NHL Player News

Pionk had an assist in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Stars.

Pionk's hot October has given way to a quieter November -- he has two helpers over his last five games. That was likely to happen anyway, as the 29-year-old is a solid scorer but certainly not a point-per-game threat. He has three goals, 11 assists, 33 shots on net, 27 blocked shots, 20 hits and a plus-10 rating through 15 outings overall. Pionk should continue to offer strong non-scoring production even if his offense fades further.

Bryson notched an assist and three blocked shots in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over the Flames.

Bryson didn't play in October, but he's been in the lineup in each of the last four games after head coach Lindy Ruff scratched Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju. Over his four appearances, Bryson has one assist, 10 blocked shots, four PIM and a plus-2 rating, and the Sabres have given up just six goals. He'll likely remain in a bottom-four role as long as he's in the lineup, but he could head back to the press box as soon as his play slips.

Hughes posted a power-play assist, four shots on goal, two blocked shots, two PIM and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Oilers.

Hughes extended his point streak to four games (one goal, six helpers) when he assisted on a Pius Suter tally in the third period. It's the longest streak of the season for Hughes, who continues to put up elite offense from the blue line for the Canucks. The reigning Norris Trophy winner has 15 points (four on the power play), 49 shots on net, 17 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating through 13 outings this season.

Hronek scored a goal, added two PIM, logged two hits and blocked two shots in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Oilers.

Hronek's first goal of the season brought the Canucks within one at 7:00 of the second period. The defenseman has three points over four outings in November, surpassing the two points he put up in October. He's at one goal, four helpers, 15 shots on net, 26 hits, 13 blocked shots, 14 PIM and a plus-9 rating through 13 appearances in a top-pairing role. Hronek offers category coverage with decent offense for fantasy managers.

Emberson posted an assist in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Canucks.

Emberson had the secondary helper on a Brett Kulak tally in the third period. The assist was Emberson's first point as an Oiler, and he's added 20 hits, 12 blocked shots, 15 shots on net, seven PIM and a minus-4 rating while filling a bottom-four role. For now, he's holding onto a spot in the lineup over Troy Stecher, but Emberson's grip on that spot is tenuous at best since he hasn't stood out in any area this season.

Kulak scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Canucks.

Kulak has scored in back-to-back games following a slump over the previous eight contests. The 30-year-old defenseman remains listed on the third pairing, but he's seeing usage in line with a second-pairing blueliner. For the season, he's at four goals, two assists, 21 shots on net, 22 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 15 appearances. That's still likely too little production for most fantasy managers, though he has some appeal in deep formats.

Girard notched an assist in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Hurricanes.

Girard was credited with the secondary helper on Sam Malinski's tally in the second period. The helper was Girard's second in the last three games, a span in which he's added six shots on net, six blocked shots and a plus-1 rating. The 26-year-old is up to seven assists, 13 shots, 26 blocks, 12 hits and an even plus-minus rating through 15 contests overall.

Walker logged an assist and four shots on goal in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Hurricanes.

This was Walker's second point in 13 games this season, with his other being a goal Oct. 31 versus the Bruins. The 29-year-old defenseman has often filled a third-pairing role with minimal power-play usage, which doesn't bode well for his chances of picking up the pace on offense. Walker has added 22 shots on net, 15 blocked shots, 12 PIM and a plus-4 rating.

Ludvig notched an assist and two PIM in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Hurricanes.

Ludvig was in the lineup over Calvin de Haan in Saturday's contest. While he earned his second assist over five games, Ludvig also saw a season-low 9:51 of ice time in the high-scoring contest, which suggests he didn't make a great impression to earn more playing time. The 24-year-old has added three shots on net, nine hits, three blocked shots and four PIM this season while spending most of the year in the press box.

Toews logged an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Hurricanes.

Toews has two helpers over four games in November, surpassing his point total from all of October. The defenseman has been a bit limited on offense despite playing in his usual top-pairing role when healthy this season. He's at three assists, 17 shots on net, nine blocked shots and a minus-4 rating through 11 outings overall. Toews will have to pick up the pace if he's going to reach the 50-point threshold for the fourth straight year.