NHL Player News

Middleton was scratched in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Maple Leafs.

Middleton has been out of the lineup for five of the last six games, and he plays third-pairing minutes when he draws in. He's in a tough spot now as the fourth left-shot blueliner on the roster behind Devon Toews, Ryan Lindgren and Samuel Girard, who are all virtual locks to be in the lineup. Middleton can switch to his off side to challenge Sam Malinski, but Erik Johnson is also back on the roster as a potential fill-in. Through 29 appearances, Middleton has just two assists with 50 hits, 23 blocked shots, 31 shots on net and 19 PIM.

Lindgren logged an assist and two shots on goal in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Maple Leafs.

The helper was Lindgren's first point in three games since he was traded from the Rangers. The 27-year-old has formed an ultra-physical shutdown pairing with Josh Manson, playing in a bottom-four role. The Avalanche's defense runs pretty deep, so Lindgren is likely to lose a couple of minutes per game compared to the 19:56 he averaged with the Rangers this season as Adam Fox's primary defensive partner. Lindgren is at 20 points, 45 shots on net, 60 hits, 103 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over 57 appearances in the highest-scoring season of his career.

Mukhamadullin notched a power-play assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Islanders.

With six helpers over his last eight games, Mukhamadullin has quickly emerged as a contributor on offense at the NHL level. The 23-year-old blueliner has a total of seven points, 17 shots on net, 27 blocked shots, 18 hits and a plus-3 rating through 21 appearances this season. He was viewed as a bit of a development project when drafted 20th overall in 2020, but Mukhamadullin has a great opportunity to make his mark with the Sharks integrating a large number of prospects toward the tail end of this season.

Pelech posted an assist, two blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.

This was Pelech's first point over four outings in March. The 30-year-old defenseman won't typically put up big scoring numbers -- it's his physical and defensive play that draws modest attention in deep fantasy formats. For the season, Pelech has 16 helpers, 82 shots on net, 66 hits, 60 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over 42 appearances. While the Islanders are currently carrying nine blueliners on the roster, it doesn't look like Pelech is in any danger of slipping out of the lineup.

DeAngelo logged a power-play assist in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.

DeAngelo helped out on Adam Boqvist's insurance tally in the third period. The assist ended a four-game slump for DeAngelo, which has opened the door for Noah Dobson to reclaim a larger role both on the power play and at even strength. For the season, DeAngelo has seven points, 27 shots on net, 22 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating. He's a power-play specialist, and that can help in fantasy, but it will be tougher for him to make an impact if he slips to the second unit on a regular basis.

Dobson notched two assists (one on the power play), two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.

Dobson had a hand in goals by Anthony Duclair and Jean-Gabriel Pageau to get the Islanders started on the right foot. With three helpers over his last two contests, Dobson looks to be settling back in after missing a month due to a lower-body injury. The defenseman is at 27 points (eight on the power play), 152 shots on net, 90 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 51 outings in 2024-25. He should continue to see plenty of playing time in all situations, including top-four minutes at even strength.

Boqvist scored a power-play goal and added two PIM in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.

Boqvist stretched the Islanders' lead to 4-1 in the third period. He's played in 10 of 12 games since he was claimed off waivers from the Panthers, earning four points and 15 shots on net in that span. Still, Boqvist's place in the lineup isn't safe, especially with another power-play specialist in Scott Perunovich, as well as Scott Mayfield and Mike Reilly, waiting in the press box. Boqvist is at 10 points (five on the power play), 36 shots on net, 15 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating over 28 appearances this season.

Ceci managed an assist and blocked two shots in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Oilers.

Ceci has two helpers and a plus-3 rating over four games in March. He helped out on a Jamie Benn tally in Saturday's contest. For the season, Ceci is up to 19 points, 67 shots on net, 119 blocked shots, 70 hits and a minus-6 rating over 66 appearances between the Sharks and the Stars. He continues to feature as a shutdown defender on the second pairing for Dallas.

Harley notched a power-play assist, five shots on goal, three blocked shots and a minus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Oilers.

Harley had a bit of a rough game on defense, but he was still able to chip in his eighth point over the last six games when he assisted on Mikko Rantanen's first goal as a Star. The 23-year-old Harley is up to 11 goals, 27 helpers, 11 power-play points, 130 shots on net, 86 blocks and a plus-25 rating over 61 appearances this season. Harley took a bridge deal as a restricted free agent this past September, and he'll regain that status, plus arbitration rights, after next season, at which point he'll likely be due a large raise as part of an impressive core in Dallas.

Dumba scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and blocked two shots in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Oilers.

The goal was Dumba's first of the year, getting the Stars within one of evening the score midway through the third period. They couldn't get the equalizer, but this is still a positive for Dumba, who has five points over his last 10 outings. For the season, the veteran blueliner has been limited to seven points, 34 shots on net, 54 hits, 46 blocked shots, 52 PIM and a minus-3 rating. He'll likely continue to occupy a third-pairing role.