NHL Player News

Karlsson logged two assists, two shots on goal and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

Karlsson was on the top line Saturday, which likely helped him break out for a multi-point game. He's earned three assists, five shots on net, two PIM and a minus-1 rating over three contests this season. The Canucks forward combinations are far from settled, so don't be surprised to see Karlsson bounce around the lineup, which could lead to swings in his production on offense.

Pettersson scored a goal and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

Pettersson has racked up four hits, six blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over three contests this season. The 22-year-old defenseman has maintained steady time on the third pairing, but he will need to remain effective in the defensive zone, as the Canucks are carrying eight blueliners to start the year. Pettersson should be able to build on his 10-point effort from 70 outings in 2025-26, and he'll be a steady source of hits and blocked shots.

Raty scored an empty-net goal on three shots and added two hits in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

Raty took a hit from Kevin Bahl in the second period that sent the Canuck to the locker room, but he was able to finish the game. Raty got the last laugh with the empty-netter to open his account for the season. The 23-year-old center was scratched for the first two contests of the campaign, but he got to draw in while Jake DeBrusk (illness) was unavailable. Raty may not be a full-time player early in the campaign, but a spot could open up when injuries arise or trades occur to free up space. Last year, Raty logged 14 points over 66 regular-season appearances, and he added 165 hits.

O'Connor scored a goal on two shots, logged three hits and added two PIM in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

O'Connor has collected a goal, an assist, five shots, seven hits, four blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over three contests. The 28-year-old is filling a bottom-six role, so his scoring potential is likely to be limited. O'Connor had 29 points over 82 games with the Canucks last year, and production around that level is a fair expectation for 2026-27.

Ohgren scored a goal on three shots, added an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

Ohgren worked on the second line Saturday, logging 17:19 of ice time. The line combinations are still a work in progress for the Canucks, but Ohgren has made a good impression so far with a goal, three assists, five shots on net and a plus-2 rating over three contests. If he can secure steady top-six minutes and power-play time, there's a case to be made for a breakout campaign for the 2022 first-rounder.

Merilainen stopped 23 of 24 shots in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

Getting away from the Oilers made things look a lot better for the Canucks. Merilainen presumably got the start as a reward for his decent relief performance versus Edmonton on Thursday. The 24-year-old netminder has allowed just two goals on 35 shots over his two appearances for the Canucks. He probably won't be that good in the long run, given the rebuilding team in front of him, but he could unseat Kevin Lankinen for the No. 1 job. It'll likely be Lankinen who gets the harder matchup of the weekend Sunday at home versus the Golden Knights.

Clarke logged two assists, including one on the power play, and added five shots on goal, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Clarke has racked up six shots, four blocks, five PIM and a minus-1 rating over two contests. The 23-year-old defenseman is in a position to take over as the leader on the blue line as Drew Doughty's role continues to shrink. Clarke had 40 points, 185 blocks and 63 PIM over 82 regular-season outings last year, and it wouldn't be surprising for his offense to find another level in 2026-27.

Haula scored a goal on two shots in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Haula tallied midway through the third period, cutting the Kings' deficit to 4-3. The 35-year-old has opened the season in a third-line role, earning two points, five shots and a minus-2 rating over two contests. Haula had 38 points in 81 regular-season games with the Predators last year. He's not a standout on offense, but he does enough scoring and hitting to fill a bench spot in fantasy.

Panarin scored a goal on four shots and added a power-play assist in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Panarin has started the year well with three points over two games, but he has also posted a minus-2 rating. The winger was one of four Kings to earn multiple points Saturday, a group that also included linemates Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield. Panarin could lead the Kings in points this season, especially if he remains effective with the man advantage.

Byfield scored a power-play goal on four shots and added an assist in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Byfield was held off the scoresheet in the Kings' season opener. He's operating as the top-line center this year following the retirement of Anze Kopitar, but the added responsibility could lead to some growing pains early on. Byfield has a minus-3 rating, seven shots on net and two blocked shots over two contests. He's still worth having in fantasy as a forward who can chip in around 50 points with a decent share of shots and hits, and he should also see significant power-play time.