NHL Player News

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.

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.

Halliday scored a goal in a 3-2 victory over Toronto on Saturday.

Halliday jammed in a rebound from the side of the net just as a Senators power play ended in the third period. It stood as the winner. Halliday has just 30 games under his NHL belt, but he's earned a role as the Sens' fourth-line pivot. It was his first career game-winning goal.

Shaw scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Iowa's 4-3 shootout win over Texas on Saturday.

Shaw is back in the Wild's organization after two years with AHL Manitoba. In those campaigns, he produced 32 goals and 49 assists over 143 regular-season contests while adding some grit. He had previous spent parts of seven seasons with Iowa, and he's now captaining the minor-league club as a veteran forward.

Geekie scored a goal Saturday in a 3-1 win over Washington. It stood as the winner.

Geekie fired a one-timer from the right circle that beat Charlie Lindgren stick side. He's earned the fourth-line center role in Tampa Bay, and there's every opportunity for the young pivot to deliver a new career mark if he can focus his game this season. Geekie's best came two seasons ago with 14 points, including eight goals, in 52 games. Last year, he took another step in the AHL with 28 goals, 51 assists, a plus-12 rating and 82 PIM. He represented Syracuse at the AHL All-Star Classic.

Guentzel scored a goal and added an assist in Saturday's 3-1 win over Washington.

The Great Guentzel has averaged 84 points, including 39 goals, 29 power-play points and 218 shots over the last two seasons. That puts him squarely in the NHL's top-20 offensive players. Guentzel is poised to deliver similar numbers this season.

Calvert scored twice in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's 3-2 loss to Springfield on Saturday.

Calvert is in his third AHL campaign. He posted 38 points in 70 regular-season appearances last season while on a minor-league deal, which was enough to earn the 23-year-old an entry-level contract. It'll still be a while before he gets his NHL debut, but he has shown he can score in the AHL.

Barkov (knee) was placed on long-term injured reserve Saturday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Barkov will miss at least 10 games and 24 days following his LTIR placement. The Panthers might provide a timeline for his return after Saturday's practice. Barkov injured his left leg in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose. He sat out the entire 2025-26 campaign after he had reconstructive surgery to repair his right ACL and MCL.

Gustafsson was placed on waivers by the Penguins on Saturday.

The Penguins designated Gustafsson on the non-roster list ahead of his move to waivers. The 26-year-old center hasn't played in the NHL since the 2024-25 campaign, but he signed a one-year deal in the offseason for the first change of scenery in his hockey career. Across 48 regular-season games with AHL Manitoba, he posted 10 goals and 32 points. If he clears waivers over the next 24 hours, he will likely report to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Kindel (lower body) was activated from injured reserve Saturday.

Pittsburgh cleared a spot by designating David Gustafsson as a non-roster player before placing him on waivers. Kindel will be available to return to the lineup against Montreal on Saturday after missing Wednesday's season-opening 7-0 win over Philadelphia.