NHL Player News

Kulak had an assist in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Lightning.

Kulak picked up his first point over four games in December when he assisted on a Connor McDavid goal. The 30-year-old Kulak remains listed on the third pairing, but he has functioned as a top-four option for the Oilers this season. The shutdown blueliner has 10 points, 46 shots on net, 38 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating through 28 appearances.

Mermis was waived by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Mermis underwent jaw surgery in late September and began the regular season on long-term injured reserve. He began a conditioning assignment with AHL Toronto on Nov. 27, and if he clears waivers, he'll remain with the minor-league club.

McAvoy notched a power-play assist, two shots on goal, two hits, two blocked shots and four PIM in Tuesday's 8-1 loss to the Jets.

McAvoy set up David Pastrnak for the Bruins' lone goal in the blowout loss. McAvoy also set off some tensions when he checked Cole Perfetti in the head in the third period for the first of his two penalties in the game. The Bruins defenseman has 10 hits and 12 PIM over his last five contests. He's up to 11 points in 30 appearances, and he's added 53 hits, 38 PIM, 44 blocked shots and 62 shots on net, so it's not unusual for him to play with an edge.

Regula was claimed off waivers Wednesday by Edmonton from Boston.

Regula hasn't played yet in 2024-25 because of a knee injury. The 24-year-old defenseman had four goals, 26 points and 41 PIM in 55 regular-season appearances with AHL Providence. Given how much of the campaign Regula has missed, he might get into some practices with the Oilers before Edmonton considers putting him into a game. If he does play for Edmonton, it would probably be as a member of the third pairing.

Pionk notched two assists, four blocked shots and two PIM in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Bruins.

Pionk had been held off the scoresheet over the previous three games, but he has a goal and four helpers over five contests before the slump. The 29-year-old defenseman made his impact on the second power-play unit, assisting on goals by Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Iafallo. Pionk is up to 24 points (eight on the power play), 55 shots on net, 50 blocked shots, 42 hits, 22 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 30 appearances. He is tracking toward a career year -- his current high-water mark is 45 points in 71 games in 2019-20.

Barrie was scratched for the 12th straight game Tuesday in a 4-3 win over the Predators.

Barrie played in seven of eight games between Oct. 30 and Nov. 12, but he hasn't been in the lineup since. Jake Bean has been the primary beneficiary of Barrie falling out of favor, though Joel Hanley is also in the mix as the Flames continue to carry eight blueliners. Barrie has two points, 12 shots on net, eight hits and eight blocked shots over nine appearances.

Pachal scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Predators.

Pachal's first goal of the season and first point since Opening Night tied the game at 3-3, helping the Flames bounce back from their third deficit of the contest. The 25-year-old has just two points over 29 appearances, but he's been a fixture on the third pairing throughout the season. He's added 29 shots on net, 68 hits, 32 blocked shots, 25 PIM and a minus-5 rating. With Pachal's spot seemingly locked in, the last spot on the Flames' blue line has come down to Jake Bean, Joel Hanley or Tyson Barrie.

Anderson scored an empty-net goal on three shots in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Islanders.

Anderson has a goal and an assist over his last two contests. The defenseman typically won't sustain a scoring pace at that level, but he remains important for the Kings' elite defense, which is allowing just 24.1 shots against and 2.54 goals against per game. He's up to nine points, 34 shots on net, 43 hits, 48 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating over 28 appearances, giving him a good chance of reaching the 20-point mark for the second time in his career.

Dumba didn't participate in Wednesday's practice session due to an upper-body injury, Brian Rea of FanDuel Sports Network Southwest reports.

Dumba apparently sustained an injury during Sunday's win over Calgary, and he underwent further testing instead of practicing Wednesday. Head coach Peter DeBoer called Dumba's absence from practice a precautionary measure, but it's unclear whether he'll be available for Thursday's game against the Predators.

Ceci recorded an assist, four hits and a minus-2 rating in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes.

Ceci has a goal, an assist, nine blocked shots and six hits over five games on the Sharks' current road trip, which ends Thursday in St. Louis. The 30-year-old blueliner is up to seven points, 34 shots on net, 33 hits, 56 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating through 31 outings. He remains in a top-pairing role, but his physicality is more impressive than his offense.