NHL Player News

Rossi scored twice on four shots, dished a power-play assist, added two PIM and logged two hits in Thursday's 9-7 loss to the Oilers.

Rossi was involved in three goals in a span of 5:44 early in the third period. The 25-year-old center is off to a positive start with four points, five shots on net and two hits across two games this season. While most of the Canucks' roster can be ignored in fantasy, Rossi's spot on the second line makes him a moderately intriguing option if he can keep his scoring numbers up.

Frederic scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and logged two hits in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Canucks.

Frederic has handled fourth-line minutes so far this season, and his spot in the lineup should be safe while the Oilers are battling a handful of injuries. The winger has a goal, three shots on net and six hits over two contests. Frederic is coming off an abysmal seven-point performance in 74 regular-season outings last year, so there's almost nowhere to go but up. He'll be a better source of hits and PIM than offense, but he should still be able to get into the 15-20 point range if he plays regularly.

McDavid scored a shorthanded goal and added four assists, including two on the power play, in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Canucks.

McDavid's two assists in Tuesday's opener were a nice appetizer, but he delivered the main course in the second game of the year. The 29-year-old superstar had a trio of five-point efforts in the 2025-26 regular season, but he's able to pop off at any moment. With the Oilers' offense starting the year hot, fantasy managers are getting instant rewards if they were lucky enough to draft McDavid. He has seven points, three shots on net and a plus-5 rating through two contests.

Draisaitl scored twice on five shots, dished an assist and went plus-3 in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Canucks.

One of Draisaitl's goals came on the power play. The 30-year-old played alongside Connor McDavid in this contest as the injury-riddled Oilers opted to put one dominant line together. The offense is humming along so far, and Draisaitl has four points and 10 shots on net over two contests. He's a lock to be in fantasy lineups and should continue to produce at a high level as long as he can avoid injuries.

Luostarinen scored two goals, including one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Luostarinen had the Panthers' first two goals of the contest. The 28-year-old forward has added four shots on net and four hits over two games this season. He's seeing time on the third line, though he could be a candidate for power-play usage if Aleksander Barkov (leg) gets bad news with his injury evaluation after leaving Thursday's game early. Luostarinen has enough physicality to be useful in deeper fantasy formats, but he's topped the 40-point mark just once in his five full-length seasons.

Celebrini logged three assists and seven shots on goal in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers.

Celebrini had one assist on the power play and one while shorthanded as he had a hand in both of Will Smith's goals. He also helped out on Luca Cagnoni's overtime tally. The 20-year-old Celebrini had 45 goals and 115 points over 82 games in his second NHL campaign, and he's poised for more responsibility as the Sharks' captain. Expect him to take on more work on the penalty kill throughout the year as he develops into an all-around superstar rather than just an elite scorer.

Smith scored two goals, one on the power play and the other shorthanded, and added an assist in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers.

Smith and linemate Macklin Celebrini wasted no time in displaying their chemistry, as each went off for three points in the opener. The 21-year-old Smith typically hasn't seen much shorthanded usage in his career, but as he rounds out his game, he could be more involved there. He put up 24 goals, 59 points and 166 shots on net over 69 outings in the 2025-26 regular season. Smith could push for a point-per-game pace this year if he continues to develop well, though his fantasy contributions will be limited to offense.

Schmaltz scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 6-0 win over the Blackhawks.

Schmaltz stretched the Mammoth's lead to 3-0 in the second period. The 30-year-old is operating as the top-line center to start the year, though he took just four faceoffs compared to Vincent Trocheck's 14 draws in the season opener. Both players could end up gaining multi-position eligibility if they continue to line up with Schmaltz down the middle and Trocheck on the right. Most importantly, Schmaltz remains in a top-line spot and on the first power-play unit, usage that led to a career year of 33 goals and 74 points over 82 regular-season outings in 2025-26.

Barkov sustained an apparent left leg injury Thursday versus the Sharks, but an update on his status isn't expected until Friday, Panthers TV Rinkside Reporter Katie Engleson reports.

Barkov's injury isn't related at all to his devastating right ACL and MCL injuries from last year. His left leg buckled underneath him as he fell to the ice in a board battle during the second period Thursday, and Barkov was visibly upset when he left the ice. While it's definitely possible he'll miss time, the severity of the injury won't be known until his evaluation is completed.

Zibanejad had a goal and an assist in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Lightning.

Zibanejad opened the scoring in the first on the power play. It was a huge confidence boost for the team at home, as they didn't score at Madison Square Garden last season until 57 seconds into their fourth game. Zibanejad is fresh off a 34-goal, 78-point season, the third-highest point total of his career. This is his 16th season. His 35 power-play points last season was the second-highest total of his career.