NHL Player News

Gaudreau tallied two goals, posted a plus-2 rating, placed two shots on net and recorded two blocked shots in Friday's 6-3 win over Detroit.

Gaudreau struck the back of the net twice across three minutes early in Friday's second period, where he showcased a strong connection with his new linemates Ryan Winterton and Ben Meyers. The 33-year-old Gaudreau is up to three goals, seven shots on net, three hits and five blocked shots across five outings to open the new season. He's just two seasons removed from an 18-goal, 37-point campaign with the Wild, and the veteran forward should have a safe role as the team's fourth-line center while looking to get back on track. Gaudreau is best left on waivers for now, but with a couple more performances similar to Friday's outing, he'll be a noteworthy waiver-wire pickup in deep fantasy leagues.

Avon scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Coachella Valley's 6-3 win over San Diego on Friday.

Avon has earned five points and four shots on net over three games this season. He's never come particularly close to a point-per-game pace in the AHL before, so it's unlikely he'll keep up this scoring rate all year. Avon will probably spend all of 2026-27 in the AHL.

Morrison scored twice and added an assist in AHL Coachella Valley's 6-3 win over San Diego on Friday.

Morrison made his season debut for the Firebirds in this contest. The 24-year-old had a career-high 61 points in 68 regular-season outings for Coachella Valley last year. If a bottom-six spot opens up with the Kraken, Morrison will be in contention for a call-up.

Brindley scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Colorado's 4-3 shootout win over Abbotsford on Friday.

Brindley has his first big game of the season with this effort. He earned six points in nine AHL regular-season games last year, as well as 13 points over 56 outings for the Avalanche. Heading back to the AHL could be seen as a setback, but Brindley still has enough potential to work his way back to the big club at some point during the year.

Lettieri scored two goals in AHL Toronto's 5-4 shootout win over Hamilton on Friday.

Lettieri has four points and 12 shots on net over three games to begin the AHL season. He's been a reliable scorer in the AHL throughout his career, which has often led to him getting call-ups. However, he didn't see any NHL action in 2025-26, so it appears Toronto may view him purely as organizational depth.

Nesbitt scored two goals in the University of Michigan's 10-1 win over the University of Alaska-Anchorage on Friday.

Nesbitt got on the scoresheet for the first time in three games in his freshman year of college. He had 58 points in 55 regular-season outings for OHL Windsor last year. Nesbitt was a first-round pick in 2025, so he may not exhaust all of his collegiate eligibility before turning pro.

McKinney scored twice and added two assists in the University of Michigan's 10-1 win over the University of Alaska-Anchorage on Friday.

McKinney was one of the Wolverines' top performers in the contest. The 19-year-old is in his sophomore year of college after putting up 20 points over 40 games as a freshman. McKinney is a Sharks prospect, selected 53rd overall in 2025.

Benak notched four assists in Western Michigan University's 5-1 win over Ferris State University on Friday.

This was Benak's second game in college. The Wild prospect dominated in the OHL last year with 28 goals and 49 assists over 48 regular-season contests with Brantford. Benak is in a good spot with the Broncos, one of the top teams in the NCAA to begin the campaign.

Reschny scored two goals in the University of North Dakota's 3-2 win over Bemidji State University on Friday.

Reschny earned his first multi-goal game in the NCAA with this performance. Last year, he thrived as a playmaker with six goals and 29 helpers over 36 appearances for the Fighting Hawks. Being more goal-dangerous would be a nice step for Reschny in his sophomore season, which would help round his overall profile.

Nesterenko scored an empty-net goal on two shots and added three hits in Friday's 5-1 win over the Jets.

Nesterenko has started the year with the Ducks, playing in all four games so far. He was shuffled onto the second line at even strength, though his 11:58 of ice time Friday was in line with his regular usage. The goal was his first point of the season to go with three shots on net, 16 hits, two PIM and a plus-1 rating. Nesterenko will need to display a bit more offense to be a real option in most fantasy formats.