Staal (illness) will be out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Wild, Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 32-year-old appears to be dealing with flu-like symptoms as the cause for his omission. In his stead, Brendan Smith will draw into the lineup on defense for the first time this season. Staal's absence likely won't affect much from a fantasy perspective, considering he's accumulated just eight points in 38 games.