Wild's Jon Merrill: Struggling to make lineup

Merrill was scratched for the seventh time over 12 games in November when he sat out Monday's 4-1 loss to the Jets.

Declan Chisholm and Zach Bogosian have been the most frequent third-pairing combination this month. Merrill saw steadier playing time in October while Jared Spurgeon dealt with an injury. Over 14 appearances this season, Merrill has one assist, nine shots on net, 18 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating. The 32-year-old veteran can step into the lineup whenever there's an injury concern, but he's unlikely to make a positive impact for fantasy.