NHL Player News

Bouchard tallied an empty-net goal and took three shots on net in Saturday's 3-1 win against the Hurricanes.

Bouchard found the back of the net in the final second of regulation in Saturday's contest. His tally helped Connor McDavid get on the scoresheet with an assist and gave Leon Draisaitl his second helper. Bouchard has 10 goals, 46 points, 177 shots on net and 85 blocks in 60 appearances this season. He's currently tied for ninth in points from the blue line this season and is a top-tier option for fantasy the rest of the season while skating premium minutes alongside Edmonton's superstar forwards.

Fleury has played in just five of 13 games since returning from a lower-body injury Jan. 22.

Fleury was in the lineup on the second half of a back-to-back Thursday in Nashville, but he was back in the press box Saturday against the Flyers. The Jets are tinkering with their third defense pair while carrying eight blueliners on the roster -- Fleury is in competition with Colin Miller and Ville Heinola for a place in the lineup. Any or all of those players could end up losing time if the Jets opt to upgrade their defense with a trade. Fleury is at six assists, 32 shots on net, 39 hits, 51 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating across 30 appearances this season.

Drysdale scored a goal and added two PIM in Saturday's 2-1 shootout win over the Jets.

Drysdale has earned three points and a plus-3 rating over his last six games. The 22-year-old defenseman converted on an assist from Noah Cates at 3:48 of the second period Saturday, tying the game at 1-1. Drysdale is up to three goals, 14 points, 42 shots on net, 68 blocked shots and a minus-18 rating across 49 appearances. He was limited to a total of 10 points over 42 contests over the last two years combined, so this is a little progress. Drysdale is not at risk of losing his place in the lineup currently, but he doesn't need to be rostered in most fantasy formats.

Seider registered a power-play assist, two shots on goal, three hits, two blocked shots and two PIM in Saturday's 5-3 Stadium Series loss to the Blue Jackets.

Seider has a goal and four assists over nine contests since the start of February. The 23-year-old defenseman continues to play massive minutes in all situations for the Red Wings, and even when his offense falters, he offers steady physical play. For the season, the blueliner has five goals, 36 points, 119 shots on net, 162 hits, 135 blocked shots and a minus-4 rating over 60 appearances. He's on pace to do better than the back-to-back 42-point campaigns he's put together, but Seider would need to pick up the pace to match his 50-point rookie season.

Mateychuk scored a goal in Saturday's 5-3 Stadium Series win over the Red Wings.

Mateychuk's third NHL goal will be a memorable one, as he opened the scoring at 5:31 of the second period outdoors at Ohio Stadium. The 20-year-old blueliner is up to five points, 23 shots on net, 39 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 23 appearances. Mateychuk has handled a top-four role lately, and with two goals over four contests since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he appears to be settling in at the NHL level.

Oesterle was scratched for the ninth straight game in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Penguins.

Oesterle is a veteran defenseman, so he can step in at a moment's notice to give another blueliner some rest or to cover for an injury. Steady playing time doesn't look to be in the cards right now -- Oesterle's last appearance was Jan. 28, and Parker Wotherspoon has largely taken over the last spot on defense in the absence of Charlie McAvoy (shoulder). Overall, Oesterle has earned five assists, 19 shots on net, 19 hits and 34 blocked shots over 21 appearances, but he's likely to end the campaign in a part-time role.

Lohrei scored a power-play goal on three shots in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Penguins.

Lohrei's goal was his first since Jan. 28, though he has picked up the pace recently with five points across his last four outings. The defenseman continues to fill in on the top power-play unit in the absence of Charlie McAvoy (shoulder). Lohrei is up to four goals, 28 points (13 on the power play), 62 shots on net, 76 blocked shots and a minus-15 rating through 56 appearances. He is likely to end 2024-25 in a top-four role, so he's worth a look in most fantasy formats as long as the offense is steady.

Gostisbehere dished a power-play assist, took four shots on net and blocked three shots in Saturday's 3-1 loss against Edmonton.

Gostisbehere helped set up Sebastian Aho's lone goal of the game for Carolina. The 31-year-old Gostisbehere is up to 26 assists, 33 points and 95 shots on goal in 52 games this season. It seems he has benefitted from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, as he has tallied four points in his last three games. If Gostisbehere can rediscover the scoring touch that helped him pick up 27 points in a 31-game span earlier this season, he could be a good addition to any blue line in fantasy.

Ekman-Larsson (undisclosed) will play Sunday against the Penguins, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Ekman-Larsson appeared to suffer an injury in Friday's win over the Rangers before missing practice Saturday, though the veteran defenseman will ultimately suit up Sunday in Pittsburgh. Ekman-Larsson has four goals, 25 points and a career-best plus-18 rating through 58 games this season.

Tanev (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Sunday.

The move, retroactive to Feb. 25, is largely procedural as it had been previously reported that Tanev would be out until Wednesday against the Golden Knights. Philippe Myers should remain in the lineup in Tanev's absence.