NHL Player News

Lekkerimaki scored twice on four shots and added a power-play assist in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Ducks.

Lekkerimaki scored twice in the final three minutes of regulation before helping out on Filip Hronek's tally in overtime. With seven points over his last five games, Lekkerimaki is starting to shine in a top-six role. He's at six goals, six assists, 23 shots on net, 11 hits and a minus-1 rating over 14 appearances this season. It won't go that well all year for the 22-year-old, but this is shaping up to be his breakout year in Vancouver.

Merilainen stopped 18 of 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Ducks.

Merilainen's performance didn't inspire much confidence, but he was able to lock in late as the Canucks pulled off an improbable comeback. This was his first win since Oct. 3 versus the Flames. The 24-year-old netminder is 2-3-1 with a 3.35 GAA and a .900 save percentage across nine games (seven starts) this season. Merilainen is still a massively risky option in fantasy even if he's able to run with the starting job in Vancouver. The Canucks' next game is Thursday in San Jose.

Cooley scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Wild.

Cooley's tally at 18:39 of the third period denied Jesper Wallstedt the shutout. With three goals over his last three games, Cooley looks to have found his shooting mitts. He's up to four goals, 12 points, 16 shots on net, 16 hits and a minus-3 rating across 13 outings this season.

Vejmelka allowed three goals on 30 shots in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Wild.

Vejmelka turned in a decent effort, but the Mammoth's offense didn't get on the board until late in the third period. This was the first time in Vejmelka's last four starts where he's allowed fewer than four goals. The 30-year-old netminder is at a 6-4-0 record with a 3.13 GAA and an .877 save percentage across 11 outings this season. Vejmelka continues to see plenty of playing time, though with no back-to-backs on the immediate horizon, it's possible Sebastian Cossa will get a spot start at some point during the Mammoth's six-game road trip, which begins in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Hughes notched two power-play assists, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Mammoth.

Hughes is rolling with five points over his last three games. This was the first time he's had multiple power-play points in the same contests this season despite his steady offense to start the year. He's at three goals, 15 helpers, 39 shots on net, nine blocked shots and a plus-8 rating over 14 outings from the Wild's top pairing and first power-play unit.

Shabanov scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Mammoth.

Shabanov has three points over his last two contests. The 26-year-old winger is seeing middle-six minutes and looks to be a good fit in the Wild's offense as a complementary source of points. He has four goals, five assists, 17 shots on net, seven hits, seven blocked shots and a minus-4 rating across 13 appearances on the year.

Eriksson Ek scored a power-play goal on four shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Mammoth.

Eriksson Ek has three goals and five assists over his last seven games, getting on the scoresheet in all but one of them. The 29-year-old center continues to be a steady source of offense, offering a gritty net-front presence to complement Kirill Kaprizov's elite shot on the first line and top power-play unit. Eriksson Ek is at four goals, seven helpers, 47 shots on net, 18 hits and a plus-8 rating through 14 appearances this season.

Kaprizov scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Mammoth.

Kaprizov also had four shots on net and two hits. The superstar winger has racked up three straight two-point games, and he's earned multiple points in eight of 14 contests overall. He's at 14 goals, nine helpers, 48 shots, seven hits and a plus-10 rating for the year. Kaprizov is shooting 29.2 percent, which is bound to come down a bit -- no one's goal-per-game good.

Wallstedt stopped 26 of 27 shots in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Mammoth.

Wallstedt has allowed exactly one goal in six of his 12 outings this season. This was his second win in a row, and he improved to 8-2-2 on the year. He's added a 1.99 GAA and a .922 save percentage. Wallstedt is in the early Vezina conversation with how well he's played while also seeing the most work in the league so far. The Wild return home for one game Thursday versus the Islanders before another pair of road contests.

Foegele sustained an apparent right knee injury after a hit from Jeremy Lauzon in Tuesday's game versus the Golden Knights, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Head coach Travis Green didn't have an update available on Foegele's status after the contest. The 30-year-old winger could miss some time, given the nature of the injury. If that happens, Ridly Greig or Michael Amadio could see larger roles while Hayden Hodgson would likely draw into the lineup. More should be known about Foegele's status prior to Thursday's game versus the Kings.