Fantasy Hockey

The Wild traded Kloos to the Ducks in exchange for Pontus Aberg on Wednesday.

Kloos has played well in the minors this season, racking up 12 goals and 30 points in 34 contests, but he's only appeared in one NHL game since turning pro in 2016-17, so it remains to be seen if he'll ever be a regular contributor at the top level. He'll likely report to AHL San Diego initially, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him suit up for the Ducks at some point this campaign.

Cirelli has two assists in his last three games.

Cirelli is a strong on-ice asset on a deep Tampa team. So far, his fantasy value is limited, but with his talent and smarts, Cirelli will be a solid fantasy asset in the future.

Fehr (undisclosed) is listed on injured reserve, per the NHL's official media site.

Fehr isn't expected to be ready to return until after the NHL's upcoming All-Star break, so this move doesn't come as a surprise. Another update on the veteran winger's status should surface prior to Minnesota's matchup with Dallas on Feb. 1.

Paquette is caught in a 12-game point drought.

He's long been a valuable on-ice asset because of his tenacity, but his fantasy value is limited. Paquette has 10 points (eight goals, two assists), as well as 50 PIM, in 46 games.

Kesler (lower body) will return to Anaheim to be re-evaluated by team doctors, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports. The center has also been placed on injured reserve, per the NHL media site.

By placing him on IR, Kesler will officially be shut down at least the next three games, though it certainly seems like it could be longer. With Jakob Silfverberg (lower body) also banged up, the team will need to promote a player or two from the minors to bolster its forward complement. Adam Henrique figures to see an uptick in ice time with Kesler on the shelf.

Dickinson (back) will be back in action for Thursday's clash with the Kings, Mark Stepneski of the Stars' official site reports.

Dickinson's return will end an 11-game stint on the sidelines due to his back injury. The center was goalless in his previous eight contests before getting hurt and managed a meager one helper during that stretch. If he does in fact slot into a second-line role with Jason Spezza and Andrew Cogliano, it could be the spark Dickinson needs to get back on the scoresheet.

The Ducks placed Silfverberg (lower body) on injured reserve Wednesday.

This move comes as a bit of a surprise, as an earlier report indicated Silfverberg was considered day-to-day ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Wild. However, now that he's been placed on IR, the 28-year-old winger will have to miss the Ducks' next three contests at a minimum. Another update on Silfverberg's status should be released prior to next Wednesday's game against St. Louis.

Anaheim traded Aberg to the Wild in exchange for Justin Kloos on Wednesday.

Aberg is currently second on the Ducks with 11 goals in 37 games, so he should be able to help the Wild immediately by bringing some much needed depth scoring to their lineup. The 25-year-old winger could make his Minnesota debut as soon as Thursday against his former team.

Gourde picked up an assist Tuesday in Tampa's 2-0 win over the Stars.

Gourde had been stuck in a rut -- the point was his first in eight games. His 29 points in 47 games is a 50-point pace, but that's a far cry from his outstanding 64-point rookie pace. Gourde remains a solid fantasy play in many formats, but this step back at age 27 should be watched carefully. The NHL is a young man's game.

The Ducks assigned Eaves (back) to AHL San Diego on a conditioning loan Wednesday, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports.

Eaves has been sidelined since Nov. 9 due to a fractured rib and back spasms, so the Ducks will undoubtedly proceed with caution to ensure he's back to 100 percent before rejoining the big club's lineup. The veteran forward can stay with Anaheim's minor-league affiliate for a maximum of 14 days, which means he'll definitely be back with the Ducks following the NHL's upcoming All-Star break.

Byron has been suspended for three games for charging Florida's MacKenzie Weegar during Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Panthers.

Byron has no history of suspensions or fines, but Weegar suffered an injury as a result of the collision, which undoubtedly factored into the NHL Department of Player Safety's decision. The Canadiens only have three games remaining until the All-Star break, so Byron won't be eligible to return until Feb. 2 against the Devils.

Jones was summoned from AHL San Diego on Wednesday, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports.

Stephens referenced the AHL.com transaction's page to detail a slew of transactions that Anaheim made in the midst of a 12-game losing streak. Jones has enormous potential as the team's first-round (24th overall) overall pick from the 2016 draft. He may not require too much refinement since he produced 12 goals and just as many assists over 32 games for the AHL's Gulls.

