NHL Player News
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Oskar Back C | DAL
Stars' Oskar Back: Tallies lone goal in loss
Back scored a goal in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Lightning.
Back ended an 11-game point drought with his first-period tally, but that goal was all the Stars could get past Andrei Vasilevskiy. The 25-year-old Back is up to four goals, four assists, 22 shots on net, 21 blocked shots, 15 hits and a plus-4 rating over 39 appearances. He's been a regular in the Stars' bottom six, but he doesn't offer enough offense to help in most fantasy formats.
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Dominic James C | TB
Lightning's Dominic James: Collects two points
James scored a goal on two shots, added an assist, logged two hits and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Stars.
James snapped a five-game skid with the effort. Despite the burst of offense, he still saw just 11:14 of ice time. James has been decent on the ice in a depth role, earning four goals, 10 points, 30 shots on net, 47 hits and an even plus-minus rating over 32 appearances. He won't be a factor in most fantasy formats unless he can claim a top-six role or power-play time on a regular basis.
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Jake Guentzel C | TB
Lightning's Jake Guentzel: Pair of points in Sunday's win
Guentzel scored a goal on three shots, added an assist and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Stars.
Guentzel had been held off the scoresheet in the previous two games. This was the third time he's avoided letting a skid reach three contests, as he and Dominic James set up each other's goals to lead the Lightning's offense Sunday. Guentzel is up to 21 goals, 49 points, 127 shots on net, 28 blocked shots, 21 PIM, 20 hits and a plus-9 rating over 47 appearances. He continues to see steady time in the top six and on the first power-play unit.
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Lars Eller C | OTT
Senators' Lars Eller: Plucks apple in overtime loss
Eller notched an assist and two hits in Saturday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canadiens.
The helper was Eller's first point in five games since he returned from a broken foot. The 36-year-old center continues to occupy a bottom-six role, which has led to limited chances on offense. He's at seven points, 27 shots on net, 25 hits and 21 blocked shots through 33 appearances -- most fantasy managers can find better production on the waiver wire.
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Vladislav Namestnikov C | WPG
Jets' Vladislav Namestnikov: Garners two assists Saturday
Namestnikov notched two assists and two shots on goal in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
Namestnikov has a goal and three helpers over five games since he was a healthy scratch Jan. 8 versus the Oilers. The 33-year-old's renewed success on offense has helped the Jets win four of those five games, picking up a total of nine standings point in that span. For the season, Namestnikov has 12 points, 57 shots on net, 60 hits, 27 blocked shots, 22 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 46 outings. He will continue to occupy a middle-six role.
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Bobby McMann C | SEA
Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann: Tallies in overtime win
McMann scored a goal on two shots, added four hits and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Jets.
McMann continues to bounce around the lineup, but it's working for him. He has scored four goals and added three assists over his last 10 outings despite the frequent changes in linemates. McMann is up to 15 goals, 25 points, 95 shots on net, 104 hits, 30 PIM and a plus-5 rating through 47 appearances.
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Dylan Cozens C | OTT
Senators' Dylan Cozens: Lights lamp in OT loss
Cozens scored a power-play goal and put two shots on net in Saturday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canadiens.
Cozens found the back of the net on a second-period power play to level Saturday's game at three goals apiece. Overall, the 24-year-old center has 14 goals, 35 points, 110 shots on net and 126 hits through 47 games this season. After missing out on the scoresheet in four consecutive games, he now has a goal in back-to-back games. His first full season with the Senators has been off to a solid start, setting him up to reach the 60-point mark for the first time since the 2022-23 season with the Sabres. His contributions on offense and steady stream of hits give him good all-around fantasy value moving forward.
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Alexei Protas C | WAS
Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Nabs first helper since injury
Protas logged an assist and two hits in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Panthers.
Protas picked up his first point in five games since he returned from a lower-body injury that cost him three contests. The 25-year-old forward has reclaimed a steady role in the top six, though he remains without much power-play time. Protas is up to 32 points, 99 shots on net, 27 blocked shots, 22 hits, 16 PIM and a plus-20 rating over 46 appearances. If Protas can get his offense on track, he makes for a solid forward in most fantasy formats.
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Lane Pederson C | PHI
Flyers' Lane Pederson: Brought up from AHL
Pederson was summoned from AHL Lehigh Valley on Sunday.
The Flyers put Rodrigo Abols (lower body) on injured reserve in a corresponding move. Pederson has registered one goal, two assists, 15 shots on net, seven blocked shots and 21 hits in 11 NHL appearances this season. He could replace Abols on the fourth line in Monday's matchup against Vegas.
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Rodrigo Abols C | PHI
Flyers' Rodrigo Abols: Moves to IR
Abols (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Sunday.
In a corresponding move, Philadelphia recalled Lane Pederson from AHL Lehigh Valley. Abols sustained the injury in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Rangers. He will be out for at least the next three games, beginning with Monday's matchup against Vegas, but an exact timeline for his return is unclear. Abols has chipped in three goals, 10 points, 43 shots on net, 24 blocked shots and 49 hits through 42 outings this season.