April 12, 2025
Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith will guard the net in Saturday's matchup against the Utah Hockey Club. He will look to remain perfect in the matchup after beating Utah 2-1 and 3-2 earlier in the season. DeSmith has lost each of his last two starts, but he has been a very reliable backup for the Stars, sporting a 14-7-2 record for the campaign. The 33-year-old boasts two shutouts and has allowed 2.53 goals with a .916 save percentage. The bookmakers have DeSmith and the Stars as -133 favorites for Saturday's game, but Stars head coach Pete DeBoer has mentioned that a flu bug is circulating in the team's locker room, which may complicate matters against Utah.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bruce LeVine
April 12, 2025
Utah Hockey Club defenseman John Marino (upper body) will miss a third consecutive game on Saturday against the Dallas Stars. He may even be done for the rest of the campaign, as Marino has not joined the team for the start of a season-ending three-game road trip. The 27-year-old has not played since last Saturday, when he took a puck to the face in a victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Health issues have had a major impact on Marino's season, as he has made only 35 appearances, recording 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) and 46 blocks. Nick DeSimone will remain in the lineup in Marino's absence.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Owen Newkirk
April 12, 2025
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (illness) is not expected to play on Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild. Per Thomas Drance of The Athletic, Demko is feeling sick. Demko will be forced to exit the lineup after winning back-to-back starts. This has improved his record to 10-8-3. He boasts a 2.90 goals-against average with a .889 save percentage and has produced one shutout. The Canucks have brought up Nikita Tolopilo from the minors on an emergency basis. Kevin Lankinen, who has been victorious only three times during his last 10 appearances, is set to receive the starting nod for the contest.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Thomas Drance
April 12, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (undisclosed) will be unavailable for Saturday's affair against the Montreal Canadiens. The Swedish veteran will miss his second game of the season after being injured in Wednesday's overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Ekman-Larsson has not done any scoring in 11 of his past 12 appearances, he has been fairly productive over the course of the season, recording 29 points (four goals, 25 assists) in 77 games, along with 83 blocks and 108 hits. Since Jake McCabe (undisclosed) is not ready to return against Montreal, the Maple Leafs will play with five defensemen due to salary cap restrictions.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 12, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez (hip) has been cleared to play on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. The veteran blue-liner has recovered from a hip injury, which sidelined Martinez for nine games since March 22. As a result of Martinez's return, Kevin Korchinski will be a healthy scratch for Saturday's contest. Martinez has had very little fantasy value in 2024-25, registering 12 points (five goals, seven assists) with 36 shots and 80 blocks in 43 appearances. He will skate on the second defensive pairing with Connor Murphy (illness), who is set to return from a one-game absence.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 12, 2025
St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg (personal) will not play on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken. He has left the team and returned to St. Louis for personal reasons. The Blues have received good value for money after signing Broberg to a two-year, $9.16 million offer sheet last summer, as the 23-year-old has recorded 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) and 98 blocks in 67 games with a plus-21 rating, which ties him for the team-high. Matt Kessel will play instead of Broberg in Saturday's game. Kessel's work on the offensive end has been limited to three assists in 29 appearances, and he is unlikely to make an impact in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Blues
April 12, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (undisclosed) is not ready to rejoin the action on Saturday against the Nashville Predators, marking his third consecutive missed game. The veteran has had difficulty staying in the lineup as the regular season comes to a close, having sat out six of the last nine games. However, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy remains hopeful that Pietrangelo will be healthy enough to return in time for the playoffs. Nicolas Hague (illness) will also miss a third straight game on Saturday, allowing Ben Hutton and Kaedan Korczak to stay in the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: The Hockey News
April 12, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (upper body) will remain sidelined for Saturday's tilt against the Nashville Predators. Eichel has gone scoreless in each of his last four appearances and suffered a further late-season blow by picking up an upper-body injury. However, he was on the ice with the team on Saturday morning, so it looks like the 28-year-old superstar is feeling better and moving in the right direction ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Eichel will have two more opportunities to return during the regular season, as the Golden Knights close out their schedule next week with a back-to-back against the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. Brett Howden is set to continue as the first-line center on Saturday night.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: SinBin.vegas
