NHL News
Nikolaj Ehlers Totals Four Points Versus Blue Jackets
Winnipeg Jets left wing Nikolaj Ehlers had a field day against the Blue Jackets on Friday, completing a 6-2 road victory with his fifth career hat trick and four points. He picked up all three goals in even-strength situations and had his assist with the man advantage. Ehlers can be very happy with the work he's done so far this season. With 11 games played, the Danish winger has tallied seven goals and 15 points. He's one of six players with at least seven goals and seven assists through the early parts of the 2024-25 campaign.
8 hours ago
Igor Shesterkin Stops 40 Shots Versus Senators
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin showed off good form in Friday's 2-1 win over Ottawa, saving 40 of 41 shots. Only a late Adam Gaudette strike slipped past Shesterkin, who recorded a second consecutive game with 40-plus saves. The Rangers No. 1 had a couple of rough outings at the end of last month, but he's been rock-solid for most of the campaign so far. Through eight starts, Shesterkin boasts a 5-2-1 record and one shutout. He has allowed 2.25 goals with a .931 save percentage. Among goalies who have started at least five games, only Anaheim's Lukas Dostal (.945) has been more effective with his work than Shesterkin.
8 hours ago
Aleksander Barkov Amasses Four Points In Finland
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov collected four points in Friday's NHL Global Series games against Dallas in Finland, finishing a 6-4 victory with a goal and three assists. Playing in his hometown, Tampere, Barkov became the fourth player in league history to record four points in a regular-season game outside North America. Following a two-week absence with a lower-body injury, Barkov has needed no time to hit form, recording six points (two goals, four assists in two games. He's up to seven points (two goals, five assists) in four games for the campaign. The Panthers captain gets another chance to rock in front of Finnish fans on Saturday in a rematch with the Stars.
8 hours ago
Dan Vladar Shuts Out Devils Friday Night
Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar registered a 22-save shutout in Friday's 3-0 victory over New Jersey. He picked up his first shutout of the year, bouncing back from three consecutive losses. The recent losing spell has left a stain on Vladar's record, but he's done well this season, going 3-2-1 with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. Calgary continues to rotate the goalies, meaning we will likely see Dustin Wolf in Sunday's Battle of Alberta. Vladar will return to work on Monday in a good matchup against the 4-6-1 Canadiens.
8 hours ago
Adam Pelech Makes Early Exit Versus Sabres
New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech left Friday's game against Buffalo after taking a puck to the face. He finished with 10:41 of ice time, logging three shots, two blocks, and two penalty minutes. Pelech has been cold on the offensive end lately, but he does have four assists to his name through 11 appearances. The 30-year-old leads the defensemen on the team with 17 hits and has recorded 12 blocks. The Islanders also lost Mike Reilly (upper body) on Friday, leaving potentially two gaps to fill at the back for the next game.
9 hours ago
Mike Reilly Exits Friday's Action With Injury
New York Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly (upper body) logged only 7:24 of action in Friday's 4-3 win at Buffalo. He was injured midway through the game when Reilly hit his head on the ice following a hit from Sabres forward Jordan Greenway. Reilly needed assistance to leave the ice. It's not been a great campaign for Reilly, who sits scoreless through 11 outings, and a serious injury would be a new blow for him. Dennis Cholowski is poised to re-enter the lineup for Sunday's Battle of New York if Reilly can't play. Cholowski has one goal through three appearances this campaign.
9 hours ago
Eric Comrie Faces Blue Jackets Friday
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie will guard the crease in Friday's matchup against Columbus. The 29-year-old gets his third start of the campaign. He has previously beaten Pittsburgh and Calgary in high-scoring games, allowing three goals on both occasions. Comrie has saved 65 of 71 shots to register a solid .915 save percentage. The Jets have dropped only one game so far and are expected to cruise past the hosts on Friday. However, the Blue Jackets are riding a bit of momentum with three wins in four games and boast a hot goalie in Elvis Merzlikins, who has allowed only one goal across his last two starts.
21 hours ago
David Savard Sits Out Practice For Maintenance Purposes
Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard took a maintenance day on Friday and didn't practice. The veteran defenseman had a busy night on Thursday against the Capitals, finishing with one assist and five blocks in 20:46 of ice time. Savard is second on the team with 31 blocks but has also upped his offensive game lately. Following a pointless start to the campaign, Savard has tallied four assists in the past five games. He has so featured in all 11 games this season and is expected to be available when the Canadiens visit Pittsburgh on Saturday.
21 hours ago
Alexander Romanov Ready To Play Friday
New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) will return from a three-game absence on Friday against Buffalo. He was initially regarded as a game-time decision. However, it has now been confirmed by Stefen Rosner of NHL.com that Romanov will play on Friday. Romanov racks up defensive stats for fun but doesn't provide offense very often. In seven appearances this season, he has registered two assists, 10 shots, 19 hits, and 14 blocks. Romanov's return to the lineup pushes Mike Reilly back to the third defensive pairing while Dennis Cholowski exits the lineup.
21 hours ago
Evgeni Malkin Takes Maintenance Day On Friday
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin sat out Friday's practice for maintenance purposes. Malkin has played in all 12 games so far this season and is expected to remain in the lineup on Saturday versus Montreal. However, it looks like the Russian veteran is a bit banged up. Malkin enjoyed a red-hot start to his 19th NHL campaign but has been slumping lately. He's finished on the score sheet just once in the past seven games. Even moving up to the first line hasn't given Malkin a spark, despite Sidney Crosby shining next to him with two goals and three assists in two games this week. For the season overall, Malkin is still averaging over a point per game, sitting on three goals and 11 assists.
