NHL Player News

Khusnutdinov scored a goal on two shots in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

Khusnutdinov ended a 15-game dry spell with the opening tally 7:07 into the first period of Wednesday's contest. The 22-year-old continues to play in a fourth-line role, and while he's stuck in the lineup, the lack of offense has made him a non-factor in fantasy. For the season, Khusnutdinov is at five points -- one more than he had in 16 outings in 2023-24 -- while adding 25 shots on net, 36 hits, 29 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating through 48 appearances.

Mercer scored a goal in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Flyers.

Mercer has three goals over his last four games, but he's earned a modest five points through 13 outings in January. The 23-year-old is still set for a larger role while Nico Hischier (upper body) is out -- Mercer led all Devils forwards with 19:12 of ice time Wednesday. Availability has often been Mercer's best ability in 2024-25, as he's added 13 goals, 11 assists, 92 shots on net and a plus-9 rating through 53 appearances in a middle-six role.

Bennett scored a goal on eight shots, added six hits and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Kings.

Bennett has three goals over his last five appearances. The 28-year-old Bennett also has 25 shots in that span, a massive uptick compared to his average of just over three shots per game this season. Overall, the center is at 16 tallies, 15 helpers, 157 shots on net, 109 hits, 55 PIM and a minus-12 rating through 50 outings.

Barkov scored a power-play goal on five shots in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Kings.

Barkov ended a nearly month-long goal drought -- he had been limited to seven helpers over his previous 13 games. The 29-year-old's tally gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead early in the third period. Barkov is still at a point-per-game pace for the season with 12 goals, 30 helpers, 95 shots on net, 50 hits, 40 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 42 appearances in his usual top-line role.

Head coach Scott Arniel said Thursday that Barron (upper body) is considered week-to-week, per Mitchell Clinton of the Jets' official site. As reported by Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press, Barron is dealing with an upper-body injury.

Barron has just one point over his last 10 outings, and he generated 16 hits, 10 shots and three blocks while averaging 10:16 of ice time across that span. The 26-year-old winger has already been designated for injured reserve in a move that allowed the team to bring Parker Ford up from the minors. At this point, Barron should probably be expected to be out through at least the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Kastelic (undisclosed) was sporting a regular jersey at Thursday's game-day skate but won't be ready to face the Jets, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports.

Despite being ruled out versus Winnipeg, the fact that Kastelic has evidently been cleared for contact should be considered a step in the right direction. It will be the 25-year-old center's fifth consecutive game on the shelf due to his undisclosed injury. Even when healthy, Kastelic has offered minimal offensive upside, having failed to find the back of the net in 12 straight appearances while registering just 11 shots and two assists.

Hughes scored an even-strength goal and added a power-play assist in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Flyers.

After helping to set up Ondrej Palat early in the second period for the game's opening tally, Hughes potted his own early in the third to wrap up the scoring. The 23-year-old center is up to 20 goals on the season, the fourth straight campaign in which he's reached that mark, and with 60 points through 53 appearances, he's on pace for his second career 90-point season.

Bjugstad notched an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins.

Bjugstad ended a six-game slump with the helper. Prior to his quiet stretch, he earned four points over a six-game span -- the 32-year-old has run a little streaky while seeing bottom-six minutes this season. Bjugstad is at 13 points, 75 shots on net, 69 hits and a minus-8 rating through 42 contests overall. That level of production typically won't get much attention in fantasy, though he could help in deep formats that reward physical play.

Schmaltz produced a power-play assist in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins.

Schmaltz saw an eight-game point streak end versus the Senators on Sunday, but it didn't take him long to get back on the scoresheet. He set up a Mikhail Sergachev tally in the first period. The helper was Schmaltz's 400th career point, and he's earned 40 of them through 50 appearances in 2024-25. The 28-year-old has added 15 power-play points, 108 shots on net and a minus-10 rating while seeing consistent top-line minutes.

Cooley logged a power-play assist, three shots on net and two blocked shots in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins.

Cooley had gone three games without a point entering Wednesday. The 20-year-old center snapped the short slump by assisting on Mikhail Sergachev's first-period tally. Cooley is now at 43 points (16 on the power play), 110 shots on net, 36 hits, 24 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating through 50 appearances. He should be a consistent producer more often than not as long as he continues to fill a top-line role.