NHL Player News

Haight drew into his first NHL game for Thursday's 5-0 win over St. Louis.

Haight didn't get in on the offensive action, recording no points and no shots in 10:27 of ice time. However, the 21-year-old did record two hits, and that grit is particularly important in his current fourth-line role. He had 20 goals, 34 points and 30 PIM in 67 regular-season outings with AHL Iowa in 2024-25.

Finnie saw time on the first line in his NHL debut, but Detroit struggled en route to a 5-1 loss to Montreal on Thursday.

Most of Finnie's shifts were shared with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin, but the reality is more mixed than that might sound. Finnie logged just 12:22 of ice time despite his first-line role, and he wasn't used at all with the man advantage. Finnie finished the game with no points, one shot and one hit. The 20-year-old slipped to the No. 201 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, but he's risen up the ranks quickly. He took a major step forward in 2024-25 by scoring 37 goals and 84 points across 55 regular-season outings with WHL Kamloops and followed that up with another five points in 13 regular-season and playoff appearances with AHL Grand Rapids.

Douglas made his NHL debut in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Ottawa.

Douglas tried to make his mark right away by fighting Ottawa's Kurtis MacDermid just 2:26 into the game. The 25-year-old Douglas finished the outing with no points, one shot and two hits across 5:09 of ice time in addition to the five PIM he accumulated from that fight. Tampa Bay claimed Douglas off waivers from Utah on Monday, and he'll likely rotate between serving on the fourth line and being a healthy scratch until at least one of Zemgus Girgensons (undisclosed) or Nick Paul (upper body) returns. If Tampa Bay gets to full strength, then Douglas might find himself back on waivers.

Cootes made his NHL debut in Thursday's 5-1 win over Calgary.

Cootes had an impressive 2:40 of power-play ice time, but he logged a modest 11:14 overall. He also finished the game with a hit and a minus-1 rating. The 18-year-old is probably in the midst of a nine-game audition with Vancouver. If he doesn't make a sufficient impression by the end of that stretch, then the Canucks will likely loan Cootes back to WHL Seattle for additional seasoning.

Martin centered the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly on his wings in his NHL debut Thursday in a 2-1 win over Columbus.

Martin was a minus-1 with one blocked shot in 12:44 of action, including 2:07 on the power play. He was selected fifth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft and made the Predators out of training camp. It's likely that he will return to OHL Sault Ste. Marie before Nashville burns a year of his entry-level deal at the 10-game mark.

Seguin scored a goal on five shots in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Jets.

Seguin is off to a positive start in 2025-26 while filling a second-line role. The key for the 33-year-old will be to stay healthy -- he's lost large portions of two of the last five seasons due to injuries. He can be a strong scorer with 20-goal and 50-point potential if he's able to stay in the lineup, giving him upside in most fantasy formats.

Johnston scored a goal in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Jets.

Johnston's tally stretched the Stars' lead to 5-1 early in the third period, and it ended up as the game-winner when the Jets' rally came up short. The 22-year-old is entering his fourth full NHL season and has established himself as a 30-goal, 70-point player already. He's listed on the Stars' third line, but this is a fairly deep offense that can roll three lines, so Johnston remains a reliable fantasy forward.

Trenin posted an assist, four hits and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-0 win over the Blues.

Trenin is off to a positive start in 2025-26. He's still in a third-line role and doesn't see much action on special teams, but he can provide plenty of physicality. His offensive ceiling is low -- he's missed the 20-point mark in two consecutive seasons after posting back-to-back 24-point campaigns the two years prior. Overall, Trenin isn't likely to move the needle much for fantasy.

Palmieri scored a goal on eight shots and added two PIM in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins.

Palmieri led all skaters with eight shots, and his line with Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal combined for 16 of the Islanders' 37 shots in the game. Typically, Palmieri has been in a second-line role in recent years, so it'll be interesting to see if he can do more with extra ice time on the top line. He had 24 goals and 48 points over 82 regular-season appearances in 2024-25, and another 45-50 point season is a reasonable expectation for this steady veteran.

Hallander logged an assist in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Islanders.

Hallander's first NHL helper came on Harrison Brunicke's first goal at 5:41 of the second period. The 25-year-old Hallander spent the last two seasons in Sweden after a pair of campaigns in the AHL, but he's getting a look early in 2025-26. He'll likely be limited to bottom-six minutes and could rotate in and out of the lineup at times.