NHL Player News

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.

Xhekaj recorded an assist, six hits, two blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Red Wings.

Xhekaj is an ultra-physical defenseman, so he'll bring some grit to the third pairing alongside Alexandre Carrier. The two combined on Carrier's goal in the second period Thursday. Xhekaj's place in the lineup isn't guaranteed -- if his performance slips, he could be replaced by Jayden Struble. For the season, Xhekaj has racked up seven hits, four blocked shots and two shots on net in addition to his assist over two contests. He was limited to just six points with 180 hits and 118 PIM in 70 regular-season outings in 2024-25.

Carrier scored a goal, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Red Wings.

Carrier stretched the Canadiens' lead to 4-1 in the second period. The 29-year-old defenseman is in line for a smaller role this season following Montreal's trade for Noah Dobson. Despite that, Carrier remains an effective shutdown blueliner and should be a fixture in the lineup with the ability to play more minutes when another defenseman is hurt. He should still be able of exceeding the 20-point mark, something he's done in three of the last four seasons.

Solovyov has resolved his visa issues and has been cleared to practice Friday, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.

Solovyov was claimed off waivers from Calgary a week ago and has finally arrived in Colorado. The 25-year-old had one assist in five regular-season games with the Flames in 2024-25. He is expected to be a depth defenseman at this time as the Avalanche are set with their top-six blueliners.

Crevier scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins.

Crevier dressed as a seventh defenseman, bumping Sam Lafferty out of the lineup Thursday. While Crevier was limited to 8:22 of ice time, he gave the Blackhawks their only lead, a 2-1 advantage, at 2:22 of the second period. The 24-year-old blueliner may not be a regular in the lineup, but he appears to have won the job for seventh defenseman after Ethan Del Mastro was sent to AHL Rockford on Friday ahead of the start of the minor-league season. Crevier could provide a steadier defensive option on the right side should Artyom Levshunov's work in his own zone fail to meet standard.

Jokiharju recorded an assist and two blocked shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks.

Jokiharju helped out on Tanner Jeannot's goal in the second period. Through two contests, Jokiharju has added a hit, three blocked shots and two PIM. He's started 2025-26 in a third-pairing role, and that's likely where he'll stay unless the Bruins become overburdened by injuries on the blue line.