NHL Player News

Cooley notched an assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Oilers.

Cooley has been good all season, but he maintained a point-per-game pace in December with three goals and 10 assists over 13 outings. The 20-year-old center is enjoying a full-on breakout campaign. He's at nine goals, 24 helpers, 72 shots on net, 30 hits, 22 PIM and a plus-7 rating through 37 appearances. A 70-point sophomore campaign is a realistic possibility, and that has value in virtually all fantasy formats.

McBain scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and logged two hits in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Oilers.

McBain tied the game at 1-1 in the first period, but Utah couldn't solve Stuart Skinner after that. This tally ended a 10-game goal drought for McBain, who added two assists, 15 shots on net and 39 hits in that span. The 24-year-old has maintained a second-line role recently, but that lack of production could see him head back to the bottom six if head coach Andre Tourigny mixes up his lines. McBain has 10 goals, five assists, 38 shots on net, 47 PIM, 119 hits and a plus-8 rating over 37 appearances this season.

Marchessault scored a goal Tuesday in a 5-3 loss to the Wild.

Marchessault got back on the board after he had his eight-game, 13-point scoring streak snapped Monday against the Jets. His game is heating up after a sluggish start to the season. Overall, Marchessault has 14 goals, 13 assists and 112 shots in 38 games. He could be a solid trade target, as his manager is probably pretty frustrated right now.

Brown notched two assists and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Utah.

Brown has taken the season of giving literally -- he has five helpers over his last four games. Going back to Dec. 12, he's racked up three goals and seven assists over nine contests. At least to begin Tuesday's game, he was on the top line at even strength. Brown had been in a third-line role for much of the campaign, but even a part-time gig alongside Connor McDavid makes a player worth a look in fantasy. Brown is up to 18 points, 53 shots on net, 20 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating through 37 appearances. His usage will be worth monitoring in the coming days and weeks.

McDavid registered two assists, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Utah.

McDavid is now on an 11-game point streak, during which he's earned three goals and 20 assists. It's his longest streak of the year, and while it's playmaking-heavy, it's still good to see the superstar perform at a high level after the Oilers' slow start to the season. McDavid now has 15 goals, 39 helpers, 104 shots on net and a plus-11 rating over 34 appearances this season. He's tied for third in the league in points (54) and trails only teammate Leon Draisaitl (56) and Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon (61).

Nugent-Hopkins scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Utah.

Nugent-Hopkins' tally in the second period was the game-winner. He started the contest as the third-line center but still saw his usual share of top-six minutes and power-play time. The Oilers look to be ready to experiment with Connor Brown getting more prominent usage, which could have a slight negative impact on Nugent-Hopkins, though the two were able to coexist in this contest. For the season, the 31-year-old forward has eight goals, 20 points, 73 shots on net and a plus-4 rating over 36 appearances.

Draisaitl scored an empty-net goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Utah.

Draisiatl is up to a league-leading 27 goals, 10 of which he scored over 13 games in December. The 29-year-old has added 14 assists during his 12-game point streak -- the last time he was silenced was Dec. 3 in a shutout loss to the Golden Knights. Draisiatl also ranks second in the league in points (56), trailing only Nathan MacKinnon (61). Draisaitl has added 112 shots on net, a plus-20 rating and 10 PIM through 37 appearances. He's on pace to exceed his regular-season haul of 41 goals and 106 points from 2023-24.

Lafferty managed an assist, three shots on goal and three hits in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Stars.

Lafferty has a helper in two of the last three games. The 29-year-old has also recorded 12 hits over six contests since he returned from a lower-body injury. Lafferty is firmly in a fourth-line role and is unlikely to get much of a consistent look anywhere else in the lineup. He's at three points, 18 shots on net, 39 hits, 18 PIM and a minus-3 rating through 28 appearances in his first year with the Sabres.

McLeod put up an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Stars.

McLeod has been on the fourth line lately, but it looks like he's getting more comfortable with that role. He has a helper in three of the last four contests, and while he's gone 20 games without a goal, he has six assists over his last 11 outings. For the season, the 25-year-old center has produced six goals, 12 assists, 35 shots on net and an even plus-minus rating across 38 appearances.

Thompson notched an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Stars.

Thompson got a piece of Bowen Byram's shot attempt, and Jason Zucker picked up the loose change for the Stars' first goal. The 27-year-old Thompson got on the scoresheet in 10 of 14 games in December, but he had just two multi-point efforts for the month, earning seven goals and five assists. He's up to 30 points, 92 shots on net, 35 hits and a plus-5 rating through 33 contests overall while maintaining his usual top-line role.