NHL Player News

Zegras scored two goals, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-2 win over Anaheim.

The former Duck, and the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, erased an early 1-0 deficit with two tallies in the first period. He beat Lukas Dostal with a pair of one-timers from almost the same spot to the netminder's left. It was Zegras' fourth multi-goal performance of the season. He's having a breakout campaign with the Flyers, racking up 17 goals and 41 points through 41 contests.

Protas (lower body) was placed on injured reserve by the Capitals on Wednesday, retroactive to Jan. 1.

Protas has already missed Washington's last two games due to his lower-body injury, so his placement on injured reserve shouldn't have a significant impact on his return timetable. He'll be unavailable for at least Wednesday's matchup against Dallas. However, he was on the ice for the Capitals' morning skate, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, indicating that he could return to game action sooner rather than later. Washington recalled Brett Leason from AHL Hershey in a corresponding move to provide additional depth in Protas' absence.

Johnston scored a power-play goal, put two shots on net and dished out two hits in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes.

Despite the three-goal loss, Johnston ended the game on a high note for the Stars with his power-play twine finder with less than two minutes remaining. With the late score, he now has 23 goals, 49 points, 105 shots on net and 33 blocks through 43 games this season. Since Nov. 25, he has 28 points in 21 appearances. He has an outside shot at reaching the 100-point threshold this season. To do so, he would need 51 points in the remaining 39 games, which would be a true test of his rising stardom in the NHL. Regardless, he projects as an elite player in fantasy for the foreseeable future.

Perfetti scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Golden Knights.

Perfetti scored a goal for the first time since Nov. 29, when he found the back of the net in a 5-2 victory over the Predators. With only four points (one goal, three assists) since the beginning of December, Perfetti shouldn't have a lot of fantasy upside despite holding a top-six role in a Jets team that has lost 10 games in a row.

Hertl recorded a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Jets.

Hertl snapped a two-game pointless skid with a solid performance across the board. He earned his first multi-point effort since he recorded three points in a loss to the Oilers on Dec. 21. Hertl has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 16 appearances since the beginning of December, and the 32-year-old will continue to have tons of opportunities to produce in a high-scoring offense despite holding a third-line role.

Jarvis tallied a power-play goal, dished out a power-play assist, fired six shots on net and recorded four hits in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Stars.

In his return from a rib injury that has kept him sidelined since Dec. 20, Jarvis showcased the fire that likely was lit under him after not being selected for Team Canada's roster ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Overall, the 23-year-old rising star is up to 20 goals, 11 assists, 116 shots on net and 47 hits through 35 games this season. With there being a decent chance that Jarvis can join Team Canada as a potential injury replacement, he will likely put forth everything he has at the NHL level in hopes of impressing the coaching staff. Regardless of his chase to be an Olympian, he remains on a strong enough pace to reach the 60-plus point mark for the third consecutive season despite missing over two weeks.

Stankoven netted a goal in Tuesday's 6-3 win over Dallas.

Stankoven landed a jab against his former team with a goal near the end of the first period to put Carolina up 3-1. Following Tuesday's twine finder, he now has eight goals, 19 points and 90 shots on net through 43 appearances this season. After a five-game scoreless streak that took him from the end of the calendar year into 2026, the 22-year-old forward has a three-game point spree that features two goals. While he's just behind the necessary point pace to reach his total from a season ago, his growth potential, steady amount of power-play time and decent shot volume are all reasons to keep an eye on him in deep fantasy leagues in the second half of the campaign.

Barzal had one goal and two assists in Tuesday's 9-0 win over the Devils.

Even though several bottom-six forwards turned heads with their play for the Islanders in the blowout win, Barzal also made his presence felt with a three-point effort. He's posted back-to-back multi-point efforts and has six points over his last four games. The 28-year-old star playmaker has 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 42 contests this season.

Cizikas recorded two goals and an assist in Tuesday's 9-0 win over the Devils.

Cizikas was one of the top performers for the Islanders in the game, but that's an oddity for the 34-year-old veteran, as he isn't known for his offensive contributions. He hadn't cracked the scoresheet since Dec. 9, when he recorded an assist in a loss to the Golden Knights. Cizikas has five goals and 11 points this season while occupying a bottom-six role.

Roy logged two assists, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Panthers.

Roy helped out on Easton Cowan's opening goal and Bobby McMann's empty-netter. The 28-year-old Roy is really coming around with a goal and five helpers over his last six contests while occupying a middle-six role with time in all situations. He's up to 17 points, 41 shots on net, 44 hits and a plus-6 rating over 39 appearances. He won't do a lot of anything, but he does a little of everything as a versatile and dependable forward.