NHL Player News

Ekholm logged an assist and two hits in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Penguins.

Ekholm ended a three-game slump with the helper. The 34-year-old defenseman had a great October on offense, but his scoring contributions since have been less consistent. He's at six goals, 12 helpers, 95 shots on net, 60 blocked shots, 30 hits and a plus-15 rating through 41 appearances in a top-four role. Ekholm is likely to fall short of his 45-point regular season from 2023-24.

Pettersson notched two assists, five blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Oilers.

The helpers were Pettersson's first points in five games since he returned from a lower-body injury that cost him six contests. The 28-year-old defenseman has stepped right back into a top-four role, adding a plus-3 rating, five shots on net and eight blocked shots since his return. Overall, he has 15 points, 37 shots, 64 blocks, 39 hits and a minus-1 rating over 37 appearances. His scoring isn't great, but he offers decent category coverage for fantasy.

Zamula notched an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Stars.

Zamula has four points over his last eight outings. He's played better both on offense and defense lately, in part because he's playing alongside a shutdown defender in Rasmus Ristolainen. Zamula is at 10 points, 22 shots on net, 45 blocked shots and a minus-11 rating through 32 outings overall. He hasn't been in the power-play mix lately, so most fantasy managers can fade Zamula in the short term.

Dumba logged an assist, two hits, four PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.

The helper was Dumba's first point in four games since he missed eight contests due to an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old defenseman isn't a lock for the lineup either -- he sat out Tuesday's game versus the Rangers and will likely have to compete with Brendan Smith for the last spot in the lineup. Dumba has just two assists with 20 shots on net, 20 blocked shots, 35 hits and 23 PIM over 23 appearances this season, so he can be passed over in fantasy.

Faber (upper body) will not travel with the Wild on their two-game weekend road trip to Vegas and San Jose on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, according to Joe Smith of The Athletic.

Faber sat out Thursday's tilt with Colorado after he was injured Tuesday against the Blues. The Wild's top blueliner, Faber has five goals, 15 assists and 54 blocked shots in 41 contests this season. He could return as early as Wednesday when the Wild host Edmonton.

Brodin (lower body) did not travel with the WIld for their two-game road trip against San Jose and Vegas on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.

Brodin will have missed three games by the time Minnesota returns home, which could make him a candidate for IR if the team needs an extra roster spot. Prior to getting hurt, the 31-year-old defenseman was rolling offensively with seven points in his last seven outings, including a four-game point streak. With Brock Faber (upper body) also staying back in Minnesota, the Wild will be forced to utilize both Travis Dermott and David Jiricek.

Heiskanen scored an empty-net goal on two shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.

Heiskanen ended a 19-game goal drought with a long-distance empty-netter. During that stretch, the defenseman had nine assists, 39 shots on net and 35 blocked shots to maintain a decent level of production. The 25-year-old has a total of five goals, 14 assists, 88 shots on net, 69 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating over 40 appearances. Considering Heiskanen has topped 50 points in consecutive seasons, it's not a great sign that he's tracking toward the 40-point mark for this campaign.

Pesce notched an assist and six blocked shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers.

Pesce got it done at both ends of the ice Thursday -- he set up a Jack Hughes tally in the second period. The six blocks matched Pesce's season high, which he's achieved three times this season. He has a modest six points over 17 contests since the start of December. Overall, the 30-year-old blueliner has seven points, 47 shots on net, 72 blocks and a minus-1 rating over 35 appearances.

Gilbert racked up two hits and nine PIM in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Senators.

This was Gilbert's second appearance in three games, though he was scratched for the prior six contests. The Sabres rolled with seven defensemen Thursday, but it's unclear if they'll do that more frequently in the second half. Mattias Samuelsson (illness) was also out, so it's possible Gilbert goes back to the press box once his fellow defenseman is healthy again. Gilbert has one assist, two shots on net, 36 hits, 36 PIM and 11 blocked shots through 14 outings in 2024-25.

Samuelsson (illness) didn't practice Friday and isn't expected back against Seattle on Saturday, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Samuelsson will be shelved for his second straight outing due to his illness, one that has also impacted forward Beck Malenstyn. With the 24-year-old Samuelsson once unavailable again Saturday, Jacob Bryson figures to remain on the third pairing while Henri Jokiharju should get an uptick in ice time.