NHL Player News

Bichsel notched an assist, two PIM and a plus-4 rating in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Islanders.

Bichsel helped to force a turnover and then set up Mikko Rantanen on the Stars' last goal. The 22-year-old Bichsel isn't a strong source of offense, but he is playing in a top-four role at even strength. He has a helper, six shots on net, 24 hits, 19 blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-2 rating over 11 outings this season. If he continues to block shots at a significant rate, he'll have some appeal in banger leagues, though hits will be his top area of production.

Korchinski notched an assist and went plus-2 in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Panthers.

Korchinski has had limited opportunities to play this season -- this was just his second game. The defenseman did better than in his first outing Oct. 3 versus the Sabres, though he had a miscue that led to a Florida goal. Korchinski is a non-factor in fantasy until his place in the lineup stabilizes. He'll battle with Ethan Del Mastro for playing time until Bowen Byram (upper body) is ready to return.

The Flyers announced Monday that Ristolainen is expected to miss approximately two weeks due to an upper-body injury.

Ristolainen returned to game action Saturday against the Ducks following a nine-game absence due to a hand injury. However, head coach Rick Tocchet said Monday that Ristolainen aggravated the issue, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, which will result in another multi-week absence. Ristolainen could return at some point in the first half of November, but the Flyers' blue line will get a boost before then as Cam York (upper body) has been practicing recently and appears to be trending toward a return.

Nikishin (not injury related) will need some time before he makes his 2026-27 debut, according to Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal on Monday.

After agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Hurricanes on Sunday, Nikishin has no timeline in place for his season debut. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters Monday that Nikishin will need a "mini training camp" to get up to speed. The 25-year-old Nikishin registered 11 goals, 33 points, 132 hits, 122 shots on net and 94 blocked shots in 81 regular-season appearances with Carolina in 2025-26.

Schaefer scored a goal in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Stars.

Schaefer found twine for a second straight game and extended his point streak to four games (two goals, two assists). His offensive involvement, both at even strength and on the power play, and his ability to contribute across multiple categories make him a valuable fantasy asset in all formats. He has cracked the scoresheet in eight of his last 10 appearances, tallying two goals and eight assists over that span.

Hughes scored a power-play goal on three shots and added an assist in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Canucks.

This was Hughes' first game back in Vancouver after the trade that sent him to Minnesota in December of 2025. The 27-year-old defenseman was able to break an eight-game goal drought with Sunday's performance. He's looked the part of an elite defenseman with three goals, 13 helpers, six power-play points, 37 shots on net and a plus-7 rating over 13 appearances this season. Hughes is still playing for his next contract, whether that's in Minnesota or elsewhere, so he'll be motivated to have a strong campaign.

Toews scored a goal in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Predators.

Toews has three points over his last two games. The defenseman continues to enjoy a bounce-back season, which was somewhat expected given his track record. He's up to four goals, six assists, 17 shots on net, seven blocked shots and a plus-11 rating over 12 appearances this season. He's safe to roster in virtually all fantasy formats, though he'll need a bit more non-scoring production to come through if his offense dips.

Skjei notched an assist and two shots on goal in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Avalanche.

Skjei ended a six-game point drought with the helper. He's earned three assists, 13 shots on net, 17 hits, 14 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating over 11 appearances this season. The slow start hasn't cost him a top-four role yet, but the Predators have occasionally worked with seven blueliners in the lineup as they did Sunday, which often seems the team spread the minutes around more. Skjei is averaging just 19:36 of ice time this season -- he hasn't averaged less than 20 minutes per game since 2016-17 with the Rangers, his first full year in the league.

Josi notched three power-play assists, four shots on goal and four PIM in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Avalanche.

Josi has a trio of multi-assist games this season. He continues to be particularly effective on the power play, earning eight of his 11 helpers in that situation. The defenseman has 12 points, 27 shots on net, 18 blocked shots, 10 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 11 appearances on the year. Josi remains a steady fantasy option in a top-pairing role, especially with Nashville's power play converting one-third of its chances so far.

Fleury notched an assist and two blocked shots in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Canadiens in the Heritage Classic.

The helper was Fleury's first point in seven appearances this season. The 30-year-old defenseman is filling a third-pairing role, though his power-play usage is set to drop after Elias Salomonsson entered the lineup Sunday. Fleury has added 10 hits, six blocked shots and a minus-3 rating on the year. He had just four points and a minus-18 rating over 38 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, so there's little scoring upside in his game.