NHL Player News

Dries scored two goals in AHL Grand Rapids' 5-2 win over Cleveland on Friday.

Dries has logged at least 40 points in four of the last five AHL regular seasons. The forward is off to another good start this year, though it's expected the 32-year-old will serve as a veteran leader with the Griffins rather than a call-up option for the Red Wings. He made five appearances for Detroit in 2025-26.

Chovan scored a goal and added three assists in OHL Sudbury's 7-1 win over Niagara on Friday.

Chovan had his first big game of the season as the Wolves earned a blowout win. He has six points, seven shots on net and a plus-2 rating over three contests in the OHL season. Chovan will turn 20 in January, so he'll likely be deciding between signing and going to the AHL or heading to the NCAA for the 2027-28 campaign.

Hopkins scored twice in OHL Guelph's 4-2 win over Windsor on Friday.

Hopkins has taken off quickly in this OHL campaign, earning three goals and seven points over his first three games of the campaign. The Maple Leafs prospect is in a great situation, so steady offense should be on the way for him throughout the campaign. He has yet to sign his entry-level contract, so he could opt to head to the NCAA next year if he remains unsigned.

Lavoie (undisclosed) won't play Friday versus the Ducks, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Lavoie skated in a non-contact jersey Tuesday, but he'll miss a second straight game to start the season. It's not yet clear if he'll be given the chance to play regularly at the NHL level when he's healthy enough to draw into the lineup. However, the 26-year-old forward would require waivers to be sent to AHL Henderson.

Larkin (upper body) was placed on non-roster injured reserve Friday, per the NHL media site.

Larkin was injured during the preseason and didn't play in the Red Wings' first two regular-season contests, which makes him eligible for a non-roster designation. Even once cleared to play, it's unclear whether Larkin will want to play for the club, considering he previously put in a trade request that resulted in him being stripped of the captaincy.

Gaudreau scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flames.

Gaudreau is working on the fourth line to begin the year, which will likely have a limiting effect on his offense. Still, he can chip in decent depth scoring while working as a defensive center. His production has moved around in recent years -- his 24 points in 68 games in 2025-26 is on the low end of his capabilities. However, as a depth forward, it's unlikely he'll do enough to gain widespread appeal in fantasy.

Stephenson scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flames.

Stephenson tallied on a quick-developing play assisted by Vince Dunn and Joey Daccord. The 32-year-old Stephenson typically isn't a shoot-first player, instead focusing on facilitating offense as a playmaker on the second line. The center produced 49 points over 80 outings in 2025-26, right in line with his previous two years. Expect roughly 15 goals, 50 points and a decent chunk of power-play usage once again.

Beniers scored a goal, added an assist, logged two hits, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flames.

Beniers started the season well in a game that saw the Kraken get contributions from all over the lineup. The quality of the opponent is a factor, but Beniers will often be in a position to produce offense for the Kraken this year as the team's top-line center. He's coming off a 20-goal, 50-point campaign in 2025-26, and similar production can be expected this year.

Helenius scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Helenius is getting a look as a middle-six forward to begin the season. The 20-year-old did well over nine regular-season games last year, picking up four points, 10 hits and 15 shots on net, and he added two goals on 10 shots over four playoff games. Helenius can play with a bit of an edge, giving him multi-category upside in deeper fantasy formats if his offense is steady.

Olivier scored an empty-net goal on three shots, added seven PIM, doled out three hits and went plus-2 in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Sabres.

Olivier is a bottom-six agitator, and he was doing the job well Thursday. He had a fight with Zach Metsa in the second period. Olivier posted 26 points in 61 regular-season games in 2025-26, as well as 209 hits and 101 PIM. He's shown the potential to produce at least 25 points with elite hit and PIM totals the last two years, so keep an eye on him for banger leagues.