NHL Player News

Heiskanen notched an assist, four shots on goal an two hits in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers.

Heiskanen has two goals and four assists over his last eight outings. The 24-year-old defenseman helped out on a Thomas Harley tally in the second period. Those two blueliners have paired well together as a force in all zones for the Stars, and they'll be leaned on even more with Nils Lundkvist (concussion) and Jani Hakanpaa (upper body) questionable heading into the team's upcoming four-game road trip. Heiskanen has 33 points, 104 shots on net, 64 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating through 45 outings this season, giving him a reasonable chance at reaching the 50-point mark for the second year in a row.

Ekholm notched an assist, two hits and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Stars.

Ekholm had been held off the scoresheet in the previous five games. The 33-year-old snapped the drought by setting up the first of Evan Bouchard's two goals Saturday. Ekholm has maintained a physical presence in a top-four role, which helps to offset his dry spells on offense. He's at 20 points, 102 shots on net, 91 hits, 59 blocked shots, 33 PIM and a plus-19 rating through 50 outings this season.

Jensen recorded an assist in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Canadiens.

Jensen almost assuredly will fail to improve on his prior season's point total for the first time in four years. Eight helpers represent his output through 53 games, but Jensen hasn't missed a single contest this season, and the no-frills defenseman has an outside chance at setting a new career high in blocked shots, having already posted 78 of those in 2023-24.

Englund posted an assist in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over the Bruins.

Englund's secondary assist led to the Kings' first goal, and it marked his first point since Nov. 29. He's unlocked offensive career highs by virtue of playing more often than ever, adding a goal and seven assists through 52 games, but Englund's 57 blocked shots and 128 hits are the more significant metrics from a player evaluation standpoint.

Smith notched a goal and an assist in Saturday's 6-3 Stadium Series win over the Flyers.

Smith picked up an assist on Tyler Toffoli's first-period marker before extending New Jersey's lead to 3-1 in the second, swiping a rebound past Samuel Ersson for his second goal of the campaign. It's just the second multi-point game of the year for Smith, who had gone scoreless in his previous two contests since returning from a 10-game IR stint. The 35-year-old blueliner now has seven points, 73 hits and 50 blocked shots in a third-pairing role with the Devils this season.

Fabbro returned from a three-game stint as a healthy scratch in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Blues, but he failed to crack the scoresheet in 17:09 of ice time.

Fabbro's presence in the lineup is too unpredictable these days to count on him for fantasy production. Throw in his low scoring totals (2G, 8A in 42 games), and it's really hard to recommend him outside of very deep leagues. The 25-year-old defender posted a career-best 24 points two seasons ago, but it's difficult to imagine him getting back to that level anytime soon.

McCabe tallied a goal and an assist in Saturday's 9-2 victory over the Ducks.

McCabe extended Toronto's lead to 3-0 in the opening period, beating Lukas Dostal from the circle off a faceoff, before picking up a second point with an assist on an Auston Matthews tally in the second. The 30-year-old McCabe had gone seven games without a point coming into Saturday's contest. He's up to five goals, 19 points, 132 hits and 82 blocked shots through 47 games this season.

Schenn notched his first goal of the sesaon in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Blues.

Schenn's first season in Nashville has been largely forgettable, especially since he's spent most of it sidelined with a lower-body injury. He has just six points in 36 games, which will make it tough for him to match the 22 points he recorded last season, split between the Canucks and Maple Leafs. Schenn's currently skating on the Preds' second defensive pairing alongside Ryan McDonagh.

Lauzon recorded his ninth point of the season with an assist in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Blues. He also added seven hits, four PIM and a pair of blocked shots.

If your league counts the aforementioned peripheral stat categories and you had the foresight to start Lauzon on this night, well done -- you were justly rewarded. Lauzon isn't much of a fantasy factor these days, but once in a while all, the stars line up and he pays off. For now, he continues to skate mainly on the Preds' bottom defensive pairing with Alexandre Carrier.

Liljegren recorded three assists in Saturday's 9-2 victory over Anaheim.

Two of Liljegren's three helpers came on the power play as the Leafs cruised to a lopsided win. The 24-year-old blueliner now has five assists in his last two contests after going 11 games without a point. Overall, Liljegren's up to 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) through 36 games this season. He should continue to work on Toronto's top pairing and power-play unit while Mark Giordano (personal) and Morgan Rielly (suspension) are unavailable.