NHL Player News

Rakell scored a power-play goal in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Panthers.

Rakell snapped a two-game pointless streak with his first power-play goal since Dec. 12, when he recorded four points in a 9-2 victory over Montreal. Rakell has plenty of opportunities to remain a steady contributor for the Penguins due to his first-line role, and he's been making the most of his chances. He's found the twine in seven of his last 12 appearances while amassing eight goals and 16 points.

Matthews (upper body) will be activated from injured reserve ahead of his return to the lineup versus Boston on Saturday, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Matthews confirmed after morning practice that he will be back after missing six games. Matthews will center Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner on the top line and see action on the first power-play combination. Matthews has 11 goals and 23 points in 24 games this season.

Marchessault logged an assist and two PIM in Friday's 3-0 win over the Canucks.

Marchessault has gotten on the scoresheet in 10 of the last 11 games, earning nine goals and six helpers in that span. He set up a Steven Stamkos tally to break a 0-0 deadlock late in the second period. Marchessault is up to 28 points, 112 shots on net, 55 hits, 24 PIM and a minus-6 rating through 39 contests overall. Given his recent production on the top line, he should be in lineups in most fantasy formats.

Stamkos scored a goal in Friday's 3-0 win over the Canucks.

Stamkos continued his warm stretch -- he has five goals and six assists over his last 11 outings. His goal Friday stood as the game-winner, his third such goal of the campaign. The 34-year-old is at 12 goals, 24 points, 87 shots on net, 33 hits, 22 PIM and a minus-12 rating through 39 contests overall. Stamkos figures to remain productive in a top-line role.

Sissons scored an empty-net goal, dished an assist, went plus-2, added two hits and blocked two shots in Friday's 3-0 win over the Canucks.

Both of Sissons' points were on empty-netters. He's a defensive forward, so it's not unusual to see him on the ice to close out wins. The 31-year-old has two goals and three assists over his last five outings as he turns the page on an awful start to the campaign. Overall, he has four goals, seven points, 37 shots on net, 49 hits, 41 blocked shots and a minus-14 rating through 38 appearances.

Nyquist scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Friday's 3-0 win over the Canucks.

Both of Nyquist's points Friday came on empty-net goals. Since the start of November, he has four goals and seven assists over 28 appearances, and all of those tallies have gone into empty nets. That makes his total of 16 points in 38 contests -- already a fairly poor mark for a top-six forward -- a bit misleading, as he hasn't scored against a goaltender since Oct. 28 versus the Lightning. After producing 23 goals and 75 points in the 2023-24 regular season, Nyquist may struggle to get to the 40-point mark this season.

Carlsson notched a power-play assist in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Oilers.

Carlsson has a point in each of the first two games in January after being limited to one goal over 10 appearances in December. He took some time to get on track after losing six contests to an upper-body injury, and he was also bothered by an undisclosed issue prior to the holiday break. The 20-year-old center is at eight goals, six helpers, four power-play points, 44 shots on net and a minus-1 rating through 32 appearances. If he's starting to heat up, Carlsson should be on the radar for most fantasy managers throughout January despite his relatively mild production so far this season.

Strome recorded a power-play assist and blocked two shots in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Oilers.

Strome's point streak is up to four games (two goals, three assists). This was his first power-play points since Dec. 12 versus the Maple Leafs. The 31-year-old center is making the most of his top-line role, though the Ducks' low-scoring offense often leads to even their top players being streaky. Strome is at seven goals, 14 helpers, four power-play points, 68 shots on net, 23 hits, 21 blocked shots, 21 PIM and an even plus-minus rating over 38 appearances.

Hyman notched an assist and three shots on goal in Friday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.

Hyman has gone four games without a goal, but he has an assist in three of them. He saw his eight-game point streak end in a 4-1 win over Utah on Tuesday before getting back on the scoresheet Friday. The winger was listed on the third line against the Ducks and was under 18 minutes of ice time for the third game in a row, but he continues to be a part of the top power-play unit, so his offense shouldn't suffer too much. Hyman has 13 goals, nine helpers, 92 shots on net, 30 hits, 16 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 33 outings this season.

Nugent-Hopkins scored a power-play goal on four shots in Friday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.

Nugent-Hopkins' pass attempt banked in off an Anaheim player's skate for the opening goal. The goal was his third in the last four games, two of which have come on the power play. The 31-year-old forward is up to nine tallies, 21 points (eight on the power play), 77 shots on net and a plus-3 rating over 37 appearances this season. He continues to see the bulk of his time in a top-six role and on the first power-play unit.