NHL Player News

Blackwood allowed one goal on 26 shots in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Blues.

The Blues were on the second half of a back-to-back, and the Avalanche capitalized on it. Blackwood did much better in this game than in his first start of the year, when he allowed four goals on 31 shots against the Kings on Wednesday. He's made both starts for the Avalanche this year, but it's unclear if that's part of a larger trend for him to function as the starter. Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood should split the next two games, as the Avalanche are set to visit the Jets on Wednesday and the Flames on Thursday in a pair of winnable matchups.

Thompson had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Blackhawks on Saturday.

His goal was classic big man hockey. Thompson won the draw, drove the net and deflected the point shot past Spencer Knight. The big pivot is coming off his third 40-goal season in his last four campaigns and an 81-point, 85-hit season. Thompson is also fourth on the goal scorer's list in the last three seasons with 85 behind Leon Draisaitl (90), Cole Caufield (90) and Nathan MacKinnon (87).

Kulich scored a goal Saturday in a 4-3 win over Chicago.

Cue the tears -- it was Kulich's first goal in 11 months after the talented young player missed most of last season with a blood clot. He last scored Oct. 24, 2025; his last game was Nov. 1. "That was probably the main thing I was dreaming about the whole year (after) not playing," Kulich told reporters after the game. "After that one, it was a lot of emotions. So, yeah, that one is going to be special for sure." Kulich returned to hockey Thursday in the season opener. The competitive forward has a fantastic shot and 25-30 goal upside if his development curve resumes. The Sabres will ease him back into the game on the fourth line for now.

Bobrovsky made 26 saves Saturday in a 3-2 loss to the Senators.

Bobrovsky remains winless in two starts this season with a 3.06 GAA and .887 save percentage. His stat line is more indicative of a team needing to gel in front of him than a condemnation of his effort or skill. Bob is doing his part, and those numbers will improve once the team clicks.

Matthews scored a goal Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa.

He showed off his silky mitts on a beautiful tip from a Morgan Rielly shot early in the second period to open the scoring for the Leafs. Matthews fired a team-high six shots in 21:50, second only in ice time to Darren Raddysh. The superstar has had a quiet start to the season -- this was his first point in three games. But he rang the post and had a jump in his step Saturday. Matthews is looking to rebound from an injury-riddled 2025-26 where he scored just 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games. Right now, he's working on chemistry with new linemate Kirill Marchenko, a duo that could light up the league when they fully click.

Nabokov recorded a 32-save shutout in AHL Colorado's 2-0 win over Tucson on Saturday.

Nabokov was making his AHL debut, and he made it a memorable one. The 23-year-old goalie came over from the KHL in the offseason after being a second-round pick in 2024. Nabokov will work on his development in the AHL until a spot opens up for him on the Avalanche's roster.

Marchenko scored a goal Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa.

It was his first goal as a Maple Leaf. Marchenko was at the right side of the net on the power play when Darren Raddysh fed him the puck, and he quickly went to his backhand and put it past Linus Ullmark's blocker. The Leafs are yet to win this season, but the trade that brought Marchenko to Toronto already looks like a victory.

Giroux delivered two assists in a 3-2 win over Toronto on Saturday.

The 38-year-old veteran of 1,013 NHL games looked sharp out of the gate Saturday. Giroux is on the third line and will see duty on the second power-play unit. He's settled into a groove where he delivers about 50 points, including double digits on the power play, while continuing to win at least 500 faceoffs. Last season, Giroux's efficiency was excellent (63.1 percent) with 504 wins, and he delivered 600 wins (61.5 percent) the year before. He still has fantasy value in his tank.

Amadio scored a goal Saturday in a 3-2 season-opening win over Toronto.

He knotted the game 2-2 in the second off a deft saucer pass from Tim Stutzle that went over a sprawling Morgan Rielly right to the winger, who redirected it past Sergei Bobrovsky. Amadio is fresh off the best season of his career, with 15 goals, 20 assists and 105 hits in 81 games, and he finds himself on a top-nine line with Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux. He could be a smart waiver grab in banger leagues.

Jeannot scored a goal in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Wild.

Jeannot's goal opened the scoring, but the Bruins ran out of steam in the second game of their back-to-back. The 29-year-old forward has opened the season as a fixture on the fourth line. He's racked up 10 hits and two PIM over three contests, with his goal Saturday being his first point of the campaign. Jeannot can help in banger leagues, but he's unlikely to score enough to be useful in standard fantasy formats, though he had 22 points in 77 regular-season outings last year.