NHL Player News
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Sidney Crosby C | PIT
Penguins' Sidney Crosby: Finishes quick flurry of goals
Crosby scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Oilers.
Crosby finished a stretch of three goals in 37 seconds during the early stages of the first period. The 38-year-old has three goals and five helpers during his active five-game point streak. Crosby is having a superb season for a player of any age, racking up 27 goals, 57 points, 118 shots on net, 34 PIM, 42 hits, 22 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 50 appearances. His shot volume is down a bit at 2.36 per game this season compared to 3.09 shots per game across the previous four campaigns combined, but he's made up for it by shooting 22.9 percent in 2025-26. That's a red flag for the long run, but Crosby's talent is likely enough to keep him productive for the remainder of this year.
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Evgeni Malkin C | PIT
Penguins' Evgeni Malkin: Two more points in win
Malkin scored a goal, added an assist and went plus-3 in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Oilers.
Malkin had a pair of points 1:58 apart in the second period as the Penguins found a second burst of offense to put the Oilers out of reach. This was Malkin's third multi-point effort in the last five games, a span in which he has two goals and five helpers. The 39-year-old forward is up to 12 goals, 39 points, 88 shots, 26 PIM and a plus-15 rating in 35 appearances this season.
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Nick Suzuki C | MON
Canadiens' Nick Suzuki: Four-game, seven-point streak
Suzuki had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss to Buffalo on Thursday.
Suzuki is on a four-game, seven-point scoring streak (two goals, five assists). He has nine shots in that span. Suzuki's game continues to grow. He put up a career-high 89 points, including 30 goals, last season, and he's showing that he can replicate that point total this season. Over his first 51 appearances this year, Suzuki has put up 16 goals, 41 assists, 110 shots and 27 power-play points (nine goals).
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Cole Perfetti C | WPG
Jets' Cole Perfetti: Finds twine Thursday
Perfetti scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Panthers.
Perfetti ended an eight-game goal drought with his game-tying tally in the third period. He had gone four contests without recording a point, though he's maintained his spot on the Jets' second line despite the slump. The 24-year-old forward is up to four goals, 15 points, 62 shots on net, 28 hits and a minus-6 rating through 36 appearances. It's increasingly looking like a lost season for the Jets, and the struggles of middle-six forwards like Perfetti have played a large part in the team's poor results.
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Sam Bennett C | FLA
Panthers' Sam Bennett: Buries goal in shootout win
Bennett scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Thursday's 2-1 shootout win over the Jets.
Bennett has racked up five goals and four assists over his last nine contests. The center opened the scoring late in the second period. He's up to 18 goals, 39 points, 129 shots on net, 97 hits, 56 PIM and a minus-3 rating across 49 appearances this season. Bennett continues to be productive in a second-line role, and he remains on pace to set a career high in points for the second year in a row.
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Luca Pinelli C | CLB
Blue Jackets' Luca Pinelli: Racks up trio of assists in AHL win
Pinelli logged three assists in AHL Cleveland's 7-6 overtime win over Chicago on Thursday.
Pinelli has gone 11 games without a goal but has earned seven helpers over his last seven outings. The 20-year-old forward is up to nine goals, 18 helpers, 82 shots on net, 30 PIM and an even plus-minus rating over 34 appearances this season. He got a taste of NHL action earlier in 2025-26, but the Blue Jackets will likely be happy to let him continue developing in the AHL for at least the rest of this season.
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Owen Sillinger C | CLB
Blue Jackets' Owen Sillinger: Pots two more goals in AHL
Sillinger scored twice in AHL Cleveland's 7-6 overtime win over Chicago on Thursday.
Sillinger has seven goals this season, with five of them coming over the last seven contests. His second two-goal effort in the last three games puts him at seven goals and 18 points through 35 outings overall. He made his NHL debut in 2024-25, but the 28-year-old forward would need to do a lot more to become an option for the Blue Jackets.
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Ryan Suzuki C | CAR
Hurricanes' Ryan Suzuki: Contributes three helpers
Suzuki logged three assists in AHL Chicago's 7-6 overtime loss to Cleveland on Thursday.
Suzuki has four goals and eight assists during a seven-game point streak. That surge has him up to 30 points in 36 outings this season, though he continues to be heavy on playmaking for the second year in a row. The 24-year-old center hasn't been able to turn AHL success into a long look with the Hurricanes yet.
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Justin Robidas C | CAR
Hurricanes' Justin Robidas: Four points in overtime loss
Robidas scored a goal and added three assists in AHL Chicago's 7-6 overtime loss to Cleveland on Thursday.
Robidas has a pair of four-point efforts during a six-game point streak. He's earned seven goals and seven helpers during the streak, putting him at 20 goals and 19 assists through 35 appearances overall. With the Wolves getting into some recent high-scoring battles, Robidas is likely to remain heavily involved in the offense.
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Leon Draisaitl C | EDM
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl: Returning to action
Draisaitl (personal) will be back in the lineup for Thursday's home matchup versus the Penguins, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.
Following a three-game absence, Draisaitl will be back in action and center the second line between Vasily Podkolzin and Jack Roslovic on Thursday. Due to Draisaitl's return, Alec Regula will come out of the lineup, giving the Oilers a normal configuration of 12 forwards and six defensemen. Draisaitl will also reclaim his usual role on the No. 1 power-play unit.