NHL Player News

Novak (lower body) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Panthers.

Novak recently resumed skating, but he'll be unavailable for a sixth consecutive matchup as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury. It's not yet clear when he'll be in the mix to return to game action, but his next opportunity to do so will be Tuesday in Tampa Bay.

Strome scored a goal on his lone shot on net in Saturday's 6-3 win over Florida.

Strome tallied the latter of two goals scored by the Capitals in the first minute of the second period. The 28-year-old center is up to 23 goals, 45 assists and 123 shots on net in 70 games this season. With his tally Saturday, Strome set a new career high in points with 68, passing his 67 from last season. That production includes 22 points in his last 21 games. Strome has thrived centering Washington's top line this season, as he's tied for 26th in points across the league.

Sturm registered an assist and four hits in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Capitals.

The helper was Sturm's first point in seven contests with the Panthers. He's slotted into a fourth-line role, mostly bumping Tomas Nosek out of the lineup. Sturm is at seven goals, seven assists, 48 shots on net, 90 hits, 30 blocked shots and a minus-4 rating through 54 appearances between the Panthers and the Sharks, so he's not an option for most fantasy managers.

Rodrigues logged an assist, four shots on goal and three hits in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Capitals.

Rodrigues ended an eight-game point drought with a helper on a Seth Jones tally in the first period. The 31-year-old Rodrigues has mostly played in a middle-six role lately, but it hasn't helped him produce steady offense. He's at 28 points, 142 shots on net, 109 hits, 32 PIM and an even plus-minus rating over 70 appearances, putting him on pace for his lowest-scoring season in four years.

McMichael netted a goal and dished an assist in Saturday's 6-3 win against the Panthers.

McMichael's offensive contributions came on Washington's first two goals in the game. He scored his goal just three minutes into the game before assisting John Carlson's tally later in the first period. The 24-year-old McMichael now has 25 goals, 29 assists and 155 shots on net in 70 games this season. This breakout campaign for McMichael has been extremely steady offensively. He has 15 points in his last 17 games and his overall consistency makes him a strong option to deploy in the fantasy playoffs.

Kulich (concussion) won't play against Winnipeg on Sunday, per Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

Kulich will miss his fourth straight game, and a timeline for his return remains unclear. He has generated 12 goals, 19 points and 105 shots on net across 49 appearances this season.

Bennett scored a goal, dished an assist, had four shots on goal and added three hits in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Capitals.

Bennett lit the lamp for Florida's opening goal before assisting Seth Jones' goal later in the first period. The 28-year-old Bennett is up to 23 goals, 24 assists, 220 shots on net and 141 hits in 68 appearances this season. Saturday's multi-point effort helped the center snap a two-game scoreless skid, and it gave Bennett 10 points in his last 10 appearances. He is just two points away from tying his career high of 49 from the 2021-22 campaign. With his large usage on the power play and recent momentum offensively, Bennett is a great play in all formats in the fantasy playoffs.

Monahan (wrist) is expected to play Monday against the Islanders, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.

Monahan is trending toward rejoining the Blue Jackets after missing their last 28 games with a wrist sprain. The 30-year-old center should give Columbus a significant boost offensively -- Monahan has logged 14 goals and 41 points in 41 games this season.

Dach (elbow) won't play Sunday against the Flyers, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Dach will miss a second consecutive game due to a hyperextended elbow. The 22-year-old has two goals and seven points in 25 games with Chicago this year. Patrick Maroon will remain in the lineup in Dach's absence.

Dickinson (undisclosed) won't play against Philadelphia on Sunday, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio.

Dickinson left Saturday's 4-1 loss to St. Louis after a first-period fight with Jake Neighbours. Philipp Kurashev will replace Dickinson in Sunday's lineup. The 29-year-old Dickinson has seven goals, 16 points, 56 shots on net, 53 blocked shots and 102 hits in 59 appearances this season.