NHL Player News

Shesterkin stopped 17 of 19 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Shesterkin was perfect in the first period before the Islanders struck twice in a span of 1:56 early in the second, with Bo Horvat scoring on the power play and Calum Ritchie tying the contest at 2-2. Shesterkin shut the door from there, stopping all seven shots he faced in the third while the Rangers pulled away. He finished with 17 saves to earn his third consecutive win, and the Rangers have won their last four contests since dropping the season opener against Boston on Sept. 29. In his four appearances, Shesterkin has stopped 89 of the 96 shots he's faced, good for a 92.7 save percentage.

Varlamov stopped 19 of 22 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Rangers. The Rangers' final two goals were empty-netters.

Varlamov surrendered goals to Oliver Bjorkstrand (twice) and Alexis Lafreniere. He stopped all six shots he faced in the third before heading to the bench as the Islanders pushed for a late equalizer, but the Rangers took advantage of that scenario to score two empty-netters. This was Varlamov's first NHL regular-season appearance since November 2024, and he should remain the No. 2 option between the posts behind Ilya Sorokin, meaning his opportunities to contribute from a fantasy perspective will be limited and matchup-based.

Horvat scored a power-play goal on two shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Rangers.

Horvat cut the Islanders' deficit to 2-1 early in the second period, converting on the power play before Calum Ritchie tied the game less than two minutes later. The Islanders couldn't build on the momentum, but at least Horvat found the back of the net for a second straight game. He has tallied at least one point in his three appearances in the 2026-27 campaign, with two goals, one assist and 10 shots over that span. As the first-line center in both even-strength and power-play situations, Horvat should remain a go-to scoring option for the Islanders until further notice.

Bjorkstrand scored two goals on three shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Bjorkstrand opened the scoring at 6:40 of the first period before striking again on the power play late in the second. His second tally broke a 2-2 tie after the Islanders had erased a two-goal deficit and ultimately stood as the game-winner. These were Bjorkstrand's first two goals of the season, but as a bottom-six forward who rarely sees more than 13 minutes of ice time, he isn't expected to be a regular fantasy contributor going forward. This two-goal performance is likely to be an outlier rather than a sign of things to come in the future.

Lafreniere scored three goals on three shots and added an assist in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Lafreniere assisted on Oliver Bjorkstrand's opening goal, then scored 25 seconds into the second period to make it 2-0. The 24-year-old winger saved his last two goals for the final stretch, scoring two empty-netters as the Islanders pushed for an equalizer late in the third period. Lafreniere hadn't scored in his previous four appearances this season, but with eight shots in that span, and three goals in this contest, he figures to remain a valuable fantasy contributor as a top-six forward for the Rangers.

Ellis stopped 18 of 20 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Wild.

Ellis allowed goals to Danila Yurov and Maxim Shabanov during a 1:45 span in the second period but was perfect the rest of the way, giving Buffalo's offense an opportunity to rally. The Sabres erased the two-goal deficit in the third before Noah Power delivered the winner in overtime. This was Ellis' first appearance of the season, and he should remain as the Sabres' No. 2 option between the posts behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, although he could lose some opportunities once Alex Lyon (upper body) returns to the roster, which could happen sooner rather than later. For now, though, Ellis should continue as the backup behind Luukkonen, meaning his opportunities to see action will remain limited, and his fantasy upside will remain matchup-based.

Wallstedt stopped 25 of 28 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Sabres.

Wallstedt carried a shutout and a 2-0 advantage into the third period before Buffalo rallied. Noah Ostlund and Tage Thompson scored 5:43 apart to force overtime, and Owen Power beat him with 37.4 seconds remaining in the extra frame to complete Buffalo's comeback. This was the first time Wallstedt allowed more than one goal in any of his three starts this season, and the 23-year-old should remain the undisputed No. 1 option between the posts for the Wild as long as Filip Gustavsson (hip) remains on injured reserve. In three starts, Wallstedt has stopped 70 of 75 shots faced.

Power scored a goal on two shots and added an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Wild.

Power picked up the secondary assist on Noah Ostlund's third-period goal before completing Buffalo's comeback with 37.4 seconds remaining in overtime. The 23-year-old finished with a plus-3 rating and has opened the campaign on a strong note, tallying five points (one goal, four assists) through three appearances. He has established himself as an important source of offense from Buffalo's blue line in the early stages of the campaign.

Thompson scored a goal on nine shots and added an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Wild.

Thompson came through late in the game when the Sabres needed him the most. The star playmaker netted the equalizer at the 9:38 mark of the third period and also delivered an assist on the overtime winner scored by Owen Power. The 28-year-old was extremely active offensively, leading all players with nine shots while logging 20:23 of ice time. Thompson has recorded at least two points in his last two games, producing two goals and two assists over that span.

Yurov scored a power-play goal on two shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Sabres.

Yurov opened the scoring at 13:53 of the second period, converting a feed from Jared Spurgeon to give Minnesota a 1-0 advantage. The goal was his first of the season after he recorded an assist over his first two appearances. Yurov logged 14:21 of ice time, including 1:49 on the power play, while remaining in the first line alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Maxim Shabanov.