NHL Player News

Panarin notched two assists, three shots on goal and two PIM in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Golden Knights.

Panarin set up Quinton Byfield on the power play in the first period and also helped out on an Adrian Kempe tally in the second. This was Panarin's debut for the Kings, which came after a Feb. 4 trade and subsequent two-year contract extension. The Kings don't score a lot, but they're at least in the middle of a playoff race, so that could give Panarin a little extra motivation. He's earned 59 points (18 on the power play), 161 shots on net and a minus-16 rating over 53 appearances this season when accounting for his time with the Rangers.

Clarke scored a goal, added a power-play assist, blocked three shots and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Golden Knights.

Clarke picked up his first multi-point effort since Jan. 10 versus the Oilers, and he also got his first goal since a Jan. 14 matchup against the Golden Knights. The 23-year-old defenseman has four points over his last six games, but he also carries a minus-8 rating in that span, in which the Kings have won just once. Clarke is up to a total of seven goals, 29 points, 113 shots on net, 110 blocked shots, 38 PIM and a plus-6 rating over 57 appearances in a top-four role.

Kempe scored a goal on four shots, added an assist and logged three hits in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Golden Knights.

Kempe has six goals and six assists over his last 10 games. The 29-year-old could get a boost if he ends up regularly playing alongside Artemi Panarin at even strength -- the two flanked Alex Laferriere in this contest. Kempe is up to 21 goals, 48 points, 160 shots on net, 104 hits, 33 blocked shots, 54 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 57 appearances this season. He's at risk of missing the 70-point mark for the first time in three years, but Kempe has the talent to go on a heater for the rest of the campaign.

Byfield scored twice on four shots and added two hits in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Golden Knights.

Byfield had a power-play goal in the first period and added an even-strength tally in the third. The 23-year-old four goals over his last five games, so he may be setting himself up for a strong end to the regular season. He's at 13 goals, 32 points, 119 shots on net, 42 hits, 31 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating across 56 appearances so far.

Forsberg stopped 19 of 24 shots in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Golden Knights. The sixth goal was an empty-netter.

Forsberg allowed four of those goals in a span of 7:52 during the third period. The 33-year-old has given up 11 goals on 80 shots over his last three outings, going 0-2-1 in that span. For the season, he's at a 9-8-5 record with a 2.69 GAA and a .902 save percentage over 23 appearances. The Kings will likely turn to Darcy Kuemper for Thursday's home game versus the Oilers, but both goalies will need to be sharp as the Kings battle for a playoff spot down the stretch.

McNabb notched two assists, four shots on goal, four blocked shots and two hits in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Kings.

McNabb missed 19 straight games due to an upper-body injury sustained Dec. 31 versus the Predators. The 35-year-old blueliner is ready to reclaim his top-four role as a shutdown presence, which should help the Golden Knights secure their own zone. Through 39 outings this season, McNabb has five points, 37 shots on net, 65 hits, 102 blocked shots and a minus-4 rating. This is the first year he's missed time since the 2021-22 campaign.

Bowman notched two assists, including one on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Kings.

This was Bowman's first multi-point effort since Dec. 23 versus the Sharks. The 22-year-old winger has mostly seen bottom-six minutes since the start of January, though he's worked his way back into the power-play mix as well. He's produced 22 points (three on the power play), 55 shots on net and a minus-12 rating over 42 appearances. There will still be some ups and downs, but Bowman has put together a solid rookie campaign.

Laczynski recorded three assists and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Kings.

Laczynski got to play on the second line because the Golden Knights were thin down the middle for the contest. The team decided to rest Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner following their participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The 28-year-old Laczynski may head back to the AHL soon, despite this strong performance. He has five helpers, 12 shots on net, five blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating in 10 NHL outings this season.

Saad scored a goal on two shots in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Kings.

Saad gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead in the middle of the third period. He had missed the previous 15 games due to an undisclosed injury. The 33-year-old may not be a lock for the lineup going forward, as he's had a tough season so far with just three goals, five assists, 66 shots on net and a minus-1 rating over 40 appearances. When he does play, Saad looks set to be a bottom-six option, which won't help his fantasy value.

Barbashev scored an empty-net goal on two shots in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Kings.

Barbashev has five goals and two assists during his six-game point streak, which was on the line late Wednesday. He kept it going with an empty-netter in the final minute. The 30-year-old forward is up to 17 goals, 42 points, 89 shots on net, 91 hits and a plus-13 rating over 58 appearances. Barring an injury or a deep slump, Barbashev is on pace to hit the 50-point mark for the second year in a row and the third time in his career.