NHL Player News

Schaefer tallied a goal, had eight shots on net, and blocked a shot in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Washington.

The future of Long Island hockey has arrived, and his name is Matthew Schaefer. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft posted a breakout performance in just his second career game with solid category coverage. He stole the show in the third period, netting his first career goal on a power play. Not only was his stat line complete with eight shots and one block, but his ice time jumped from 17:15 to 26:04, a near nine-minute increase from his debut. The 18-year-old has seemed to gain more trust offensively with 2:40 of power-play time, which gives him a high ceiling for his rookie campaign. If Schaefer's first two games are any indication of what the rest of the season has in store for this year's top pick, he is set to be a great option on the fantasy blue line in all formats. Scoop him up off the waiver wire before it's too late.

Ekblad scored the game-winning goal on the power play and added an even-strength assist in Saturday's 6-2 victory over the Senators.

After setting up Evan Rodrigues for a first-period tally, Ekblad snapped home his own goal from the top of the faceoff circle just 35 seconds into the second frame. The points were the first of the year for the 29-year-old blueliner, but Ekblad is seeing a regular shift on the Panthers' top power-play unit and should be productive when he's on the ice, for however long that might be -- he's averaged only 59.8 regular-season games over the last four seasons.

Raddysh scored a goal on two shots, blocked two shots and went minus-2 in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Devils.

Raddysh already has three points, four shots on net and three blocks over two games, though he's also posted a minus-3 rating. The 29-year-old is facing some competition from Max Crozier for a spot alongside Victor Hedman at even strength. Raddysh can do a little better standing on his own, as he has a good enough shot to be a power-play specialist on the second unit. The 29-year-old is a viable depth defenseman in fantasy.

Nemec posted an assist and two shots on goal in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Lightning.

Injuries have once again opened the door for Nemec to get a run in the lineup, as the Devils are without Seamus Casey (lower body) and Johnny Kovacevic (knee) to begin 2025-26. So far, Nemec has been limited to the third pairing with trace amounts of power-play time, and he's picked up a helper, three shots on goal and a minus-2 rating over two games. The No. 2 pick from 2022 could have some upside in a larger role, but the Devils have a talented and experienced blue line that will make such a gig tough to earn.

Tanev notched an assist in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Red Wings.

Tanev has added four blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over two appearances to begin the season. The 35-year-old defensive specialist won't be a huge factor on offense, but he should be among the NHL's leaders in blocks if he can stay healthy. He's logged at least 100 blocks in every season since 2018-19, including 189 last year over 75 regular-season games and 207 the year before. If you need help in blocks or plus-minus rating, Tanev's a viable option for streaming.

Johansson logged an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-4 rating in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

It took Johansson 11 games to earn his first point in 2024-25, so he's already off to a better start this year. He looks poised to hold a bottom-four spot in the lineup throughout the campaign, though the Red Wings have a couple of workhorses on the blue line in Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot. Johansson has added three shots on net, three hits and three blocked shots over two appearances. His fantasy appeal is limited if he can't crack the top four.

Edvinsson scored an empty-net goal on two shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

Edvinsson picked up his first point of the campaign to give the Red Wings some breathing room late in the third period. He's added four shots on net, four hits, four blocked shots and four PIM over two contests. Edvinsson is playing on the second pairing at even strength but isn't getting much power-play time, which could limit his offense in the event Axel Sandin-Pellikka stays on the NHL roster all year. Nonetheless, Edvinsson offers some upside as an all-around defender for fantasy purposes.

Dunn logged two assists, including one on the power play, and two shots on goal in Saturday's 2-1 overtime win over the Golden Knights.

Dunn has three points, six shots on net and a plus-2 rating over two games to begin the season. The 28-year-old blueliner has looked no worse for wear after missing time late in the preseason due to an undisclosed injury. Injuries have cost him major portions of the last two seasons, and that may have caused some fantasy managers to forget what he can do when healthy. He's in a position to succeed as a top-four blueliner with ample power-play time.

Leddy had an assist, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 7-6 overtime loss to the Ducks.

This was Leddy's first point over two games with the Sharks since he was claimed off waivers from the Blues in the offseason. The 34-year-old blueliner is poised to play a significant role as a top-four option this season. He was limited to five points in 31 regular-season outings last year and has fallen short of the 30-point mark in four straight seasons, so Leddy isn't a particularly strong option for fantasy.

Orlov notched two assists, three shots on goal, five hits and two PIM in Saturday's 7-6 overtime loss to the Ducks.

Orlov has earned three points, seven hits and four shots on net over two games this season. The 34-year-old even picked up a power-play helper on Adam Gaudette's tally Saturday. Orlov is seeing significant minutes so far in 2025-26 and should offer plenty of physicality while also potentially pushing for a return to the 30-point mark for the first time since 2022-23, when he had 36 points over 66 outings between Washington and Boston.