NHL Player News

Eichel scored a goal on two shots and added two assists in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.

He set up Victor Olofsson on the power play in the first period, then scored a goal of his own in the second before feeding Mark Stone for an empty-netter in the third. Eichel's tally was the 700th point of his NHL career, coming in his 691st game. The star center was a hot starter in 2025-26 as well, opening last year with six goals and 10 assists over the first seven games before settling in at a more sustainable pace. Eichel is likely to be worth the early-round pick it cost his fantasy managers to acquire his services this year.

Hart allowed two goals on 26 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Chicago didn't much going early on, and Hart limited the damage to a goal in each of the last two periods. The 28-year-old Hart is in a good spot to pick up wins, as he'll have a sturdy defense in front of him throughout the year. He's projected to be the Golden Knights' top goalie throughout the campaign, though Adin Hill could get more looks if Hart hits a rough patch. Vegas' next game is Friday at home versus the Ducks.

McDavid registered two assists in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks.

McDavid helped out on the last two goals of Evan Bouchard's hat trick. The 29-year-old McDavid had multiple points in 46 games during the 2025-26 regular season, so fantasy managers can expect him to continue chipping in plenty of offense consistently. He's one of a handful of players with a real shot at averaging 1.5 points per game, and he should be a mainstay in all fantasy lineups.

Podkolzin scored twice on on seven shots, added five hits and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks.

Podkolzin's pair of goals came in the third period, with the second one being a power-play tally in the final minute to force overtime. The 25-year-old broke out with 19 goals and 37 points over 82 regular-season outings last year, though he still averaged just 28 seconds of power-play time per game. He has a chance to get more usage with the man advantage early in the campaign while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) is sidelined. At worst, Podkolzin is a middle-six power winger who can chip in enough offense to stay relevant in deeper fantasy formats, but there's upside if he gets consistent usage in scoring situations.

Bouchard had a hat trick, two assists, six shots on goal, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks.

Bouchard is the first defenseman in NHL history to put up five points in a season opener. It took Bouchard seven games to get on the scoresheet in 2025-26 but even with the slow start, the 26-year-old blueliner still finished last year with a career-high 95 points in the regular season. If the Oilers continue to play in high-scoring games, Bouchard is likely to be heavily involved. He's an elite fantasy defenseman and should be in the lineup whenever Edmonton's on the schedule.

Jarry allowed six goals on 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks.

Jarry didn't look sharp in his first start of the season. He had a decent preseason, but he is likely to have a short leash with the No. 1 job in Edmonton if he doesn't improve his performance. Frederik Andersen (knee) is out until at least December, but Devon Levi could leapfrog Jarry on the depth chart with a few good starts. It's not yet clear which of Jarry or Levi will get the nod for Thursday's road rematch against the Canucks.

Hronek logged a pair of assists, including one on the power play, and added two shots on net, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Oilers.

Hronek is off to a strong start as the Canucks' clear-cut top blueliner. The 28-year-old led the team with 25:08 of ice time and will likely continue to see heavy usage in all situations. He's coming off a career year of 49 points in 82 outings in 2025-26. There are few Canucks worth rostering in fantasy right out of the gate, but Hronek is one of them for managers who aren't concerned about plus-minus rating.

Mangiapane sustained a lower-body injury Tuesday versus the Golden Knights that will keep him out for at least the next two games, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

Mangiapane was pulled from the Blackhawks' season opener after getting hurt in the second period. With his absence set to span the rest of Chicago's season-opening road trip, the door is open for Teuvo Teravainen to get into the lineup. Mangiapane will likely be evaluated when the team gets back to Chicago, but the earliest he'll be back in the lineup is next Tuesday versus the Blues.

Lekkerimaki scored a goal in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Oilers.

Lekkerimaki won a job on the top line in training camp, which could lead to a breakout campaign. Expectations can be tempered for now -- he saw just 12:36 of ice time in the season opener, but the 22-year-old could certainly grow into a larger role. Over the previous two years, Lekkerimaki has been limited to nine points over 37 NHL games, but he's often been confined to the bottom six. Keep an eye on his production as 2026-27 progresses.

Rossi scored a goal in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Oilers.

Rossi is off to a positive start with a tally in the season opener. The center was held to 35 points over 50 appearances between the Wild and the Canucks in 2025-26, though injuries played a large part in his drop in production. He had 60 points the year before, so it's fair to expect a bounce-back effort. Rossi also looks secure as the second-line center until Filip Chytil (shoulder) is cleared to play. Rossi will weigh down fantasy rosters in plus-minus rating with little non-scoring production to counter it, but the offense could be worth the risk in deeper formats.