NHL Player News

Ristolainen (upper body) won't travel with the Flyers ahead of Thursday's game against the Red Wings but is closing in on a return, Charlie O'Connor of PHLY Sports reports.

Ristolainen has been sidelined since early October due to his upper-body injury. He'll be sidelined for a sixth consecutive game Thursday but seems to be closer to day-to-day at this point despite remaining on injured reserve. The Flyers will return home for Saturday's game against the Senators, but it's not yet clear whether Ristolainen will get the green light to suit up in that matchup.

Tarasov will be between the pipes at home against the Flyers on Thursday, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Tarasov registered a 30-save shutout performance against the Canadiens on Oct. 10, but fell in the shootout, saddling him with an overtime loss. It was an impressive outing for the 27-year-old backstop, though he is likely still behind veteran John Gibson on the Wings' goalie depth chart. Still, if Tarasov can string together some high-end performances, he could force his way into more opportunities in the future.

Matheson (lower body) is expected to miss Wednesday's game in Washington, per Marco D'Amico of BPM Sports.

Matheson also missed Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over Buffalo due to the injury. He has an assist, six PIM, two hits and 10 blocks in five appearances with the Canadiens this season. Matheson is considered day-to-day, so he still might return to the lineup Saturday versus the Sabres. The 32-year-old should regain his top-four spot once he's healthy.

Lindgren will defend the home crease against the Canadiens on Wednesday, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reports.

After Logan Thompson drew the start during Tuesday's 4-2 road loss to Carolina, Lindgren will tend the twine for the second time this season in the second half of the back-to-back set. Lindgren allowed two goals on 29 shots (.931 save percentage) in a 3-1 road loss to Tampa Bay during his first start of the season.

Sogaard was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Wednesday.

Sogaard was summoned Tuesday, and he served as the backup behind Andrei Vasilevskiy in that night's 4-1 loss to the Rangers. Sogaard was with the team because Dennis Hildeby (undisclosed) wasn't available. Sogaard's return to the minors might indicate that Hildeby is expected to be fine for Thursday's home game against Seattle, but that hasn't been confirmed.

Slafkovsky notched two assists, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Sabres.

The 22-year-old winger helped set up tallies by Lane Hutson in the first period and Cole Caufield in the second. It was Slafkovsky's first multi-point effort of the season, and through six games he's managed just one goal and three points, a far cry from last season's 30-goal, 73-point pace over 82 regular-season contests.

Nikishin (contract dispute) is on the Hurricanes' injured, non-roster list, per the NHL media site Wednesday.

Nikishin hasn't signed a new contract as a restricted free agent and has officially requested a trade, though nothing has materialized as of yet. Even if the young defenseman were on the roster, he may not be playing on a nightly basis, with Mike Reilly potentially ahead of him on the depth chart.

O'Reilly scored a goal on two shots and added an assist in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

O'Reilly opened the scoring just 3:55 into the first period, then assisted on Adam Edstrom's shorthanded goal in the second. The veteran center also finished with a plus-1 rating in an otherwise disappointing night for Nashville. His substantial playing time and involvement in multiple situations should help him stay relevant in fantasy, though. He has points in four of his last five appearances, tallying two goals and three assists over that stretch.

Hutson scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over Buffalo.

The star blueliner got Montreal on the board late in the first period by snapping home a shot through traffic on a 5-on-3. The goal was Hutson's first of the season and his first power-play point, and through six games he's picked up five helpers to go along with Tuesday's tally.

Karlsson scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Predators.

Karlsson contributed to Vegas' balanced offensive performance, finding the back of the net in the second period to give the Golden Knights a 5-2 lead they'd never relinquish. Karlsson's ability to contribute in multiple situations makes him a useful fantasy option in deeper leagues, especially when his scoring remains consistent. On that note, he has cracked the scoresheet in three of his last four games and has found the twine in back-to-back contests, so he's trending in the right direction.