NHL Hockey Player News

Benn's injured wrist kept him out of last night's contest and it will likely keep him out tomorrow. Monitor his status tomorrow for a more accurate report on his availability.

Lupul has only appeared in three games this season but is nearing a return from a broken forearm. The Maple Leafs are in the middle of a tight playoff race and it has all been done without Lupul. Getting him back will be like trading for a top-6 forward but not giving up anything. He should have an immediate impact on the Leafs lineup when he returns.

Nyquist will need to take advantage of his time on Datsyuk's line if he wants to play there permanently. Abdelkader has yet to produce on that line so Nyquist should have no problem bumping him down.

Abdelkader has been playing with Datsyuk lately and he will stay there at least for the start of the game. Even though he is playing with one of the best players in the NHL he still only has one goal and one assist in 26 games this season.

Green has been in-an-out of the Capitals lineup this season as he has for the last couple of seasons. It is come to be expected that he will miss some time due to injury. He has skated two days in a row and could be back tomorrow vs. Carolina, but you never know with Green.

Laich has yet to play this season after suffering a groin injury during the NHL lockout. He has been cleared for contact but has suffered a few setbacks on his road to recovery. He has now skated two days in a row so it appears as if he is nearing a return.

Zucker was the victim of a vicious hit by Corey Perry last night that will likely result in Perry being suspended. Zucker stayed down for a few minutes before being helped off the ice by trainers. When there are hits to the head the first concern is always a concussion, but the fact that Zucker is skating this morning is positive news.

Glencross missed the Flames last two games and will be a game-time decision tonight vs. the Red Wings. He has eight goals and five assists in 22 games this season.

Brodeur hasn't played since February 21st because of a back injury. He skated this morning so he should be nearing a return, and his return could not come soon enough for the Devils. They have lost seven of nine games since he was injured.

Olesz has yet to appear in a game for the Blackhawks this season. He is not fantasy relevant.

Slater only has one goal and one assist in 26 games. He is not fantasy relevant.

Crawford lost each of his last two starts against Colorado and Edmonton. He will get the start tomorrow against Columbus where he will look to get back into the win column. It is a great matchup for Crawford, so start him with confidence.

Filppula who has missed the Red Wings last seven games with the shoulder injury will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Flames. He will play on a line with Henrik Zetterberg and Damien Brunner.

White was a healthy scratch for six straight games but finally made his way back into the lineup on Sunday. He will be out again tonight so Brian Lashoff will draw back onto the Red Wings blueline.

Howard will not start tonight because of the flu, so Jonas Gustavsson will get the nod for the Red Wings.

Jimmy Howard has the flu and did not practice this morning so Gustavsson will be between the pipes tonight against the Flames. He allowed three goals on 24 shots in his last start vs. the Blue Jackets. Gustavsson has a good matchup vs. the Flames so he could make for a good spot start.

He suffered the injury halfway through the second period yesterday after he tried to hit Brent Burns. Oshie has five goals and 12 assists in 26 games this season. Monitor his status prior to tomorrow's game.

Pyatt suffered an upper-body injury in yesterday's game. He has five goals and five assists in 26 games this season. His status for tomorrow's games is unknown.

Geoffrion suffered a skull fracture and a concussion after taking a hit from Syracuse Crunch defenceman Jean-Philippe Cote during an AHL game in November. Geoffrion was a second round selection of the Nashville Predators, 56th overall, at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft before being traded to the Canadiens in exchange for Hal Gill on Feb. 25, 2012. He has four goals and two assists through 10 games this season with the Bulldogs, and has registered eight goals and five assists with a plus- 3 rating through 55 career NHL games played.

Neuvirth has only started 7 games this season, posting a sub-par .890% SV%. The high-scoring Canes are not a great matchup and with the number of games today, he should probably be benched.