NHL Player News

Guentzel tallied an assist and took two shots on target in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Panthers.

Guentzel cashed in a secondary helper on Brayden Point's goal in the third period. The 30-year-old Guentzel has 30 assists, 57 points and 153 shots on net in 59 appearances this season. His point total is tied for 33rd in the league and is fourth on the Lightning. With five points in his last six contests, he'll likely be a steady contributor offensively for the rest of the season while skating on Tampa Bay's top line and power-play unit. He is near the pace needed to reach his point total of 77 from a season ago, which was the second-highest mark of his career. He is a must start in all fantasy formats for the foreseeable future.

Frederic (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, per the NHL media site.

Frederic is week-to-week and will miss his fourth straight game against Nashville on Tuesday. He has contributed eight goals, 15 points, 76 shots on net, 155 hits and 44 PIM over 57 appearances this season. Due to Frederic's absence, Jeffrey Viel has occupied a bottom-six spot in the lineup.

Suzuki scored a shorthanded goal and added three assists, two on the power play, in Monday's 4-3 overtime win over the Sabres.

The 25-year-old center might be the hottest player in the NHL right now. In five games since play resumed following the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Suzuki has four multi-point performances and has erupted for four goals and 13 points over that stretch -- including six points (one goal, five helpers) with the man advantage. Suzuki sits one tally shy of his fourth straight 20-goal campaign, and he's five points away from reaching 70 for the second time in his career.

Sillinger (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

Sillinger's designation for injured reserve is essentially a formality after general manager Don Waddell told reporters Tuesday that the 21-year-old center is expected to miss several weeks due to his shoulder injury. The Blue Jackets activated Yegor Chinakhov from injured reserve in a corresponding move. Joseph LaBate and Mikael Pyyhtia could see more ice time as a result of Sillinger facing an extended absence.

McMichael produced a goal and an assist in Monday's 5-4 shootout win over the Senators.

Both points came in the first period, as McMichael opened the scoring just 1:41 into the contest before helping to set up Pierre-Luc Dubois for a tally later in the frame. McMichael has already put together a career-best campaign with 22 goals and 47 points in 61 appearances, but he's actually picked up the pace in the last month or so -- over his last 11 games, the 24-year-old has five goals and 11 points.

Point tallied a goal and recorded four shots on net in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Panthers.

Point struck the back of the net in the early stages of Monday's third period off a feed from defenseman Darren Raddysh. The 28-year-old Point is up to 32 goals, 62 points and 143 shots on net in 55 games this season. Point has been an extremely steady contributor offensively for Tampa Bay with 10 points in his last 10 games. That stretch of play helped Point become the second player on the 2024-25 Lightning with 30-plus goals and assists alongside Brandon Hagel. The 90-point mark this season isn't out of the question for Point if he can contribute a few multi-point performances down the stretch. Regardless, he remains a strong play in all fantasy formats as Tampa looks to solidify its spot as a playoff team in the Atlantic.

Barkov scored both of Florida's goals and took four shots on net in Monday's 2-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Barkov cashed in both of his goals in the second period. The first of his two tallies was unassisted and the second was on the power play. The 29-year-old center is up to 16 goals, 56 points and 115 shots in 52 appearances this season. While Barkov has been kept off the scoresheet in three of his five appearances since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the two games he has contributed offensively were multi-point performances. He currently ranks 35th in the league in points despite missing a chunk of time near the start of the season. While Barkov's value in fantasy is impacted by the loss of Matthew Tkachuk (groin), it is encouraging to see Barkov continue to post points in the early stages of Tkachuk's absence. Barkov remains an excellent play in all fantasy formats.

Merkulov is practicing with the Bruins on Tuesday, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic reports.

Merkulov has appeared in five games for the Bruins this season in which he has recorded one assist, six shots and two hits while averaging 13:15 of ice time. Based on line combos, the 24-year-old winger is poised to fill a second-line spot in Tuesday's matchup against the Predators, a role that could help him score his first NHL goal.

Pinto scored two goals in Monday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Capitals.

The 24-year-old center sparked a comeback from a 3-0 deficit by tipping home feeds from Jake Sanderson in the second period and Michael Amadio in the third, but the Senators eventually fell short in the shootout. Pinto missed the last four games in February due to an upper-body injury, but he's kicked off March with a bang by finding the back of the net three times in two contests. On the season, he's produced 14 goals and 25 points in 48 appearances.

Monahan (wrist) is not expected back until late March, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports Tuesday.

Monahan has been skating for a while, which should help him hit the ground running once his wrist injury is healed. Once given the all-clear, the 30-year-old center should reclaim a top-six role for the Jackets in addition to linking back up with one of the power-play units. Until then, Adam Fantilli will continue to see big minutes on the first line.