NHL Player News

Kopitar scored a goal, fired three shots on net and dished out two hits in Monday's 4-2 win over Utah.

Kopitar tallied the go-ahead goal under four minutes into the final period of play. With the twine finder, Kopitar has six goals, nine assists, 42 shots on goal and 21 blocks through 25 games this season. The 38-year-old center has four goals in his last 10 games and is heating up offensively. While his numbers aren't on pace to match his point output from the past few seasons, he scores with enough consistency to give him fantasy relevance in nearly all formats. Kopitar is seven tallies away from 1,300 points, which is a milestone he should comfortably hit before retiring at the end of this season.

Norris notched two assists, one on the power play, in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Flames.

The Sabres were never able to catch up after falling behind 2-0 in the first period, but Norris did his best to spark the offense by having a hand in tallies by Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin in the second frame. Norris has gotten onto the scoresheet in four straight games since returning from an upper-body injury that had sidelined him for most of October and all of November, producing two goals and seven points during that span as he tries to make up for lost time.

Point (undisclosed) fired four shots on net and added one hit and a minus-1 rating in Monday's 2-0 loss to the Maple Leafs.

After missing the prior seven games, Point returned to the lineup Monday and slotted right back onto the top power-play unit while tying for the team lead in shots on net. It's been a rough season so far for the 29-year-old center, who has just three goals and 11 points in 22 games, but the time off may have allowed him to get re-focused in addition to getting healthy.

McMann will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Tuesday for a high stick on Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Since McMann is having a hearing with the league, fantasy managers can expect him to at least be suspended for Thursday's clash versus the Sharks, if not longer. The potential absence of McMann will likely open up a spot in the lineup for Nicholas Robertson, though Matias Maccelli should also be in the mix.

Heinen was elevated from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday.

Heinen's promotion comes as both Evgeni Malkin (upper body) and Blake Lizotte (undisclosed) were placed on injured reserve in corresponding moves. While the 30-year-old Heinen has performed well in the minors, 18 points in 12 games, he has struggled offensively in the NHL, recording a lone point in nine games with the Penguins.

Lizotte was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury Tuesday.

Lizotte registered an assist, two hits and two blocks in 13:59 of ice time against Dallas on Sunday, so it's not immediately clear when the 27-year-old forward was injured. The Penguins had been getting healthy, with Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari returning Sunday, but suddenly they are thin at forward again with both Lizotte and Evgeni Malkin (upper body) landing on injured reserve.

Malkin (upper body) was designated for injured reserve Tuesday.

Malkin's injury was originally downplayed by head coach Dan Muse, who had initially said he believed Malkin might be available for Sunday's clash with Dallas. Now, the 39-year-old center is suddenly on injured reserve, which will cause him to miss at least Pittsburgh's next two outings. With Geno on the shelf, Kevin Hayes has been pressed into service as the Pens' second-line center.

Kozak (undisclosed) is in the lineup for Monday's game in Calgary.

Kozak will return to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 29 in Minnesota. The Manitoba native is expected to skate on the fourth line with Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn. Kozak has two goals, four points and 53 hits across 19 appearances this season.

Acciari notched an assist, two shots on goal and three hits in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Stars.

Acciari returned from an upper-body injury that cost him 12 games. He slotted back onto the fourth line and will likely be there a majority of the time moving forward. Through 14 outings this season, the defensive forward has four helpers, 13 shots on net, 21 hits, 10 blocked shots, 12 PIM and a plus-3 rating.

Dewar scored a goal and added five hits in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Stars.

Dewar ended a four-game slide with the tally. The forward had a brief stint on the top line, but he's back in his more familiar spot on the fourth line now, which will lead to limited scoring chances. He's produced six goals, three assists, 43 shots on net, 55 hits, 14 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 27 appearances.