NHL Player News

Samanski was recalled under emergency conditions by the Oilers on Thursday.

With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) shifting to injured reserve, the Oilers had just 12 healthy forwards on their active roster, giving Samanski the opportunity to return to the big leagues. He just missed out on the team's Opening Night roster, as the Oilers opted to go with Owen Michaels for the fourth-line center role. The 24-year-old Samanski appeared in 24 regular-season games with the Oilers in 2025-26, where he posted two goals, four points, nine shots on net, 27 hits and 14 blocked shots. He'll likely be a rotational forward on the team's fourth line for as long as Nugent-Hopkins remains shelved.

Regula (undisclosed) was designated for long-term injured reserve Thursday.

Regula continues to work his way back from offseason surgery that caused him to miss the entire preseason. With the shift to LTIR, the 26-year-old defenseman can be expected to miss at least the next nine games, having already been out of action for one, though it could be longer, considering the team hasn't provided a specific update.

Malkin scored a power-play goal and put two shots on net in Wednesday's 7-0 Opening Night win over Philadelphia.

For the second straight season, Malkin got involved on the Opening Night box score. To open the 2026-27 campaign, the 40-year-old forward scored Pittsburgh's first power-play goal of the evening early in the second period. He has officially started the 21st season of his illustrious NHL career, where he has scored 534 goals and posted 1,408 points across 1270 career regular-season games. Malkin is a staple in Pittsburgh's top six and should continue to provide solid offensive numbers for fantasy managers this season.

The Oilers placed Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) on injured reserve Thursday.

Nugent-Hopkins missed Tuesday's Opening Night matchup against the Canucks and is expected to be sidelined for about two weeks to begin the regular season. As a result, it isn't very surprising to see him officially placed on injured reserve. The 33-year-old made 72 regular-season appearances last year, recording 20 goals, 36 assists, 31 blocked shots, 25 hits and 21 PIM while averaging 19:04 of ice time.

Savoie (lower body) was shifted to long-term injured reserve Thursday.

By moving Savoie to LTIR, the Oilers will get some cap relief while he is sidelined, as their injuries have started to pile up. The 22-year-old forward logged all 82 regular-season games in his rookie campaign, generating 18 goals and 19 assists, including seven power-play points. Considering Savoie is expected to miss at least the first two weeks of the season, fantasy managers probably shouldn't be expecting him to significantly outperform those numbers in 2026-27.

Zellweger (concussion) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.

Zellweger had already been ruled out versus the Blue Jackets on Thursday, though his availability for Saturday's clash with Chicago remains in question thanks to the team using a retroactive IR designation. With the open roster spot, the Sabres brought up Dennis Gilbert from the minors.

Cowan scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Islanders.

He added three shots on net, two hits and a plus-1 rating to his ledger. Cowan's off to a quick start to 2026-27, collecting a goal and three points in the Leafs' first two games, and a consistent spot in the middle six and on the second power-play unit positions the 21-year-old winger to take a big step forward with his production after he delivered 11 goals and 29 points in 66 regular-season games as a rookie last season.

Stolarz stopped 26 shots in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Islanders.

The veteran netminder took a shutout into the third period, only for Emil Heineman to spoil it with a shortie, but it was still an impressive start to the campaign for Stolarz. He's set to handle backup duties behind new No. 1 Sergei Bobrovsky, but the former Panther's decline last season could open the door for Stolarz to see more work than expected if its continues, provided he can stay healthy enough to take advantage.

Heineman scored a shorthanded goal on his only shot on net while adding three hits in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.

The 24-year-old winger spoiled Anthony Stolarz's shutout bid with just under six minutes left in the third period, banging home a nifty feed from Bo Horvat on the counterattack. Heineman broke out with 22 goals in 2025-26 while racking up a team-high 247 hits, but his offensive surge could be tough to repeat without consistent power-play time.

Chinakhov tallied a goal and placed three shots on net in Wednesday's 7-0 Opening Night win over the Flyers.

Chinakhov picked up where he left off last season, as he found the back of the net on a third-period power play to cap off Wednesday's big win. The 25-year-old winger flipped a switch offensively when the Penguins acquired him from Columbus in late December, as he went off for 18 goals and 36 points across 43 regular-season outings with Pittsburgh. As long as his hot streak continues, Chinakhov will likely be penciled in as a top-six winger for the foreseeable future, making him a solid fantasy option in leagues that heavily value offensive contributions.