NHL Player News

Emberson (undisclosed) is slated to return for Saturday's game against the Lightning, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.

Emberson has missed the last five games due to an unspecified issue, but head coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday that the 25-year-old should be able to return Saturday. Emberson has appeared in seven games since the Olympic break, recording a goal, eight hits, seven blocked shots and two PIM while averaging 14:35 of ice time.

Desharnais is considered a game-time decision for Saturday's matchup against the Flyers due to an upper-body injury, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.

Desharnais hasn't missed a game since mid-January, but he's dealing with an upper-body injury and will be evaluated in the hours leading up to Saturday's puck drop before the Sharks determine his status. Across 12 appearances since the Olympic break, he's recorded an assist, 23 hits, 20 PIM and 19 blocked shots while averaging 19:33 of ice time. If the 29-year-old is unable to play Saturday, John Klingberg will likely enter the lineup.

Benning notched two assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Oilers.

The Edmonton native's first NHL game in his hometown also marked his first multi-point effort. Benning has three helpers, one shot on net, four blocked shots and three hits through four outings. The Panthers appear to be giving Benning an extended audition late in the season, so it's possible he'll be in contention for an NHL job on a full-time basis in 2026-27.

Ufko scored a goal in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Kraken.

Ufko's two NHL goals have come against the Seattle -- he scored his first March 10 to help the Predators in another win in a key matchup for wild-card positioning. Ufko has two goals, three assists, five shots on net, three hits, two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over seven total contests in a third-pairing role. His limited ice time (13:10 per game) makes him risky in fantasy, but there is scoring upside.

Pulock notched an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Senators.

Pulock snapped a six-game point drought with the helper. He missed the Islanders' March 4 game versus the Ducks due to an upper-body injury, but he has resumed his top-four role without restrictions since then. The defenseman is up to 25 points, 79 shots on net, 123 blocked shots, 46 hits and a plus-15 rating over 66 appearances.

Gilbert notched an assist and three blocked shots in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Islanders.

Gilbert has played in four straight games since the Senators are missing Jake Sanderson (upper body) and Nick Jensen (knee). Gilbert isn't getting a lot of work -- he was under 10 minutes of ice time for the second contest in a row Thursday. Through five NHL outings this year, the 29-year-old has two shots on net, five hits and 10 blocked shots, so he'll mostly contribute in the physical categories.

Matinpalo logged an assist in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Islanders.

Matinpalo has a career-high five points in 36 outings this season. The defenseman was a regular scratch before the Olympics and was injured while representing Finland at the tournament, but he's taken on a steady role recently since the Senators are down Jake Sanderson (upper body) and Nick Jensen (knee). Matinpalo won't score his way into fantasy relevance, though he's added 31 hits and 38 blocked shots this season to provide a bit of physicality.

Spence logged an assist in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Islanders.

Spence has two helpers over his last three games. He's earned five assists during his ongoing 16-game goal drought. The 25-year-old has picked up extra responsibilities, including more power-play time, in the absence of Jake Sanderson (upper body). Spence has 21 points, 79 shots on net, 46 blocked shots, 39 hits and a plus-15 rating through 59 appearances this season.

Peeke registered an assist, two shots on goal, two hits, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Jets.

Peeke ended an eight-game point drought with the helper. He was scratched three times in that span, most recently Monday versus the Devils, which suggests Peeke is losing his grip on a full-time role. The 28-year-old has a modest 13 points, 67 shots on net, 84 hits, 117 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating through 65 appearances.

Aspirot scored a goal, added two hits, blocked two shots and went plus-4 in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Jets.

Aspirot has three points over his last seven outings despite seeing steady time on the Bruins' blue line. Prior to Thursday, he hadn't scored in the calendar year, picking up eight assists with a plus-12 rating over 26 outings dating back to Jan. 3. Aspirot has done well this year to establish himself as a full-time NHL option, but his offense -- 11 points in 48 contests -- isn't that strong. He's added 34 shots on net, 77 hits, 64 blocked shots, 39 PIM and a plus-26 rating.