NHL Player News

Chytil scored twice on five shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Flames.

Chytil's first goal came from a fortunate bounce, and he buried a pass from Arshdeep Bains a few minutes later as part of a four-goal third period for the Canucks. This was a positive start for Chytil, who is possibly miscast as a second-line center -- though he's currently the best option for the job in Vancouver. Last year, he put up 26 points over 56 regular-season outings between the Canucks and the Rangers. A strong performance in 2025-26 could allow Chytil to stay on the second line, though center depth is the most glaring need for the team to address even if he plays well.

Pinto scored twice, including the go-ahead goal with 1:47 remaining, and added an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Lightning on Thursday.

Pinto punched a loose puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy after Jake Sanderson made a power move to the net and left a rebound for the taking. Pinto's first goal had tied the contest 3-3 on a breakaway at 15:09 of the third. He is coming off a career-high 21 goals and 37 points over 70 games in 2024-25, and the 24-year-old could be on the precipice of a breakout.

Kunin recorded an assist, two blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Flyers.

Kunin wasn't expected to play much after singing a one-year contract with the Panthers in late August. However, Aleksander Barkov's (knee) absence for the full regular season has shifted the center depth for Florida, allowing Kunin to begin the year as a fourth-liner over Cole Schwindt and Noah Gregor. Kunin has racked up three shots on net, one hit, two blocks, four PIM and a plus-2 rating over his first two games of the year. He had 31 points over 63 outings in 2019-20 but has topped the 20-point mark just once in the five years since then, so he has minimal scoring upside.

Carrick logged an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Sabres.

Carrick has filled a fourth-line role to begin the season, keeping Juuso Parssinen and Jonny Brodzinski in the press box. The 33-year-old Carrick is a defensive center, so his contributions aren't likely to be of much help in fantasy. He had a career-high 20 points with 137 hits and 58 PIM over 80 regular-season outings in 2024-25, and that level of production is likely a best-case scenario for the remainder of his career. However, it's a positive that he's been playing fairly well after missing a few days due to a lower-body injury during the preseason.

Point had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 loss to Ottawa on Thursday.

Point put the Bolts up 2-0 at the 7:00 mark of the first with a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Linus Ullmark to the far post, while both assists came on the power play. The 29-year-old Point has put up 139 goals and 128 assists over the last three seasons (240 games), and there's no reason to think he won't replicate that high-level production heading into 2025-26.

Drury notched an assist and won 15 of 21 faceoffs in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Mammoth.

Drury had an impressive game at the dot, which will be important if he is to hold onto the third-line center role. The 25-year-old has yet to put a shot on net this year while adding a hit and a blocked shot. The Avalanche rely heavily on their top players for scoring, so expect Drury's duties to be more defensive in nature, though he could still produce 20-25 points.

Colton scored a goal on four shots and added two hits in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Mammoth.

Colton tallied midway through the first period to open the scoring. The 29-year-old has been playing on the wing in a third-line role to begin 2025-26, and he's unlikely to see a larger role as long as the Avalanche stay relatively healthy at forward. He's picked up four hits and five shots on net over two games. Colton exceeded 30 points in three straight years before just missing that mark in the 2024-25 regular season, so he has some appeal in deeper fantasy formats, especially in those that count hits.

MacKinnon scored a power-play goal on four shots and added two hits in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Mammoth.

Ian Cole's interference penalty came back to haunt the Mammoth, as MacKinnon's tally on the ensuring power play was the game-winner. The 30-year-old superstar has already supplied three points, six shots on net and a plus-2 rating over his first two games of the campaign. MacKinnon is as automatic as anyone for fantasy.

Lundell scored a power-play goal Thursday in a 2-1 win over the Flyers.

Lundell is the obvious choice to pick up the offensive slack with the absence of Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, but his defense-first focus could get in the way. This goal is a great sign -- he wired a sharp wrister from the right circle that beat Dan Vladar. Lundell set a career-best mark last season with 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists), and he'll attempt to build on his momentum this year.

Miller scored a goal and added an assist in Thursday's 4-0 win over Buffalo.

Miller's goal came on a beauty tip of Braden Schneider's point shot for a 3-0 lead at 17:11 of the final frame. The intense pivot scored at a 90-point pace (13 goals and 22 assists in 32 games) after returning to the Rangers last season. Miller's skill set and edgy temperament will help carry the Rangers this season, although he may not be strong enough to lift them into the postseason.