NHL Player News

James (hand) will not be in the lineup versus the Wild on Thursday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

There had been some speculation that James might be ready to make his season debut versus the Wild, but it seems he will have to wait at least one more outing. For now, the Lightning will continue utilizing seven defensemen while the 24-year-old winger is on the shelf, though they could shift up their deployment when he returns.

Carlsson logged two power-play assists, two PIM and a minus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Oilers.

Carlsson has multiple points in three straight games to begin the season. He's done it mostly as a playmaker, earning one goal, six assists (five on the power play), two shots on net, three blocked shots and a minus-2 rating. The 21-year-old is centering the top line and should be a steady source of offense throughout the campaign.

Draisaitl recorded four assists, two shots on goal, two hits and a plus-4 rating in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.

Draisaitl played facilitator during the Oilers' five-goal second period, assisting on all of their even-strength tallies. All of the helpers were primary assists. Draisaitl hasn't gotten quite as much buzz as Connor McDavid or Evan Bouchard to start the year, but he's been virtually just as important. Draisaitl has three goals, six assists, 17 shots on net, three hits and a plus-8 rating over four contests this season.

McDavid scored a goal, dished two assists (including one on the power play), added two hits and went plus-4 in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.

McDavid has multiple points in all four of the Oilers' games this season. The 29-year-old superstar has three goals, nine assists, eight shots on net, four hits, three blocked shots and a plus-11 rating. McDavid is already in his usual spot atop the points leaderboard, though this pace is above even his lofty abilities. He'll be a force on offense all season as long as he avoids injuries.

Svechkov scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Jets.

Svechkov has opened the season as the Avalanche's third-line center. The 23-year-old typically plays more of a defensive role, so it's unlikely he'll be a major force on offense. These were his first two points of the season, and he's added four shots on net, two blocked shots, one hit and a plus-3 rating over three appearances.

Scheifele notched two assists and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Avalanche.

While linemates Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti are off to hot starts this year, Scheifele had been left in the dust. He changed that Wednesday, setting up a goal for each of his wingers in this impressive win. Scheifele has added six shots on net, two hits and an even plus-minus rating. Even with the slow start, the 33-year-old center's top-line usage and history of strong offense should give fantasy managers confidence he'll get on track sooner rather than later.

Perfetti scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Avalanche.

Perfetti's goal streak is up to three games, and he's yet to be held off the scoresheet this season. The 24-year-old winger has three goals, three assists, four power-play points, 12 shots on net, seven hits and a minus-1 rating over four appearances. Perfetti is playing right wing alongside the well-established top-line duo of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. If he stays there, Perfetti has a good chance of getting back to the 50-point mark after missing that threshold with 32 points over 68 outings in 2025-26.

Novak scored a goal on three shots and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Capitals.

Novak has had a strong start to the year while centering the second line. He has three goals, two assists, eight shots on net, four blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over four appearances. Novak has topped the 40-point mark in three of the previous four years, so he's definitely worth considering in fantasy, though his contributions will be mostly limited to points and shots.

Dach (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, per Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton.

Dach's placement might be retroactive to when he last played in Edmonton's 3-1 win over Seattle on Saturday. He has no points, two PIM, eight hits and three blocks in three outings this season. His injury coincides with the Oilers' acquisition of Filip Hallander, who might draw into the lineup for Edmonton against Anaheim on Wednesday. If Hallander isn't available so soon after being traded, then Mathieu Joseph might play instead due to the spot in the lineup vacated by Dach.

Dickinson (foot) will be in the lineup versus Anaheim on Wednesday, Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels reports.

Dickinson will make his 2026-27 season debut in a second-line role alongside Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapenen. In 17 regular-season games against the Ducks last year, the 31-year-old center registered one goal, three assists and 21 shots while averaging 15:03 of ice time.