NHL Player News

Poehling scored a goal in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Red Wings.

Poehling has a point in back-to-back games for the first time this year -- he also had an assist last Saturday against the Wild. The 25-year-old continues to center the fourth line, and that's not a role that's likely to generate consistent chances on offense. He has two goals, 10 points, 22 shots on net, 45 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over 29 appearances as a defensive center.

Konecny scored a goal and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Red Wings.

Konecny scored just 1:06 into the game, but the Flyers weren't able to carry that momentum very far. The winger has stayed hot in December with three goals and four assists over seven contests this month. He's up to 16 goals, 21 helpers, 84 shots on net, 46 hits, 35 PIM and a minus-3 rating through 32 appearances overall.

Faksa (lower body) will not play in Tampa Bay on Thursday, according to Lou Korac of The Hockey News.

Faksa will miss his fifth straight game, but the good news is that he is expected to return to the lineup Friday in Florida. Faksa has two goals and seven points over 29 appearances this season.

Veleno scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Flyers.

Veleno has a point in back-to-back games after previously going 13 contests without one. The 24-year-old has doubled his output to four points through 27 outings this season. He's added 22 shots on net, 41 hits and 19 blocked shots while playing in a fourth-line role. He'll need to show more consistency to be an option in fantasy, and it's unlikely he'll be moving up the lineup.

Rasmussen scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Flyers.

Rasmussen scored for the second game in a row, giving the Red Wings a 3-2 lead in the second period. The 25-year-old forward logged a season-high 18:25 of ice time despite being listed on the third line to begin the contest. He's now at six goals, 10 points, 34 shots on net, 55 hits, 21 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over 30 appearances this season. Rasmussen's role has grown over time in 2024-25, but for fantasy, his value remains limited to deeper formats that count hits.

McLeod (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision versus Toronto on Friday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.

McLeod is one of the few bright spots for the Sabres this season as the 25-year-old former Oiler has six goals and 15 points with a plus-1 rating across 32 games this season. Should McLeod be unable to play, look for Sam Lafferty (lower body) to return to the lineup.

Lafferty (lower body) told reporters he is healthy and could be available against the Maple Leafs on Friday if called upon, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.

Lafferty remains on injured reserve but could be activated in the coming days if given the all-clear. Considering the 29-year-old forward has registered just one point over his last 22 outings, few fantasy players will be anxiously awaiting his return to the lineup. In order to activate Lafferty off injured reserve, the Sabres will need to make a corresponding roster move by either sending a player down to the minors or placing Jordan Greenway (undisclosed) on injured reserve.

Rossi scored a power-play goal in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Panthers.

Rossi found the back of the net in the latter stages of the first period with a backhand, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, to notch his 12th goal of the campaign. The 23-year-old playmaker has been a key component of the Wild's first line, skating alongside Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, and he's up to 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) across 32 games in 2024-25.

Verhaeghe notched two assists, including one on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Wild.

Verhaeghe cracked the scoresheet for the second straight game and for the fourth time over his last seven appearances, so he's trending in the right direction. He should continue to find many opportunities to remain productive due to both his top-six role and his spot on the power play. The 29-year-old has 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) across 33 appearances in 2024-25.

Larkin notched two assists, one on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Flyers.

He had the primary helper on Detroit's first and last goals of the night, setting up J.T. Compher in the first period and Lucas Raymond for an empty-netter in the third. Larkin's goal drought stands at 10 games, but he's still been productive with three multi-assists performances in the last eight contests, leading to eight points during that stretch.