NHL Player News

Gustafsson posted a power-play assist, three shots on goal and a minus-2 rating in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Penguins.

Gustafsson had to fill a larger role than expected in his Detroit debut, as Jeff Petry (upper body) left the game early. Gustafsson was signed by the Red Wings as a direct replacement for Shayne Gostisbehere -- a third-pairing option who can also run a power play. The 32-year-old Gustafsson had 31 points (nine on the power play) over 76 regular-season outings with the Rangers last season. If Petry misses time, Gustafsson may be pressed into a top-four role, though his defensive struggles could largely offset the extra opportunities he'd receive with more ice time.

Pettersson scored a goal on four shots, dished an assist and blocked three shots in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Red Wings.

Pettersson earned both points in a three-goal second period for the Penguins. The 28-year-old defenseman has a strong reputation for his play in his own zone, but he also produced a career-high 30 points with a plus-28 rating, 121 hits and 159 blocked shots in 82 games last season. He's a top-four lock for Pittsburgh and can provide sneaky category coverage in fantasy despite a near-total lack of power-play time.

Karlsson scored a power-play goal on two shots, added an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Red Wings.

Karlsson and the rest of the Penguins were held off the scoresheet versus the Rangers on Wednesday, but the star defenseman was able to bounce back in the second game of the year. The 34-year-old was limited to 56 points in 82 appearances last season, and his 99 blocked shots were his most in six years. Karlsson's spot on the top power-play unit will give him a safe floor on offense as long as he can stay healthy.

Rutta logged an assist and blocked six shots in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Blues.

Rutta is more of a shutdown defenseman, but he's likely to fill a top-four role this season, so he could still make an impact on offense. The 34-year-old blueliner had 19 points in 69 appearances in 2023-24, his highest total since 2017-18. Rutta also had a minus-21 rating in his first year with the Sharks, and that's an area that will be difficult for him to improve as the team remains in its rebuilding phase.

Walman notched an assist and blocked seven shots in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Blues.

Walman had the secondary helper on Macklin Celebrini's first NHL goal. The 28-year-old Walman is set to play in a much larger role than he's ever had in the NHL -- he opened the campaign on the top pairing and first power-play unit. Walman had a career-high 21 points, including four on the power play, over 63 contests with the Red Wings last year before he was traded in a salary dump to San Jose in June. While he's poised for a career year, the move to the Sharks will likely saddle him with an ugly plus-minus rating.

Parayko notched an assist, three shots on goal and four blocked shots in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win over the Sharks.

Parayko set up Brayden Schenn's goal 45 seconds into overtime, which completed a comeback from a three-goal deficit. The 31-year-old Parayko is the Blues' top shutdown defenseman this year, though he's not a total slouch on offense with four seasons of 30-plus points across his first nine NHL campaigns. Through two contests in 2024-25, he has contributed seven shots on net, seven blocked shots, two hits and a plus-1 rating. Justin Faulk and Philip Broberg have more offensive upside on St. Louis' blue line, but Parayko is a fine all-around option in deeper fantasy formats.

Broberg notched an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win over the Sharks.

Broberg helped out on a Pavel Buchnevich tally in the first period. With a goal and an assist over his first two games, Broberg has fit right in on the Blues' second pairing after signing an offer sheet with the team in August. At 23 years old, he still has a lot to prove over the course of a full season, but the early returns have been promising. He's an interesting depth defender for fantasy given his spot on the second power-play unit.

Suter scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win over the Sharks.

Suter brought the Blues within a goal by scoring at 6:11 of the third period. The 39-year-old produced just 17 points in 82 regular-season outings in 2023-24 with the Stars before he was bought out this summer. For now, he's a regular on the Blues' third pairing, but Pierre-Olivier Joseph or Scott Perunovich could push him for that spot if Suter's play slips. In addition to his goal, he has four shots on net and two blocked shots over the first two games of 2024-25.

Faulk scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win over the Sharks.

Faulk again came up clutch after a two-assist game in the season opener. This time around, his tally tied the game at 4-4 in the final minute of regulation. The 32-year-old defenseman has added two shots on net, three hits, two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over two contests so far. Faulk's well on his way to surpassing his 30-point campaign from 2023-24 as he plays a significant all-situations role this season.

Carlo had two assists and one hit in Thursday's 6-4 win over Montreal.

Carlo picked up secondary assists on Boston's final two goals. Multi-point games are infrequent for Carlo, who last accomplished the feat in December of 2022.