NHL Player News

Smith notched an assist, two blocked shots and two PIM in Saturday's 8-3 loss to the Stars.

Smith has two goals and six helpers over his last nine outings. The 19-year-old forward set up a Fabian Zetterlund tally in the second period. Smith started slow this season, but he's really settled in as a top-six option for the Sharks. He's at 23 points, 68 shots on net and a minus-9 rating across 49 appearances in his rookie campaign.

Celebrini notched an assist and three shots on goal in Saturday's 8-3 loss to the Stars.

Celebrini enters the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off with eight points over his last eight outings. He provided an early assist Saturday, setting up William Eklund's tally just 1:25 into the contest. For the season, Celebrini has 17 goals and 23 assists, making him the second rookie to reach the 40-point mark behind Montreal's Lane Hutson (41), though Celebrini's played in 10 fewer games through Saturday's action. The standout center has added 150 shots on net, 32 blocked shots and a minus-20 rating.

Back notched an assist and blocked four shots in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.

Back has two points over his last five outings. The 24-year-old has emerged as a strong defensive forward for the Stars in his rookie year. He hasn't been out of the lineup since Nov. 11, while fellow fourth-liners Colin Blackwell and Sam Steel have both been scratched in February. Even with consistent playing time, Back is not much of an asset for fantasy. He has 12 points, 29 shots on net, 26 blocked shots, 20 hits and a plus-3 rating over 50 appearances.

Blackwell recorded an assist in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.

Blackwell has three points over his last three appearances, but he's also been scratched twice in the span. It looks like the 31-year-old is getting pinched out of the lineup on occasion, though it was Sam Steel who was scratch Saturday. Blackwell is at 13 points, his most in a season since the 2021-22 campaign, and he's added 53 shots on net, 70 hits and a plus-2 rating over 48 outings. His fantasy value isn't particularly high and will be reduced further if he can't hold an everyday role.

Granlund notched two assists in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.

Playing against his former team for the first time since he was traded to Dallas on Feb. 1, Granlund made a noticeable impact on the second line. Granlund helped out on first-period tallies by Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. With four helpers over his last four outings, Granlund is fitting right in with the Stars. He's now at 49 points, 131 shots on net and a minus-4 rating across 56 games this season.

Bourque scored a goal in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.

Bourque has scored in back-to-back games, and he's netted six of his eight tallies this season over the last 15 contests. He stretched the Stars' lead to 5-2 in the second period of Saturday's blowout win. Bourque is up to 16 points, 54 shots on net, 28 hits and a plus-1 rating over 49 appearances this season. He's playing well enough now to likely avoid being a healthy scratch, which happened on occasion earlier in the campaign.

Johnston scored a goal on three shots and added a power-play assist in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.

Johnston had been held off the scoresheet in the first two games of the Stars' California trip. The 21-year-old bounced back Saturday, helping out on Matt Duchene's game-winning tally in the second period before scoring in the third. Johnston continues to shine in a top-six role, racking up 16 goals, 47 points (13 on the power play), 148 shots on net and a plus-12 rating through 55 appearances.

Duchene scored two goals and added an assist in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.

Duchene's power-play goal in the second period was the game-winner. His offense has come back to life in a big way, racking up four goals and two assists over his last two contests. The 34-year-old center has 22 goals, 55 points (17 on the power play, 101 shots on net and a plus-12 rating over 55 appearances this season.

Matthews picked up an assist in a 2-1 loss to the Canucks on Saturday.

Matthews extended his point streak to four games (seven assists). He has gone six games without a goal, but it's not for a lack of trying. Matthews has rung up 27 shots in those six games. Overall, the superstar has 20 goals, 25 assists and 161 shots in 40 games this season. His shooting percentage remains depressed at 12.4, well below his 15.9 career mark and 18.7 from last campaign when he netted 69 goals in 81 regular-season outings. Matthews will tickle twine soon enough -- he's too talented for this goalless streak to go much farther.

Mercer notched an assist in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Canadiens.

Mercer has three goals and a helper over his last eight games. The 23-year-old continues to see middle-six minutes and offers a bit of depth scoring with little else in other categories. For the season, Mercer has 25 points, 97 shots on net, 36 blocked shots, 29 hits and a plus-8 rating over 57 appearances.