NHL Player News

Faksa scored his third goal of the season on two shots and went plus-1 in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Flames.

Faksa potted the game-winning goal at 11:11 of the final frame. The left-shot forward made himself available in the slot and perfectly redirected Tyler Tucker's point shot past Dan Vladar. This was Faksa's first marker since he returned from a seven-game absence due to a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old has contributed three goals and five helpers through 33 appearances this season. Faksa's offensive output will likely remain limited so long as he's skating in a fourth-line role.

Kulich (lower body), who won't play Wednesday against the Hurricanes, could return as early as Friday against the Penguins, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.

Kulich sustained a lower-body injury against the Capitals on Jan. 6, and he's been on injured reserve over the past week. While he'll be forced to miss at least one more game, he's trending in the right direction and hasn't yet been ruled out for Friday. Regardless of whether he plays against Pittsburgh, head coach Lindy Ruff said that Kulich will definitely travel with the Sabres on their upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Monday in Seattle.

Hischier scored a goal in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Panthers.

Hischier has cracked the scoresheet in three of his last five appearances, but the 26-year-old hasn't exactly set the world on fire with his numbers in recent weeks. He remains productive, however, and his excellent start to the season -- he notched 15 points in his first 13 games -- means he's recorded 37 points over 46 regular-season appearances thus far.

Frank scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Ducks.

Frank has opened his NHL career on a three-game point streak (two goals, one assist). He's been a perfect fit on the third line so far, playing alongside Taylor Raddysh and Lars Eller to give the Capitals a bit more scoring depth. Frank is unlikely to be a point-per-game player over a long stretch, but the 26-year-old's scoring touch has been evident in the minors over the last three years -- he has 79 goals across 156 games with AHL Hershey in that span.

Veleno logged an assist and two hits in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Sharks.

Veleno's move to the top six proved to be temporary, as he was back on the fourth line in Tuesday's game. The 25-year-old has been decent over the last month, earning eight points over his last 14 outings, but if he remains on the fourth line, his offense is likely to suffer. The forward is at five goals, five assists, 35 shots on net, 56 hits and a minus-5 rating through 39 contests overall.

Smith notched an assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Red Wings.

Smith has gone eight games without a goal, but he has two helpers over his last five appearances. The 19-year-old forward has moved around the lineup at times, but he was able to take a regular shift Tuesday after getting benched in Saturday's loss to the Wild. Smith is up to 15 points, 55 shots on net and a minus-15 rating over 38 contests in 2024-25.

Celebrini recorded two assists, including one on the power play, in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Red Wings.

Celebrini set up third-period tallies by William Eklund and Mikael Granlund as part of a four-goal frame for the Sharks. With four points over six outings in January, Celebrini's offense has quieted a bit compared to his 13-point December. The 18-year-old is still living up to the No. 1 overall hype with 13 tallies, 18 helpers, nine power-play points, 112 shots on net and a minus-12 rating through 34 contests as a rookie.

Sturm scored a shorthanded goal and added two hits in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Red Wings.

This was Sturm's second game back from a lower-body injury that cost him three contests. He was able to end a 10-game point drought with a shortie to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead in the first period. The 29-year-old center has resumed a fourth-line role since his return, and that's a spot in the lineup that isn't likely to lead to fantasy value. He's at five goals, five helpers, 26 shots on net, 46 hits, 17 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating through 38 appearances. Sturm has scored one shorthanded goal in each of the last four campaigns.

Granlund scored a power-play goal on two shots in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Red Wings.

Granlund ended a 12-game goal drought with his third-period tally, which ended up being the game-winner. During the slump, Granlund had just four helpers. He's had few true dry spells as a member of the Sharks, but that was not his best work. The 32-year-old is up to 12 goals, 37 points (13 on the power play), 112 shots on net, 34 hits, 32 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating over 44 appearances.

Steel notched an assist, three shots on goal, two hits and four PIM in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

Steel has two helpers over seven contests in January. The 26-year-old forward is seeing steady middle-six minutes for the Stars while they deal with the absences of Mason Marchment (face) and Tyler Seguin (hip). Overall, Steel has 16 points, 49 shots on net, 42 hits and a minus-1 rating over 42 appearances. There's nothing flashy about his game, though his overall production is too low for consideration in many fantasy formats.