NHL Player News

Xhekaj notched an assist and two hits in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Devils.

Xhekaj has gotten a chance to play regularly in the absence of Alexandre Carrier (upper body). This was Xhekaj's fourth straight game in the lineup. The defenseman snapped a 30-game point drought dating back to Dec. 16 versus the Flyers. He has just three points with 36 shots on net, 110 PIM, 158 hits and 37 blocked shots over 59 appearances this season. Xhekaj should continue to see playing time until Carrier is healthy.

Silovs led the team out for warmups and will get the start Sunday against the Panthers, Dan Potash of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports.

With Stuart Skinner (upper body) out Sunday after being struck with a puck in the eye, Silovs will earn a start for the second straight day against the Panthers. The 25-year-old Silovs turned aside just 19 of the 23 Florida shots he faced Saturday but was rewarded with nine goals of support to earn the win. He is 18-10-8 with a 3.01 GAA and an .888 save percentage this season.

Struble scored a goal, added three hits and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Devils.

Struble's two goals this season have both come in the last six games. The 24-year-old defenseman is getting a chance to play a larger role in the absence of Alexandre Carrier (upper body). Struble is up to 12 points, 20 shots on net, 98 hits, 23 blocked shots, 46 PIM and a plus-7 rating over 53 appearances this season. His offense is on par with his first two campaigns, but his shot production and physical play has dropped a bit.

Hutson scored a goal in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Devils.

Hutson had gone 14 games without a goal, though he still posted 10 assists in that span. The 22-year-old defenseman is up to 12 tallies this season, doubling his goal total from his Calder Trophy-winning campaign last year. He's at 74 points, 121 shots on net, 127 blocked shots and a plus-35 rating over 76 appearances, establishing himself as one of the best young blueliners in the league.

Lohrei (upper body) will play against Philadelphia on Sunday, according to Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe.

Following a four-game absence, Lohrei will replace Jordan Harris in Sunday's lineup against the Flyers. The 25-year-old Lohrei has accounted for seven goals, 25 points, 67 shots on net and 86 blocked shots across 68 appearances this season.

Korpisalo will get the start between the pipes Sunday against the Flyers, Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe reports.

Korpisalo has won both of his last two starts but needed some offensive support in order to do so. The 31-year-old allowed three goals in both victories, part of a stretch of five straight games in which he's allowed at least that many. Overall, he's 13-9-4 on the season with a 3.27 GAA and an .889 save percentage. The Flyers are 22nd in the league at 2.86 goals per game.

Buchnevich (undisclosed) will return to the lineup against Colorado on Sunday, per Chris Pinkert of the Blues' official site.

Buchnevich sat out Friday's 6-2 win over Anaheim for maintenance, and he will occupy a fourth-line spot against the Avalanche on Sunday. He has generated 17 goals, 44 points and 133 shots on net in 74 games this season.

Mayfield logged an assist, two hits and two PIM in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes.

Mayfield has picked up four assists over his last 10 contests while playing in a third-pairing role. The 33-year-old blueliner isn't flashy in any area, but he does enough to stick in the lineup. He's earned 14 points, 67 shots on net, 73 hits, 79 blocked shots, 83 PIM and a minus-10 rating over 76 outings this season, matching his point total from the previous two campaigns combined (107 games).

Gatcomb scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and logged three hits in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes.

Gatcomb has three points over his last five games. The 26-year-old remains in a fourth-line role, and he's unlikely to move up in the lineup this late in the year. He's earned just seven points with 48 shots on net, 183 hits, 24 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 46 appearances, which is not a fantasy-friendly level of production in most formats.

Shabanov scored a goal and added two hits in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes.

Shabanov was cleared of a lower-body injury March 22, but it took two weeks for him to get back in the lineup. It's unclear if his playing time will improve after the Islanders replaced Patrick Roy with Pete DeBoer at head coach. Getting a goal should help his case, though Shabanov has been little more than a depth winger in his NHL rookie year, posting five goals, 17 points, 55 shots on net and 26 hits over 43 appearances.