NHL Player News

Thrun notched an assist and went plus-2 in Monday's 7-2 win over the Kings.

Thrun returned to the lineup, replacing Jack Thompson, who was reassigned to AHL San Jose on Monday. The 23-year-old Thrun made a valuable impact, setting up Macklin Celebrini's goal at 1:03 of the third period, which was the game-winner. Thrun has seven assists, 15 shots on net, 31 blocked shots, 16 hits, 15 PIM and a minus-5 rating over 21 appearances this season. His playing time is temporarily safe -- after Thompson's demotion, the Sharks are carrying only six blueliners, though Marc-Edouard Vlasic (back) is reportedly close to being ready for his season debut, which could bump Thrun from the lineup once again.

Walman provided a power-play assist in Monday's 7-2 win over the Kings.

Walman is thriving now that he's recovered from an upper-body injury -- he has a goal and four helpers since his return. The 28-year-old defenseman has reclaimed his spot on the top pairing and first power-play unit. Walman is up to 14 points (three on the power play), 54 shots on net, 29 blocked shots, 17 hits and a plus-5 rating over 19 appearances. He's well on his way to a career year and should gain plenty of fantasy supporters along the way as a savvy waiver-wire addition.

Liljegren scored a goal on three shots in Monday's 7-2 win over the Kings.

Liljegren gave the Sharks a 4-2 lead with the second of three Sharks goals in a span of 2:40 early in the third period. This was Liljegren's second tally in 12 outings since he was traded from Toronto. The 25-year-old defenseman is up to 22 shots on net, 20 hits, 17 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating across 13 appearances this season. He looks to have a steady spot in the Sharks' lineup, but he'll need to prove himself more on offense to be an option for most fantasy managers.

Dumoulin logged an assist in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Kraken.

Dumoulin set up Trevor Zegras' first-period tally on a delayed penalty. With four helpers over his last seven contests, Dumoulin has been better than usual on offense over recent weeks. The 33-year-old defenseman has six assists, 25 shots on net, 36 blocked shots, 22 hits and a plus-5 rating through 20 outings overall, providing a stable veteran presence on the Ducks' inexperienced blue line.

Zellweger produced an assist, two shots on goal, two hits, two blocked shots and two PIM in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Kraken.

Zellweger remains hot on offense -- he has six points and 10 shots on net over his last five outings. The defenseman's latest contribution was a primary assist on Frank Vatrano's second-period tally. Zellweger has already secured a career high with 10 points through 19 contests, and he's added 44 shots on net, 19 blocked shots, 13 hits, eight PIM and a plus-1 rating while seeing top-four minutes and power-play time this season.

Evans notched two assists, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.

Evans snapped a three-game dry spell on offense. He helped out on goals by Shane Wright and Andre Burakovsky as the Kraken got some contributions from struggling forwards. Through 22 contests, Evans is up to three goals, 10 assists, 26 shots on net, 36 hits, 36 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating. He's looked every bit the part of an NHL defenseman while frequently filling a top-four role, especially with Vince Dunn on the mend from an upper-body injury.

Montour scored a goal on three shots in Monday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.

Montour has a goal in three straight games for the first time in his career. The 30-year-old defenseman scored just 24 seconds after Andre Burakovsky tied the contest at 1-1 early in the third period, and Montour's tally was the game-winner. He has four points during his current streak, giving him seven goals, 15 points, 69 shots on net, 32 hits, 25 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating over 21 appearances in his first year with the Kraken. He's in position to challenge for a 60-point campaign, a mark he's reached just once back in 2022-23 with the Panthers when he had 73 points over 80 regular-season outings.

Merrill was scratched for the seventh time over 12 games in November when he sat out Monday's 4-1 loss to the Jets.

Declan Chisholm and Zach Bogosian have been the most frequent third-pairing combination this month. Merrill saw steadier playing time in October while Jared Spurgeon dealt with an injury. Over 14 appearances this season, Merrill has one assist, nine shots on net, 18 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating. The 32-year-old veteran can step into the lineup whenever there's an injury concern, but he's unlikely to make a positive impact for fantasy.

Faber notched an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Jets.

Faber has a goal and two assists over his last four contests. He had the secondary helper on defense partner Jacob Middleton's first-period tally. Faber is up to 12 points (five on the power play), 28 shots on net, 20 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating across 21 appearances. He's right in line with the scoring pace that saw him rack up 47 points over 82 outings as a rookie in 2023-24.

Middleton scored a goal on five shots and added four PIM in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Jets.

Middleton opened the scoring at 8:37 of the first period, but the Wild's lead lasted just 1:26 before Alex Iafallo tied the game at 1-1. With three points over his last four games, Middleton continues to contribute on offense in addition to his usual strong physical play. The 28-year-old blueliner has four goals, 12 points, 36 shots on net, 28 hits, 48 blocked shots, 15 PIM and a plus-16 rating through 21 appearances in a top-four role.