NHL Player News

Kotkaniemi was scratched for the ninth time in 10 games in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Since the Olympic break, Kotkaniemi has taken a back seat to Mark Jankowski for the fourth-line center job. The 25-year-old Kotkaniemi has struggled to the tune of nine points, 38 shots on net, 58 hits and a plus-2 rating over 37 appearances. The Hurricanes' blowout loss Tuesday may prompt lineup changes, but Kotkaniemi will need to impress to stay in the lineup for more than a game or two at a time.

Olivier scored a goal on four shots and added five PIM in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Hurricanes.

Olivier obliged Nicolas Deslauriers for a heavyweight bout in the second period. In the third, Olivier got the last laugh with an insurance tally for the Blue Jackets. The 29-year-old is surging in March with five goals and an assist over nine contests on the month. He's up to 13 goals, 23 points, 78 shots on net, 94 PIM, 181 hits and a plus-13 rating through 54 appearances this season.

Norris scored an empty-net goal on five shots, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Golden Knights.

Norris tallied with 58 seconds left in the third period to give the Sabres some breathing room. He had gone a season-high four games without a point prior to Tuesday. The 26-year-old center is up to 10 goals, 24 points, 47 shots on net and a plus-2 rating through 30 appearances.

McCann scored a goal in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Lightning.

This was McCann's second goal in the last three games. He's playing a smaller role following the addition of Bobby McMann, but McCann can still contribute from the second line while maintaining a power-play role. For the season, McCann has 18 goals, 36 points, 100 shots on net, 36 hits and a minus-3 rating over 43 appearances.

McMann scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and logged two hits in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Lightning.

McMann is up to four goals and two assists over three contests since he entered the Kraken's lineup Saturday. The 29-year-old winger has fit right in on his new team's top line, so fantasy managers will want to keep him in their lineups. For the season, he has 23 points, 135 shots on net, 143 hits, 32 PIM and a minus-2 rating over 63 appearances between the Kraken and the Maple Leafs.

Goncalves scored a goal on two shots, added a power-play assist and logged five hits in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Goncalves scored 5:45 into the game and also contributed a helper in the third period. He has four goals and two assists during a four-game point streak, which immediately followed him returning from missing four contests due to a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old is up to 11 goals, 26 points, 58 shots on net, 71 hits, 37 PIM and a plus-24 rating over 58 appearances this season. He's filled a versatile role at times this season, but he's currently getting top-six minutes at even strength with a power-play role.

Cirelli scored a goal on two shots, added two assists and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Cirelli set up two of Nikita Kucherov's three goals, and his linemate returned the favor once. Their line with Brandon Hagel accounted for five goals and 12 points as a unit. Cirelli hadn't scored since Jan. 26 versus the Mammoth, but he had five helpers over his previous five games before Tuesday. He's up to a total of 16 goals, 27 helpers, 100 shots on net, 43 hits, 37 blocked shots and a plus-27 rating across 58 appearances.

Verhaeghe recorded two assists and three hits in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Canucks.

Verhaeghe has five points over his last four games despite missing a contest due to an undisclosed injury in the middle of that span. The 30-year-old forward is up to 19 goals, 29 helpers, 154 shots on net, 61 hits, 32 PIM and a minus-11 rating over 65 appearances. Verhaeghe should remain productive over the last month of the season as long as he can stay in the lineup.

Bennett scored a goal on four shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Canucks.

Bennett has reached the 25-goal mark for the second year in a row and the third time in his career overall. He's surged to the mark with six goals and two assists over his last eight outings. For the season, the 29-year-old center is up to 51 points (matching his career high), 174 shots on net, 110 hits, 74 PIM and a minus-8 rating through 66 appearances.

Raty scored a goal and added three hits in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Panthers.

Raty hadn't scored since Dec. 6 versus the Wild, when he had two goals and an assist. The 23-year-old was limited to one assist over a 24-game span, but he was able to snap the slump with a second-period tally Tuesday. For the season, he's at four goals, 13 points, 51 shots on net, 122 hits, 22 PIM and a plus-1 rating over 51 appearances. While the offense isn't always there, he's shown decent defensive responsibility in a fourth-line role.