NHL Player News

Bennett notched an assist, four shots on goal and nine PIM in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Sharks.

Bennett set up Matthew Tkachuk's goal just 23 seconds into the game. The helper moved Bennett's point streak to seven games (four goals, four assists). He also fought Mario Ferraro in the third period. Bennett continues to bring an excellent mix of offense and grit on the Panthers' second line. He's contributed 13 goals, 13 helpers, six power-play points, 82 shots on net, 61 hits, 39 PIM and a minus-3 rating over 27 contests.

Kotkaniemi scored a goal in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Islanders.

Kotkaniemi tallied in the final minute of the third period, but the Hurricanes were unable to tie the score. This goal snapped a four-game point drought. The 24-year-old has been playing on the fourth line lately after losing his second-line spot to Jack Drury, though both centers see relatively small roles compared to third-liner Jordan Staal. Kotkaniemi is at four goals, 14 points, 49 shots on net, 20 PIM and a plus-6 rating through 27 appearances.

Vilardi scored a goal in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Vilardi has three points over his last two games and appears to be coming back around on offense. He had a strong October, but his consistency petered out in late November. The 25-year-old remains in a top-line role, and he's nearly halfway to his career high in points (41), set in 2022-23 with the Kings over 63 games. Vilardi has 11 goals, 20 points, 52 shots on net and a plus-2 rating through 28 appearances this season.

Scheifele scored a goal on four shots in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Scheifele has four points over his last three games. He seemed to be bothered by a nagging issue in late November, but it looks to be behind him now. Scheifele's back to playing center instead of wing on the top line, and he's at 30 points, 63 shots on net, 29 hits, 23 blocked shots, 21 PIM and a plus-3 rating over 28 outings. He can be deployed confidently in fantasy given his prominent role on a strong team.

Teravainen notched a power-play assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Jets.

Teravainen has a pair of power-play assists over four games in December. The winger remains on the top power-play unit, but his third-line role at even strength shouldn't inspire much confidence in his scoring potential. For the season, he has 13 points (nine on the power play), 48 shots on net and a minus-14 rating over 27 appearances.

Bedard logged a power-play assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Jets.

Bedard has two goals and three helpers over his last six games, with all of that production coming on the power play. His last even-strength contribution was a two-assist game versus the Ducks on Nov. 19. The 19-year-old center is up to 20 points, 68 shots on net, 11 power-play points and a minus-13 rating through 27 appearances, a decent level of overall production with some obvious flaws from playing on a rebuilding team.

Winterton was reassigned to AHL Coachella Valley on Sunday.

Winterton appeared in six games with Seattle, logging one assist while averaging 10:45 of ice time. The 21-year-old center figures to remain a depth option for the Kraken while seeing more playing time in the AHL.

MacKinnon notched a power-play assist in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Red Wings.

MacKinnon recorded a point on the power play for the first time since Nov. 9, when he had a power-play assist in a 6-4 win over the Hurricanes. The star playmaker remains elite at even strength to make up for the modest power-play production. He's up to 41 points in 28 appearances this season, including a league-high 32 assists.

Newhook scored a goal and added two hits in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Capitals.

Newhook snapped a five-game point drought with a first-period goal, but the Canadiens conceded four unanswered goals en route to another loss. The 23-year-old winger has only six goals in 27 appearances this season, so he isn't producing enough to be a reliable fantasy option despite his top-six role.

Strome scored a power-play goal in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Canadiens.

Strome ended a three-game point drought with a power-play tally in the latter stages of the third period, capping Washington's late comeback in the final frame. Strome's up to nine goals and 35 points in 27 appearances, putting the 27-year-old on pace to blow by last season's total of 67 points and establish a new career high in points for the third year in a row.