NHL Hockey Player News

Hudler missed Saturday's game with the flu, but will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Predators. Hudler already has two goals and one assist in two games this season.

Per reports, this injury is not new, it is the same injury that bother Gaborik in the preseason, but it sounds like he will miss some time. Mike Richards is skating in Gaborik's spot on the top-line in practice this morning with Andy Andreoff centring the fourth line. Expect a more detailed update following the morning skate.

Bennett will likely miss 4-6 months and be returned to juniors and be back in Calgary for training camp next season.

Head coach Ted Nolan said that Hodgson's stay on the wing is over because the centres could not get him the puck. Hodgson will shift back to the middle between Marcus Foligno and Chris Stewart tonight vs. Carolina.

Foligno missed Monday's matinee vs. the Ducks, but will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Hurricanes. He will skate on the left wing with Cody Hodgson and Chris Stewart.

Reinhart has no points, two shots and a minus-1 rating while averaging 12:47 TOI in his first three NHL games. The Sabres can keep him up for nine-games without burning a year of his entry level contract, so going to the fourth line seems like he is destined to be returned to juniors after the nine-game stint.

This comes as no surprise as Datsyuk has yet to be cleared for contact and he was not expected to return this soon from the beginning. The Red Wings are playing well despite missing their top centre, but they definitely want him in the lineup sooner rather than later. Monitor his status as we head toward the Friday-Satruday, home-and-home series vs. the Maple Leafs.

Strachan will replace Andrej Meszaros on the blueline after Mezaros posted a dreadful minus-6 rating through the first three games of the season. The 29-year-old D-man had just two assists in 18 games with the Capitals last year.

Howard allowed three goals on 26 shots, including a last minute goal to Ryan Getzlaf, as the Red Wings dropped their first game of the year, 3-2 to Anaheim on Saturday. Howie looked good despite the heartbreaking loss and should make for a nice start against a Bruins team he has already beaten this season and who are struggling to find twine.

Lehtonen stopped 24 of 26 shots in a shootout loss to the Blackhawks in the Stars season opener. He took a seat while Anders Lindback started on Saturday but it looks like he will get back in tonight vs. Columbus. The Blue Jackets are 2-0-0 but their lineup is banged up so Lehtonen should make for a strong start tonight.

Rinne stopped 17 of 18 shots in a 4-1 win over the Stars on Saturday. Through two games, Rinne has only faced 38 shots and stopped 35 them (.921 SV%) en route to a 2-0-0 start. Tonight he will get the start against a 1-2-0 Flames team so get him in your lineup!

Head coach Bruce Boudreau said both goalies would play twice on this road-trip which suggested John Gibson would start tonight after Andersen started vs. the Sabres last night. I guess we will have to wait until pre-game warmups to see who gets the start. Andersen faced just 12 shots (stopped 11) in the afternoon game yesterday, so he is fresh enough to play the back-to-back.

Enroth allowed six goals on 47 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Blackhawks on Saturday. Michal Neuvirth got shelled by the Ducks yesterday, so the Sabres will turn to Enroth to get them in the win column vs. the Hurricanes. It is a great matchup given how depleted the Carolina roster is, but any Sabres netminder is hard to trust.

Niemi stopped all 34 shots in the Sharks 4-0 win over the Sharks on opening night. Alex Stalock posted a 30-save shutout of his own on Saturday, but the Sharks will go back to Niemi to try and extend their shutout streak to three games tonight vs. the Capitals. It is worth noting that Niemi is 4-0-2 with a .936 SV% in his career vs. the Caps.

Coburn will miss his third straight game tonight, but getting back on the ice tomorrow would be a big step for the Flyers defenseman who was originally expected to miss a lengthy period of time. There is no timetable for his return, but the injury is not nearly as serious as the Flyers originally feared.

Gagne did not play last season and only scored five goals and 11 assists (16 points) in 38 games between the Kings and Flyers in 2012-13. Gagne skated on the fourth line with Ryan Spooner and Daniel Paille in Tuesday's practice.

Drouin will not play on Tuesday and has yet to participate in any contact drills. He stayed on late this morning and worked on faceoffs, so the rookie is getting closer. Contact is the next step in getting Drouin ready to make his NHL debut.

Fontaine has not played this season due to a groin injury, but he appears to be on track to play on Friday vs. the Ducks. He was skating on the Wild's second line this morning with Mikko Koivu and Thomas Vanek. The extended rest should allow Fontaine to get to 100 per cent before Friday's contest. The 26-year-old winger had 13 goals and eight assists (21 points) in 66 games last year.

Nichushkin is battling a nagging groin/hip injury that will keep him out of tonight's game. He is back in Frisco, Texas getting tested so an update on how long he will be out should be coming soon. Colton Sceviour will play on the Stars top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.

Nabokov went 15-14-8 with a 2.74 GAA and .905 SV% with the Islanders last season, but this year he will play behind a powerful Lightning offence. He will make his debut tonight against a New Jersey team he is very familiar with after years on Long Island. He was 1-2-0 with a 3.66 GAA and .863 SV% against the Devils last year.