NHL Player News
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Sidney Crosby C | PIT
Penguins' Sidney Crosby: Sets franchise points record
Crosby scored a goal and added a power-play assist in Sunday's 4-3 shootout win over the Canadiens, becoming the Penguins' all-time leading scorer.
Crosby's goal tied him with Mario Lemieux, and it took just 4:42 more of game time for Crosby to break the franchise record with his 1,724th regular-season point (645 goals, 1,079 assists). The 38-year-old superstar also leads the Penguins in seasons played (21) and games played (1,387), with that longevity playing a big factor in breaking the record that took Lemieux just 915 games to achieve. Crosby has four goals and six helpers over 11 outings in December, and he's up to 20 goals, 37 points, 84 shots on net and a minus-7 rating through 35 contests this season. It's fair to say Crosby has cemented himself as a legend for the Penguins, though he still needs another 46 goals with the franchise to surpass Lemieux's record in that category.
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Jack Hughes C | NJ
Devils' Jack Hughes: Returns with goal
Hughes scored a goal on two shots in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Sabres.
Hughes missed 18 contests after undergoing finger surgery for an incident that occurred during a team dinner. The 24-year-old was initially projected to miss eight weeks, but he was out for just over five weeks from the time of the injury. Hughes should be immediately activated in fantasy, as he'll provide a massive boost to the Devils' offense. He has 11 goals, 21 points, 71 shots on net and a plus-3 rating over 18 appearances this season, though due to the time he's already missed, he'll fall short of 70 games played for the third year in a row.
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Peyton Krebs C | BUF
Sabres' Peyton Krebs: First goal finds vacant net
Krebs scored an empty-net goal on three shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Devils.
Krebs hadn't scored all year, but despite his futility, he's spent the last four games in a top-line gig. He's made the most of it with three points in that span, but the 24-year-old is a bit miscast that high in the lineup. Overall, he's posted one goal, 10 assists, 42 shots on net, 85 hits, 21 blocked shots, 40 PIM and a minus-6 rating through 35 appearances this season.
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Josh Norris C | BUF
Sabres' Josh Norris: Scores equalizer in Sunday's win
Norris scored a goal in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Devils.
Norris' tally early in the second period answered Jack Hughes' goal from the first. The 26-year-old Norris has gotten on the scoresheet in seven of his last eight games, racking up four goals and six assists in that span. He's in a second-line role and looking productive as long as he can avoid another lengthy injury absence.
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Scott Laughton C | LA
Maple Leafs' Scott Laughton: Nets lone goal in loss
Laughton scored a goal on five shots in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Stars.
Laughton tallied at 8:39 of the third period break up Jake Oettinger's shutout bid. After scoring in three straight games from Dec. 2-6, Laughton was limited to one helper over six contests prior to Sunday. The 31-year-old has five points, 23 shots on net, 32 hits and an even plus-minus rating over 17 outings this season, primarily in a bottom-six role as a defensive specialist.
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Justin Hryckowian C | DAL
Stars' Justin Hryckowian: Scores late in win
Hryckowian scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.
Hryckowian has two goals and a helper over his last three games. The 24-year-old rookie is doing well to maintain his third-line role, adding a little physicality and now some depth scoring to the mix. For the season, he's at five goals, six helpers, 37 shots on net, 56 hits, 15 PIM and a minus-4 rating over 36 appearances.
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Mavrik Bourque C | DAL
Stars' Mavrik Bourque: Fills empty cage
Bourque scored an empty-net goal on four shots in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.
Bourque ended a 10-game goal drought with the empty-netter. He had just two assists in that span. Bourque saw 15:48 of ice time Sunday, his most in a game since Nov. 26, and he was alongside Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson in a top-six role. Bourque has yet to receive ample minutes in a prominent spot in his career, so taking advantage of this opportunity, for however long it lasts, could help his offense take off. He's at five goals, 12 points, 61 shots on net, 18 hits and a minus-5 rating over 37 appearances.
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Sam Steel C | DAL
Stars' Sam Steel: Goals in consecutive games
Steel scored a goal in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.
Steel's third-period tally stood as the game-winner. The 27-year-old center has scored in consecutive contests and may be getting back on track on offense, though he'll have to find ways to contribute from the third line. Steel has six goals, 12 points, 40 shots on net, 35 hits, 18 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 37 appearances. Four of his goals have been game-winners, matching his total in that category from the previous three years combined, when he had a total of 25 goals overall.
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Garrett Pilon C | OTT
Senators' Garrett Pilon: Earns three points in AHL blowout
Pilon scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Belleville's 8-4 win over Toronto on Sunday.
Pilon has put together a good December with three goals and four assists over six games for Belleville. The 27-year-old is up to 16 points through 21 contests this season, a pace similar to the one that saw him earn 48 points in 68 regular-season outings a year ago. While he remains productive, he looks to be more of an AHL veteran than a potential call-up option for Ottawa.
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Dylan Strome C | WAS
Capitals' Dylan Strome: Reaches 20-assist mark
Strome collected two even-strength helpers, two shots, two PIM and a plus-1 rating in Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Red Wings.
Strome assisted on both of Ethen Frank's goals in the second half of this home-and-home set. Strome now has points in back-to-back outings after a five-game slump, his longest of the campaign. The left-shot center will always be a top-six fixture while seeing power-play work, so it wouldn't be surprising to see his offensive output be more consistent going forward. However, he's on pace for around 15 goals, which would be well shy of the 29 he potted over 82 regular-season games in 2024-25.