Niskanen contributed a power-play goal and eight shots in Tuesday's 5-2 preseason loss to the Bruins.

EDGE Analysis

Niskanen is normally relegated to the No. 2 power-play unit when Washington employs its full roster, but he got a chance to strut his stuff with John Carlson taking the night off. Winger Riley Barber and Niskanen combined for 17 of Washington's 33 shots on net in this one.

Niskanen registered an assist, three shots and two hits in 23:10 of ice time during Sunday's 6-2 win in Game 2 against the Lightning.

EDGE Analysis

Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov have been an invaluable defense pairing for the Caps in the postseason as he now has two assists, six blocked shots and a plus-4 rating in his last four games. The 31-year-old blueliner is worth a look in daily formats during the postseason.

Niskanen recorded a goal, a minus-1 rating, and three shots during Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Stars.

EDGE Analysis

The marker gives Niskanen two goals and four points over his last six games as he mounts a late-season push to hit the 30-point mark for a fifth consecutive season. The 30-year-old's 27 points is a regression from his totals from a season ago, but a plus-25 rating is among the NHL's best. If John Carlson departs via free agency in the summer, Niskanen could have some excellent fantasy value in 2018-19, so keep an eye on him when building your squad in next year's fantasy drafts.

Niskanen dished out a pair of helpers in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Ottawa.

EDGE Analysis

Both of Niskanen's assists came on goals by Evgeny Kuznetsov, including the eventual game-winner with 12 seconds remaining in the second period. With 23 points in 64 team games, Niskanen's in danger of falling short of 30 points for the first time since 2012-13. However, he's doing his best to reach that mark with four helpers in the last three games.

Niskanen recorded an assist and a minus-1 rating over a team-high 24:52 of ice time during Saturday's 7-1 loss to the Blackhawks.

EDGE Analysis

Niskanen also recorded two shots and two hits in a game the Capitals will try desperately to forget as they plod on to a matinee showdown in Buffalo. The 30-year-old blueliner has had a down year by his standards with just 17 points in 43 games but is still worth owning in most formats.

Niskanen scored a goal and added an assist in a 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

The 31-year-old is turning in another pretty strong season, but his assist numbers are down. Because of that, his point total has obviously decreased too. Part of that could be because he's missed some games, but he's contributing in just about every other category as he normally does. But maybe this is where he starts to record more helpers. Niskanen has two assists in the last two games.

Niskanen (upper body) is ready for Sunday's game against the Blues, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niskanen missed just one game with this upper-body ailment, and he'll return to his normal top defensive role. The 31-year-old blueliner has three goals and eight assists through 27 games this season, but he's expected to play on Washington's power play Sunday, which will have be a tough matchup against the Blues' 10th-ranked penalty kill.

Niskanen (upper body) is expected to return to the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blues, Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niskanen missed Tuesday's game against the Hurricanes because of the upper-body injury, but he returned to the ice wearing a full-contact jersey Saturday, foreshadowing his likely return. His presence in the lineup likely bumps Taylor Chorney back out of the pairings and he should retake his role on the second power-play unit.

Niskanen (upper body) wasn't present for morning skate Tuesday, and he'll miss the evening's road contest in Carolina, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

While he managed 22:11 of ice time with a goal in Saturday's commanding win over the Devils, an upper-body injury surfaced for Niskanen, and he should be considered day-to-day. Fortunately for the two-way defenseman, the Caps won't play again until Sunday against the Blues, which ideally presents enough time for him to shake off the ailment.

Niskanen is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury, Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Washington reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niskanen missed Sunday's practice session, and his status for Tuesday's matchup with Carolina is up in the air. The 31-year-old defenseman scored a goal in Washington's last game, and is averaging 22:29 of ice time through 80 games this season. Even if he's forced to miss Tuesday's game, the injury appears to be minor, so expect him back on the ice later in the week.