April 12, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (rest) will not be in the lineup on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. Florida's leading scorer will be rested for the contest. Buffalo will be delighted with the news, given that Reinhart has amassed four points (one goal, three assists) in three contests against his former team this season. Overall, Reinhart has managed 37 goals and 79 points in 78 contests. Aleksander Barkov is also resting on Saturday, giving players like Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen more fantasy value. The Panthers are expected to bring Reinhart and Barkov back into the lineup on Monday versus the New York Rangers.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
April 12, 2025
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (rest) will not play on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. The team will keep him off the ice for rest purposes. Barkov was also rested last Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings. He produced a goal and an assist in two games after returning and appears to be in good form ahead of the postseason. Throughout the entire campaign, Barkov has recorded 20 goals and 69 points in 66 games. With him out on Saturday, the Panthers are projected to go with Anton Lundell as the first-line center. He will be joined on the line by Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand. All three players will have increased fantasy value.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
April 12, 2025
Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 16 of the 18 shots he saw en route to defeating the Minnesota Wild on Friday evening. He was not tested often in this game but was able to pick up the victory. The Flames dominated the shot total in this contest. Wolf carried a shutout into the third frame, but the Wild were able to score twice, both during 5-on-5 play. Over his last five contests, Wolf has held a 3-0-2 record with a solid 2.36 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Over this stretch, he has allowed two goals or fewer in three contests. Through 51 games this season, Wolf has enjoyed a strong rookie campaign and has kept Calgary in the Wild Card race. He has posted an overall 27-16-8 with a 2.63 GAA and a .909 save percentage.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 12, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard tallied two points during their 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday evening. Bouchard did all of his damage in the opening frame. He first found the back of the net on the power play with a slap shot. Later in the period, Bouchard tacked on the secondary assist on Ty Emberson's first goal of the season. He logged five shots on goal during this game and added one blocked shot. This two-point performance extended his current point streak to three games. Over his previous nine contests, the 25-year-old has tallied 11 points, with four of them coming on the power play. Through 79 games this season, Bouchard has scored 14 goals and tallied 52 helpers. He remains a strong option in DFS given his role on the Edmonton power play.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 12, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid tallied a helper on all four of Edmonton's goals during their 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday evening. In the opening frame, McDavid would add two primary helpers, with one of them coming on the power play. Later in the third, he would tally his third helper of the game and second on the power play. He would conclude his evening by tacking on the secondary assist on Connor Brown's empty-netter. Since returning from his lower-body injury, McDavid has tallied seven points (all helpers) over his last two games. Over his last 15 contests, McDavid has found the back of the net just four times but has tallied an impressive 22 helpers. The 28-year-old remains a top lineup anchor in DFS over the final week of the season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 12, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby scored a goal and an assist during their 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday evening. After the Devils took a two-goal lead, the Penguins would score four straight goals. Crosby would do allow of his damage in the final frame. He would first score on the power play on a tip-in. Later in the frame, he would tally the primary assist on Bryan Rust's empty-netter. This was Crosby's second-straight game finding the back of the net. Over his previous 15 games, Crosby has only been held off the scoresheet once. During this impressive stretch, he has scored 13 goals and tallied 10 helpers. Despite Pittsburgh's struggles this season, Crosby has enjoyed another impressive season, tallying 89 points in 78 games.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 12, 2025
Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper scored twice during their 4-3 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday evening. Kasper scored his first goal in the third period, which forced overtime. Then, in the extra frame, Kasper would play the hero, to lead Detroit to victory. This outing snapped a two-game scoreless streak. Over his last eight contests, the former eighth overall pick has found the back of the net four times and added two helpers. During this stretch, he has logged 18 shots on goal, tallied 16 hits, and logged three blocked shots. After appearing in just one NHL contest before this season, Kasper has enjoyed a solid rookie campaign. Through 74 contests, the 20-year-old has scored 18 goals and added 16 assists.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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