NHL Player News

Yakemchuk scored the game-winning goal on the power play in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Flyers.

With the score tied 1-1 midway through the third period, Yakenchuk unleashed a one-timer from the blue line that zipped through traffic and got past Joseph Woll. It was Yakemchuk's first goal of the season and the second of his career in eight regular-season NHL games, and both of the 21-year-old blueliner's points in 2026-27 so far have come as part of the second power-play unit. He may lose that assignment once Jake Sanderson (lower body) is cleared to return after getting injured in the Senators' opener, but Yakemchuk is making a strong early impression to begin his first full campaign.

Brunet picked up a power-play assist, two shots on goal, two hits and four blocked shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Mammoth.

Brunet broke camp with the Bruins and has now played in the last two contests. He's logged seven blocked shots, three shots on net and a plus-1 rating in addition to his assist, which was the first point of his NHL career. The 23-year-old defenseman's time on the top power-play unit could be short, as Charlie McAvoy figures to resume that role Tuesday after the conclusion of his suspension. The Bruins could carry eight blueliners moving forward, but that could lead to part-time roles for all of Brunet, Mason Lohrei and Jonathan Aspirot.

Ekman-Larsson (undisclosed) didn't finish Thursday's game versus the Golden Knights, and there was no update on his status after the contest, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Head coach Jim Hiller didn't sound too concerned about the defenseman's status, but Ekman-Larsson wasn't given the all-clear. The 35-year-old tends to take a few knocks throughout the season, though the play that injured him Thursday was a hit from the punishing defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. Ekman-Larsson will be on the more favorable side of questionable to play in Colorado on Saturday, but check in during warmups to confirm his status.

Bahl scored a goal in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

Bahl tallied in the third period. It's just the 12th goal of his NHL career over parts of seven seasons. The 26-year-old defenseman has added two shots on net, four hits, two blocked shots, six PIM and a minus-3 rating over four appearances this season. Bahl could put up some ugly numbers, particularly in plus-minus rating, while seeing heavy defensive minutes on a rebuilding team.

Lohrei scored a goal Thursday in a 6-1 win over Utah.

Lohrei's goal chased Sebastian Cossa from the Utah net; it was the Bruins third goal in a 5:45 span in the second half of the first period. He has three points, including two assists, in five games this season. Lohrei also has four shots and five blocks while playing an average of 19:48. His role will shift slightly when Charlie McAvoy (suspension) returns, but Lohrei will still deliver strong fantasy numbers.

Kulak notched two assists, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Flames.

Kulak has earned all three of his assists this season over the last two games. The 32-year-old defenseman is seeing steady usage in a bottom-four role. He's added eight blocked shots, two shots on net and a plus-1 rating. Kulak is unlikely to get power-play time, but he'll probably continue to be a fixture in the Colorado lineup after signing a five-year contract extension in June.

Toews scored twice on three shots, added two PIM and went plus-3 in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Flames.

Toews had the Avalanche's first two tallies of the game. The 32-year-old defenseman has a pair of multi-point outings this season, earning two goals, two assists, five shots on net, two hits, four PIM and a plus-6 rating over four contests. Toews is in his usual spot on the first pairing, and he's also working on the second power-play unit, which should raise his floor on offense. He's worth rostering as a depth blueliner in fantasy.

Makar scored twice, added an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Flames.

The Calgary native was one of three Avalanche skaters to log two goals. Makar has three goals, three assists, 10 shots on net, six blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over four contests so far this season. That's a good pace for any defenseman. Makar should continue to pile up points throughout the year.

Hughes had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Hughes has put up points in all four Minnesota games this season (two goals, four assists), and he has recorded 14 shots. He played a whopping 32:36 on Thursday night, something that could cause significant wear and tear if it continues at that level. At the same time, Hughes is averaging 28 minutes which is consistent with his ice time in both Minny and Vancouver last season. He's delivered 76 points in three of his last four years, and he's also put up a 92-point season in 2023-24. This will be a huge year for Hughes.

Carlson scored twice in 3-2 win over the Wild on Thursday. He fired nine shots.

The goals were his first two with the Lightning. He signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the team on July 1. Carlson's first pushed the scored to 2-0 in the first period and his second -- a power-play blast -- came in the second and stood as the winner. The goals extended Carlson's point streak to three games and four points. The defender is running the top power play unit and will get plenty of opportunity to match his 60 points from last season.