NHL Player News

Emberson recorded an assist, two hits and a plus-3 rating in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Wild.

Emberson has two helpers over his last three contests. The 24-year-old defenseman continues to hold down a regular role on the Oilers' third pairing, and he appears to have a bit more security in the lineup than Troy Stecher or Josh Brown. For the season, Emberson is up to seven helpers, 35 shots on net, 62 hits, 60 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating across 42 appearances.

Kulak notched an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Wild.

Kulak snapped a three-game point drought with the helper. The 31-year-old defenseman has played at a career-best pace with 15 points through 44 outings overall while often playing top-four minutes despite being listed on the third pairing most of the time. Kulak has added 68 blocked shots, 71 shots on net and a plus-5 rating as a steady stay-at-home defender.

Bouchard logged a power-play assist and seven shots on goal in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Wild.

Bouchard has been steady since the holiday break with a goal and seven assists over his last 10 games. Five of those helpers have come with the man advantage. The 25-year-old blueliner is up to seven goals, 26 assists, 11 power-play points, 124 shots on net, 68 blocked shots and a plus-12 rating through 44 appearances.

Gostisbehere produced an assist, five shots on goal and two blocked shots in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Sabres.

This was Gostisbehere's second game back after missing eight contests due to an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old has immediately resumed his role on the top power-play unit, but he also remains on the third pairing at even strength. His helper snapped a five-game slump, and the defenseman is now at 28 points (18 on the power play), 74 shots on net, 32 blocked shots, 30 hits and a minus-5 rating through 37 appearances this season.

Burns notched two assists and eight shots on goal in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Sabres.

Burns has racked up five helpers and a plus-4 rating over his last five contests. The defenseman helped out on third-period tallies by Jaccob Slavin and Martin Necas as the Hurricanes attempted to make a comeback that ultimately fell short. Burns is now at 18 points, 104 shots on net, 63 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 45 appearances. He's still seeing big minutes, but the 39-year-old is not a must-have player in fantasy at this stage of his career.

Slavin scored a goal in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Sabres.

Slavin broke up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's shutout bid early in the third period. The 30-year-old Slavin has four points over eight outings in January, and he's added a plus-3 rating and 12 blocked shots in that span. Overall, the defenseman has three goals, 14 points, 54 shots on net, 72 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating through 45 appearances in a top-pairing role.

Clifton notched an assist, four hits and two PIM in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Hurricanes.

Clifton ended a 10-game point drought when he set up the first goal of Ryan McLeod's hat trick just 43 seconds into the contest. The Sabres' defense is fully healthy for the first time recently, so Clifton will have to keep his performance up to avoid losing playing time to Dennis Gilbert or Jacob Bryson. Clifton has eight assists, 33 shots on net, 29 PIM, 123 hits, 65 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating through 42 appearances this season and likely won't score enough to help in fantasy.

Ekholm (undisclosed) is on the ice for warmups and expected to play Wednesday versus the Wild, Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels reports.

Ekholm was considered a game-time decision after missing Wednesday's morning skate. His heavy defensive usage leads to some wear and tear throughout the season, and that appears to be the case in this situation. He's projected to play in his usual spot on the top pairing.

Fleury (lower body) was able to practice in a regular jersey this week, meaning he's close to returning to the lineup, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.

It's unclear if he'll be able to return Thursday versus the Kraken. Fleury won't be guaranteed a spot in the lineup upon his return, as Dylan Samberg recovered from a broken foot during Fleury's absence. Fleury would likely be set to compete with Logan Stanley for the last spot on the blue line.

Samuelsson (illness) will make his return Wednesday against Carolina.

Samuelsson missed Buffalo's previous two games due to the illness. He has two goals, five points, 43 hits and 34 blocks in 26 appearances in 2024-25. Samuelsson is projected to skate on the third pairing alongside Connor Clifton in his return.