NHL Player News

Smith scored a goal in Monday's 4-1 win over the Panthers.

Smith has scored in consecutive contests following his 13-game absence due to an upper-body injury. The 20-year-old has immediately retaken a top-line role and doesn't appear to need to shake off any rust. He's up to 14 goals, 31 points, 84 shots on net and a plus-4 rating through 35 appearances, making him a strong offense-only option with ample upside in fantasy.

Lizotte notched two assists, two shots on goal, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 6-3 win over the Kraken.

Lizotte helped out on Parker Wotherspoon's opening goal and Connor Dewar's empty-netter to close things out. With eight points and a plus-7 rating over 12 contests since he returned from an upper-body injury, Lizotte has been a steady scoring presence in the Penguins' bottom six. He's now at six goals, 13 points, 40 shots, 33 hits, 21 blocked shots, 21 PIM and a plus-8 rating through 39 appearances.

Rakell scored a goal, added three hits and went plus-2 in Monday's 6-3 win over the Kraken.

Rakell has two goals and an assist during a three-game point streak. That matches his longest run since he returned from a hand injury in mid-December. The 32-year-old is up to eight goals, 20 points, 85 shots on net, 39 hits, 25 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 28 appearances. He's not at the peak of his performance currently, but Rakell's continued presence in the top six bodes well for steady offense.

Pospisil (undisclosed) was activated from long-term injured reserve Tuesday, per the NHL media site.

The Flames recalled Pospisil from AHL Calgary on Tuesday after he appeared in two minor-league outings during a conditioning assignment. He skated on the fourth line during Tuesday's practice, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan, and could make his NHL season debut against Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Pospisil had four goals, 25 points, 114 shots on net, 301 hits and 84 PIM across 81 games during the 2024-25 regular season.

Eichel dished out a power-play assist in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Flyers.

Eichel slid the primary helper on Tomas Hertl's lone goal of the game for Vegas. With the power-play apple, Eichel reached the 40-assist mark for the fourth time in his 11-year career. Overall, the 29-year-old center is up to 57 points, 157 shots on net and 27 blocks through 41 games this season. His 57 points place him in the league's top 10, and despite missing seven games earlier in the year, Eichel still has a chance to post consecutive 90-plus-point regular seasons for the first time in his career.

Pospisil (undisclosed) was recalled from his conditioning loan with AHL Calgary on Tuesday.

Pospisil didn't earn a point in two appearances during his minor-league stint. He remains on long-term injured reserve for now, and it's unclear when he will make his 2025-26 debut with the Flames after getting hurt during the preseason.

McTavish notched a goal and took four shots in Monday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

McTavish has been inconsistent with his scoring production, but he seems to be turning a corner after finding the twine in three of his last five outings. The 22-year-old playmaker has a good shot at reaching the 50-point plateau for a second straight campaign if he stays healthy, and his role as the center of the first line should continue to give him plenty of opportunities to produce. McTavish has 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 49 contests so far in 2025-26.

Bedard scored an empty-net goal and fired three shots on net in Monday's 2-0 shutout win over the Jets.

Bedard's empty-net tally with just over a minute left to play in Tuesday's contest was his first goal in five games since returning to Chicago's lineup from a shoulder injury. Overall, the 20-year-old phenom is up to 20 goals, 48 points and 122 shots on net across 36 games this season. While the injury led to a hit in his overall production compared to the league's other stars, he is ninth in the NHL with 1.33 points per game. Additionally, he hasn't relied heavily on the power play for offensive production, as just 14 of his 48 points have come with the man advantage. Despite already missing 13 games this season, he is still on pace to surpass his career high of 67 points, which was set across 82 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.

Dickinson scored a goal and recorded three shots on net in Monday's 2-0 shutout win over Winnipeg.

Dickinson's tally over halfway into the second period would stand as the go-ahead goal in Monday's contest, with goalie Spencer Knight keeping Winnipeg off the scoreboard. With the twine finder, Dickinson is up to six goals, 10 points, 47 shots on net, 41 hits and 27 blocks through 36 games this season. While he has supplied four goals since Dec. 16, his offensive production has taken a step back from the consecutive 30-plus point regular seasons that he posted to begin his tenure in Chicago three campaigns ago. He still has time to reach the 20-point mark this year, but his lack of high-end category coverage likely leaves more desirable options available in deep fantasy leagues.

Hertl scored a power-play goal and fired two shots on net in Monday's 2-1 loss to Philadelphia.

Hertl kept the Golden Knights from being shut out with his power-play tally late in the second period. The 32-year-old center is now up to a three-game point streak and a run of play with 13 points over his last eight games. Overall, he has 20 goals, 43 points, 126 shots on net, 57 hits and 23 blocks through 48 outings this season. The 13-year veteran has ramped up his quality of play as of late and is back on track for the fifth 60-plus point regular season of his career. While he's been bumped down to a third-line role with Mitch Marner sliding into the second-line center spot amidst multiple injuries, Hertl hasn't lost much playing time, and he remains a strong fantasy option in most standard leagues.