NHL Player News

Novak scored a goal on six shots and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Ducks.

Novak has three goals and two assists during a four-game point streak to open December. He's at five goals, 14 points, 40 shots and a minus-2 rating through 28 outings overall. His strong play recently has opened the door for him to see top-six minutes, and that's enough to also get him on the fantasy radar until his offense fades.

Necas logged two assists and three shots on goal in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Predators.

Necas' status boiled down to a true game-time decision, but he ended up playing 25:47 after battling through an illness. The 26-year-old has been assist-heavy in his last 11 games, racking up one goal and 15 helpers in that span. For the season, the winger is at 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) with 65 shots on net, 30 hits, 22 PIM and a plus-28 rating through 30 outings in a top-line role.

MacKinnon logged two assists, including one on the power play, and fired seven shots on goal in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Predators.

MacKinnon picked up his sixth multi-point effort in the last eight games. He has seven goals and seven assists during that span, which has seen him get held off the scoresheet just once. Overall, the superstar center is up to 24 goals, 27 assists, 140 shots on net and a plus-35 rating through 30 contests. He is the first player to reach the 50-point mark in the league this season, and he's seven points ahead of Connor McDavid in second place.

Nelson scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Predators.

Nelson has five goals and three assists over his last six games. He made a quick impact Tuesday, scoring at 1:12 of the first period. The 34-year-old center is now at 11 goals, 20 points, 49 shots on net, 25 blocked shots, 16 PIM and a plus-11 rating through 30 outings in a second-line role this year.

Marchessault scored a power-play goal on two shots in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Avalanche.

Marchessault has two goals over his last four games. This was his first power-play point since Nov. 1 versus the Flames. For the season, the 34-year-old winger is at six goals, three helpers, 54 shots on net, 36 hits and a minus-14 rating across 24 appearances. Marchessault is in a middle-six role, but he's a risky fantasy option until his offense becomes steadier.

Alexandrov scored twice on five shots in AHL Ontario's 6-3 win over Texas on Tuesday.

Alexandrov has three goals in as many games since he was involved in a minor-league trade that sent Akil Thomas to the Blues' organization. At this time, Alexandrov doesn't have a clear path to the NHL, but he could be in the mix if the Kings opt to change the composition of their fourth line at some point later in the season.

McDavid scored twice on six shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Sabres.

McDavid struck 10 seconds into the third period to get the Oilers on the board, and he tied the contest with two seconds left in regulation time. He's racked up five goals and three assists over his last three outings, though he wasn't able to guide the Oilers to a third straight win. For the season, the superstar center is at 16 goals, 44 points, 93 shots on net and a minus-4 rating across 30 contests.

Acciari scored a goal Tuesday in a 4-3 shootout loss to Anaheim.

He got the Pens on the board in the first period when his face-off win came back to him after it went off a skate, and he wired a wrist shot past Ville Husso from the left circle. It was Acciari's first goal of the season. He has five points in 15 games, and he's never going to replicate his 20-goal campaign in Florida during the 2019-20 regular season. Acciari's limited fantasy value comes from his ability to hit -- he delivered 180 of those last season, but with his limited contributions in other categories, we can't recommend him.

Thompson scored a goal on four shots and added two power-play assists in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers.

Thompson earned his first multi-point effort since Nov. 21 versus the Blackhawks. The 28-year-old has four points, including three on the power play, over his last two games. For the season, he's up to 14 goals, 12 helpers, 108 shots on net, 35 hits and a minus-13 rating through 30 appearances. Thompson's steady top-line usage and spot on the first power-play unit will keep him productive a majority of the time.

Crosby picked up an assist Tuesday in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Ducks.

Croasby moved within five points of Mario Lemieux's team points record. The future Hall of Famer has 1,718 points (643 goals, 1,075 assists) in 1,380 games. Crosby has 18 goals, 13 assists and 64 shots in 28 games this season. Those goals are top five in the NHL right now; his point total puts him squarely in the top 30 overall.