NHL Player News

Faber notched an assist, three shots on goal, two PIM, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Friday's 5-1 win over the Ducks.

Faber has two assists over the first two games of December after being limited to three points across his last 10 contests in November. The defenseman helped out on the second of Marco Rossi's tallies in this game. Faber is up to 14 points, 34 shots on net, 31 blocked shots, nine PIM and a plus-15 rating through 26 outings this season. He's a lock for top-pairing minutes, and his offense alone is enough to make him a strong part of fantasy blue lines.

Provorov (upper body) won't return to Friday's game versus the Canucks.

He was injured early in the second period. Provorov had one assist in 8:07 of ice time prior to sustaining the injury. He can be considered day-to-day heading into Sunday's game versus the Jets. If Provorov can't play, Jack Johnson will likely enter the lineup.

Evans (hand) will be in the lineup Friday versus the Devils, per Sound of Hockey.

Evans missed two games with the injury. The 22-year-old defenseman was rolling prior to the issue, racking up five helpers over his previous four games. Evans will play on the third pairing and should also see time on the second power-play unit, while Josh Mahura will sit as a healthy scratch.

Robertson was recalled from AHL Hartford on Friday.

Robertson was sent to the minors before the regular season, but he'll join the NHL club ahead of Friday's home game against Pittsburgh since Jacob Trouba was traded to the Ducks earlier in the day. Robertson hasn't yet made his NHL debut and is only expected to serve as an extra defenseman during warmups Friday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

Whitecloud (upper body) didn't take contact during Friday's morning skate, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, so he's not expected to play at home against Dallas.

Whitecloud also missed Vegas' past six games. He has a goal, two points, 33 hits and 40 blocks in 21 outings in 2024-25. He will likely serve on the third pairing once he's ready to return.

Vaakanainen, who is on injured reserve due to an upper-body issue, has been traded from Anaheim to the Rangers on Friday along with fourth-round pick in exchange for Jacob Trouba, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN.

Vaakanainen has an assist and seven blocks in five appearances this season. He set a career high in 2023-24 with 68 games played, resulting in him recording a goal, 14 points, 55 hits and 79 blocks with Anaheim. When healthy, Vaakanainen might have a spot on the Rangers' third pairing, but New York's main motivation for making this trade was likely to move Trouba's contract. Trouba comes with an $8 million cap hit for this campaign and 2025-26, and the Rangers didn't retain any salary.

Trouba was traded to the Ducks from the Rangers on Friday in exchange for Urho Vaakanainen (upper body) and a 2025 fourth-round pick, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Trouba hasn't been a factor with the man advantage with the Rangers this season, recording all six of his assists at even strength. While Olen Zellweger has served as the quarterback for the No. 1 power play for Anaheim, he could be in danger of losing that role since Trouba is joining the team. For his part, the move should benefit Trouba's chances of reaching the 30-point threshold for the third time in the last four years after a slow start to the season saw him generate just six points through 24 games to open the year.

Xhekaj notched an assist, three hits, three blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Predators.

Xhekaj has earned four assists over his last nine games. The 23-year-old is also playing his usual physical game, adding 27 PIM, 32 hits and 13 blocked shots in that span. He won't often chip in much offense, but Xhekaj can help in banger leagues with his ultra-aggressive style. He's at four assists, 22 shots on net, 41 PIM, 61 hits and 23 blocked shots through 23 outings this season.

Burns notched an assist and blocked three shots in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Avalanche.

Burns' offense hasn't been consistent this season -- he ended a four-game slump with this helper. The defenseman is now at seven points, 51 shots on net, 35 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating through 26 appearances. While he can help in other areas, it's unlikely the 39-year-old gets back to a 40-point pace over the remainder of the season, so his fantasy value will be low.

Ristolainen produced an assist and three hits in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Panthers.

Ristolainen has five helpers and a plus-9 rating over his last six outings. He's been steadier than usual on offense without sacrificing any of his physical play. The defenseman is up to eight points, 33 shots on net, 50 hits, 46 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating through 26 outings. He's averaging 20:32 of ice time in 2024-25, nearly four minutes more than he had in 2023-24 and his most since his first year with the Flyers.