NHL Player News

Saad notched an assist and three shots on goal in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

Saad had been scratched for the previous 13 contests and had a six-game stretch without a point before exiting the lineup. The winger has had a poor year in the Golden Knights' bottom six, earning just nine points, 76 shots on net, 14 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 47 appearances. Saad is not guaranteed to have a regular spot in the lineup for the rest of the season -- he'll be competing with Reilly Smith for playing time.

McNabb scored a goal, blocked three shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

McNabb has two goals and two assists over his last eight outings. The 35-year-old defenseman remains in a top-four role while logging shutdown minutes, so the offense is a nice surprise. He's earned five goals, 11 points, 76 shots on net, 106 hits, 134 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 59 appearances this season.

Smith scored the game-winning goal and added four hits in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

Smith has two goals over his last four contests. The 30-year-old winger's tally was the game-winner Tuesday, coming at 12:13 of the third period. He's up to eight goals, four assists, 67 shots on net, 166 hits, 40 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 59 appearances between the Golden Knights and the Predators. He'll likely continue to see fourth-line minutes for Vegas moving forward.

Hart stopped 10 of 11 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

The Golden Knights' defense smothered the Canucks, leaving Hart with little work to do in his third straight win. He's stopped 60 of 65 shots in those games, and he appears to have quickly claimed the No. 1 job between the pipes. Hart is up to 8-3-3 with a 2.93 GAA and an .881 save percentage over 15 starts this season. The Golden Knights' next game is Thursday in Seattle.

Ekholm logged an assist in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Ekholm snapped a four-game slump with the helper. The 35-year-old hadn't gone that long without a point since January, providing steady but unremarkable offense from the blue line. He's logged 13 assists over 20 contests since the Olympic break. For the season, Ekholm has 40 points, 129 shots on net, 114 blocked shots, 65 hits, 30 PIM and a plus-29 rating over 78 appearances in a top-four role.

Frederic posted an assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

The helper was Frederic's first point in three games since he returned from missing five contests due to an undisclosed injury. The 28-year-old forward continues to occupy a bottom-six role, where he'll provide toughness and the occasional contribution on offense. He has seven points, 70 shots on net, 178 hits, 58 PIM and a minus-16 rating over 70 appearances this season.

Lazar scored a goal and added three hits in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Lazar has played in four of five contests since he returned from a stint on long-term injured reserve due to an undisclosed issue. The 31-year-old forward is up to six points, 28 shots on net, 96 hits and a minus-2 rating over 42 appearances this season. Lazar has been limited to fourth-line minutes when he plays, and that's unlikely to change late in the regular season.

Dach scored a goal on three shots and added five hits in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Dach was activated from long-term injured reserve Saturday but didn't play versus the Golden Knights. He checked in on the third line Tuesday and scored at 2:09 of the third period to give the Oilers a 5-4 lead. This was his first goal and second point in four appearances for the Oilers. The 23-year-old has 11 points, 55 shots on net, 200 hits, 47 PIM and a minus-16 rating over 57 appearances between Edmonton and Chicago this season. He'll likely close out the regular season in a bottom-six role, and it's not yet clear if Dach will retain his place in the lineup for the playoffs.

Nugent-Hopkins scored a goal on three shots and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Nugent-Hopkins had been limited to two assists over his previous eight outings. The 32-year-old Nugent-Hopkins is up to 19 goals, 54 points, 125 shots on net and a minus-10 rating over 68 appearances this season. The 32-year-old has been pressed back into center duties in the absence of Leon Draisaitl (lower body), and that's likely where he'll stay to close out the regular season.

Podkolzin scored a goal on two shots and added three hits in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Podkolzin has scored twice over three games in April. The 24-year-old continues to be effective in a top-six role for the Oilers, offering some scoring upside in addition to his physical play. He's now at 18 goals, 35 points, 130 shots on net, 229 hits, 46 blocked shots, 63 PIM and a plus-16 rating over 78 appearances.