NHL Player News

Protas distributed two assists and placed three shots on net in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over Carolina.

Protas slid a pair of primary helpers Saturday, with the latter of the two coming on Jakob Chychrun's game-tying goal late in the third period. Protas now has 18 assists, 36 points, 118 shots on net and 31 blocked shots through 53 games this season. Saturday's contest ended his six-game streak without an assist and helped him end January on a high note after struggling through the month, posting just six points. While he likely won't replicate the 66-point campaign he posted across 76 regular-season games a year ago, he should remain heavily involved at even strength, making him a viable fantasy option for the foreseeable future.

Sturm (illness) won't play versus the Oilers on Saturday.

Tyler Pitlick will enter the lineup in Sturm's place. With the absence, Sturm will end January with one goal, two assists, nine shots on net and 13 hits over 14 appearances. His next chance to play is Monday versus the Canadiens.

Lapierre scored a goal and put four shots on net in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Hurricanes.

After the Capitals went down three goals, Lapierre helped start their four-goal rally with a twine finder midway through the second period. Overall, the 23-year-old center is up to two goals, nine points, 41 shots on net and 32 hits through 53 games this season. Despite having his upside capped in a checking-line role, the young center has passed his offensive output of eight points through 27 regular-season games from a year ago, thanks to a trio of points across his last five appearances. Lapierre's recent run of play likely won't warrant him much consideration in standard fantasy leagues. However, he remains an intriguing stash in dynasty leagues if he can continue to find the scoresheet.

Nelson delivered an assist Saturday in a 5-0 win over Detroit.

Nelson is on a four-game, six-point scoring streak (four goals, two assists). He also has points in 12 straight road games (11 goals, six assists), which is one game behind Connor McDavid for the NHL's longest current streak. Overall, Nelson has 28 goals, 20 assists and 118 shots in 53 games this season.

Strome tallied a goal and recorded three shots on net in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Hurricanes.

Strome tallied the latter of two goals in the second period for Washington en route to the team's comeback victory. With the twine finder, the 28-year-old center now has 16 goals, 45 points, 108 shots on net and 34 blocked shots across 54 games this season. Since Jan. 11, the Capitals' top-line center has excelled with six goals, 12 points and 30 shots on net across the last 11 games. While his offensive numbers are slightly behind the necessary pace to replicate his point-per-game campaign over 82 regular-season outings in 2024-25, Strome is still on track for a highly productive season. Considering his current form, he is well on the way to his fourth consecutive campaign with 65 points or more, making him a strong fantasy option for the rest of the campaign.

Thomas underwent a minor leg procedure Friday and is expected to play in the Blues' first game after the Olympic break, which is Feb. 26 versus the Kraken, Alex Ferrario of 101 ESPN St. Louis reports.

Thomas' operation will shut down the possibility that he'll return prior to the Olympics, which was viewed as a potentiality as recently as Friday. Instead, he'll rest and recoup for the next four weeks before being expected for a full return for the last stretch of the season. Thomas remains on injured reserve.

MacKinnon scored two goals and added an assist Saturday in a 5-0 win over Detroit.

Mack now has 40 goals in 2025-26; it's the fourth time that he's scored at least that many in a regular season. He did it in 53 games this time around. MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals and is second in points (91) behind league leader, Connor McDavid, who has 94. MacKinnon also leads the NHL with a plus-46 rating, 69 even-strength points, 32 even-strength goals and 235 shots. Mack's 22 power-play points put him in a tie for just 12th overall. Colorado has been horrific on the power play, and they sit last in the NHL in net power-play percentage (10.3). It's an odd situation for the Avs, which finished eighth overall in net power-play production (21.8) last season.

Hischier (illness) is slated to play in Saturday's game versus the Senators.

Hischier was considered a game-time decision after missing the morning skate, but he's ready to give it a go. Expect the Swiss center to play on the second line and see time in all situations. Juho Lammikko will remain out of the lineup.

Anderson-Dolan scored two goals in AHL Manitoba's 4-1 win over Rockford on Saturday.

Anderson-Dolan has had an unremarkable AHL campaign, earning eight goals and nine assists in 39 outings. His performance Saturday snapped a nine-game slump. Even with the Jets' offense showing a lot of inconsistency, Anderson-Dolan seems unlikely to get a call-up unless a number of players are traded away before the deadline.

Laba (upper body) won't return to Saturday's matchup against Pittsburgh.

Laba logged just 2:34 of ice time before exiting the contest. He has notched six goals and 16 points in 53 games this season. The Rangers don't play until Thursday against Carolina, giving Laba some additional time to recover.