NHL Player News

Ovechkin scored a power-play tally in Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Avalanche.

The goal, which tied the game at 2-2 late in the third period, was Ovechkin's 26th of the season and the 1,000th of his Hall of Fame career between the regular season and the playoffs. Wayne Gretzky, with 1,016, is the only other player in league history to reach four digits. The Capitals are currently six points out of a wild-card spot with 11 games left on their schedule, giving Ovechkin little hope of catching The Great One in that particular category if he doesn't return for one more season in 2026-27.

Thompson stopped 21 of 24 shots in Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Avalanche.

The 29-year-old netminder took a shutout into the third period, but Thompson squandered it by giving the puck away behind his own net to set up a Gabriel Landeskog tally just 65 seconds into the third, sparking a Colorado comeback. Thompson has just one regulation loss in his last six starts, going 3-1-2 with a 2.14 GAA and .924 save percentage during that span.

Gudas is eligible to play in Tuesday's matchup against Vancouver after serving his five-game suspension.

Gudas received the ban for kneeing Toronto's Auston Matthews, who sustained a season-ending knee injury and a quadriceps contusion, in a 6-4 loss to the Maple Leafs on March 12. The 35-year-old Gudas has two goals, 13 points, 60 shots on net, 83 blocked shots, 156 hits and 45 PIM across 52 appearances this season.

DeSmith turned aside 30 of 33 shots on net in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

DeSmith turned in a solid outing but ultimately was handed the loss when he allowed the game-winning goal to Vegas' Reilly Smith late in the third period. With the loss, DeSmith now has a 14-6-5 record, a 2.42 GAA and a .907 save percentage across 26 appearances this season. Since the Olympic break, the 34-year-old netminder has posted a mixed bag of results with a 3-2-0 record, a 2.64 GAA and an .885 save percentage across five starts. With the Stars in the hunt to claim the No. 1 seed in the Central Division, Jake Oettinger will likely receive the majority of starts moving forward, which renders DeSmith to a spot start role in most fantasy formats.

Necas recorded two assists in Sunday's 3-2 overtime win over the Capitals.

The 27-year-old found Gabriel Landeskog for the Avalanche's first goal early in the third period, then Necas helped set up Brock Nelson for the OT winner. Necas has been on fire since the Olympic break, collecting eight multi-point performances in 14 games. He has piled up 10 goals and 24 points in that span as he steams toward his first career 90-point, and potentially his first 100-point, campaign.

Blackwood made 20 saves on 22 shots in Sunday's 3-2 overtime win over the Capitals.

The 29-year-old netminder wound up in the history books as he surrendered Alex Ovechkin's 1,000th career NHL goal (regular season and playoffs) on a third-period power play, but Blackwood did enough to come away with his second straight win and his 20th of the season. Over nine outings since the Olympic break, Blackwood has gone 4-3-0 with a 2.87 GAA and .872 save percentage.

Hill stopped 13 of 15 shots on net in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Stars.

Despite making his lowest save total in a complete game this season, Hill earned Sunday's win due to a strong defensive effort from Vegas in the second and third periods. Overall, the 29-year-old netminder now has a 9-8-3 record, a 3.03 GAA and an .869 save percentage across 22 appearances this season. Over his past five appearances, which includes a blundered start against the Mammoth, his overall play has improved with a 3-2-0 record, a 1.94 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Hill is trending in the right direction and is a solid fantasy option in two-goalie formats for the time being.

Miller picked up two assists, including one on the power play, in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Jets.

The veteran center helped set up second-period tallies by Tye Kartye and Mika Zibanejad, but Miller himself was denied in the shootout by Eric Comrie. Miller hasn't scored a goal since Jan. 26, but he's stayed productive over 12 games since then by pocketing eight assists, with five coming on the power play.

Garand turned aside 35 of 37 shots in regulation and overtime but failed to stop either shootout attempt he faced in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Jets.

Making his NHL debut, the 23-year-old netminder kept the Rangers in the game with some big saves, but Garand was out-matched in the shootout by Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi. With the Rangers headed for the draft lottery and not the playoffs, Garand could see steady work over the final weeks of the season behind Igor Shesterkin, as the team has little reason to deploy 40-year-old Jonathan Quick (upper body) even if he gets healthy.

Vilardi scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Sunday's 3-2 shootout win over the Rangers.

The 26-year-old winger completed his big game by potting the shootout winner. Vilardi has struggled to make a consistent impact in March, getting onto the scoresheet in only four of 12 games while collecting four goals and six points. Sunday's goal was his 27th of the season, tying his career high, and his 20th power-play point of 2025-26 -- the second straight campaign he's reached that mark.