NHL Player News

Gaudette scored a goal and took three shots in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Islanders.

Gaudette ended up playing Tuesday despite dealing with an illness and logged over 13 minutes of ice time for the second consecutive outing. He bagged his second goal of the season, but as a bottom-six forward on a winless team that has been struggling to score of late, his fantasy upside is minimal. He has only three points through six outings in 2025-26.

Martin was returned to OHL Soo on Wednesday.

Martin had an assist, two shots and two blocks in three appearances with Nashville before being reassigned. The 18-year-old has tons of potential, and he can use his brief stint in the NHL as extra motivation while playing with Soo. He had 33 goals, 72 points and 68 PIM across 57 regular-season outings with Soo last year.

Dea agreed to terms on a one-year contract with DEL team Eisbaren Berlin on Wednesday, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.

Dea spent the last two seasons playing in the KHL and appeared in 16 appearances for KHL club Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik this year before agreeing to a move to Germany. The 31-year-old Dea hasn't logged an NHL game since 2022-23 when he was with Arizona. At this point, Dea shouldn't be expected back in North America any time soon.

Dunne was reassigned to AHL Rochester on Wednesday.

Dunne's demotion could be an indication that Beck Malenstyn (personal) will rejoin the team for Wednesday's clash with the Red Wings. In his two outings this season, the 26-year-old Dunne failed to register a point while notching three hits and one shot in only 6:30 of ice time. He hasn't recorded a point in 18 career NHL outings. Given his offensive limitations, Dunne figures to spend the bulk of the campaign in the minors.

Protas picked up two assists in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.

The 24-year-old continues an impressive start to the season by having a hand in Ryan Leonard's second-period tally and Tom Wilson's empty-netter late in the third. Protas has racked up four goals and eight points through the Capitals' first seven games as he looks to prove his 2024-25 breakout -- 30 goals and 66 points in 76 regular-season contests -- was no fluke.

Dowd produced a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.

The veteran grinder opened the scoring midway through the first period by tapping home a slick feed from John Carlson before getting the puck to Tom Wilson for an empty-netter late in the third. Dowd had gone without a point through the first six contests of the season, but offense isn't his game -- last regular season's 14 goals and 27 points were career highs. With 14 hits in those seven appearances, he's well on his way to reaching triple digits in that category for a seventh straight campaign.

Savoie produced a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Senators.

The Oilers had their second power-play unit on the ice during overtime, and Savoie cashed in with a helper on Jake Walman's winning tally. The assist was Savoie's first point in seven appearances this season, and it was his second helper in 12 career games. The 21-year-old has slotted into a middle-six role and racked up 10 shots on net, five blocked shots, two hits and a minus-1 rating so far this year. He's averaging just 13:16 of ice time per game, so he'll need to see an uptick in ice time to emerge as a more reliable scorer in fantasy.

Bardakov logged an assist and two hits in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Bardakov helped out on a Cale Makar goal in the first period. The assist was Bardakov's first point in two NHL appearances. The 24-year-old center won a job in training camp and will likely spend most of the season battling for playing time on the fourth line. Without a secure spot in the lineup, he's not a great option in fantasy.

Drury scored a goal on two shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Drury tied the game at 2-2 early in the third period with his goal. The 25-year-old center is filling a third-line role so far this year, and it's not one that's come with a lot of offense. He has two points, nine shots on net, three hits, three blocked shots and four PIM across seven appearances. His fantasy value will be limited to deeper formats that reward faceoffs.

Necas scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Necas again saw his point streak on the line late, and he was able to extend it with a tough-angle shot to beat Karel Vejmelka with 2:16 left in the third period. That goal helped the Avalanche get one standings point, but the Mammoth won it 33 seconds into overtime on a Dylan Guenther goal. During Necas' season-opening point streak, he's put up five goals and six assists over seven games. He's added 16 shots on net, six hits and a plus-9 rating. Expect him to remain consistent on offense in a top-line role.