NHL Player News

Finley (illness) was on the ice for Monday's morning skate, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports, signaling that he's slated to be available for the Lightning's home game against Utah.

Finley missed Saturday's matchup against the Blue Jackets due to an illness, but he seems to have moved past the issue. Over his last five appearances, he's recorded no points, 12 hits, seven PIM and a blocked shot while averaging 7:22 of ice time.

Eberle scored a goal, recorded an assist and put three shots on net in Sunday's 4-2 win over New Jersey.

Seattle's captain played a strong role in his crew's victory, as Eberle picked up the lone helper on Matty Beniers' goal before potting an empty-net tally to secure the 4-2 victory. With Sunday's pair of points, Eberle is up to 18 goals, 16 assists, 110 shots on goal, 36 hits and 25 blocks across 49 games this season. Since a brief two-game absence from the lineup due to an upper-body injury, he has six points across his last eight games. He is on pace to finish the season above the 50-point mark for the second time across five years with the Kraken, giving him a solid outlook in fantasy moving forward. With at least a point in back-to-back games, Eberle is a quality streaming option across most fantasy formats.

Merzlikins was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers, indicating he will protect the home net against the Kings on Monday.

Merzlikins is poised to return to the crease after leaving Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Ottawa because of an illness. He has been healthy enough to be in the lineup as Jet Greaves' backup for the last two games. The 31-year-old Merzlikins has gone 8-8-1 with a 3.81 GAA and an .882 save percentage across 18 appearances this campaign. Los Angeles is tied for 28th in the league with 2.60 goals per game this campaign.

Howard was loaned to AHL Bakersfield on Monday.

Howard was called up by the Oilers in early January, and he recorded two assists, four hits, three blocked shots and two PIM while averaging 11:36 of ice time over 11 appearances with the NHL club. However, he'll head back to the minors after Josh Samanski was recalled by Edmonton on Monday.

Samanski was recalled from AHL Bakersfield on Monday.

Samanski will switch places with Isaac Howard, who was sent down in a corresponding move. With his promotion, Samanski is poised to make his NHL debut versus the Ducks. In the minors this year, the 23-year-old center is racking up points, generating seven goals and 21 helpers in 39 outings. It's a well-timed call-up for Samanski before he joins Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Daccord halted 27 of 29 shots on goal in Sunday's 4-2 win over New Jersey.

Daccord ended a three-game losing streak with Sunday's victory. He was perfect at even strength and surrendered just two power-play goals in the contest. With the win, the 29-year-old goaltender is up to a 13-12-5 record, a 2.89 GAA and a .900 save percentage across 30 appearances this season. While he's less than halfway to replicating the 27-win season he posted across 57 outings a season ago, he's slated to play a big role down the stretch as the Kraken challenge for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Daccord holds solid fantasy value across most two-goalie fantasy formats and is on track to post a .900-plus save percentage for the third consecutive year. His next chance to take the ice is Tuesday in a home matchup versus the Capitals.

Crozier (illness) is set to return to the lineup against the Mammoth on Monday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Crozier's potential return is good news for the Lightning's blue line, which has been very banged up, including Erik Cernak (undisclosed), who was deemed a game-time call for the clash with Utah. With Crozier in action, Simon Lundmark could be relegated to a spot in the press box as a healthy scratch.

Markstrom stopped 15 of 18 shots on net in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.

Markstrom posted a solid performance through the first two periods before he allowed two goals in an 18-second span in the third. With the loss, he now holds a 14-12-1 record, a 3.29 GAA and an .879 save percentage through 28 outings this season. Despite the late struggles in Sunday's contest, the 35-year-old netminder has been solid lately with a 4-2-0 record and a 2.65 GAA over his last six appearances. With the veteran goalie bouncing back after a rough start to the season, he has worked his way back into decent fantasy value in two-goalie formats. His next chance to find the win column is in Tuesday's home game against the Jets.

Ersson was the first goalie off during Monday's morning skate, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports, indicating that he'll draw the home start against the Islanders.

Ersson has had mixed results over his last four outings, going 2-1-1 with 12 goals allowed on 112 shots (.893 save percentage). He's made a pair of starts against the Islanders this year -- one at home and one on the road -- both of which were shootout wins. He allowed a total of six goals on 57 shots in those games.

Goncalves (illness) will be a game-time decision for Monday's game against Utah, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.

Goncalves participated in Monday's morning skate after leaving Saturday's 8-5 loss to Columbus late in the first period. He has registered six goals, 16 points, 39 shots on net and 42 hits through 46 appearances this season.