NHL Player News

Cotter scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Penguins.

Cotter went 23 games without a point after scoring in three straight contests in mid-December. The 26-year-old has maintained a bottom-six role for the Devils despite his struggles. He has just 11 points, 49 shots on net, 155 hits and a minus-14 rating over 56 outings this season, giving him minimal appeal in most fantasy formats.

Letang logged a power-play assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

Letang ended up missing just four games due to a foot fracture, thanks to the Olympic break. The defenseman is back in a top-four role with power-play minutes. He's earned three goals, 23 assists, 83 shots on net, 67 hits, 66 blocked shots, 24 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 51 appearances this season.

Clifton scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and logged seven hits in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

Clifton snapped a four-game slump with the tally. The 30-year-old defenseman has been in a part-time role for much of the season, limiting him to four points, 20 shots on net, 114 hits, 42 blocked shots, 31 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 27 appearances. Clifton appears to be preferred over Ilya Solovyov and Ryan Graves while Jack St. Ivany (hand) is out until late March.

Lizotte scored a shorthanded empty-net goal on two shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

Lizotte was out for the Penguins' last game before the Olympic break while awaiting the birth of his first child. The new dad had to wait a while to get back into game action, but he was able to contribute a goal in his return. The 28-year-old forward has seven goals, 18 points, 44 shots on net, 42 hits, 26 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating over 47 appearances this season while playing in a bottom-six role.

Chinakhov scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

Chinakhov welcomed his daughter into the world Wednesday and got the customary new-dad goal a day later. The 25-year-old winger has scored six goals and added three assists over his last nine games. He's up to 19 points in 48 outings this season, including 13 points in 19 games since he was traded to Pittsburgh from Columbus. Chinakhov has fit well with Thomas Novak and Evgeni Malkin, a trio that will be leaned on for offense in the absence of Sidney Crosby (lower body).

Novak scored a power-play goal on two shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

Novak has a four-game point streak to start February, earning three goals and an assist in that span. The Penguins are likely to take a balanced approach to distributing ice time while Sidney Crosby (lower body) is out for at least four weeks. Novak got top billing on the lineup sheet Thursday, but look for Ben Kindel to also see a boost in ice time. Novak has 12 goals, 20 helpers, 87 shots on net and a plus-3 rating over 57 appearances this season.

Tarasov is slated to be between the home pipes versus Buffalo on Friday.

Tarasov suffered a lower-body injury in his last start, prior to the Olympic break Feb. 5, but was deemed healthy enough to return a week ago. He backed up Sergei Bobrovsky on Thursday. Tarasov enters the Buffalo game with an 8-8-2 record, a 2.83 GAA and an .899 save percentage in 19 appearances this season. The Sabres are ninth in scoring, averaging 3.34 goals per contest.

Lyon will guard the visiting cage in Florida on Friday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.

Lyon is having a stellar year between the pipes, his best to date in the NHL. He is 14-8-3 with a pair of shutouts, a 2.72 GAA and a .913 save percentage over 27 contests this season. The 33-year-old netminder will face a tired Florida team, who beat the Maple Leafs 5-1 on Thursday.

Suter recorded a goal and two assists in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Kraken.

Suter missed 15 games between Dec. 29 and Jan. 29 due to a right ankle injury, but he's been productive since returning to the lineup with four points (one goal, three assists) in four games. Suter is having a subpar season in his first year in St. Louis, though. He posted a career-high 46 points in 81 games with the Canucks in 2024-25, but he's been limited to only 18 points (eight goals, 10 helpers) in 41 games so far in 2025-26.

Girard (lower body) will join the team for its trip to New York on Saturday, Dan Potash of Sportsnet Pittsburgh reports.

Girard is still being evaluated for his lower-body injury, but the fact that he is traveling with the team should bode well for his availability. In his first game with the Pens, the 27-year-old blueliner registered four blocks and one shot while logging 17:53 of ice time. If Girard does miss any time, it will likely open up a spot in the lineup for Ryan Graves or Ilya Solovyov.