPG and 12 shots in five games prior to missing the time. He's coming off a 56-point (12 goals, 44 assists) with 17 PPP (one PPG) and 176 shots in 81 games in Nashville. Evangelista skates with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier at even strength and hops the boards on the first power play unit. He's in a great spot to replicate or even better his output from last season.

Montour (lower body) is expected to be in the line versus the Red Wings on Tuesday, per Sound of Hockey.

Montour missed one game due to the injury. The 32-year-old defenseman is likely to be back in a top-four role with power-play time. Cale Fleury will give way to make room for Montour's return.

McCabe (face) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Blue Jackets

McCabe was high-sticked in the first period, drawing a double-minor penalty. The 33-year-old defenseman's injury is apparently serious enough to keep him out of the rest of the game. He'll be questionable to play Thursday at home versus the Rangers.

Byfield (upper body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Capitals.

Byfield was initially banged up in practice Monday, and it's possible his early exit Tuesday is a related issue. The 24-year-old center is on a five-game point drought, a slump that saw him dropped to the second line prior to his exit Tuesday. He'll be day-to-day until the Kings provide an additional update, leaving his availability for Thursday versus the Islanders in doubt.

Caulfield (personal) has returned to Southern California for the birth of his first child and will miss Tuesday's game versus the Islanders, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports.

Caulfield will be out for at least one game, though it's unclear if he'll be back in time to play Thursday in New Jersey. Caulfield has earned three points, seven shots on goal and 21 hits over eight contests so far this season.

Markstrom was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers on Tuesday, per the NHL Media Site.

The Panthers announced Tuesday morning that Markstrom was set to miss the next 10-14 days, with his placement on IR later confirming his upcoming absence. The 36-year-old backstop has compiled a 3-1-1 record, a 2.21 GAA and an .897 save percentage across six outings to open the new season. Upon his return, which is projected to happen in early November, Markstrom is set to be a strong fantasy option behind a solid defensive unit.

Carcone (upper body) was placed on injured reserve by the Mammoth on Tuesday.

Carcone's shift to injured reserve was done in correspondence to the team's call up of Artyom Duda, who could be filling in for the injured John Marino (upper body). Prior to the IR move, the 30-year-old Carcone posted two points, 17 shots on net and 11 hits across five appearances. His placement on injured reserve leaves him out of the picture for at least another week, but he could have a chance to return prior to the end of October.

Nedeljkovic will defend the road net against Montreal on Tuesday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Nedeljkovic will get the second half of San Jose's back-to-back after Yaroslav Askarov played in Monday's 3-1 loss to Toronto. The 30-year-old Nedeljkovic has made 80 saves on 87 shots during his 2-0-1 start to the 2026-27 campaign. Montreal (4-3-1) is tied for 13th in the league this season with 3.13 goals per game.

Wennberg (upper body) will not be available versus Montreal on Tuesday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

With Wennberg unavailable, Ty Dellandrea will get into the lineup, while Zack Ostapchuk could see the biggest uptick in minutes, including with the man advantage. For his part, Wennberg is considered day-to-day and hasn't been ruled out long-term.