NHL Player News

Cernak recorded an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.

Cernak had a secondary assist on Nikita Kucherov's first empty-netter. Offense has never been much of a component of Cernak's play -- he's a physical shutdown defenseman who can handle top-four minutes. He's also reached the 70-game mark just once in his first six campaigns, so any fantasy managers counting on him for hits and blocked shots should have a backup plan in place. Last campaign, he produced two goals, 11 helpers, 198 hits, 109 blocks and 63 PIM over 69 regular-season appearances.

Boqvist (face) will return to the lineup Saturday against Buffalo, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Boqvist missed just one game after being struck in the face by a puck in Florida's opener. The 24-year-old Boqvist figures to fill a bottom-pairing role for the Panthers, though he could see time on the top power-play combination.

Morrissey picked up an even-strength assist in Friday's 2-1 overtime win against the Blackhawks.

Morrissey registered the secondary assist on Mark Scheifele's game-winning goal in overtime. In addition to producing a helper, Morrissey had two shots, two blocks and a plus-2 rating to go along with a team-high 26:17 of ice time. He is the team's No. 1 defenseman and quarterbacks Winnipeg's top power-play unit, giving him plenty of opportunities to secure points. Through the first two games of the 2024-25 campaign, Morrissey is up to three assists and a plus-4 rating.

Hedman notched three assists, including two on the power play, and two shots on goal in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.

Hedman is an elite defenseman in the NHL, and he delivered an impressive outing in Tampa Bay's season opener. He was involved directly in three of the team's goals, including two in the power play. Hedman has notched at least 60 assists in two of the last three seasons. He should remain one of the most productive blueliners in the NHL as long as he remains healthy, thanks to his integral roles on one of the top-scoring rosters in the league.

Forbort logged an assist and went plus-2 in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Flyers.

Forbort set up a Teddy Blueger tally in the second period. The 32-year-old Forbort signed a one-year deal with the Canucks in July after playing for the Bruins over the last three seasons. He was limited to four assists in 35 regular-season contests in 2023-24, and he spent two stints on long-term injured reserve with undisclosed ailments. The defenseman will fill a third-pairing role for the Canucks, and given his failure to earn a 20-point season so far in his career, he will have very minimal fantasy value.

York scored a goal and added two PIM in Friday's 3-2 shootout win over the Canucks.

York's goal early in the third period was enough to force overtime. The 23-year-old defenseman produced 10 goals, 20 assists, 174 blocked shots and 134 shots on goal over 82 games in 2023-24, but his production was bolstered by averaging 2:05 per contest with the man advantage. He's not on a power-play unit to begin this season, but that could change if Egor Zamula or Jamie Drysdale struggle. Still, York's fantasy upside is capped if he doesn't get more favorable assignments for offense.

Broberg notched an assist and two shots on goal in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights.

Broberg has a goal, two assists, five shots on net and a plus-2 rating over three contests to begin the season. It's taken little time for Broberg to settle into a top-four role with the Blues -- he's averaged 19:27 of ice time per game. The 23-year-old blueliner entered this season with a total of 13 points over 81 appearances, but he's well on his way to enjoying a breakout campaign.

Parayko produced an assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights.

Parayko has an assist in each of his last two games. The defenseman helped out on a Robert Thomas tally in the third period. Parayko is seeing steady top-four minutes to begin 2024-25, and in addition to his pair of helpers, he's logged nine shots on net, three hits and nine blocked shots. His steady contributions in the non-scoring areas give him some appeal in deeper fantasy formats.

Faulk notched a power-play assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights.

Faulk has a goal and three assists, including two power-play helpers, over the first three games of the season. The defenseman led all Blues skaters with 25:53 of ice time in this contest, and that may be a regular thing since he's displayed the most scoring upside from the blue line this season. The veteran defenseman has added five blocked shots, three hits and four shots on net.

Pietrangelo recorded an assist and two hits in Friday's 4-3 win over the Blues.

Pietrangelo helped out on a Nicolas Roy tally in the third period. The helper was Pietrangelo's first point in two games this year, as he hasn't enjoyed the offensive success that his defense partner, Shea Theodore, has found early on. At 34 years old, Pietrangelo's offense is prone to decline -- he was limited to 33 points in 64 regular-season contests. His fantasy value remains at a decent level, especially in formats that count blocked shots, though he's yet to step in front of a puck this season. He's finished with 100-plus blocks in every full-length seasons since 2010-11.