NHL Player News
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson D | TOR
Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Set to play Tuesday
Ekman-Larsson (personal) is slated to be in the lineup Tuesday versus the Islanders, Dave McCarthy of NHL.com reports.
Ekman-Larsson was considered a game-time decision after he welcomed a newborn into the world. The 34-year-old looks good to go after skating in warmups, and he should be back in the power-play mix as well. Simon Benoit is set to be scratched for Ekman-Larsson's return after a one-game absence.
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Kashawn Aitcheson D | NYI
Islanders' Kashawn Aitcheson: Inks entry-level deal
Aitcheson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Islanders on Tuesday.
Similar to other key prospects around the league, Aitcheson is signing an entry-level deal to potentially make an impact at the NHL level this season. The highly-regarded blueline prospect has had an excellent season with the Barrie Colts of the OHL, posting 28 goals, 70 points and a plus-45 rating across 54 games. If the Islanders elect to call up Aitcheson, the 19-year-old defenseman will join Matthew Schaefer and the rest of the Islanders' solid defensive core as they look to secure a playoff spot in the competitive Metropolitan Division. If he can work his way into the lineup, Aitcheson is an exciting name to keep an eye on in fantasy and is a strong waiver-wire pickup in dynasty formats.
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Seth Jones D | FLA
Panthers' Seth Jones: Making return Tuesday
Jones (upper body) was activated from long-term injured reserve and will play in Tuesday's road game against the Canucks, per Panthers play-by-play announcer Steve Goldstein.
Jones is set to make his long-awaited return to the lineup after sustaining his upper-body injury during the Winter Classic on Jan. 2. Before going down, the 31-year-old blueliner had 24 points, 78 shots on net, 38 hits and 47 blocked shots across 40 games this season. He'll likely return to one of Florida's top two defensive pairings and work his way back into a sizable role for the remainder of the regular season. If not already rostered, Jones is a strong waiver-wire pickup in nearly all fantasy formats.
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Brent Burns D | COL
Avalanche's Brent Burns: Scores in blowout loss
Burns scored a goal on five shots in Monday's 7-2 loss to the Penguins.
Burns ended a six-game point drought with the tally. The 41-year-old blueliner hasn't logged more than 20 minutes in a game since the start of February, averaging just 17:07 per game in that span compared to 19:04 overall. He's at 10 goals, 29 points, 136 shots on net, 78 blocked shots and a plus-28 rating over 66 appearances, matching his point total from 82 regular-season outings with the Hurricanes last year. Burns may simply be having his minutes managed as the Avalanche prepare for what they hope will be a deep playoff run.
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Erik Karlsson D | PIT
Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Three-point game in win
Karlsson scored a goal on four shots, added two assists and went plus-2 in Monday's 7-2 win over the Avalanche.
Karlsson picked up his fourth multi-point effort over the last five games. The 35-year-old has three goals and 10 assists over nine contests in March as he tries to lead the Penguins' push for a playoff spot. Karlsson is up to seven goals, 49 points, 140 shots on net, 53 blocked shots and a plus-13 rating across 62 appearances.
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Tyler Myers D | DAL
Stars' Tyler Myers: First helper with new team
Myers notched an assist, three shots on goal and three blocked shots in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Mammoth.
Myers helped out on Adam Erne's tally late in the third period. This was Myers' first point in five games with the Stars. He's taken on a third-pairing role with his new team, adding a plus-1 rating, nine shots on net, seven hits and nine blocks. Overall, Myers has nine points, 80 shots, 100 blocks, 72 hits, 42 PIM and a minus-24 rating over 62 appearances between Dallas and Vancouver this year.
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Nate Schmidt D | UTA
Mammoth's Nate Schmidt: Finds twine in Monday's win
Schmidt scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Monday's 6-3 win over the Stars.
Schmidt had a four-point game Jan. 17 versus Seattle and then went 18 contests without getting on the scoresheet. He snapped the drought with a second-period tally Monday. Schmidt has five goals and 14 assists over 68 appearances this season, identically matching his offensive output from 80 regular-season outings with the Panthers last year. He's added 71 shots on net, 72 hits, 87 blocked shots and a plus-29 rating in 2025-26, providing some defensive stability on the Mammoth's blue line.
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Drew Doughty D | LA
Kings' Drew Doughty: Opens scoring versus Rangers
Doughty scored a goal in Monday's 4-1 win over the Rangers.
Doughty has scored twice over his last four contests. The veteran defenseman is up to five goals, 18 points, 77 shots on net, 62 blocked shots, 31 hits and 34 PIM over 57 outings. He surpassed his point total from the 2024-25 regular season with this goal, though he had 17 points in 30 games last year, so it's clear Doughty has taken a step back in 2025-26.
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Henri Jokiharju D | BOS
Bruins' Henri Jokiharju: Garners helper Monday
Jokiharju produced an assist and three blocked shots in Monday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Devils.
Jokiharju had been a healthy scratch over the previous seven games. He's played just 11 times in 26 contests since the start of January. The 26-year-old blueliner has 10 helpers, 32 shots on net, 33 blocked shots, 23 hits and 12 PIM over 36 outings this season, matching his point total from 60 games between Boston and Buffalo in 2024-25. It's still on the lower end of his usual production range.
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Brenden Dillon D | NJ
Devils' Brenden Dillon: Assist, fight in overtime win
Dillon logged an assist, five PIM and three hits in Monday's 4-3 overtime win over the Bruins.
Dillon fought Mark Kastelic in the first period and assisted a Paul Cotter tally in the third. The helper ended a 20-game point drought for Dillon, who has remained in the lineup as a physical shutdown defenseman on the third pairing despite his lack of offense. He's at 13 points, 45 shots on net, 163 hits, 85 blocked shots and 62 PIM across 67 outings this season.