NHL Player News

Walman recorded an assist to complement an overtime goal on a penalty shot in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Canucks.

According to Dave Hogg of NHL.com, this was just the fourth time in NHL history that a defenseman scored on a penalty shot, and not until Saturday had anyone from the Red Wings accomplished such a feat. Walman's brilliant performance was accentuated by him reaching a new career high in points. His running total now stands at 11 goals and nine assists through 45 contests.

Matheson had two assists, two shots, one block, two hits and two PIM over 26:53 of ice time in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Dallas.

Matheson was the secondary helper on both Montreal goals -- his second consecutive game with two assists -- and extended his point streak to four games. The two points upped his season total to 38, which ranks 12th among defensemen.

Hanifin logged a power-play assist, two shots on goal and two blocked shots in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Hanifin has four points over three games since the All-Star break while logging massive minutes on the top pairing and first power-play unit. The defenseman's surge has him up to 29 points (six on the power play) with 100 shots on net, 77 blocked shots and a plus-12 rating through 52 appearances. Hanifin's been at his best when seeing power-play time this season, so he's worth a look in most fantasy formats as long as he can keep that role.

Spence posted a power-play assist in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Oilers.

Spence set up Pierre-Luc Dubois' opening tally at 2:38 of the second period. He wasn't an everyday player in January, but Spence managed three helpers over 10 contests last month while logging third-pairing minutes. He'll have to compete with Brandt Clarke for playing time in the near term, and if the Kings trade for a defenseman, both young blueliners could be out of the lineup. Spence has 16 helpers (three on the power play), 51 shots on net, 37 hits, 34 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating over 43 appearances.

Gavrikov notched an assist, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Oilers.

Gavrikov has picked up four assists with a minus-8 rating over 16 games since the start of January. The 28-year-old has struggled a bit amid a team-wide slump for the Kings, so he's not really on the radar in most fantasy formats. Overall, he's at 14 points, 68 shots on net, 55 blocked shots, 22 hits and a plus-4 rating through 44 appearances this season.

Roy notched an assist, five hits, three blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Oilers.

Roy has racked up two assists, 11 hits and 12 blocked shots over his last five contests. The defenseman remains a fixture on the second pairing, a role that's likely to change under interim head coach Jim Hiller. For the season, Roy has 15 points, 110 blocked shots, 87 hits, 90 shots on net, 24 PIM and a plus-10 rating through 48 appearances. His offense is a little low, but he can help fantasy managers in formats that play with a wide range of categories.

Rielly, who picked up an assist in Saturday's 5-3 loss to Ottawa, may face supplemental discipline after cross-checking Ridly Greig in the head late in the game.

Rielly took offense to Greig, who wound up and fired a slap shot into the empty Leafs net with six seconds left in the game. The defender leveled him by cross-checking him on the side of the head, and he received a major penalty and a game misconduct. It was an ugly play. Rielly had already extended his point streak to five games and six assists earlier in the game. More to come, but you should be prepared to replace him this week. Other players have done similar things late in games and have received four-to-six games, regardless of first offense.

Dermott scored a goal on three shots, logged two hits, blocked two shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Predators.

Dermott's tally tied the game at 1-1 in the first period. The 27-year-old has scored both of his goals this season over his last seven outings. He's up to four points, 30 shots on net, 37 hits, 46 blocked shots and a minus-10 rating through 34 appearances. Dermott's usage is likely to remain mostly defensive, so he doesn't make for a strong fantasy option.

Valimaki scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Predators.

Valimaki put the Coyotes ahead 3-2 early in the third period. The 25-year-old defenseman is starting to find his way on offense with three points over his last six games, a run that should also help him fend off Josh Brown's challenge for playing time on the third pairing. Valimaki is up to two goals, nine points, 30 shots on net, 34 hits, 42 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating through 36 appearances this season.

Barrie recorded a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over the Coyotes.

Barrie set up a Roman Josi tally in the second period. Those two defensemen were paired together Saturday, a rarity considering Barrie was a healthy scratch for four of the Predators' six games before the All-Star break. His helper Saturday was his first point since Dec. 15. The 32-year-old is at 12 points, 48 shots on net, 36 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating through 33 outings.