Eller won't be an option against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Eller is likely still finalizing things after being traded from Pittsburgh to Washington on Tuesday, so it shouldn't come as a surprise he won't be immediately pressed into service. Considering the 35-year-old center spent seven years with the Caps, Eller should be fairly comfortable readjusting to his surroundings. He figures to move into a third-line center role and should be a heavy factor on the penalty kill.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Dealt to Washington
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Eller was traded from the Penguins to the Capitals on Tuesday in exchange for 2027 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
This deal makes more sense for the Capitals than it does for the Penguins, as Eller will end the revolving the door of Michael Sgarbossa and Hendrix Lapierre at third-line center in Washington. The 35-year-old Eller had seven points, 27 shots on net, 17 hits and a minus-4 rating over 17 appearances this season, and while the scoring pace is unlikely to change, his non-scoring production could improve in a better team situation. This will be Eller's second stint with the Capitals after spending parts of seven seasons with the team from 2016-2023. Per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Eller is likely to miss Wednesday's game versus the Maple Leafs but should be available once the Capitals begin a road trip Friday in Colorado.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Snaps point drought
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Eller contributed an assist, one shot, one block and three hits in Saturday's 3-1 win over Montreal.
Eller won a puck battle against two Canadiens along the boards and threw the puck into the neutral zone to Blake Lizotte, who scored into an empty net to seal Pittsburgh's second straight win. The helper snapped a five-game point drought for Eller, who has four goals and three assists in 13 outings.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Garners helper in win
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Eller logged an assist and three hits in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Canadiens.
Eller snapped a five-game point drought when he set up Blake Lizotte's empty-net tally. The 35-year-old Eller had a four-game point streak before his slump, so his offense could be a bit streaky. Since Evgeni Malkin moved to Sidney Crosby's line, Eller has received a boost in ice time as the second-line center. Eller has seven points, 26 shots on net, 16 hits, eight PIM and a minus-1 rating over 13 appearances this season.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Two markers in loss
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Eller scored two goals on six shots in Sunday's 6-3 defeat against Winnipeg.
Eller buried a rebound in the second period before scoring a beauty in the third -- he won a puck battle along the boards and popped out to snipe one over Eric Comrie's shoulder. After being blanked in his first three outings, Eller is riding a four-game point streak, consisting of four goals and two assists. The left-shot center will look to keep rolling in a road matchup against Calgary on Tuesday.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Adds assist Friday
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Eller notched an assist and two hits in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes.
Eller has found a groove, earning all four of his points this season over the last three games. The 35-year-old continues to fill his familiar third-line center spot, and he's played well lately on a line with Drew O'Connor and Jesse Puljujarvi. Over six appearances, Eller has 12 shots on net, eight hits, four PIM and a plus-1 rating while also seeing time on the second power-play unit.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Paces Pittsburgh in win
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Eller scored two goals on three shots and added two PIM in Monday's 6-3 win over Montreal.
Eller put Pittsburgh on the board first with a laser that beat Sam Montembeault glove side. The former Canadien then tallied the game-tying goal, going end-to-end and again beating the goalie to the glove side late in the second period. These were the first two goals of the season for Eller, who has been in his familiar third-line role to begin 2024-25.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Shines in win over Columbus
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Eller recorded two goals on three shots and added two assists in Friday's 7-3 preseason win over the Blue Jackets.
Preseason stats shouldn't count too much toward the regular season, but Eller was a one-man wrecking crew in this one after getting directly involved in four of the team's seven goals. Eller appeared in every regular-season game for the Penguins in 2023-24 as the third-line center and figures to hold that role this season. As a result, fantasy managers shouldn't expect these four-point games to continue for the 35-year-old veteran.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Features in all 82 games
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Eller was one of six Penguins to play in all 82 games this season, registering 15 goals and 16 helpers.
Eller was a solid addition to the Penguins' roster, slotting into a third-line center role while also seeing time with the No. 2 power-play unit. Looking ahead to next year, the veteran center's ceiling figures to be in the 30-40 point range.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Adds shorthanded assist
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Eller logged a shorthanded assist and went minus-2 in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Bruins.
Eller set up a Drew O'Connor goal in the third period. The 34-year-old Eller hasn't shown a lot of consistency on offense, rarely getting on the scoresheet multiple games in a row. He's still managed 30 points (five on the power play, two shorthanded) with 151 shots on net, 55 blocked shots, 54 hits and a minus-2 rating through 80 contests in a third-line role.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Available versus Wings
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Eller (illness) will be an option to face Detroit on Thursday, Wes Crosby of NHL.com reports.
