NHL Player News

Christiansen signed a two-year, $1.95 million contract extension with Columbus on Friday.

Christiansen has become a regular in the NHL for the first time in his career, as he has played in 45 games, one more than he had over his first three seasons. Christiansen has one goal, six assists, 11 PIM and 41 blocked shots this season. The extension will begin next season, as he signed a one-year, two-way contract in the offseason.

Martinez scored a goal in Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Predators.

Martinez has recorded one goal and one assist in his three appearances since returning from a lengthy 15-game absence due to a neck injury. The 37-year-old veteran might not be the player he once was, but he remains a productive presence on Chicago's blue line. He's up to six points (two goals, four assists) in 18 appearances in 2024-25.

Kulikov registered an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Red Wings.

Kulikov ended a seven-game slump when he helped out on an Anton Lundell tally. The 34-year-old Kulikov has handled top-four minutes for much of the season, and he's playing an even larger role since Aaron Ekblad (undisclosed) is out. Kulikov has produced nine points, 49 shots on net, 81 hits, 47 blocked shots, 30 PIM and a plus-6 rating over 46 appearances, so his fantasy value is limited to deep formats with an emphasis on non-scoring production.

Mintyukov notched an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Lightning.

Mintyukov helped out on Robby Fabbri's game-tying goal in the third period. Mintyukov is one of the Ducks' blueliners that's cycled in and out of the lineup, along with Olen Zellweger and Drew Helleson. For the season, Mintyukov has 10 points, 44 shots on net, 58 blocked shots, 41 hits and a minus-5 rating over 37 appearances. When he's in the lineup, he often sees power-play time, though he has just two power-play points so far.

Trouba notched an assist, three hits, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Lightning.

Trouba has two helpers over nine outings in January. He continues to be heavily limited on offense, but he's in a top-four role on the blue line and adds plenty of physicality. The 30-year-old defenseman is up to nine points, 71 shots on net, 91 hits, 130 blocked shots, 30 PIM and a minus-5 rating over 44 appearances between the Rangers and the Ducks.

Perbix notched an assist and three blocked shots in Thursday's 4-3 shootout win over the Ducks.

The assist ended Perbix's 12-game point drought. The 26-year-old remains in a third-pairing role, though he could be elevated to a more prominent spot if Erik Cernak (undisclosed) misses time after logging just one shift Thursday. Perbix has 11 points, 42 shots on net, 40 blocked shots, 28 hits and a plus-4 rating through 38 appearances this season, so he's not a particularly strong option for fantasy.

Kovacevic notched an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.

Kovacevic remains more of a shutdown defenseman, but he has three helpers over 10 outings since the holiday break. The 27-year-old blueliner is up to 13 points through 47 contests, matching his production from 62 games last season. He's added 44 shots on net, 58 hits, 62 blocked shots, 35 PIM and a plus-14 rating in 2024-25 while playing in a top-four role.

Tanev logged an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Devils.

Tanev snapped a four-game point drought with the helper. The 35-year-old defenseman has four assists over his last nine outings, a rare run of decent offense. He remains in a top-four role with 14 points, 23 shots on net, 123 blocked shots and a plus-16 rating over 45 appearances. He has a chance to top the 20-point mark for the first time since 2021-22.

Struble was scratched for the third game in a row in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Stars.

Struble played in the first four games of January, racking up 12 hits and six PIM in a third-pairing role while filling in for David Savard while he battled an upper-body injury. Struble could still push Arber Xhekaj for a spot in the lineup, but neither blueliner offers much outside of physicality. For the season, Struble has five points, 53 hits, 25 blocked shots, 35 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 26 appearances.

Hronek posted an assist in Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Kings.

This was Hronek's second game back from a lower-body injury that required surgery. The 27-year-old defenseman hasn't exactly been eased back in, logging over 20 minutes in both contests since his return. He's now at 10 points, 25 shots on net, 40 hits, 23 blocked shots and a plus-12 rating through 23 appearances. At his best, Hronek provides category coverage while filling a top-pairing spot as well as a role on the second power-play unit.