NHL Player News

Vlasic notched two assists and two blocked shots in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Stars.

Vlasic has three helpers over his last three games. The 24-year-old defenseman is firmly in a top-four role at even strength, though he remains out of the power-play mix. He's up to eight points, 34 shots on net, 57 blocked shots and a minus-11 rating through 36 outings. Vlasic can be a decent source of defensive stats, but don't count on him for offense just yet, even though he's starting to trend in the right direction.

Sebrango was scratched for the 10th straight game in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Lightning.

Sebrango overtook Uvis Balinskis for a spot on the third pairing in November, but the two have flipped roles in December. That swap has led to Sebrango sitting in the press box most of the time, though the Panthers may be hesitant to waive the blueliner since they snagged him off waivers from the Senators in October. Sebrango has two assists, eight shots on net, 18 hits, 11 blocked shots, 14 PIM and a minus-1 rating over 12 appearances this season, but he'll have to continue to wait for his next opportunity to play.

Chatfield logged an assist, two PIM and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Red Wings.

Chatfield has three helpers, a plus-6 rating and 16 blocked shots over 17 appearances since he returned from a seven-game absence while in concussion protocol. He continues to play a shutdown role in the Hurricanes' top four. Through 30 contests, Chatfield has picked up six helpers, 38 shots on net, 30 blocks, 12 PIM and a plus-9 rating over 30 outings.

Lauzon notched an assist and two hits in Saturday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Avalanche.

Lauzon picked up his first point in five games since returning from an undisclosed injury that cost him a month of action. The 28-year-old has played regularly in the absence of Shea Theodore (upper body). Lauzon is at five assists, 18 shots on net, 72 hits, 35 blocked shots, 37 PIM and a plus-3 rating over 22 appearances this season. While his physicality has some value, his propensity for bad penalties could see him slip into a part-time role once Vegas is at full health on the blue line.

Hanifin notched two assists, three shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Avalanche.

Hanifin stayed hot after the holiday break -- he now has seven assists over his last four games. He helped out on tallies by Alexander Holtz and Ben Hutton in this contest. Hanifin is up to 13 points, 68 shots on net, 42 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating over 26 appearances. He'll continue to be the Golden Knights' top defenseman while Shea Theodore (upper body) is out.

Hutton scored a goal on two shots, blocked three shots and went plus-2 in Saturday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Avalanche.

Hutton is up to three goals over 11 games in December. For the season, he has five tallies, 10 points, 45 shots on net, 29 blocked shots, 13 PIM, 12 hits and a plus-4 rating through 29 appearances. Hutton continues to play regularly in the absence of Shea Theodore (upper body), and Hutton has made a good case to stay in the lineup over the penalty-prone Jeremy Lauzon once Vegas' blue line is at full health.

Spence had a goal and an assist in a 7-5 loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Spence got his own rebound and put it past Joseph Woll, who was out of position. Spence has five points, including four assists, in his last 17 games. He has added 19 hits, 19 blocked shots and 39 shots on net in 28 games this season.

Malinski notched three assists, three shots on goal and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 6-5 shootout win over the Golden Knights.

Malinski set up tallies by Samuel Girard, Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon in this contest. The 27-year-old Malinski has had a few good moments this year despite playing on the third pairing with minimal power-play usage. He's earned a goal and eight assists over 12 outings in December. For the season, the blueliner has 21 points (three goals, 18 assists), 64 shots on net, 39 blocked shots, 19 hits and a plus-19 rating over 37 contests.

Girard scored a goal on two shots and added an assist in Saturday's 6-5 shootout win over the Golden Knights.

Girard has found his groove with three goals and five assists over his last seven games. The defenseman got the Avalanche on the board at 5:19 of the second period and also helped out on Martin Necas' tying tally a few minutes later. Girard is up to 10 points, 20 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating over 22 appearances. While he's on the third pairing and doesn't get much power-play time, Girard's recent play and his presence on a high-scoring team could still earn him some interest in deeper fantasy formats.

Rielly picked up an assist Saturday in a 7-5 win over Ottawa.

Rielly has managed just two assists in his last seven games. Like the rest of the team, he has struggled to produce with the man advantage this season, earning only four power-play assists through 36 games despite being on the first unit. Still, he has generated five goals, 25 points, 73 shots on net and 53 blocked shots this year.