NHL Player News

Graf logged an assist in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Devils.

Graf remains on the NHL roster even with William Eklund back from an upper-body injury. This was Graf's second appearance with the big club this season, and he's filled a middle-six role. He has three assists over nine career games, though at 22 years old, he could still find room to grow on offense if he remains in a substantial enough role.

Kunin notched an assist, three hits and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Devils.

Kunin ended a four-game slump with the helper. The 27-year-old has been effective on offense despite often playing in a fourth-line role at even strength. He's also been on the second power-play unit recently. Kunin is up to 17 points -- one off his total from last season -- while adding 60 shots on net, 109 hits, 47 blocked shots and 33 PIM over 42 appearances this season. He's on pace for a career year, with his previous personal bests being 15 goals and 31 points in 2019-20 with the Wild.

Carrick scored a goal and added two hits in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Capitals.

Carrick scored for the first time since Opening Night. The 32-year-old center has added six assists, 32 shots on net, 64 hits, 32 PIM and a minus-3 rating over 38 appearances. He's earned four of his eight points over the last 12 games, but Carrick's limited role makes a sustained breakout on offense unlikely.

Chytil scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Capitals.

Chytil has two goals and an assist during a three-game point streak, matching his longest of the campaign. The 25-year-old center is up to eight goals, seven assists, 68 shots on net and a plus-6 rating through 31 appearances. He continues to play on the third line and second power-play unit, though his modest offense limits his fantasy value to deeper formats.

Zibanejad scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Capitals.

Zibanejad has opened January with goals in consecutive games. It's already been a more productive month than December was in the goal column for the 31-year-old center, who had four points over 13 outings last month. Zibanejad is at eight goals, 23 points, 85 shots on net, 26 blocked shots and a minus-21 rating over 38 appearances this season, putting him on his worst scoring pace since 2017-18.

Eller scored a goal in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Rangers.

Eller picked up his first point in four games since he returned from an illness that cost him four contests. He played at right wing rather than center amid a middle-six shuffle that also saw Connor McMichael land on the third line. Eller is up to 14 points, 52 shots on net, 30 hits, 18 blocked shots, 22 PIM and a minus-5 rating over 37 appearances between the Capitals and the Penguins this season. Barring a significant number of injuries, he's unlikely to play above the third line.

Protas scored a goal in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Rangers.

Protas stretched the Capitals' lead to 6-4, ending a see-saw battle between the offenses in the matinee contest. The 23-year-old forward has six goals and an assist over his last eight outings while routinely seeing top-six minutes in that span. Overall, Protas is enjoying a breakout campaign with 17 goals, 16 assists, 70 shots on net and a plus-21 rating through 39 appearances. All but one of those points have come at even strength, with the exception being a shorthanded goal.

McMichael scored a power-play goal in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Rangers.

McMichael's offense went cold in December -- he had a modest six points over 13 contests. It has started to cost him playing time -- his 12:41 of ice time Saturday was his lowest mark of the season, and he was listed on the third line. Even with the slowdown, McMichael is within striking distance of earning a career year. He has 17 goals and 14 assists over 39 contests, one shy in each category from his marks over 80 regular-season appearances in 2023-24. He's added 99 shots on net and a plus-8 rating this season, and if he can get things turned around, he'll likely return to the top six.

Backlund scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Predators.

Backlund got the Flames on the board late in the second period, but a comeback push never materialized. The 35-year-old center snapped a three-game point drought with the tally. He's up to eight goals, 18 points, 106 shots on net and a plus-4 rating through 39 appearances, primarily functioning as a second-line center.

Sissons logged an assist in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

Sissons continues to find his way on offense. He has six points over his last six outings, though his last three points have come on empty-net tallies. The 31-year-old is up to eight points, 37 shots on net, 49 hits, 42 blocked shots and a minus-13 rating through 39 appearances. Sissons can be a useful depth forward in fantasy at his best, but given his struggles in 2024-25, he's best deployed as a streaming option on days with lighter schedules.