NHL Player News

Manson had an assist and three blocked shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets.

The helper was Manson's first point in five outings this season. Offense isn't a big part of the 34-year-old blueliner's game -- he plays more of a physical role and can stand up for teammates. He's racked up 11 hits, 11 PIM, nine blocks, a plus-3 rating and four shots on net while filling a bottom-four role. Manson will see plenty of defensive assignments while Samuel Girard (upper body) is sidelined.

Schneider notched an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.

Schneider is up to two assists through six outings this season. The 24-year-old has played in a bottom-four role for the Rangers, though he's also seeing time on the second power-play unit. That could change, given the Rangers' scoring struggles and the presence of Scott Morrow on the roster. Schneider has added 10 shots on net, 15 hits, nine blocked shots and two PIM and should continue to be a steady defensive presence even if he is unable to improve upon his offense in his fifth NHL campaign.

Lohrei provided an assist in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Golden Knights.

The helper was Lohrei's first point of the year in five appearances. He's playing in a top-four role at even strength, but he's lost the top power-play gig to Charlie McAvoy after filling in for him in that spot last year. Lohrei broke out with 33 points in 77 appearances in 2024-25, but he also had a minus-43 rating. The offense may stagnate in a smaller role, but his defensive play should improve with more experience. However, his lack of physicality makes him tough to roster in some fantasy formats if he's not generating enough offense.

McAvoy notched an assist, three blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Golden Knights.

McAvoy is off to a decent start with two helpers over five games this season. Most importantly, he looks fully healthy in a top-pairing role after missing the last quarter of 2024-25 due to a shoulder infection and injury. He's averaging 24:49 of ice time while piling up 11 hits, seven blocked shots, 10 shots on net, eight PIM and a plus-1 rating. McAvoy offers excellent category coverage and decent offense for a blueliner, though the latter could take a hit if the Bruins can't score at a sufficient rate as a team.

Zadorov scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Golden Knights.

Zadorov scored at 16:44 of the first period, though the goal was initially credited to Jeffrey Viel, who was around the net. The tally was Zadorov's first of the season, giving him two points through five contests. He's added 25 hits, 10 blocked shots, five shots on net and a plus-5 rating. The 30-year-old blueliner is better than he gets credit for, though his ceiling is likely around 25 points, giving him more appeal in fantasy formats that reward physical play.

Whitecloud provided an assist in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Bruins.

Whitecloud has taken on an advanced role this season as a top-four blueliner in the wake of Alex Pietrangelo's career-threatening hip injury. The helper Thursday was Whitecloud's first point in five games in 2025-26. He's added 10 hits, five blocked shots and a plus-2 rating while averaging 18:06 of ice time, 35 seconds more on average than he saw last year. In fantasy, Whitecloud lacks a standout trait, as his physicality is somewhat average, so he's not the best option for the virtual game.

Gostisbehere notched three assists, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Ducks.

Gostisbehere is hot to start 2025-26 with a goal and six helpers over four contests. One of his three helpers came on the power play Thursday, good for his first point with the man advantage this season. He continues to play a prominent role, especially while Jaccob Slavin (lower body) is out. Gostisbehere has added eight blocked shots, six shots on net and a plus-9 rating to supplement his high-end offense early in the campaign.

Nikishin scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Ducks.

Nikishin has opened the season with a four-game point streak consisting of one goal and three assists. His tally Thursday was the first of his NHL career. The 24-year-old rookie has added eight shots on net, 10 hits, five blocked shots and a plus-6 rating. While he's been at least somewhat sheltered on the Hurricanes' third pairing, his adjustment to the NHL is clearly going well, and he offers multi-category upside in fantasy.

Ceci notched an assist in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Penguins.

Playing against one of his old teams, Ceci was able to draw his first point of the 2025-26 campaign. He helped out on Warren Foegele's opening tally in the first period. Ceci has logged five hits, eight blocked shots and a minus-4 rating through five appearances this season, marking a rough start to his Kings tenure. He is currently in a bottom-four role, which will make it tough for him to get his offense on track.

Wotherspoon logged two assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Kings.

Wotherspoon has filled a top-four role to start 2025-26, but this was his first contribution on offense. The 28-year-old has added four shots on net, seven hits, six blocked shots, six PIM and a minus-1 rating while primarily playing alongside Erik Karlsson. Wotherspoon had a total of 15 points over 96 regular-season outings with the Bruins in the previous two campaigns, so he's unlikely to generate enough offense to help in most fantasy formats even if he ends up with a career year.