NHL Player News

Chernyshov scored twice, dished an assist and went plus-3 in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over the Kings.

Chernyshov has opened the year in a third-line role, but that didn't slow him down Saturday. He cashed in the Sharks' fourth goal, and he also scored their fifth on a feed from Macklin Celebrini. Chernyshov would fit in just fine on the top line, but head coach Ryan Warsofsky looks to be spreading the youth throughout the lineup for now. Chernyshov is worth keeping an eye on -- Saturday's performance won't be a one-off.

Vlasic picked two apples in a 4-3 loss to Buffalo on Saturday.

This is going to be a long season for Vlasic and so many of the Hawks' young players. The team was outscored 11-2 in its first two games this season, and while Saturday was better, the Hawks only mustered 15 shots. Vlasic's best season came in 2024-25 when he posted 30 points, including 12 on the power play, in 82 games. He'll be counted on for strong own-zone play this season, so his fantasy value will be limited.

Askarov stopped 31 of 35 shots in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over the Kings.

While it was another win, a troubling pattern has emerged in the third period. Askarov has allowed seven goals on 61 shots this year, and four of the tallies against him have come in the third, leading to overtime both times. Both Askarov and the team in front of him will need to improve when playing with a lead, but it shows resolve that they have managed to shake off the slip-ups. The Sharks will take the show on the road for the first time for the next two games, visiting Dallas on Monday and St. Louis on Thursday.

Knight made 24 saves in a 4-3 loss to Buffalo on Saturday.

Knight got more support than he did against Vegas in the season opener, but it still wasn't enough. Knight is going to see a lot of rubber this season and wins are going to be tough as the young team in front of him starts to grow up. His talent is obvious -- he delivered above-average GAA (2.82) and save percentage (.902) last season. Your format will dictate if Knight is a strong third goalie, average second or a complete anchor on your fantasy squad.

Dahlin scored a goal in Saturday's 4-3 win over Chicago.

Dahlin is one of the best goal-scoring defenders in the NHL. He's fifth overall in that category in the last three seasons (37), behind Cale Makar (51), Jacob Chychrun (47), Zach Werenski (45) and Evan Bouchard (39). Dahlin is also sixth overall in points in that same span with 143. He's coming off a third-place finish in Norris trophy voting last season, the highest finish ever for a Buffalo defender. Dahlin's 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists) established a new career high for the 26-year-old.

DeSmith stopped 24 of 26 shots in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Predators.

DeSmith allowed a pair of first-period power-play goals after Dallas grabbed an early 1-0 lead, with Steven Stamkos beating him at 4:46 before Nils Hoglander's deflection put Nashville ahead at 15:49 for good. DeSmith didn't allow another goal over the final 44-plus minutes, but the Stars couldn't solve Saros again at the other end. He finished with a .923 save percentage in his first start of the season and looked competent, but DeSmith should remain the Stars' No. 2 goaltender behind Jake Oettinger, ultimately limiting his fantasy appeal to matchup-based decisions.

Heiskanen scored a goal on five shots in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Predators.

Heiskanen needed only 47 seconds to give Dallas the lead, taking a feed from Mikko Rantanen in the right circle and beating Juuse Saros with a wrist shot. It was the Stars' first goal of the season after they were shut out by St. Louis in their season opener. Heiskanen ultimately led Dallas with five shots and logged 24:35, but the Stars failed to score again despite putting 30 shots on Saros. Heiskanen should remain a valuable fantasy contributor from Dallas' blueline -- he posted 63 points (nine goals, 54 assists) across 77 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

Dvorsky scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Avalanche.

Dvorsky's goal early in the third period broke up Mackenzie Blackwood's shutout bid. With two goals in as many games, Dvorsky is looking the part of a full-time NHLer this year. He's added five shots, one hit and an even plus-minus rating from the Blues' third line. He'll be more intriguing for fantasy if he can get into a top-six slot.

Saros stopped 29 of 30 shots in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Stars.

Saros surrendered a goal to Miro Heiskanen just 47 seconds into the contest but was perfect the rest of the way, protecting a one-goal advantage for more than 44 minutes after Nils Hoglander put Nashville ahead late in the first period. The 30-year-old finished with a .967 save percentage and shut down Dallas over the final two periods as the Predators bounced back from their season-opening loss to Detroit -- a game in which Saros stopped 27 of 30 shots. In two contests in 2026-27, the veteran goaltender has stopped 56 of 60 shots faced, good for a 93.3 percent save percentage.

Binnington stopped 30 of 36 shots in Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Avalanche.

Playing the second game of the Blues' season-opening back-to-back was always going to be a tall task. Factor in that it was a road game against one of the league's top offenses, and it was a recipe for disaster for Binnington. The optics aren't great for the veteran netminder after Joel Hofer shut out Dallas on Friday. Binnington has been trending toward a platoon or a backup role for a while, and he'll need to take advantage of his chances to avoid a total collapse in playing time. The Blues wrap up their road trip in Chicago on Tuesday, though that would seem likely to be a start for Hofer.