NHL Player News

Namestnikov scored an empty-net goal in Monday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Namestnikov had missed the previous 18 games due to a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old returned to center the third line, and he'll likely see bottom-six minutes while the Jets continue their long-shot push for a playoff spot. He's produced eight goals, six assists, 71 shots on net, 72 hits, 36 blocked shots, 28 PIM and a minus-11 rating over 58 outings this season.

Nazar recorded a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Sharks.

Nazar has been one of the few players not named Connor Bedard to show some kind of scoring consistency for the Blackhawks throughout the season. The 22-year-old Nazar ended a three-game goalless skid with a power-play tally in the third period, but Chicago couldn't complete the comeback. With four games left in the season, he has already established new career-high marks across the board. Nazar has 15 goals and 26 assists across 62 regular-season appearances.

Norris scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Monday's 4-2 win over the Lightning.

Norris ended a nine-game goal drought with his tally at 14:04 of the first period. The 26-year-old has been in the lineup for all 21 games since the Olympic break, earning 12 points, 35 shots on net and 20 PIM in that span. He's at 11 goals, 29 points, 62 shots, 26 PIM and a plus-4 rating over 40 appearances this season, mainly in a middle-six role.

Donato scored a goal on two shots in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Sharks.

Donato opened the scoring for the Blackhawks with a wrister at the 9:01 mark of the first period, but the team couldn't hold on to the lead and gave up three unanswered goals that changed the flow of the game completely. Donato has 15 goals on the season, and this tally allowed him to snap a three-game pointless skid. However, with only four points in 19 games since the beginning of March, he's far from being a reliable option in most fantasy formats.

Geekie is set to be recalled from AHL Syracuse on Tuesday, per Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com.

The Lightning are dealing with a few injuries to their forward group, which has resulted in Geekie and Dylan Duke being promoted from the minors. Geekie has been playing at a high level with the Crunch in 2025-26, generating 17 goals, 59 points and a plus-13 rating over 56 appearances. The 21-year-old might draw into the lineup Tuesday, depending on who ends up being available for Tampa Bay up front.

Vilardi scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Monday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

The Jets scored three straight goals with the man advantage in the first and second periods to take control of the game, and Vilardi was a key part of that special-teams surge. The 26-year-old winger is one tally away from his first career 30-goal regular season, and his 64 points in 77 games already represent a new career high.

Toews produced a goal and an assist, both on the power play, in Monday's 6-2 win over Seattle.

The 37-year-old center got the Jets on the board midway through the first period before helping to set up the Gabriel Vilardi tally that put them in the lead for good. It was Toews' first multi-point effort since Jan. 15, and through 77 games on the season, he's chipped in 10 goals and 27 points.

Appleton (upper body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's home contest versus Columbus, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

This will be Appleton's third consecutive game on the shelf. Prior to getting injured, the 30-year-old forward was stuck in a cold stretch, as he had recorded just one goal, 23 hits and 12 PIM across his past 14 appearances. Detroit's next game is against the Flyers on Thursday.

Scheifele pocketed three assists, two on the power play, in Monday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

The star center helped set up two tallies by Kyle Connor and one by Gabriel Vilardi as Scheifele produced his fifth multi-point performance in the last seven games. He's putting the finishing touches on a career-best regular season, and with five games left on Winnipeg's schedule, Scheifele needs just three more points to reach 100 for the first time.

Dach (upper body) will be an option for Tuesday's home game against the Panthers, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

The Canadiens said March 17 that Dach would be out for 2-4 weeks, so his return comes right in the middle of that timeline. Alexandre Texier (lower body) has also been given the green light to play, so the Canadiens are nearly fully healthy up front, with the exception of Patrik Laine (abdomen). Dach might center the fourth line between Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher on Tuesday.