NHL Player News

Texier was scratched for the sixth time in nine games when he sat out Monday's 5-2 win over the Rangers.

Texier played in a middle-six role early in the season, but his ice faded in November and he's now battling for a spot in the lineup altogether. A new head coach could help, as Jim Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister over the weekend, giving some players on the fringe of the lineup a chance to make a good impression. Texier is at three points, 20 shots on net and a minus-6 rating and will likely compete with Oskar Sundqvist, Zachary Bolduc and Mathieu Joseph for two spots in the lineup when the Blues are fully healthy up front.

Sundqvist notched an assist, three shots on goal, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 5-2 win over the Rangers.

Sundqvist was a healthy scratch for two games recently, but he's played the last two contests. He's part of a bottom-six rotation of scratches that also includes Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier and Zachary Bolduc, all of whom will be trying to impress new head coach Jim Montgomery. Sundqvist is at three points, seven shots on net, 24 hits, 12 blocked shots and 12 PIM through 14 appearances in 2024-25, giving him minimal upside for fantasy purposes.

Kyrou scored a goal on three shots in Monday's 5-2 win over the Rangers.

Kyrou has two goals over his last three games. He previous went six contests without a tally, but he picked up five assists in that span to stay productive. The 26-year-old winger is up to 19 points, 66 shots on net, 19 hits and a plus-2 rating over 23 appearances this season. His offense is as steady as ever, and a little extra physicality helps round out his stat line for fantasy.

Girgensons notched an assist and four blocked shots in Monday's 8-2 win over the Avalanche.

Girgensons' helper was the 100th of his career. The 30-year-old forward has 189 points over 708 appearances, with much of his time in the NHL coming as a bottom-six player. This year, he's produced just the one assist in addition to 29 hits, 22 PIM, 17 shots on net, 13 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over his first 20 outings with the Lightning after a 10-year tenure with the Sabres. Girgensons has finished between 14 and 19 points in each of the last eight years, but he'll have some work to do to get to that level in 2024-25.

Eyssimont scored a goal on five shots and went plus-2 in Monday's 8-2 win over the Avalanche.

This was his first goal and second point of the campaign, ending an 11-game slump. Eyssimont has been a bottom-six fixture since he made his season debut Oct. 15 after missing Opening Night. He's added 36 shots on net, 18 hits, 24 PIM and a minus-1 rating through 19 contests. Eyssimont can chip in depth scoring, as evidenced by his 25-point campaign in 2023-24, but he's also down 1:07 of ice time per game in 2024-25, which limits his opportunities to contribute.

Glendening scored a shorthanded goal, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Monday's 8-2 win over the Avalanche.

Glendening's first-period tally extended the Lightning's lead to 4-1. It was his first point of the season, though the defensive center has been a fixture on the fourth line. He's added 13 shots on net, 19 blocked shots and 33 hits through 20 appearances. Glendening is more valuable to the Lightning than he is to fantasy managers.

Cirelli scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Monday's 8-2 win over the Avalanche.

The Avalanche fired on all cylinders Monday, and Cirelli was able to extend his goal streak to six games. In that span, he has seven tallies and two assists. The second-line center is cruising in 2024-25, earning nine goals, 13 helpers, 38 shots on net, 20 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating across 20 appearances. He's never come close to a point-per-game pace for a full season, but Cirelli should be rostered in most fantasy formats as long as he's scoring.

Glass (concussion) was designated as day-to-day by head coach Mike Sullivan ahead of Wednesday's clash with the Canucks, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.

Considering Glass was still working as an extra at Tuesday's practice, he probably should be considered doubtful to face Vancouver. Still, it's a step in the right direction for the 25-year-old center. With the Pens adding Philip Tomasino to the roster, Glass will need to stave off the likes of Jesse Puljujarvi and Valtteri Puustinen for a spot in the lineup.

Laughton notched an assist and two hits in Monday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Golden Knights.

The helper ended a six-game slump for Laughton. The 30-year-old forward has seen his playing time drop -- he's been under 15 minutes in four of the last five games while serving on the fourth line. He's at eight points, 37 shots on net, 66 hits and a minus-13 rating through 22 contests overall. Head coach John Tortorella often shuffles his lines to reward players who are doing well, so Laughton will likely get moved up once his defensive play improves.

Lizotte (concussion) was labeled day-to-day ahead of Wednesday's matchup with Vancouver, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.

Lizotte skated in a third-line role at Tuesday's practice session, which would seem to point to him getting back in the lineup versus the Canucks -- though he technically remains on injured reserve. The acquisition of Philip Tomasino from the Predators will create further competition for lineup spots, so Lizotte is far from a lock for minutes on a nightly basis.