Coyotes' Kyle Capobianco: Set for increased role

Carlson (face) was on the ice prior to Friday's optional skate, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports. Carlson has not played since taking a slap shot to the face during a 4-1 victory over Winnipeg on Dec. 23. The 33-year-old is still a long way from returning to the lineup, but his presence on the ice is a good sign that his recovery is progressing.

Andersen (upper body) won't return to Wednesday's game versus the Stars, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. Andersen was hurt in the first period and didn't return to start the second. Antti Raanta took over in goal and could see an uptick in playing time if Andersen is out for any length of time. Pyotr Kochetkov could also be recalled if Andersen's injury is anything more than just a minor bump. The Hurricanes' next game is Friday versus the Sharks.

Kucherov scored a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Wild. After helping to set up Steven Stamkos for the game-winner midway through the third period, Kucherov iced things with an empty-netter. The 29-year-old has found the scoresheet in four straight games and nine of the last 10, racking up six goals and 15 points over that stretch. If he can stay healthy, Kucherov is on track to reach 100 points for the first time since 2018-19.

Wilson (lower body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Avalanche. Wilson blocked a shot off of his right leg in the second period, which is the opposite leg from the one he had ACL surgery on last spring. He can be considered day-to-day for now, and he'll likely be evaluated further when the Capitals return home to face the Penguins on Thursday.

Toews won't play Thursday versus the Flames due to an illness. Toews' absence likely means Luke Philp draws into the lineup, while Jason Dickinson could be in line for more ice time. The Blackhawks' next game is Saturday in Edmonton, but it's unknown if Toews will be healthy enough to play in that contest.

Duffy signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Friday. The veteran infielder will be given an invitation to major-league spring training. It's a good landing spot for Duffy, as the Royals recently freed up the potential for more playing time in the infield when they traded Adalberto Mondesi. Duffy was solid for the Cubs in 2021 but struggled last season with the Angels, putting up a .619 OPS across 247 plate appearances.

Castano (shoulder) cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville by the Marlins on Thursday, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Miami designated Castano for assignment last week as the corresponding 40-man roster move for its completion of a free-agent agreement with veteran starter Johnny Cueto. The 28-year-old left-hander holds a 3.89 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 45:28 K:BB ratio in 85.2 career innings at the MLB level.

Sheffield cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma by the Mariners on Thursday. Sheffield got the boot off the 40-man roster last week to open up a 40-man roster spot for Tommy La Stella. A former top prospect, Sheffield holds a career 5.47 ERA in 186 innings (33 starts, 15 relief appearances) at the major-league level. It's certainly notable that he didn't draw much interest from other MLB teams on the waiver wire leading into what will be his age-27 campaign.

Voth has avoided arbitration with the Orioles and signed a one-year contract Thursday, which includes a club option for 2024. Voth will be guaranteed $1.85 million with this new deal, and the 2024 option is worth $2.45 million with escalators that could add another $500,000. The 30-year-old right-hander struggled out of the gate last season with Washinton before moving on to Baltimore and registering a sharp 3.04 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 17 starts and five relief appearances covering 83 innings. He projects to operate in a swingman role again for the O's in 2023, shuffling between long relief and emergency starting/opening duties.

Wilson (lower body) will be a game-time decision for Thursday's showdown with the Penguins, Samantha Pell of The Washington Post reports. Wilson exited in the second period of Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche and did not partake in Thursday's morning skate, but is officially a game-time call. The 28-year-old winger has two goals and three points in eight games -- alongside a paltry minus-7 rating.

Barton ended with eight points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3Pt), two rebounds and three assists over 15 minutes during Tuesday's 127-126 win over Dallas. Barton remains an afterthought when it comes to fantasy, logging just 15 minutes in the victory. Prior to Tuesday, he had not even been in the rotation for over a week, highlighting what a struggle it has been since arriving in Washington. At this point, it appears as though a trade is Barton's only chance at redeeming himself. For now, however, managers can focus their attention elsewhere.

Tatis (shoulder/wrist/suspension) took batting practice Thursday, Hector Gomez of Z101Digital.com reports. Tatis was cleared to resume baseball activity Jan. 6 and this was his first public step toward returning to the field since. He is expected to be ready to participate at the start of spring training, though he'll still be required to sit out the first 20 games of the season due to a PED suspension. After missing the entire 2022 campaign, Tatis will have high expectations in 2023 after posting an OPS above .930 in all three of his previous seasons in the majors.

Ovechkin scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche. Ovechkin said after the game he didn't feel 100 percent, per Samantha Pell of The Washington Post, but the star winger was good enough to suit up for a team that would have had to dress seven defensemen if he didn't play. Through 10 contests in January, he's scored five goals and added three assists. The 37-year-old is up to 31 tallies, 53 points, 208 shots on net, 127 hits and a plus-2 rating through 49 appearances.

Ayton (illness) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Charlotte, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports. Ayton was downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day, so this latest update comes as no surprise. He'll miss his third straight contest while recovering from an illness.

Kane scored a goal on two shots and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Canucks. Kane opened the scoring with a shot from just inside the blue line at 17:49 of the first period. The 34-year-old has two goals and two helpers over six contests since he returned from a lower-body injury. He's up to nine goals, 31 points, 145 shots on net and a minus-26 rating through 43 appearances.

Adams (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game at Golden State. The veteran center sat out Monday's matchup with the Kings due to right knee soreness and will be sidelined Wednesday for the second straight game. Xavier Tillman started in Adams' place Monday and could do so again versus the Warriors.

Pastrnak tallied a goal and three assists in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Canadiens. Pastrnak was involved in all four of Boston's goals Tuesday, grabbing assists on their first three tallies before scoring an empty-netter to cap the victory. Pastrnak has yet to go more than one game without recording a point this season. He's second in the NHL with 37 goals and third in points with 69. Pastrnak now has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last six games.

Sacramento Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter is putting his own absurd spin on the “around the world” drill. The Kings posted a jaw-dropping video this week of Huerter doing a three-point workout in the gym. In the video, which the Kings used to lobby the NBA to give Huerter a spot in the Three Point Contest... The post Kings guard Kevin Huerter has insane three-point workout video appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Love (back) won't play Thursday against the Rockets, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. After getting added to the injury report late Thursday, Love will ultimately sit out against the Rockets, putting Dean Wade and Cedi Osman in line for more minutes. The veteran's next chance to return to the court will be Friday against the Thunder.

Vosler signed a minor-league deal with the Mariners on Jan. 18. Vosler was designated for assignment by the Giants in November, and he elected free agency after refusing an outright assignment to Triple-A Sacramento. The infielder forged a slash line of .242/.311/.433 with 18 homers in 360 at-bats with the River Cats in 2022.