NHL Player News

Simashev recorded two shots as Utah suffered a 2-1 loss to Colorado in his NHL debut Thursday.

Simashev also had a hit and a block in 14:25 of ice time. Although he was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Simashev isn't likely to be on the radar of many fantasy managers because he lacks offensive upside. The 20-year-old had just 16 points across 119 regular-season appearances with KHL Yaroslavl over the previous two campaigns. Simashev is on Utah's third pairing and doesn't have a role with the man advantage, which also doesn't put him in an optimal position to contribute offensively.

Sandin Pellikka made his NHL debut in Detroit's 5-1 loss to Montreal on Thursday.

Sandin Pellikka certainly wasn't eased into the league. He logged a staggering 22:34 of ice time, including 1:13 with the man advantage. He didn't stand out statistically despite that -- no points, one shot and one block -- but if Thursday's game is reflective of how Detroit plans to utilize the 20-year-old going forward, then he will be worth keeping an eye on. Sandin Pellikka recorded 29 points in 46 regular-season outings as well as eight points in 11 playoff appearances with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League in 2024-25.

Nikishin recorded an assist in Thursday's 6-3 win over New Jersey.

It was Nikishin's first career regular-season game in the NHL, though he did already record an assist in four NHL playoff outings with Carolina last year. The 24-year-old also had a plus-3 rating, one shot, three hits and two blocks in Thursday's victory. It's a great start to the season for Nikishin, but keep in mind that he's serving on the third pairing and isn't expected to get regular power-play ice time, so his offensive contributions will likely be limited in 2025-26.

Although Buium didn't record a point in his NHL regular-season debut Thursday, he did log big minutes in the 5-0 victory over St. Louis.

Buium got 20:10 of ice time, including 2:15 with the man advantage. If that workload is a preview of things to come, then Buium is perfectly positioned to have a fantastic rookie campaign. The 19-year-old was taken with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He excelled as a sophomore with the University of Denver in 2024-25, recording 13 goals, 48 points and 44 PIM in 41 outings. He also registered an assist in four playoff outings with Minnesota last year.

DeMelo registered two assists and two PIM in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Stars.

DeMelo is off to a positive start in 2025-26, but offense isn't his main source of production. He's a shutdown blueliner who opens up space for Josh Morrissey to make an impact on the top pairing. Look for DeMelo to settle in the 20-30 point range over a full season while also offering 100-plus hits and blocked shots and a strong plus-minus rating -- he hasn't finished with a negative plus-minus since 2018-19.

Harley recorded two assists, five blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Jets.

Harley helped out on goals by Tyler Seguin and Wyatt Johnston early in the third period. The 24-year-old Harley is poised to be a fixture in the Stars' top four and should also feature on the power play. His offense could be limited if Miro Heiskanen gets the premium minutes, but Harley's talented enough and Dallas' lineup is deep enough that both blueliners should find success. Harley reached the 50-point mark in 78 regular-season outings in 2024-25, his second full campaign.

Severson registered an assist, two shots on goal and two blocked shots in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Predators.

Severson looked steady in a second-pairing role and was able to set up Dmitri Voronkov's first-period tally. The 31-year-old Severson sometimes has lapses in his own zone, but the Blue Jackets' defensive depth is a little lacking, so he should have little trouble staying in the lineup this season. He produced 25 points in 70 regular-season outings in 2024-25 while also topping 100 blocked shots (104) for the second time in three years.

Mayfield logged an assist in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins.

Mayfield is set to be a regular in the lineup this year, and his first duty is to serve as a defense partner and mentor for No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer. The 32-year-old Mayfield will likely remain on the third pairing even if Schaefer moves up later in the year. Mayfield's style isn't flashy, and he's topped the 20-point mark just once in his career, but he's a virtual lock for 100-plus blocked shots, a level he's reached in seven straight seasons.

Schaefer recorded an assist in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins.

Schaefer set up Jonathan Drouin's goal at 12:02 of the first period. It's a positive start for the 2025 No. 1 pick, as Schaefer saw 17:15 of ice time in a third-pairing role. He's the lone youngster on the Islanders' blue line, but he could move up the ranks if he continues to play well. Any top pick will get attention in fantasy -- don't overlook Schaefer, as he should be productive on offense as long as he avoids head coach Patrick Roy's doghouse as a rookie.

Brunicke scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Islanders.

Brunicke tied the game at 2-2 in the second period, answering a Kyle Palmieri tally. The 19-year-old Brunicke is getting a chance to run with an NHL job to begin 2025-26, and he hasn't looked out of place yet on the third pairing. He has a goal, four shots, two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over two appearances. As long as he's with the big club, he should be in the lineup and will also feature on the second power-play unit.