NHL Player News

LaCombe scored a goal on four shots in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Blackhawks.

LaCombe scored for the second game in a row and has added four assists during his five-game point streak. The 24-year-old blueliner is up to 11 goals, 30 points, 110 shots on net, 88 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating through 52 appearances. His success as a scorer was already earning him fantasy attention prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off break, but he's hit the ground running since the schedule resumed, and LaCombe's bordering on universal appeal.

Brodie logged an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Ducks.

Brodie was heading toward his second scratch in three games, but the Blackhawks swung a deal to send Seth Jones to the Panthers prior to puck drop. This move forced Brodie back into the lineup, and he ended his 16-game point drought when he helped out on Teuvo Teravainen's second-period goal. Brodie's helper was the 300th of his career, a milestone he achieved in his 962nd game. His flaws have been exposed in the Blackhawks' lineup this year -- Brodie has 10 points, a minus-18 rating, 23 shots on net and 58 blocked shots over 54 outings. Losing a veteran like Jones may help Brodie stay in the lineup down the stretch, but it's also possible Chicago will want to evaluate the readiness of some prospects.

Vlasic notched a power-play assist in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Ducks.

Vlasic has six helpers over his last seven outings. The 23-year-old defenseman's role is set to increase significantly following Saturday's trade to send Seth Jones to the Panthers. Vlasic led the Blackhawks with 23:53 of ice time, and he'll likely also take over Jones' spot on the first power-play unit initially. For the season, Vlasic has 23 points, 81 shots on net, 113 blocked shots and a minus-11 rating through 60 appearances. There may be some growing pains initially as he adapts to heavier usage, but he could be a No. 1 defenseman for the Blackhawks for a couple of years. Fantasy managers should at least be familiar with what he brings to the table while acknowledging that he carries a bit of upside despite a bad team situation until the Blackhawks' rebuild hits the upswing.

Martinez notched two assists in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Ducks.

Martinez has two goals and three assists over his last eight games. One of his helpers Saturday came on the power play -- he could be in contention to play on the second unit following the Blackhawks' trade of Seth Jones to the Panthers. Martinez will likely have to compete with Ethan Del Mastro for power-play time, while Alex Vlasic is set to take over on the first unit. The 37-year-old Martinez is up to nine points, 33 shots on net, 73 blocked shots and a minus-11 rating through 33 appearances this season and will typically operate as more of a shutdown defenseman in even-strength situations.

Kaiser scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Ducks.

Kaiser earned his first NHL point since Jan. 5, though he spent the bulk of the last two months in the minors. The 22-year-old defenseman is likely to get a chance to stick in the lineup following Saturday's trade that sent Seth Jones to the Panthers, opening a spot on the Blackhawks' blue line. Kaiser has two goals, two assists, 45 shots on net, 37 hits, 65 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 36 appearances with Chicago this season, though he still needs to work on keeping his performance steady on a game-to-game basis.

Zub logged an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Sharks.

Zub ended a five-game point drought with the helper on Michael Amadio's empty-netter. The 29-year-old Zub continues to serve as a stay-at-home defender in a top-four role. He's earned nine points, 39 shots on net, 75 blocked shots, 37 hits and a minus-5 rating over 34 contests in an injury-plagued campaign.

Bernard-Docker (ankle) was removed from long-term injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site. He did not suit up in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Sharks.

Bernard-Docker is presumably healthy again, but that doesn't guarantee him a spot in the lineup. The 24-year-old defenseman will likely compete with Nikolas Matinpalo for a third-pairing spot. Bernard-Docker last played Dec. 28 versus the Jets, though his ankle sprain occurred in a Jan. 6 practice. With Jake Sanderson (neck) and Tyler Kleven (lower body) ailing, Bernard-Docker may play Monday against the Capitals.

Pettersson provided an assist and blocked two shots in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Kraken.

Pettersson had not earned a point in his first eight games with the Canucks. The 28-year-old blueliner changed that by helping out on a goal by fellow trade acquisition Filip Chytil in the first period. Pettersson's offered decent offense from the blue line in past seasons, but his primary role is to shut down the opponent's top forwards. He's at 19 points, 51 shots on net, 97 blocked shots, 63 hits and a minus-1 rating through 56 appearances between the Canucks and the Penguins this season.

Myers notched an assist, four shots on goal, three hits and two blocked shots in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Kraken.

Myers has three points over his last two games and eight points across his last 12 outings. The 35-year-old also logged multiple hits in a game for the time since Jan. 14 versus the Jets. The blueliner has 21 points, 66 shots on net, 66 PIM, 63 hits, 103 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 57 appearances this season. Myers doesn't stand out in any statistical area, but he's doing enough across the board lately to help support a fantasy team's non-scoring production.

Evans logged an assist, three hits and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Canucks.

Evans earned his first point in four games since he missed five contests due to an upper-body injury. The defenseman set up the first of Eeli Tolvanen's two goals in the game. Evans continues to play on the third pairing at even strength, and with both Vince Dunn and Brandon Montour healthy, Evans is not seeing power-play time. For the season, the 23-year-old Evans is at 22 points, 48 shots on net, 91 hits, 79 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 54 appearances. He's 10 games played away from 100 in his career and has emerged as a decent scorer from the blueliner who can also chip in some physical play.