NHL News

Nick Schmaltz • C • Mammoth

Nick Schmaltz Pushes Season-Opening Goal Streak to Three Games

Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz matched a franchise record with a three-game season-opening goal streak in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. He scored a power-play goal in the second period to tie the game at one. Overall, Schmaltz already has four goals, tying him for the league lead. This is a promising sign that he can produce another 30-goal campaign. Last season, Schmaltz scored a career-high 33 goals and added 41 assists in 82 contests. This week, Schmaltz will face three matchups, starting with a clash against New Jersey on Tuesday.

4 hours ago

Joe Veleno • C • Rangers

Joe Veleno Sustains Lower-Body Injury

New York Rangers center Joe Veleno sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday's win over Utah, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. He left the game in the first period after taking only three shifts. Veleno couldn't put any weight on his right leg, which could signal a serious injury. His absence wouldn't mean much in fantasy hockey, but the Rangers would lose a valuable penalty-killer. Matt Rempe is poised to enter the lineup as Veleno's replacement, unless head coach Mike Sullivan wants to go with an extra defenseman.

4 hours ago

Jake Sanderson • D • Senators

Jake Sanderson Under Evaluation for Lower-Body Injury

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson re-aggravated a lower-body injury in Saturday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The star blue-liner logged only 4:39 of ice time after being questionable for the game. While the team didn't initially specify Sanderson's injury, head coach Travis Green said it was a lower-body injury. "We'll know more in the next few days," Green added. "Sandy was smart enough to pull himself out early enough that he didn't re-aggravate it too badly. He just felt it was coming and took himself out." It appears unlikely that Sanderson will play on Monday against Boston. However, Green's comments suggest Sanderson isn't expected to be out for long. Without Sanderson, Thomas Chabot carried a heavy workload Saturday and was one of Ottawa's key players in a 3-2 win, scoring a goal and adding an assist.

18 hours ago

Simon Edvinsson • D • Red Wings

Simon Edvinsson Wants Out of Detroit

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is seeking a trade, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The Swedish blue-liner is currently a restricted free agent without a contract. On Friday, Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff told reporters that signing Edvinsson remains a "priority" for the team. However, it appears likely that Edvinsson has played his final game in Motown. Losing him would be a major blow for the Red Wings, who drafted the 23-year-old with the sixth overall pick in 2021. He has shown potential to develop into a top-class defenseman. In his second NHL season in 2025-26, Edvinsson recorded 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists), 88 SOG, 148 blocks, 94 hits, and a plus-12 rating in 72 games.

18 hours ago

Alexey Toropchenko • RW • Blues

Alexey Toropchenko to Be Re-Evaluated in Six Weeks

St. Louis Blues winger Alexey Toropchenko (upper body) will be re-evaluated in six weeks, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reports. The Russian forward sustained an upper-body injury in Friday's season opener against Dallas. Toropchenko has never scored more than 21 points in a season, so his absence won't affect fantasy hockey. With Toropchenko out, Dillon Dube made his Blues debut in Saturday's heavy 6-1 loss to Colorado. Dube has shown scoring potential in his NHL career, but he isn't a major part of the Blues' offense as a fourth-liner.

18 hours ago

Jake DeBrusk • LW • Canucks

Jake DeBrusk Remains Out Sunday

Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (illness) will miss a second consecutive game on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Kevin Woodley of NHL.com reports. DeBrusk dropped out of the lineup on Saturday against Calgary due to illness. Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra labeled DeBrusk day-to-day. Vancouver won't start next week's action until Thursday, giving DeBrusk time to recover. He is expected to travel on a six-game road trip. Linus Karlsson moved to the first line on Saturday and produced two assists, providing good value for money to DFS managers.

18 hours ago

Gustav Forsling • D • Panthers

Gustav Forsling a Game-Time Call Sunday

Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (upper body) is a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. The Swedish rearguard is dealing with an upper-body injury and was a late scratch on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Forsling had a good start to the campaign, recording a goal, two SOG, two blocks, and three hits in Florida's season opener versus Carolina. Uvis Balinskis entered the lineup on Thursday night and is likely to retain his spot if Forsling isn't cleared to play against Anaheim.

18 hours ago

Brad Marchand • LW • Panthers

Brad Marchand Set for Season Debut Sunday

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (lower body) will make his season debut on Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. The veteran star was initially expected to miss significant time at the start of the season, but the Panthers are already bringing him back into the fold. It's a welcome boost for the team after losing Aleksander Barkov (leg). Marchand hasn't played for the Panthers since March 6. He tallied 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 52 games. Maintaining a point-per-game pace may be a challenge for Marchand, but his scoring track record makes him worthy of fantasy consideration.

19 hours ago

Oliver Kapanen • C • Canadiens

Oliver Kapanen Remains Out Saturday

Montreal Canadiens center Oliver Kapanen (lower body) won't play on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss a second straight game. As a rookie, Kapanen played in all 82 games last season, registering 37 points (22 goals, 15 assists). He was Montreal's fourth-highest goal-scorer. Kapanen's next chance to make his season debut comes Tuesday night against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Yesterday

Benjamin Kindel • RW • Penguins

Benjamin Kindel Ready to Face Canadiens

Pittsburgh Penguins center Benjamin Kindel (lower body) will be available Saturday against Montreal after being removed from Injured Reserve. Last Sunday, Kindel was deemed week-to-week. Fortunately for the Penguins, he missed only one game. Following a dominant 7-0 victory over Philadelphia, the Penguins don't want to tinker much with the lineup, so Kindel is set to fill a fourth-line spot Saturday. He will be in contention for a middle-six role once he has found his footing. In his rookie season last year, Kindel recorded 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 77 games.

