NHL Player News

Pionk scored a power-play goal on two shots, dished three assists and went plus-2 in Friday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.

One of his helpers also came on the power play, as the Jets' second unit made some noise in this contest. Pionk is up to five points, seven shots on net, five hits, two blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over four games. The 29-year-old defenseman has been a little less physical than usual, but over time, he should average out to being an excellent depth option for category coverage.

Dunn (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day heading into Saturday's game versus the Flames, Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network reports.

Dunn was held out for what was initially considered precautionary reasons in the third period of Thursday's win over the Flyers. At this point, the 27-year-old is likely heading toward being a game-time decision Saturday. If Dunn can't play, Ryker Evans would take his top-four spot while Josh Mahura would draw into the lineup.

LaCombe (illness) skated Friday morning but won't play in that night's game versus the Avalanche, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports.

LaCombe has skated a couple of times with the Ducks, but still needs some time. The 23-year-old defenseman's next chance to play is Sunday at home versus the Kings.

Marino (upper body) is months away from playing, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports Friday.

Marino had four goals, 25 points and 41 PIM in 75 appearances with New Jersey in 2023-24, but he hasn't been able to play yet this season due to the injury. He's on injured reserve, though Marino probably won't get moved to long-term injured reserve only because Utah already has plenty of cap flexibility, so putting him on LTIR might not provide the franchise with a benefit at this time. When Marino is healthy enough to play, he will probably serve in a top-four role.

Gustafsson registered a power-play assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and four PIM in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Rangers.

Gustafsson has an assist in each of his two games this season, both coming on the power play. He's added five shots on net, three blocked shots and a minus-2 rating. Gustafsson has done the job he was signed for, but he may end up slipping out of the lineup once again, as Jeff Petry (upper body) was cleared to play Saturday versus the Predators after a three-game absence.

Smith (undisclosed) will probably play Saturday versus Edmonton, but his availability isn't certain, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News on Friday.

Smith played through Thursday's 3-2 loss to Washington, but he appeared to be hurt after absorbing a crosscheck during the clash, per Assimakopoulos. The 35-year-old Smith was able to participate in Friday's practice, though, so it seems his injury isn't major. He has no points, two shots, four hits and three blocks across three appearances this season.

Mancini scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Red Wings.

Mancini joined the goal-scoring ranks in the NHL in just his fourth contest. The 22-year-old defenseman has held his own in a third-pairing role, adding nine shots on net, six blocked shots, three hits and a plus-2 rating so far. He may not stay in the lineup once Ryan Lindgren (upper body) returns, but Mancini is gaining valuable experience to be a contributor throughout 2024-25.

Power scored a goal on two shots and went minus-2 in Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Power's offense hasn't popped yet this season, but he's been fine with two goals over six games. He's added 11 shots on net, eight blocked shots, three hits and a minus-1 rating while filling a top-four role. Power remains on the second power-play unit, but fellow blueliners Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram are also factors with the man advantage. The 21-year-old Power remains a strong option for dynasty formats, and he's a fine depth option in redraft leagues as well.

Provorov notched an assist, four shots on goal, two blocked shots, two PIM and a minus-2 rating in Thursday's 6-4 win over the Sabres.

Provorov fills more of a shutdown role in the Blue Jackets' top four, so it's unlikely he'll ever be reliable on offense. The helper was his first point through four contests this season, to go with six shots on net, six blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating. Over his first eight NHL campaigns, he's topped 30 points on five occasions while reaching the 100-hit mark three times and never posting fewer than 106 blocked shots, so he has some fantasy value in formats that reward non-scoring production.

Severson scored a goal, blocked two shots and went plus-4 in Thursday's 6-4 win over the Sabres.

Severson continues his strong offense to begin the year -- he has a goal and three assists over four contests. The 30-year-old defenseman has also been positive in plus-minus rating in three of those games, with a plus-4 rating overall. He's in a top-four role and on the second power-play unit, and with contributions in points and blocked shots, he can help fantasy managers in deeper formats.