NHL Player News

Forsberg stopped 28 of 31 shots in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Sabres.

Forsberg couldn't prevent Tage Thompson's go-ahead power-play goal midway through the third period. The veteran netminder kept Los Angeles competitive after Buffalo controlled much of the early action, though the Kings ultimately suffered their fourth loss in five home games. Forsberg's fantasy value remains in the lower tiers, as inconsistent team results limit his reliability as a starting option. The fact that he's started in just six of the Kings' 13 games this season limits his upside as well and makes Forsberg a matchup-based alternative and not much else.

Luukkonen stopped 27 of 29 shots in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Kings.

Luukkonen delivered a solid performance in his 200th career NHL game, helping Buffalo extend its winning streak to three contests while earning his first win since Oct. 15. The netminder has been slumping a bit lately, winning just two of his last five outings (2-1-2) while posting a 3.35 GAA and .890 save percentage over that stretch. Colten Ellis had started the previous two games, so it remains to be seen whether there will be a time-share in the Sabres' crease going forward.

Nedeljkovic stopped 30 of 34 shots in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Senators. Ottawa's fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Nedeljkovic struggled to contain Ottawa's attack and allowed three goals in the second period as San Jose fell behind 4-1. Despite making 30 saves, the veteran finished with an .882 save percentage and suffered his third loss over his last four appearances. His workload continues to offer fantasy upside, but San Jose's defensive inconsistency makes him a risky option outside favorable matchups.

Ersson stopped 22 of 23 shots in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Sharks.

Ersson secured his first victory of the season after entering the contest with a 0-3-1 record in seven appearances. The netminder surrendered a first-period goal to Michael Misa but kept San Jose scoreless the rest of the way, finishing with an impressive .957 save percentage. With Linus Ullmark (lower body) sidelined for another week at least, Ersson should continue to receive additional starts, although his long-term fantasy appeal will depend on maintaining this level of efficiency.

Sergeev stopped 28 of 33 shots in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche.

It was the second half of a back-to-back, with travel and against one of the toughest offenses in the league. Sergeev understandably wasn't able to do much in that situation, taking a loss in his second career start in the NHL. He's set to serve as Dustin Wolf's backup while Devin Cooley (lower body) is out, but don't expect much out of Sergeev when he starts. It'll likely be Wolf between the pipes against his hometown team when the Flames visit the Sharks on Monday.

Blackwood stopped 25 of 27 shots in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Flames.

Blackwood and the Avalanche were in firm control of this game from the start. He picked up his third straight win with this effort, allowing just seven goals on 83 shots in that span. For the season, Blackwood has a 7-3-0 record with a 2.73 GAA and an .897 save percentage across 10 starts. With Scott Wedgewood struggling to match last year's success, Blackwood is likely to continue handling a majority of the starts. Both goalies should get a look during the Avalanche's two-game road trip, which features stops in Chicago on Monday and in Columbus on Tuesday. Both games are great matchups for fantasy managers looking for wins.

Greaves stopped 14 of 16 shots in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Stars. The third goal was an empty-netter.

Greaves didn't face a lot of traffic, but he wasn't able to fend off enough of it. Both goals he gave up came in the first period, and the Blue Jackets failed to catch up from that. Greaves is down to 2-5-0 with a 3.11 GAA and an .883 save percentage across eight appearances. Given his ongoing struggles and a tough three-game week ahead, Greaves may be best left on the bench in weekly formats. He's also a risky option for fantasy managers in daily leagues if he draws the home start against the Avalanche on Tuesday.

Merilainen stopped 24 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday. He allowed three goals.

Merilainen has badly outplayed starter, Kevin Lankinen, and is 2-5-1 with a 3.31 GAA and .897 save percentage in nine starts (11 appearances). Those numbers aren't as bad as they look -- the NHL average for save percentage is .891. Merilainen is typically hung out to dry most nights, but he hangs in there and gives the Orcas a chance. Plus his 5.45 GSAx is 16th in the NHL. He's making the most of this opportunity and is worth monitoring for future drafts when the team improves.

Oettinger stopped 24 of 25 shots in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Blue Jackets.

The Stars led 2-0 after the first period, and the Blue Jackets never offered much of a threat. Oettinger had allowed seven goals over his last two games, but he was able to lock things down in a favorable matchup to bounce back from his loss versus the Canadiens on Thursday. For the season, the 27-year-old netminder is 7-3-1 with a 1.63 GAA and a .921 save percentage across 11 starts. The Stars' next game is Tuesday on the road versus the Capitals, which could be more of a challenging matchup.

Murashov stopped 22 of 27 shots in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Canadiens.

Murashov backed up Arturs Silovs for four straight games, but the time off didn't help the young goalie reset. This was the second start in a row where Murashov has allowed five goals. He's 0-4-1 with a 3.83 GAA and an .871 save percentage over five starts this season. The Penguins seem content to let Murashov learn on the job, especially since Joel Blomqvist is going through his own struggles in the AHL with a 3.41 GAA and .864 save percentage over five games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Expect Silovs to be back in goal versus the Golden Knights on Tuesday, but Murashov could get a look when the Penguins open their next road trip with a back-to-back in Southern California.