NHL Player News

Carlo notched an assist in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

Carlo earned his first point of the season with the helper. The 28-year-old defenseman has occupied a shutdown role in the top four, which fits his skill set and usual deployment. He's supplied 11 shots on net, five hits, eight blocked shots, four PIM and an even plus-minus rating through eight outings this season. Carlo has never recorded a 20-point campaign, so he's not a particularly interesting blueliner in fantasy.

Ekman-Larsson registered two assists, including one on the power play, and fired four shots on goal in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

Ekman-Larsson had a season-high 25:38 of ice time due to Morgan Rielly's (undisclosed) absence. This was Ekman-Larsson's first multi-point effort of the campaign. The defenseman is up to seven points, 12 shots, nine blocked shots, eight hits and a plus-1 rating across eight appearances this season. Look for the Swede to stay on the first power-play unit as long as Rielly is out.

Samuelsson scored twice on three shots, blocked four shots and went plus-4 in Friday's 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

This was Samuelsson's first career multi-goal game in the NHL. He had scored just seven goals total in his first five NHL campaigns. The 25-year-old defenseman is off to a positive start with four points, seven shots, 16 blocks, nine hits and a plus-3 rating across six appearances this season. He's done enough to make himself a regular in the lineup, though fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to repeat this performance any time soon.

Jiricek scored a goal and added an assist in OHL Brantford's 3-1 win over Sarnia on Friday.

Jiricek has gotten off to a hot start in the junior ranks this year with three goals and four helpers, as well as a plus-10 rating, over eight games. The Czech defenseman isn't known for his offense, but it's a positive to see him take a step forward in that regard as a 19-year-old. A knee injury, as well as a stint at the World Junior Championship and another undisclosed injury, limited him to 12 points in 27 regular-season games in 2024-25, but he's been healthy so far in 2025-26.

Reynolds produced three assists in QMJHL Newfoundland's 6-3 win over Saint John on Friday.

Reynolds has minimal offensive upside, instead serving as a shutdown blueliner. This was his first multi-point effort of 2025-26 for the Regiment, and he's now at four assists and 14 PIM through 11 contests. In the long run, his offense is unlikely to improve, so don't expect Reynolds to be a factor in fantasy if he makes it to the NHL.

Gostisbehere was placed on injured reserve Friday.

Gostisbehere is no longer with the Hurricanes on their road trip, but by the time they're home against the Golden Knights on Tuesday, he will be eligible to be activated. There's been no update on the 32-year-old's timeline. Gostisbehere's move to IR comes as the Hurricanes called up Bradly Nadeau to help replenish some forward depth after injuries took Eric Robinson (upper body) and William Carrier (lower body) out of the lineup.

Mrtka was loaned from AHL Rochester to WHL Seattle on Friday.

Mrtka got a taste of AHL action, earning one assist and seven PIM in four appearances. The Sabres decided it would be better for him to develop at a lower level for 2025-26, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Czech defenseman get another look in Rochester for 2026-27.

General manager Patrik Allvin said Friday that Forbort (undisclosed) had a setback in his recovery and is now considered week-to-week, Farhan Lalji of TSN reports.

Forbort has been on injured reserve since mid-October, and while an initial timetable for his return was unclear, it's discouraging that he had a setback. The 33-year-old isn't guaranteed to be a consistent presence in the lineup once he returns to full health.

Maatta notched an assist in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Blues.

Maatta helped out on the second of Logan Cooley's three first-period goals. The helper was Maatta's first point in eight appearances this season. He started as a seventh defenseman early in the campaign, but he's moved into a more typical role on the third pairing since Sean Durzi (shoulder) exited the lineup. Maatta has added one shot on net, six blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating while averaging 10:43 of ice time. When the Mammoth are at full health, he's unlikely to be in the lineup.

Lohrei scored a power-play goal on two shots and went minus-2 in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Ducks.

Lohrei's goal tied the game at 3-3 late in the second period, but the offense was just getting going on both sides. This was Lohrei's first goal and first power-play point of the campaign, as he's been moved into a smaller role with Charlie McAvoy leading the Bruins' blue line. Through nine contests, Lohrei has three points, eight shots on net, 11 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating, and he remains firmly in a top-four role.