Falk (concussion) isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against Colorado.

Falk is reportedly nearing a return to game action, but he'll need to wait for Friday's matchup with Carolina for his next opportunity to do so. Either way, the 30-year-old blueliner has gone scoreless in 10 appearances this season, so there's no need for fantasy owners to concern themselves with his availability.

The Ducks assigned Dotchin to AHL San Diego on Wednesday, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports.

Dotchin has only averaged 10:58 of ice time during the four games he's appeared in since being promoted on Jan. 7, so this move doesn't come as a surprise. Anaheim recalled fellow defenseman Andrej Sustr in a corresponding move Wednesday, so Dotchin will remain in the minors for the foreseeable future.

Anaheim recalled Sustr from AHL San Diego on Wednesday, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports.

The Ducks finally decided to shake up their roster Wednesday after losing 12 consecutive games, recalling three skaters from their AHL affiliate while sending two players the other way. Sustr isn't known for his offensive contributions, but he's a big body that should be able to provide the big club with an upgrade in the physicality department on the back end.

Beaulieu will be a healthy scratch for Wednesday's game in Calgary, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.

Beaulieu played in Monday's game against the Oilers, where he had five shots on goal and saw 2:46 of power-play ice time. Prior to Monday's game, he was scratched in the previous five contests, and could be sitting out for another handful of games.

Pilut will rejoin the Sabres lineup for Wednesday's game against Calgary, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.

Pilut was a healthy scratch for Monday's tilt with Edmonton, and as expected, he didn't sit out for long. Nathan Beaulieu comes out of the lineup for Pilut, who will look to build on his five points in 14 games he's posted this season.

Connauton (lower body) will serve as a healthy scratch versus San Jose on Wednesday, NHL.com reports.

Connauton was originally sitting out due to a lower-body injury, yet despite being healthy again, can't seem to crack the lineup. In 33 appearances this season, the Edmonton native is averaging 18:56 of ice time in which he tallied five helpers, 52 shots and 55 blocks. If Connauton does crack the lineup at some point, it will likely come at the expense of Jordan Oesterle.

Kuemper will start in goal Wednesday evening against the visiting Sharks, Dave Vest of the Coyotes' official site reports.

Kuemper is seeking his third straight win, and he'll need every ounce of effort against a Sharks club that averages 3.39 goals per game on the road -- good for fifth in the league. Arizona's de facto No. 1 goaltender with Antti Raanta (lower body) on the shelf, Kuemper got the best of Team Teal in the last meeting (Dec. 23) between these teams in San Jose, turning away 35 of 38 shots in the process.

Markstrom will patrol the crease in Wednesday's home game against the Oilers, Jack Michaels of the Oilers Radio Network reports.

Markstrom was sharp in his last start Sunday against the Panthers, turning aside 23 of 24 shots en route to a convincing 5-1 victory. The Swedish backstop will look to stay dialed in and pick up his 19th win of the season in a home matchup with an Oilers team that's averaging 2.57 goals per game on the road this campaign, 21st in the NHL.

Lundqvist will guard the home goal Thursday against the Blackhawks, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports.

Lundqvist got back on track Tuesday against the Hurricanes after a few down outings, stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced to pick up his 13th victory of the campaign. The Blackhawks average three goals per game on the road this season, so the veteran netminder will have to be on top of his game again Thursday to pick up back-to-back wins.

Ullmark will guard the goal in Wednesday's road game against the Flames.

Ullmark has struggled recently, compiling an 0-2-0 record in his last three appearances while posting an ugly 3.53 GAA and .893 save percentage over that span. He'll look to get back on track in a tough road matchup with a red-hot Flames team that's won five consecutive contests.

Rittich is slated to start against the Sabres on Wednesday, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Rittich reportedly posted up in front of the starter's net at the morning practice, so it appears that he'll get a chance for his sixth straight win as the home starter against a Sabres club with a road record of 9-11-3 this season.

Varlamov will be between the pipes on the road versus Ottawa on Wednesday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Varlamov is coming off his first win in six outings after earning the victory over Toronto on Monday. Still, it wasn't an especially impressive outing for the netminder, as he gave up three goals on a mere 20 shots for an .850 save percentage. If not for the fact his teammates put up six goals, the Russian would have recorded a seventh consecutive loss.