NHL Player News

Pesce notched an assist and six blocked shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers.

Pesce got it done at both ends of the ice Thursday -- he set up a Jack Hughes tally in the second period. The six blocks matched Pesce's season high, which he's achieved three times this season. He has a modest six points over 17 contests since the start of December. Overall, the 30-year-old blueliner has seven points, 47 shots on net, 72 blocks and a minus-1 rating over 35 appearances.

Gilbert racked up two hits and nine PIM in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Senators.

This was Gilbert's second appearance in three games, though he was scratched for the prior six contests. The Sabres rolled with seven defensemen Thursday, but it's unclear if they'll do that more frequently in the second half. Mattias Samuelsson (illness) was also out, so it's possible Gilbert goes back to the press box once his fellow defenseman is healthy again. Gilbert has one assist, two shots on net, 36 hits, 36 PIM and 11 blocked shots through 14 outings in 2024-25.

Samuelsson (illness) didn't practice Friday and isn't expected back against Seattle on Saturday, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Samuelsson will be shelved for his second straight outing due to his illness, one that has also impacted forward Beck Malenstyn. With the 24-year-old Samuelsson once unavailable again Saturday, Jacob Bryson figures to remain on the third pairing while Henri Jokiharju should get an uptick in ice time.

Samberg (foot) will return to the lineup Friday versus the Kings.

Samberg sat out 21 games with the injury. The defenseman is expected to play on the second pairing alongside Neal Pionk. Samberg had three goals, three helpers and 30 blocked shots in 21 appearances before the injury. Ville Heinola will come out of the lineup with Samberg healthy enough to return.

Ekblad (undisclosed) missed practice Friday and is considered a game-time decision against Boston on Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Ekblad played Wednesday after missing Monday's tilt in Colorado with the same injury. Ekblad has two goals, 18 assists, 59 hits and 55 blocked shots across 41 games this season.

Fox scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Devils.

He opened the scoring midway through the first period with a blast from the point that deflected off the stick of Nico Hischier and got past Jacob Markstrom. That snapped a 12-game goal drought for Fox, who has found the back of the net only twice in 41 appearances this season, a massive drop-off from the career-high 17 tallies he produced in 2023-24. The 26-year-old blueliner has remained productive, however, dishing 31 helpers, and his puck luck could be turning around.

Smith logged an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

Smith picked up his first point over five outings in January when he assisted on an Eric Robinson tally. For the season, Smith has two points, 14 shots on net, three blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over seven NHL appearances. He continues to fill in on the third pairing while seeing power-play time in the absence of Shayne Gostisbehere (upper body), but Smith's limited production has yet to really move the needle in fantasy.

Montour notched an assist, six shots on goal, two blocked shots and a minus-4 rating in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Montour's pace on offense has dropped in recent weeks -- he has a somewhat modest four points over his last 11 appearances. He also has a minus-12 rating in that span, as the Kraken have too often struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. Montour is now at 23 points, 117 shots on net, 49 blocked shots, 48 hits and a minus-3 rating through 41 appearances in his first year with Seattle. He should still be able to surpass his 33-point performance from the 2023-24 regular season with the Panthers, but his fantasy utility is as a supporting defenseman rather than a league-winner.

Fabbro logged an assist, four blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Fabbro has earned three assists over eight games since he returned from a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old continues to hold onto a top-four spot alongside Zach Werenski, which has worked wonders for getting Fabbro more involved on offense. The defenseman has 10 points, 41 shots on net, 67 blocked shots, 30 hits and a plus-10 rating through 32 appearances between the Blue Jackets and the Predators this season.

Severson picked up an assist and three shots on goal in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.

Severson has been in the doghouse lately -- he was scratched for three of the previous seven contests. An illness sidelined Jack Johnson for this game, and Severson slotted back in on the third pairing, but he saw just 14:35 of ice time. While he has 18 points through 39 appearances this season, Severson will have to scrap for playing time until he gets back on head coach Dean Evason's good side. Severson has added 62 shots on net, 70 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating.