NHL Player News

Makar notched two assists, four shots on goal, three blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Panthers.

Makar has five points and a plus-5 rating over the last three games. The Avalanche appear to be rounding into form now that most of their regulars are healthy, and that's good news for the players who held the fort early in the season. Makar continues to be the cream of the crop for defensemen, racking up eight goals, 22 helpers, 62 shots on net, 33 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 21 appearances. He's earned 13 of his points on the power play and should continue to be excellent in all situations.

Kylington scored a goal on two shots, added an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Panthers.

Kylington missed time earlier in the season due to an illness, but he's also struggled to get in the lineup when healthy. He's primarily competed for a third-pairing spot that is usually filled by Calvin de Haan, though Kylington has now played in three straight games. Kylington's two points Saturday were his first scoring contributions of the season, and he's added two shots on net, two hits, six blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over seven outings. Without more offense, the 27-year-old won't be an option in most fantasy formats.

Girard scored a goal and added an assist in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Panthers.

Girard put the Avalanche ahead 4-2 with a second-period tally and set up Mikko Rantanen's game-winner later in the frame. With six points over his last seven contests, Girard's offense has sparked to life. The blueliner is up to two goals, 10 assists, 21 shots on net, 21 hits, 41 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating through 21 appearances this season.

Larsson was held off the scoresheet for the 16th straight game in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Kings.

Larsson is a top-four defenseman who plays in a shutdown role, so it's not unusual for him to have long stretches without offense. This is a pretty bad slump even in that context, though he also opened last year on a 13-game drought and ended the 2023-24 campaign with no points over his last 20 outings. Overall, the 32-year-old has three points, 32 shots on net, 31 hits, 43 blocked shots, 15 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 21 contests this season.

Englund has been scratched for seven of the Kings' first 10 games in November after sitting out Saturday's 2-1 win over the Kraken.

Englund doesn't add much outside of toughness, and his ice time has been under 10 minutes in each of his last three appearances. The Kings have been more willing to give Jacob Moverare a look on the third pairing. Englund has a goal, 17 hits, 12 PIM and five blocked shots over eight outings this season, and with another tough guy in Kyle Burroughs also on the outside looking in, Englund's unlikely to see steady playing time.

Montour scored a goal on three shots while adding three blocked shots and a plus-1 rating in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Kings.

The veteran blueliner spoiled David Rittich's shutout bid with 94 seconds left in the third period, blasting a shot through traffic that the goalie got only a piece of. Montour has found the back of the net in back-to-back games, and he's racked up six goals and 14 points through his first 20 contests with the Kraken.

Hughes posted a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Capitals.

Hughes has two assists over his last four contests. The 21-year-old defenseman continues to be eclipsed by Dougie Hamilton, both at even strength and on the power play. Hughes has just three assists (two on the power play) with 17 shots on net, 10 blocked shots and a minus-4 rating over 14 appearances this season. Hughes has talent, but until he can carve out a larger role -- he's averaging just 18:53 of ice time per game -- his fantasy upside is capped.

Lilleberg posted an assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Stars.

Lilleberg has seen a limited role on the third pairing this season, and it's reduced further when the Lightning dress seven blueliners as they did Saturday. Despite his minimal playing time -- he's averaging 13:32 per game -- he's picked up six helpers over 16 contests, including four assists in his last six games. Lilleberg also has 26 hits, 13 blocked shots, 19 PIM and a minus-2 rating this season.

Lyubushkin notched an assist, two hits, three blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Lightning.

Lyubushkin had a shot attempt that pinged in off Evgenii Dadonov. The helper was Lyubushkin's sixth over 10 contests in November, which is one of the best stretches of his career. That's all the offense the 30-year-old blueliner has this year, and he's added 21 hits, 37 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating over 19 appearances. His career high in points is 14 from the 2021-22 campaign, which he split between the Coyotes and the Maple Leafs, but it's too soon to tell if he'll come close to that mark this year.

Myers notched an assist and blocked three shots in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Senators.

Myers logged 21:48 of ice time Saturday, his first time over 20 minutes in five games. He had to help cover for Quinn Hughes, who was ejected after a boarding major and game misconduct in the first period. Myers has picked up the pace with three points over his last five games, giving him one goal, four assists, 19 shots on net, 18 hits, 33 blocked shots, 12 PIM and a minus-5 rating through 19 appearances this season. Myers should get back to a slightly smaller workload Tuesday versus the Bruins assuming Hughes avoids supplemental discipline.