NHL Player News

Thompson scored a goal on three shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Penguins.

Thompson gave the Sabres a hot start, scoring 43 seconds into the game as part of a three-goal first period. The center has scored three goals over five games this season, including in each of the last two contests. He's also shooting at a high rate, notching at least three shots in each game with a total of 17 for the season. He's yet to record a power-play point, but Thompson should eventually be productive in that area as well.

Eriksson Ek (nose) expects to be back in action versus the Blue Jackets on Saturday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Eriksson Ek told reporters he needed to have his nose surgically reset following its fracture against the Kraken on Saturday. After missing the Wild's last two tilts, the 27-year-old center figures to reclaim his second-line role from Ryan Hartman and should be a factor on the power play, where he is averaging 3:27 of ice time.

Rakell scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Sabres.

Rakell has scored in three straight games. He tallied in the final minute of regulation Wednesday, paving the way for Sidney Crosby's game-winning goal in overtime. Rakell has added 10 shots on net, six hits and a plus-3 rating over five appearances this season while playing consistently on the second line.

McCann scored two goals in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Kings.

McCann found the back of the net with his two shot attempts in this win over the Kings, beating David Rittich twice in the first period. McCann didn't play in the season opener against Montreal on Oct. 9 after recovering from a knee injury, but has been very good since returning to the ice and has three goals over his last three appearances while attempting eight shots.

Tavares scored a power-play goal on three shots in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Kings.

Tavares returned to the ice after a one-game absence due to an illness and managed to find the back of the net for the second game in a row, this time on the power play following setups from Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews in the third period. Tavares will aim to keep his scoring streak alive when facing the Rangers on Saturday knowing he has two goals on five shots over his last two contests.

Matthews notched an even-strength goal and two power-play assists in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Kings.

Matthews hadn't registered a single point in his first three games of the season despite racking up 15 total shots, but he snapped that drought with an impressive outing Wednesday. Matthews is too talented to be held off the scoresheet like he was in the first three games of the campaign, and he should remain an absolute menace when the Maple Leafs take on the Rangers on Saturday. Matthews is coming off a career-best season in 2023-24 where he posted 107 points across 81 games, tallying 69 goals and 38 assists.

Turcotte scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Turcotte scored the Kings' first goal just 2:42 into the third period, but his goal wasn't enough to spark a late comeback. Turcotte has points in back-to-back games and will aim to continue that streak against the Canadiens on Thursday, though his chances of contributing offensively on a regular basis might not be too high given his role as a bottom-six forward.

Malkin scored a goal and added three assists, two on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Sabres.

With his tally early in the third period, Malkin became the 48th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals, and just the second Russian after Alex Ovechkin. Malkin's had a blistering start to the season, reeling off four straight multi-point performances and piling up two goals and 11 points during that stretch. The 38-year-old managed only 67 points in 82 games in 2023-24, the lowest full-season total of his career, but Malkin might still have at least one more big campaign left in him.

Crosby scored the overtime winner on the power play and added two assists, one with the man advantage, in Wednesday's 6-5 victory over the Sabres.

With his first-period helper on Bryan Rust's power-play tally, Crosby became just the 10th player in NHL history with 1,600 career points. The 37-year-old superstar is showing no signs of slowing down -- while his OT winner Wednesday was his first goal of 2024-25, Crosby has six points in five games. Next up on the all-time leaderboard is Joe Sakic, who sits in ninth place with 1,641 points -- a mark Crosby could reach before Christmas if he stays healthy.

Schmaltz produced two assists, five shots on goal and two PIM in Wednesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Ducks.

Schmaltz set up Barrett Hayton's power-play tally in the first period and an even-strength goal by Clayton Keller in the third. This was the third time in five games that Schmaltz has had two assists, and he's added 13 shots on net, five blocked shots and a minus-1 rating. Playing with Keller and Hayton on the top line, Schmaltz should continue to be a strong playmaker, though he's also topped 20 goals in three straight seasons.