NHL Player News

Levshunov got his first point of the 2025-26 campaign, an assist, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to Boston.

Levshunov made Chicago's roster out of training camp and has gotten into each of the Blackhawks' first two games. While it's still early, there's reason to believe the 19-year-old will be a regular with the Blackhawks throughout the year. After being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, he had five goals, 22 points and 59 PIM across 52 regular-season appearances with AHL Rockford as well as six assists in 18 outings with Chicago during the 2024-25 campaign. Levshunov has tons of offensive upside, so he's worth keeping a close eye on.

Kulikov (upper body) won't return to Thursday's game versus the Flyers, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Kulikov was injured during the second period after getting hit into the boards. If he is forced to miss any time, Uvis Balinskis would enter the lineup. Kulikov's status for Saturday versus the Senators is uncertain.

Lindholm won't return to Thursday's clash against Chicago after sustaining a lower-body injury.

Lindholm had one shot in 4:26 of ice time before exiting the game. He was limited to just 17 outings with Boston last year because of a knee injury. If he can't play Saturday versus Buffalo, then Jordan Harris will probably draw into the lineup.

Faulk (mouth) is set to play Thursday versus Minnesota, per Lou Korac of NHL.com.

Faulk is projected to serve on the second pairing alongside Philip Broberg. The 33-year-old Faulk is also slated to have a power-play role, which is important for his production -- 12 of his 32 points in the 2024-25 regular season were recorded with the man advantage.

Cernak (undisclosed) will play Thursday versus the Senators, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Cernak missed some time late in the preseason due to his injury. The 28-year-old is set to serve as a shutdown defenseman on the Lightning's second pairing. His heavy playing style can be useful in deeper fantasy formats, but he is injury prone because of it.

Hedman (undisclosed) will be in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Senators, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Hedman was bothered by an injury late in the preseason, which cost him four games. The 34-year-old was clearly just making sure to be ready for the regular season, and he'll resume his usual role as the Lightning's top overall defenseman.

Power (illness) won't play in Thursday's tilt against the Rangers.

Power was put on injured reserve Monday due to a muscle strain. He was originally slated to play Thursday, but the Sabres are now reporting that he's day-to-day because of an illness. It's not clear if Power has recovered from his strain or if he's still dealing with that in addition to the illness. Either way, his next opportunity to play will be Saturday in Boston.

Walman (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, retroactive to Wednesday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Walman was unavailable for Wednesday's Opening Night matchup against the Flames due to a recent setback in his recovery from an unspecified injury, and he's facing a multi-game absence to begin the regular season. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to action, but he's expected to take on a top-four role and see some time on the power play once he's healthy.

Montour (ankle) is slated to play against Anaheim on Thursday.

Montour had 18 goals, 41 points, 70 PIM, 231 shots, 84 hits and 100 blocks across 81 appearances with Seattle in 2024-25. He should enter the season in a top-four role and receive some power-play ice time. Cale Fleury, who might have played if Montour was unavailable, is projected to be a healthy scratch versus the Ducks.

Zadorov logged an assist, three hits, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Capitals.

Zadorov was listed on the third pairing but still saw 21:59 of ice time Wednesday. He doesn't have particularly high scoring upside -- his career high is 22 points, which he set in 81 outings in 2024-25. Zadorov could still help fantasy managers in banger leagues, as he's topped the 200-hit and 100-PIM marks in three campaigns each.