NHL Player News

Spence logged an assist in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Senators.

Spence put an end to his 16-game point drought with a helper on Alex Laferriere's goal in the first period. The 23-year-old Spence is now at five points, 28 shots on net, 25 hits, 30 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating through 24 contests. Considering he stayed in the lineup for the entirety of his slump, it looks like Spence is a regular on the Kings' blue line now. That said, he'll need to score consistently to offer more than bottom-tier fantasy value.

Mahura was a healthy scratch for Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Sharks.

Unless head coach Dan Bylsma has a message to send, it's likely Mahura will be on the outside looking in for a while. Vince Dunn (upper body) returned from long-term injured reserve Saturday, bumping Mahura from the lineup after a run of 18 appearances in 19 games. The 26-year-old Mahura has one assist, 15 shots on net, 21 hits, 12 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 19 appearances. He's unlikely to play unless injuries arise on the Kraken's blue line.

Evans logged an assist and two blocked shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Sharks.

Vince Dunn (upper body) returned from long-term injured reserve Saturday, which was believed to be the end of Evans' run in a prominent role. Instead, head coach Dan Bylsma tinkered with all of his defensive pairings, putting Evans alongside Brandon Montour on the second pair and moving Jamie Oleksiak down to the third pair alongside Will Borgen. This is a huge vote of confidence in Evans' play, and it's well-earned -- he has five helpers over the last four games and a total of 16 points, 30 shots on net, 40 hits and 42 blocked shots across 25 outings this season. Evans also maintained a spot on the second power-play unit, so it looks like he'll retain decent fantasy value for a while.

Montour recorded an assist, seven shots on goal and two blocked shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Sharks.

Montour helped out on a Jared McCann tally in the third period. In November, Montour posted seven points and 53 shots on net over 14 appearances. The 30-year-old defenseman is up to 16 points, 86 shots on net, 36 hits, 28 blocked shots, 18 PIM and a plus-6 rating through 24 contests overall. He's providing high-end offense and well-rounded production for a blueliner, so he should be in the lineup regularly for most fantasy formats.

Liljegren notched an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Kraken.

Liljegren has gotten on the scoresheet in four straight games, earning two goals and two assists in that span. The defenseman is up to five points through 16 outings this season, and he's added 21 hits, 21 blocked shots and 27 shots on net. Liljegren is holding onto a second-pairing role, and if he can stay consistent on offense, he'll be an option in fantasy as a depth blueliner.

Walman notched a pair of assists, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Kraken.

Walman is on a career-best five-game point streak, earning two goals and five helpers in that span. The defenseman had a hand in goals by Luke Kunin and Cody Ceci in this win. Walman has been one of the biggest breakout players in fantasy so far this season with 19 points, 61 shots on net, 32 blocked shots, 18 PIM and a plus-9 rating over 22 appearances. The 28-year-old defenseman is two points shy of matching his output from last year, and with a huge role in all situations for the Sharks, it looks like he'll be crushing his previous high-water marks across the board.

Ceci scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Kraken.

Ceci snapped a five-game point drought with the tally. The 30-year-old defenseman's goal stood as his first game-winning goal since 2020-21. He's now at six points, 30 shots on net, 27 hits, 49 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating through 27 appearances. Ceci is holding his own in a top-four role for the Sharks, though it helps that he's playing alongside the red-hot Jake Walman at even strength.

Ferraro scored a goal on two shots, blocked two shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Kraken.

Ferraro has two goals and an assist over his last four contests. The 26-year-old defenseman is up to two tallies, six points, 29 shots on net, 71 hits, 46 blocked shots and a minus-10 rating through 27 appearances. Ferraro has never scored more than four goals or produced more than 21 points in a season, and he's on pace to be right around those marks if he can stay healthy throughout 2024-25.

Girard notched a power-play assist and three shots on goal in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Oilers.

Girard has an assist in each of the last two games. He concluded a productive November with nine points in 13 appearances, and his helper Saturday was his first power-play point of the season. He's up to 14 points, 27 shots on net, 44 blocked shots, 25 hits and a minus-1 rating through 25 contests overall.

Emberson logged an assist and blocked two shots in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Avalanche.

Emberson is up to two assists this season, both of which he's earned over the last 10 games. The 24-year-old defenseman hasn't taken a step forward on offense, and his 19:56 of ice time Saturday was his most in a game since Opening Night. He's produced 22 shots on net, 35 hits, 25 blocked shots and a minus-4 rating over 22 appearances in a bottom-four role, and that's not enough production for fantasy consideration.