Yesterday

Mackie Samoskevich • RW • Kraken

Mackie Samoskevich Activated From Injured Reserve

Seattle Kraken right wing Mackie Samoskevich (upper body) has come off Injured Reserve and will be available Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers. He missed Seattle's season opener against Calgary but has been cleared to return to the lineup. Big things are expected of Samoskevich as a top-six regular in Seattle, and he should also see power-play time. The former Panther will make his debut in a great spot, facing an Oilers team that has allowed 13 goals in two games. To make room for Samoskevich on the roster, the Kraken moved Jacob Melanson (upper body) to Injured Reserve.

Yesterday

Jake DeBrusk • LW • Canucks

Jake DeBrusk Unavailable Saturday Due to Illness

Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (illness) will miss Saturday's contest against the Calgary Flames. On Saturday morning, Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra revealed that DeBrusk was dealing with an illness. DeBrusk registered one assist and four SOG in the first two games of the season. Aatu Raty will enter the lineup as his replacement. With DeBrusk absent, Linus Karlsson is expected to move to the first line. Karlsson averaged only 13:42 of ice time in the first two games of the season, but he will have a significantly more important role on Saturday night.

Yesterday

Bowen Byram • D • Blackhawks

Bowen Byram Won't Play Saturday

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram (personal) won't play in Saturday's clash against the Buffalo Sabres. Byram was supposed to meet his former team, but he is attending to a family matter and will skip the game. The Blackhawks acquired Byram from the Sabres this offseason and signed him to a whopping six-year, $75 million extension. Byram hasn't found his footing in Chicago yet, failing to register any points and posting a minus-four rating through his first two games. After allowing 11 goals in two games, the Blackhawks are planning several defensive changes, with Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro expected to enter the lineup.

Yesterday

Jake Sanderson • D • Senators

Jake Sanderson Officially Available Saturday

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (undisclosed) will be in the lineup Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sanderson has been trending in the right direction and has now been officially cleared to play in Ottawa's season opener. This is great news for the Senators, whose backline will be without Artem Zub (knee) at the start of the season. Sanderson is expected to carry a heavy workload, partnering with Nikolas Matinpalo on the first defensive pairing. He will look to build on a strong year, having amassed 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists) in 67 games.

Yesterday

Aleksander Barkov • C • Panthers

Panthers Place Aleksander Barkov on Long-Term Injured Reserve

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (leg) was placed on long-term Injured Reserve on Saturday. The Panthers captain suffered an apparent left leg injury on Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. Barkov remains under evaluation after undergoing an MRI. The Panthers are reportedly optimistic that Barkov's injury is not season-ending. Still, he's facing a spell on the sidelines and must miss at least 10 games and 24 days after landing on long-term injured Reserve. With Barkov out, the Panthers will lean more on Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell at center.

Yesterday

Alex Tuch • RW • Capitals

Alex Tuch Starts Life in Washington With Two-Goal Outing

Washington Capitals winger Alex Tuch lit the lamp twice in Friday's impressive 5-2 road win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. In his official Capitals debut, Tuch became the fifth player in franchise history to open his tenure with a multi-goal outing, providing two of Washington's three first-period goals. He started the season on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson. Across the previous four campaigns, Tuch has scored at least 30 goals three times. As a member of Washington's talented forward group, Tuch is in a prime spot for another prolific year in 2026-27.

2 days ago

Leo Carlsson • C • Ducks

Leo Carlsson Opens Season With Multi-Point Effort

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson contributed a goal and an assist in Friday's season-opening 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. This was Carlsson's first outing since becoming the NHL's highest-paid player with a five-year, $90 million contract. He certainly proved his worth, helping the Ducks to a 4-0 lead before Vegas made the score respectable with three third-period goals. Carlsson logged 17:43 of ice time, including 2:58 on the power play. The Ducks went with Cutter Gauthier and A.J. Greer as Carlsson's running mates on the first line. By racking up four points together, the trio showed off good chemistry.

2 days ago

JJ Peterka • RW • Bruins

JJ Peterka Pots Game-Winner in Overtime Friday

Boston Bruins winger JJ Peterka potted the game-winning goal on Friday night as the team beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime. The Bruins narrowly escaped defeat in regulation on a goal from Elias Lindholm, and Peterka popped up with the winner in the extra frame. David Pastrnak assisted both goals. Peterka has become the first player in eight years to score in each of his first two outings for Boston. He plays with Lindholm and Pastrnak on the top line, and the trio has found good chemistry early in the season. They'll head back to work on Saturday night against Minnesota.

2 days ago

Joel Hofer • G • Blues

Joel Hofer Blanks Stars in Season-Opening Win

St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer was in top form during Friday's season opener against the Dallas Stars, registering a 25-save shutout in a 4-0 win. The Stars had won six straight season-opening games, but they couldn't find a way past Hofer on Friday night. Hofer became the second goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in a season opener, joining Jaroslav Halak. Although Hofer tends to be solid on most nights he plays, he must compete for playing time with Jordan Binnington, limiting his fantasy appeal. Binnington is expected to make his season debut on Saturday against Colorado.

2 days ago

Alexey Toropchenko • RW • Blues

Alexey Toropchenko Sustains Upper-Body Injury in Season Opener

St. Louis Blues winger Alexey Toropchenko left Friday's season opener against Dallas due to an upper-body injury. He saw only 5:08 of action before his premature exit. The Russian forward will likely be forced to sit out Saturday's matchup with Colorado after Blues head coach Jim Montgomery said Toropchenko was "more than day-to-day." Toropchenko's absence won't have significant fantasy implications, as he has a limited fourth-line role in St. Louis. Zach Dean and Dillion Dube are the options to fill in for him on Saturday.

2 days ago

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