NHL Player News

Stephenson scored a shorthanded goal in a 4-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday.

Stephenson stole the puck from Sean Couturier at center ice, broke in alone and beat Samuel Ersson's blocker side with 22 seconds in the second period. It was Stephenson's 100th goal in the NHL. He has only four points (two goals, two assists) in his last 11 games, but he's still on a mid-50-point pace. He still doesn't shoot much, but Stephenson is great at faceoffs, winning the sixth-most puck drops (630) and posting a 52.2 winning percentage.

Beniers had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday.

Beniers had his first multi-point effort since Jan. 2. In his last 25 games, he has eight goals and five assists, including Saturday's effort. Beniers' goal stood as the winner after he got the puck low in the offensive zone, stepped out from the goal line and ripped a shot past Samuel Ersson late in the second period. Beniers hasn't taken a notable step forward this year after last season's slide, but he has just 231 games under his belt. Beniers will be fine, although more offense may not come until the 2025-26 campaign.

Lavoie (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Lavoie was injured in Wednesday's game versus Toronto and was unavailable Friday against Pittsburgh. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said Thursday that Lavoie is day-to-day, so it's currently unclear if the forward is facing an extended absence. He has not recorded a point over nine outings in 2024-25.

Nazar scored on a penalty shot in Friday's 4-3 overtime win over Utah.

The goal ended an eight-game run in which Nazar was limited to four assists. The 21-year-old was not involved in a paper move to AHL Rockford ahead of Friday's deadline for playoff eligibility in that league, which is a subtle vote of confidence that he's here to stay in the NHL. He has five goals, 10 assists, 51 shots on net and a minus-6 rating through 34 appearances this season. He was on the top line Friday, which could give him an offensive boost if he maintains that role.

Strome posted an assist and two shots on goal in Friday's 5-2 win over the Red Wings.

Strome had a nine-game point streak (six goals, seven assists) from Jan. 28 to Feb. 25. He was held off the scoresheet for two contests but has bounced back with a helper in each of his last three outings. The first-line center has compiled 62 points, 114 shots on net, 44 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating over 63 appearances in 2024-25. With just under a quarter of the campaign left, he's got a good chance of surpassing his career-high 67 points from the 2023-24 regular season.

Gregor (not injury related) will not play Saturday against the Islanders, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.

Gregor is going through the immigration process, so his 2024-25 debut with the Sharks will have to wait until at least Tuesday against Nashville. The Sharks acquired the 26-year-old forward in a trade from the Senators on Friday -- he should be a staple in the bottom six once he's eligible to play. Before being dealt, Gregor contributed four goals, two helpers, 17 PIM, 76 hits and 25 blocked shots while averaging 11:21 of ice time over 40 appearances with the Senators.

Helenius was called up from AHL Ontario on Saturday.

Helenius has played 28 games with the Kings this season, tallying one goal and a pair of assists. The 22-year-old center had two goals and four assists in 20 AHL contests before his recall.

Bedard scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Friday's 4-3 overtime win over Utah.

Bedard came through when the Blackhawks needed him the most, and he notched his 17th goal of the season with only 1:50 left in overtime. The goal snapped Bedard's seven-game pointless drought. The 19-year-old posted 61 points in 68 games as a rookie last season, and he's up to 51 points across 63 contests this campaign. If he stays healthy, Bedard could set career-high marks in both goals and points once the regular season ends in April.

Kulich (illness) will miss Saturday's game in Florida, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

Kulich had had a solid rookie season, earning 12 goals and 19 points in 47 outings. He has yet to pick up a point on the man advantage despite averaging 1:31 of ice time on the power play. Kulich could return as early as Monday versus Edmonton. Josh Dunne or Isak Rosen could replace Kulich in Saturday's lineup.

Schmaltz recorded a goal in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Blackhawks. He also notched four shots on goal, a hit and three blocked shots.

Schmaltz has found the back of the net in three of Utah's last four games. He has eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven contests since the league resumed following the 4 Nations Face-Off break, cracking the scoresheet in all but two outings.