3 weeks agoDallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen picked up four assists as the team was involved in a high-scoring 7-6 clash with the Sharks on Tuesday, eventually winning in overtime. Heiskanen completed his night at the office with the secondary assist on Roope Hintz's overtime winner. He had two power-play helpers in the opening frame on goals by Jamie Benn and Logan Stankoven, and Heiskanen collected another assist when Wyatt Johnston pushed the game to overtime with a late strike in the third period. Heiskanen moved to 42 points (seven goals, 35 assists) for the season with 53 games played. 11 of his points (two goals, nine assists) have come in his past 10 appearances.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoDallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston was unconscious against San Jose on Tuesday, racking up five points in a 7-6 overtime win. At 20 years, 296 days, he became the youngest player in franchise history with a five-point game, producing a hat trick and two assists. Johnston potted two of his goals late in the third period to take the game to the extra frame. Dallas' young forward also recently had a four-point outing, and he finds himself on a run of 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 11 games. With former Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn and AHL scoring machine Logan Stankoven next to him, Johnston is well-placed to keep up his scoring form. He boasts 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 64 games for the season.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoThe Washington Capitals have traded forward Anthony Mantha to the Vegas Golden Knights, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Mantha is enjoying a nice bounce back season, with 34 points (20 goals, 14 assists) in 56 games. It is his first 20-goal season since 2018-19 when he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Vegas needed to add some scoring after injuries took their toll, and Mantha can provide that. He is also an underrated defender and could make up for some of the defense lost through Mark Stone's absence. His positioning in Vegas' lineup will be worth watching, as he could provide some fantasy value if given good deployment.Source: Darren Dreger
3 weeks agoColorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin (personal) could return Wednesday after missing the last 19 games. Nichushkin joined the NHL player assistance program on January 10, and just started practicing with the team again last Monday. If he plays Wednesday, he will likely join the top six and first powerplay unit. The 29-year-old has 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) in 40 games this year, and was on fire just before his extended absence. He should immediately be inserted back into fantasy lineups when he returns. Source: Meghan Angley
3 weeks agoArizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller (upper body) is expected to return on Tuesday but is still being considered a game-time decision. Keller has missed four games with an upper-body injury but appears to be ready to go as long as he gets the green light from the medical staff. The dynamic winger has racked up 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 57 games this year. He has continued to produce at a high rate, even with less-than-spectacular teammates. He should re-enter fantasy lineups if he is cleared before game time.Source: Patrick Brown
3 weeks agoOttawa Senators winger Brady Tkachuk (upper body) is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday against Anaheim after missing Saturday's contest due to being banged up in the team's previous game. He is ready to go after missing his first game of the year and should be back in fantasy lineups tomorrow. Tkachuk has 50 points (26 goals, 24 assists), 248 shots, and 198 hits in 58 games this season, making him one of the most well-rounded players in banger leagues. Source: TSN 1200
3 weeks agoPittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel (upper body) is being pursued by the Vancouver Canucks, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic. With the Canucks being close to the cap, there are also talks about Vancouver flipping recently acquired Elias Lindholm to the Boston Bruins to make room for Guentzel. This could work out for all three teams. Pittsburgh should get some good assets for Guentzel, Vancouver would upgrade their offensive firepower, and Boston would get their centerman. Both Lindholm and Guentzel would likely see a boost in fantasy production if a swap like this happens.Source: Chris Johnston
3 weeks agoArizona Coyotes winger Jason Zucker will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday due to the looming trade deadline. Zucker is likely to be dealt before Friday and Arizona wants to keep him healthy until then. The 32-year-old has 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 51 games this year with the Yotes, and could provide some depth scoring for a contender. He isn't likely to be relevant in fantasy outside of deeper leagues, but he could hold some streamer appeal.Source: Chris Johnston
3 weeks agoColorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon crushed it again in another home outing on Monday, leading the team to an easy 5-0 victory over Chicago with two goals and two assists. It was his 30th home outing of the campaign, and MacKinnon hasn't gone scoreless in any of them, posting a whopping 65 points (25 goals, 40 assists). There are only 18 other players with 65 total points for this season. MacKinnon has managed 105 points (39 goals, 66 assists) overall to share the lead in the league's scoring race with Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov. The Avalanche superstar looks simply unplayable right now, and MacKinnon will get two more home games this week to keep up his sizzling form.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen posted his second shutout in as many games as the team cruised to a 5-0 victory against Chicago on Monday. The 23-year-old had 37 saves in the contest. Annunen also beat Chicago 5-0 with 24 saves in his previous start. The two shutouts match Colorado's franchise record for a rookie netminder in a single season. The recent victories have helped Annunen to improve to 3-2-1. He has allowed 2.33 goals for the season with a .929 save percentage. Keeping back-to-back clean sheets is an impressive feat, but Annunen has faced the league's weakest offense. He will definitely get more tested the next time he receives the nod in Alexandar Georgiev's stead.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoBoston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak went goalless with seven efforts on the net Monday versus Toronto but still made a massive impact in a 4-1 win with three assists. He helped out Pavel Zacha twice, with one of the assists coming in a power-play situation, and Morgan Geekie also benefited from Pastrnak's playmaking. The Bruins star became the fourth player in the league this season to reach the 90-point plateau. He has posted 38 goals and 52 assists in 63 games, with eight of the points coming in the past four games. His next assist will give Pastrnak his new career high for most helpers in a single season.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoColumbus Blue Jackets left wing Alexander Nylander had a dream night against the Golden Knights on Monday, scoring his first career hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Stanley Cup champions. He notched his first goal 13 minutes into the game, found the back of the net again early in the third period, and completed his three-goal game with an empty-netter. Nylander, who joined the team via a trade from Pittsburgh on Feb. 23, played in only his fifth game with the Blue Jackets. It's the fewest games a player has needed to score a hat trick for Columbus. After being stuck in the minors with the Penguins, Nylander has grabbed his opportunity to play regular NHL hockey with open arms. He boasts four goals and six points through his first few outings with his new club.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoVegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel jumped back into action on Monday versus Columbus but couldn't make a mark in the game. He had five shots on goal without any points and finished a 6-3 loss with a minus-one rating, logging 19:55 of ice time. Eichel was back in the lineup after missing 19 games with a knee injury. Having gone close to his season average ice time of 20:30, it's safe to assume Eichel doesn't have any restrictions and will be leaned on heavily for the rest of the way. Despite his lengthy absence, the American star has remained Vegas' third top scorer, with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) posted in 43 games.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoSeattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn sustained an undisclosed injury in Monday's 4-2 win over Calgary. He exited the contest in the third period after absorbing a hit from Flames forward Martin Pospisil. Dunn put in a big performance in the win, posting one assist and recording two blocks with a plus-four rating. The talented blue-liner leads the Kraken with 34 assists and has amassed 45 total points in 57 outings. Seattle will be back at it on Tuesday against the Jets, and it's unclear if Dunn will be available for the game.Source: Sportsnet
3 weeks agoDetroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin is set for a two-week absence due to a lower-body injury. He was injured on Saturday in a matchup against Florida. With Larkin out, Detroit loses its top scorer, who has posted 26 goals and 54 points in 55 outings this season. The two-week stretch includes seven games. Joe Veleno worked in Larkin's spot on the first line during Monday's practice. The 24-year-old has so far totaled 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 59 games, but his productivity should get a boost playing with star wingers Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat.Source: NHL.com