NHL Player News

Danault (illness) will not be in action versus the Panthers on Wednesday, Jared Shafran of LAKingsInsider.com reports.

Danault will miss his third straight game while battling the flu. The 32-year-old center has yet to find the back of the net in 30 games this year, though he has chipped in five assists, 42 shots and 22 hits along the way. With Danault on the shelf, Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte will hold down the middle-six center roles.

Byfield (illness) is expected back in the lineup against Florida on Wednesday, Jared Shafran of LA Kings Insider reports.

Byfield is poised to step into a second-line role heading into Wednesday's matchup after missing just one game due to his illness. The 23-year-old forward is mired in a 13-game goal drought during which he has notched three helpers, four PIM and 24 shots.

Heinen scored a goal on three shots, added four hits and logged two PIM in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Oilers.

Heinen picked up his first goal of the season and his first point in three games during his current NHL stint. Overall, the 30-year-old has collected two points, 13 shots on net, 14 hits, nine blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-2 rating over 12 NHL appearances this season. He is likely to see most of his ice time in a fourth-line role.

Savoie scored a goal and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Penguins.

Savoie has four goals and a helper over his last seven games. A steady spot on the second line at even strength has helped him stay productive, and he's also on the second power-play unit. The 21-year-old rookie has a total of 12 points, 50 shots and a plus-2 rating over 34 appearances this season. Savoie's worth a look in a deeper leagues that prioritize offense, but he doesn't offer much non-scoring production.

Couturier notched two assists, four shots on goal, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Canadiens.

Couturier ended a four-game slump with the pair of helpers. He assisted on Carl Grundstrom's game-tying goal in the first period and Travis Konecny's empty-netter in the third. The 33-year-old Couturier is now at 19 points, 45 shots on net, 31 hits, 23 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 31 appearances. While the even-strength production is a positive, he has yet to record a power-play point. Couturier doesn't really separate himself from the average top-six center in fantasy.

Hayton scored a power-play goal in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Bruins.

Hayton's tally opened the scoring at 8:34 of the first period, but it was all the Mammoth could muster against Jeremy Swayman. The 25-year-old has two points over his last two games after going six contests without one and getting scratched twice in that span. The center has struggled this year despite regularly seeing top-six minutes, earning seven points, 50 shots on net, 20 PIM, 11 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 30 appearances.

Eyssimont scored a goal on two shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Mammoth.

Eyssimont had the final goal of the game. The 29-year-old has a goal and an assist over his past two outings following a pair of healthy scratches last week. He'll need to stay sharp on offense to avoid losing his place once Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) returns. For the year, Eyssimont has 14 points, 71 shots on net, 23 hits, 19 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 32 outings. He put up 16 points in 77 regular-season games between the Kraken and the Lightning last year, and he's in position to challenge his career high of 25 points from the 2023-24 campaign.

Mittelstadt scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Mammoth.

Mittelstadt has three goals over his last five games, though he's taken just four shots in that span. The 27-year-old's lack of physical play means his offense needs to be the driving factor in getting him on fantasy rosters, and that will be tough to do without more shots. Overall, he's earned eight goals, 14 points, 25 shots and a minus-1 rating through 24 appearances.

Head coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday that Krebs is dealing with an illness, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.

Krebs was absent from Wednesday's practice session due to his illness, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to suit up for Thursday's home game against the Flyers. The 24-year-old hasn't missed a game this year while recording nine assists, 76 hits and 19 blocked shots through 32 appearances. If he's unable to suit up against Philadelphia, Tyson Kozak could enter the lineup.

Novak recorded a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Oilers.

Novak snapped a two-game pointless drought and a three-game goalless skid with this two-point effort Tuesday. It was his first multi-point performance since delivering two helpers in a win over the Lightning on Dec. 4. Novak has been productive this season, collecting 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) across 32 games. He might have some upside as a streaming option in deeper formats if he gets back on track offensively.