21 hours ago
Devon Levi Returns To Sabres Crease
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi will make his first start in five games on Friday when the team hosts the Islanders. After struggling in the first few games, the 22-year-old has seen limited action this season. Levi carries a 1-2-0 record and has allowed 3.79 goals with a .874 save percentage. However, on Friday, he gets a new opportunity as the Sabres kick off a back-to-back set. Levi is in a terrific position to regain some confidence because the Islanders have badly struggled for goals this season. They currently sit last in the league with a 2.10 goals-for-average, and Patrick Roy's team has already been shut out four times in 10 games. To make matters worse, the Islanders have also just lost their star man, Mathew Barzal (upper body).
22 hours ago
Ryan Hartman Rejoins Wild Lineup Friday
Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman (upper body) will return from a five-game absence on Friday versus Tampa Bay. Hartman was sidelined early in the campaign by an upper-body injury after he scored two goals in four games. He re-enters the lineup on the fourth line, as the team doesn't want to break up its current third line, which has been performing well. Hartman's presence adds fantasy value to Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko, although there's going to be only limited action available for the fourth line.
22 hours ago
Erik Cernak Available On Friday
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (upper body) will play in Friday's contest against Minnesota. Cernak was forced to make an early exit due to an upper-body injury against Colorado on Wednesday, but he won't miss any additional time. The 27-year-old skates on the second defensive pairing and mostly does the dirty work. Cernak has recorded 15 blocks and 16 hits in 10 outings this season. Offensively, he has contributed three assists. Tampa's defense faces a major test on Friday against an in-form team that averages close to four goals per game (3.78), spearheaded by the red-hot Kirill Kaprizov.
22 hours ago
Zach Benson Could Play Next Week
Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson (lower body) has a chance to return next week if his recovery continues to go well, according to head coach Lindy Ruff. Benson has missed the last three games due to a lingering lower-body injury that has hampered him all season. He won't play Friday against the New York Islanders or Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, but could be back next week at some point. The 19-year-old sophomore doesn't have a point yet in six games, but has scoring upside and could work his way into the top six if he plays well. He should be considered a buy-low in dynasty formats, and in redraft leagues he could turn into a streamer or even a bench option later in the season.
Yesterday
Jani Hakanpaa And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jani Hakanpaa (knee) and center Connor Dewar (shoulder) have been sent on a conditioning loan to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Hakanpaa and Dewar both haven't played this year due to injuries suffered before the season started. Both should have a good chance to get into the lineup once their conditioning stints are over, but both will probably play lower down in the lineup. Hakanpaa could be a good hits and blocks streamer if he gets decent minutes, and Dewar won't be fantasy-relevant.
Yesterday
Dmitri Voronkov Ready For Season Debut Friday
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov (upper-body) is set to make his season debut on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. Voronkov missed the first nine games of the season after suffering an upper-body injury in the final game of the preseason. The 24-year-old had a solid rookie season last year, notching 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 75 games for the Jackets. Voronkov could slide into a top-six role and become a viable streamer at some point, but for now he can be avoided in all fantasy formats.
Yesterday
Mathew Barzal Getting Tests Done For Upper-Body Injury
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (upper-body) has traveled back to New York to see team doctors about an upper-body injury. Barzal played in Wednesday's game against Columbus, logging 22:46 TOI, but evidently something happened late in that game or the day after. Barzal will not play Friday against Buffalo and could be looking at a long-term injury based on the way the team is talking about it. The Isles are already having trouble scoring, so their best offensive player missing any chunk of time would be a dagger.
Yesterday
Vladimir Tarasenko Ready To Go For Saturday
Detroit Red Wings winger Vladimir Tarasenko (illness) appears to be over his sickness and should play on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. Tarasenko missed Wednesday's game while dealing with the flu, but is back at practice Friday. The 32-year-old is off to a rough start with his new team, as he has just two goals and one assist through nine games. He has been playing on the third line and second powerplay unit as of late, and unless that changes his production is unlikely to rebound. He can be dropped in all but deeper leagues at this point.
Yesterday
Mark Stone Misses Practice Due To Birth Of Child
Vegas Golden Knights winger Mark Stone (personal) will not practice on Friday for personal reasons and is a game-time decision for Saturday's game against Utah. Stone is welcoming his second child into the world, so he shouldn't miss too much time, if any. The 32-year-old is on pace for career-highs in goals, assists, and points through his first 11 games, with five, 14, and 19 of each respectively. He looks fully healthy after injuries ravaged each of his last three seasons and should continue to be one of the best wingers in the league if he can stay on the ice.
Yesterday
Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
Florida Panthers forward Tomas Nosek (upper body) will make his team debut on Friday versus Dallas. Nosek has been sidelined for the start of the season due to an upper-body injury. However, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has confirmed that the Czech forward will be counted on in Friday's game. Nosek is expected to center the fourth line, with A.J. Greer and Mackie Samoskevich accompanying him on the wings. He'll be a good addition to the Panthers lineup, but it's safe to leave him on the waiver wire in fantasy hockey. Nosek was limited to only six points (two goals, four assists) in 36 outings with New Jersey last season.
Yesterday
Nikolaj Ehlers
• LW
•
Jets
