NHL Player News

DeMelo produced two assists, three shots on goal, two hits and two PIM in Friday's 5-2 win over Utah.

DeMelo earned his first multi-point effort of the season after assisting on goals by David Gustafsson and Cole Perfetti. The 31-year-old DeMelo has picked up the scoring pace in January with five points over 11 outings this month. He's up to three goals, nine assists, 49 shots on net, 87 hits, 61 blocked shots, 26 PIM and a plus-20 rating through 50 appearances.

Crevier scored a goal on two shots, added an assist and logged two hits in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning.

Crevier had the first multi-point effort of his career and continues to trend in the right direction. He has four points and a plus-2 rating over his last five appearances. The 23-year-old blueliner is up to three goals, two helpers, 22 shots on net, 39 hits, 30 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 19 contests this season. Crevier is starting to take hold of a second-pairing role.

Raddysh notched a power-play assist, six shots on goal, two hits, two PIM and a minus-2 rating in Friday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks.

Raddysh's four-game point streak ended Tuesday in Montreal, but the 28-year-old defenseman was able to contribute Friday. He helped out on Jake Guentzel's game-tying goal in the final minute of the third period. Raddysh is up to 21 points (six on the power play), 63 shots on net, 30 blocked shots, 22 hits and a plus-5 rating over 39 appearances. As long as he's seeing power-play time, he's worth a look in fantasy -- the Lightning are tied for fourth in the league, converting their power-play chances at a 28.3 percent rate.

Hedman recorded two assists, including one on the power play, three shots on goal and two blocked shots in Friday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks.

Hedman saw a seven-game point streak end Tuesday in Montreal before getting back on the scoresheet Friday. The defenseman was a key part of the Lightning's comeback push, setting up Nick Paul's goal late in the second period as well as Nikita Kucherov's game-winner in overtime. Hedman has two goals and nine assists over his last nine outings, and he's up to 40 points (16 on the power play), 113 shots on net, 78 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating through 45 appearances overall.

Jones (illness) won't play Friday versus the Lightning, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Jones will miss his first game since he returned from a broken foot in mid-December. The 30-year-old was on a roll with six points over his last four contests. T.J. Brodie is expected to rejoin the lineup in place of Jones for Friday's game, while Jones' next chance to play is Sunday against the Wild.

Zamula (upper body) won't play Friday versus the Islanders.

Zamula struggled with a minus-2 rating versus the Rangers on Friday, extending his point drought to five games. It appears he's sustained an injury that will cause him to miss at least one contest. Erik Johnson will draw into the lineup to replace Zamula on Friday.

Cernak (undisclosed) won't play Friday versus the Blackhawks, but head coach Jon Cooper considers the defenseman day-to-day moving forward, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.

Cernak's absence Friday will be his fourth in a row. It's still possible he plays Saturday in Detroit. If he can't play in that contest, the Lightning return home for a rematch with the Blackhawks on Tuesday.

Ekblad (upper body) practiced Friday and head coach Paul Maurice said "there's a chance" the defenseman plays Saturday versus the Sharks.

Ekblad was on the top pairing during the practice session, which is a good sign that he's close to a return. If he can't play Saturday, the Panthers are in action again Sunday versus the Golden Knights. Ekblad's return will likely lead to Tobias Bjornfot exiting the lineup.

Jokiharju notched an assist in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Flames.

Jokiharju ended a 26-game point drought with the helper. The 25-year-old was in the lineup as the Sabres played with seven defensemen for the second game in a row. Jokiharju or Dennis Gilbert would check out of the lineup if the team returns to the traditional six blueliners. Jokiharju is at four points, 41 shots on net, 30 blocked shots, 29 hits and a plus-3 rating through 33 appearances this year.

Pachal logged an assist, six hits and two blocked shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.

Pachal has earned three points, 20 hits, 15 blocked shots and 15 PIM over nine outings in January. That's fine production for a physical defenseman who is firmly on the third pairing. Pachal is up to five points, 40 shots, 106 hits, 54 blocks and 64 PIM through 46 contests this season. The 25-year-old can help in banger leagues but doesn't score enough to be worth making a move for in standard fantasy formats.