NHL Player News

Pesce registered an assist and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-3 loss to Buffalo.

Pesce set up Paul Cotter's second goal of the game just 18 seconds into the third period. Pesce has recorded three assists over his last two games after being held without a point over eight prior contests. The veteran blueliner should be able to surpass the 13 points he generated over 70 regular-season games in 2023-24 -- he's chipped in a goal and nine assists over 45 outings this season.

Gilbert notched an assist, two hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Devils.

Gilbert made the most of his 6:36 of ice time while dressing as a seventh defenseman Sunday. The 28-year-old's playing time has been sparse lately -- this was his sixth appearance in 14 games since the start of January. Gilbert's offense is even less noticeable -- he has two helpers, four shots on net, 43 hits, 15 blocked shots, 43 PIM and a minus-5 rating through 18 appearances. He does not need to be tracked in fantasy.

Pelech logged an assist, three blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Panthers.

Pelech continues to stabilize the Islanders' defense while also chipping in some offense. He has six helpers over his last eight contests. While he's battled his own long-term jaw injury this year, he's been healthy since returning in mid-December. The blueliner is up to 13 helpers, 67 shots on net, 52 hits, 48 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating across 32 appearances. The Islanders' recent additions on defense are all potential power-play options, so don't expect Pelech to see time with the man advantage.

Cholowski notched two assists in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Panthers.

Recent injuries to Noah Dobson (lower body), Ryan Pulock (upper body) and Scott Mayfield (lower body) have allowed Cholowski to stick around in the NHL. Prior to Sunday, he had been scratched in six of the previous seven games. Cholowski's time with the Islanders could be running out -- general manager Lou Lamoriello has been aggressive in upgrading the defense by signing Tony DeAngelo, trading for Scott Perunovich and snagging Adam Boqvist off waivers. Cholowski is up to 10 points, 26 shots on net, 30 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating through 30 appearances this season and has served as a key depth blueliner amid a brutal season for injuries to the team's defense.

Ekblad logged an assist, three shots on goal, three blocked shots, two hits, two PIM and a plus-3 rating in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Islanders.

It was an all-around strong performance for Ekblad, who was rewarded with a helper on Matthew Tkachuk's empty-netter. Ekblad has earned five points over five contests since returning from an upper-body injury. The defenseman is up to 25 points, 88 shots, 69 hits, 59 blocks, 41 PIM and a plus-7 rating through 46 outings overall. He continues to provide good category coverage in a top-pairing role.

Matheson recorded a power-play assist in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Ducks.

Matheson set up a Christian Dvorak tally in the first period. The helper ended an eight-game slump for Matheson, and it was his first power-play point since Jan. 3. The defenseman is now at 23 points (nine on the power play), 93 shots on net, 99 blocked shots, 37 hits, 39 PIM and a minus-10 rating through 50 contests this season.

Mahura notched an assist in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Flames.

Mahura has a helper in each of the last two games after going seven contests without a point. For the season, he's up to six assists, 41 shots on net, 56 hits, 31 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 42 appearances. Mahura is likely to see steady playing time on the third pairing for the rest of the season, though he's on a one-year contract, so he could be a trade candidate if Seattle continues to drift out of the playoff picture.

Andersson notched a power-play assist in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Kraken.

Andersson has two points, 12 PIM and 10 blocked shots over his last six outings. His offense has been sporadic at best since the start of November, but he's remained a defensive stalwart for the Flames. The 28-year-old is up to 20 points (seven on the power play), 104 shots on net, 123 blocks, 48 PIM and a minus-11 rating through 52 contests in a top-four role.

Weegar logged a power-play assist, two shots on goal, two hits and four blocked shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Kraken.

Weegar has a power-play helper in each of the first two games in February. The 31-year-old defenseman has earned five points over his last six outings. For the season, he's up to six goals, 21 helpers, 12 power-play points, 112 shots on net, 139 hits, 114 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over 52 appearances. Weegar and Detroit's Moritz Seider are the only two players to have at least 100 each of shots on goal, hits and blocks through Sunday's action, making them two of the top well-rounded blueliners in fantasy.

Pettersson logged an assist and two shots on goal in Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Red Wings.

The helper on Pius Suter's first-period tally was Pettersson's first career point. The 20-year-old defenseman had been scratched over the previous two contests, but Pettersson remains in the NHL even with recent trade acquisitions Marcus Pettersson and Victor Mancini on the roster. Quinn Hughes (undisclosed) was unavailable Sunday and Carson Soucy was a healthy scratch, but once the Canucks' blue line is healthy, Pettersson may end up being sent back to AHL Abbotsford.