NHL Player News
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Scott Laughton C | PHI
Flyers' Scott Laughton: Dishes pair of assists
Laughton notched two assists, four shots on goal, three hits and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Penguins.
Laughton hasn't gone completely quiet since his four-goal game versus the Red Wings on Dec. 12. The 30-year-old has four helpers over his last five outings, which included him assisting goals by Egor Zamula and Sean Couturier in Monday's loss. Laughton is up to 18 points, 65 shots on net, 80 hits, 20 blocked shots and a minus-10 rating over 35 appearances. He's a bottom-six forward by nature, but the kind that tends to be trusted by head coach John Tortorella. Laughton is on pace for roughly 40 points, so he can be rostered in deeper fantasy formats.
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Egor Zamula D | PHI
Flyers' Egor Zamula: Ends drought Monday
Zamula scored a goal on two shots, doled out two hits and blocked three shots in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Penguins.
Zamula's goal tied the game at 1-1 in the first period, though the Penguins would score three more times prior to the intermission. The tally ended Zamula's 10-game point drought, a span in which he went minus-5 and was scratched six times. The 24-year-old defenseman didn't feature on the power play Monday but is usually included on the second unit. Zamula has seven points, 17 shots on net, 39 blocked shots and a minus-13 rating over 25 appearances. Until his defense is steady enough to avoid drawing head coach John Tortorella's ire, the blueliner is a risky fantasy play.
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Sean Couturier C | PHI
Flyers' Sean Couturier: Scores in return
Couturier scored a goal and added two hits in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Penguins.
Couturier welcomed his son into the world, which was why he missed Saturday's game versus the Blue Jackets. He then delivered a goal in his first game back, though the Flyers couldn't keep pace with their intrastate rivals. The 32-year-old center is up to seven tallies, 18 points, 62 shots on net, 27 hits, 21 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating through 33 appearances. Look for Couturier to handle significant minutes as a strong two-way center moving forward, though his defensive duties may occasionally interfere with his scoring production.
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Noah Cates LW | PHI
Flyers' Noah Cates: Scores again Monday
Cates scored a goal in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Penguins.
Cates' goal streak is up to four games, and he has seven points over his last seven outings. This is arguably the best stretch of his career. He's up to six tallies, 12 points, 31 shots on net, 33 hits and a plus-7 rating through 31 appearances. Cates was moved up to the second line Monday, but until he starts seeing regular power-play time, it's tough to trust that his offense will last.
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Matt Nieto LW | PIT
Penguins' Matt Nieto: Plucks apple on power play
Nieto notched a power-play assist in Monday's 7-3 win over the Flyers.
Nieto sees almost no power-play time -- he was on the ice in that situation late Monday since the score was lopsided. With two points over his last six games, Nieto's finding a little more offense but remains on the fourth line with little chance of moving up. Overall, the 32-year-old has two points, 13 shots on net, 16 hits, 11 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 15 appearances.
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Ryan Shea D | PIT
Penguins' Ryan Shea: Picks up power-play helper
Shea posted a power-play assist in Monday's 7-3 win over the Flyers.
Shea ended a seven-game point drought with his helper on a Blake Lizotte tally late in the contest. Don't expect Shea to be a factor with the man advantage moving forward, as Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson and Matt Grzelcyk have firm grips on power-play time. For the season, Shea has struggled with offense in generally, collecting two assists and seven shots on net as well as 24 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating over 17 appearances.
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Blake Lizotte C | PIT
Penguins' Blake Lizotte: Tallies late on power play
Lizotte scored a power-play goal and added three hits in Monday's 7-3 win over the Flyers.
Lizotte was on the ice on a late power play and cashed in the Penguins' final goal of the game. He's typically not a factor with the man advantage, seeing just traces of time at the ends of power plays to provide a steady defensive presence. The 27-year-old has done well in a bottom-six role this season, logging eight goals, four assists, 19 shots on net, 26 hits, 14 PIM and a plus-6 rating over 20 appearances. He's on pace to return to the 20-point threshold after missing that mark over 62 games with the Kings last year.
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Philip Tomasino C | PIT
Penguins' Philip Tomasino: Strikes on power play
Tomasino scored a power-play goal and added two hits in Monday's 7-3 win over the Flyers.
A one-game absence due to an upper-body injury took Tomasino's offense off track earlier in December. He snapped a six-game point drought with his tally Monday, his fourth goal in 12 contests as a Penguin. The forward has six points, 42 shots on net, 19 hits and a minus-3 rating over 23 appearances between Pittsburgh and Nashville this season. Tomasino continues to fill a middle-six role.
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Jake McCabe D | TOR
Maple Leafs' Jake McCabe: Nabs assist in loss
McCabe notched an assist, three hits and a minus-2 rating in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Jets.
McCabe has a helper in consecutive contests, and he's earned four assists over his last seven outings. The defenseman is known for his physicality, but he can chip in some supporting offense every now and then. For the season, he has nine assists, 30 shots on net, 23 PIM, 61 hits and 59 blocked shots through 30 appearances.
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William Nylander RW | TOR
Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Helps out on both goals in loss
Nylander notched two assists and three shots on goal in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Jets.
Nylander helped out on both of John Tavares' tallies in the game, one of which came on the power play. This was Nylander's seventh straight game on the scoresheet and his fourth consecutive multi-point effort. During the streak, he has compiled six goals and six assists. The winger is up to 23 tallies, 17 helpers, 17 power-play points, 124 shots on net and a plus-2 rating through 35 appearances. In terms of pure offense, few players can match Nylander's contributions in fantasy.