Eller has scored just one goal in his last 11 outings while adding two helpers and 15 shots. Despite the lack of goals, the veteran center figures to be a lock for the lineup when healthy, especially given his defensive abilities and penalty-killing. In 78 games this season, Eller has picked up 15 goals and 14 assists while averaging 15:57 of ice time.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Questionable for Thursday
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Eller missed Wednesday's morning skate due to an illness and is consequently questionable for Thursday's contest versus Detroit, Wes Crosby of NHL.com reports.
Eller has 15 goals and 29 points in 78 contests this season. If he can't play Thursday, then Radim Zohorna, who was recalled from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday, will likely draw into the lineup versus the Red Wings.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Scores goal, adds assist in win
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Eller scored a goal on three shots and earned an assist versus the Capitals on Thursday.
Eller made his former club pay with a two-point effort that will boost the Penguins' long-shot chances of making the postseason. With his empty-net tally, the 34-year-old center was also able to bring his eight-game goal drought to a close. If he can secure just one more point, Eller will get back over the 30-point threshold after missing that mark last year.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Two points against Rangers
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Eller scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Rangers.
The 34-year-old center's tally almost exactly midway through the second period tied the game at 3-3, but New York dominated the second half of the contest. Eller was on the Penguins' top power-play unit Saturday and led the team with six shots on net, but his offensive contributions remain inconsistent. He's been held off the scoresheet in six of nine March games, producing just two goals and four points on the month so far.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Strikes on power play
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Eller scored a power-play goal on two shots, blocked two shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Flames.
Eller gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead late in the first period. The 34-year-old center hasn't had a ton of scoring consistency this season, but he has three goals and a helper over his last six outings. He remains in a third-line role and now has 21 points, 116 shots on net, 43 hits, 37 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over 58 contests. Eller could continue to see first-unit power-play time while Jake Guentzel (upper body) and Bryan Rust (upper body) are out.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Fuels comeback
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Eller scored a goal on three shots, added an assist and logged two hits in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Canucks.
Eller's first multi-point effort since Jan. 4 was the catalyst for the Penguins' win. He tied the game midway through the third period and set up Erik Karlsson for the game-winner in overtime. Eller is up to 11 goals, 20 points, 114 shots on net, 42 hits, 34 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating through 56 outings. He continues to play on the third line at even strength, but he's in line for a larger power-play role while Jake Guentzel (upper body) and Bryan Rust (upper body) are out.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Scores goal No. 10
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Eller scored his 10th goal of the season in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders.
The veteran center flipped a shot from the blue line toward Ilya Sorokin late in the second period that deflected off a New York defender and into the net. Eller's prowess on faceoffs -- he won nine of 14 on Tuesday -- has earned him consistent power-play time of late, but his spot on a checking line at even strength still limits his fantasy upside. He hasn't produced a multi-point game since Jan. 4, and over the last 10 contests Eller has three goals and five points.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Gets goal in 1,000th NHL game
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Eller scored a goal Saturday in a 3-2 overtime win over Montreal.
It made his 1,000th NHL game especially memorable. Eller is the first player born in Denmark to play 1,000 NHL games. He's the ninth player to score at least one goal in the first and 1,000th game of his career, joining Marian Gaborik, Milan Hejduk, Alex Kovalev, Evgeni Malkin, Joe Nieuwendyk, Gilbert Perreault, Jean Ratelle and Luc Robitaille. Eller has two goals in his last three games, but his 15 points in 46 games should keep him on the wire.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Two-point effort in win
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Eller delivered a goal and an assist in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Bruins.
He helped set up Drew O'Connor for Pittsburgh's first goal of the night about five minutes into the first period, and O'Connor then returned the favor late in the frame. Eller is beginning to emerge from a deep slump -- over a 21-game stretch from mid-November through late December, he managed only two points (both goals), but he's now produced two multi-point performances in the last three contests. The 34-year-old's spot on the third line doesn't afford him a high fantasy ceiling, but Eller's capable of more than the seven goals and 13 points he's managed through 37 games to begin the season.
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Penguins' Lars Eller: Scores twice in win
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Eller tallied a pair of goals in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Islanders.
Eller opened the scoring early in the first period, burying a feed from Jansen Harkins on the rush, before capping the scoring with an empty-netter in the third. The 34-year-old Eller came into Sunday's matchup with just one point in his last 15 games. He's up to six goals and 11 points through 35 contests in a middle-six role with Pittsburgh this season.
