NHL Player News

Savoie (lower body) was shifted to long-term injured reserve Thursday.

By moving Savoie to LTIR, the Oilers will get some cap relief while he is sidelined, as their injuries have started to pile up. The 22-year-old forward logged all 82 regular-season games in his rookie campaign, generating 18 goals and 19 assists, including seven power-play points. Considering Savoie is expected to miss at least the first two weeks of the season, fantasy managers probably shouldn't be expecting him to significantly outperform those numbers in 2026-27.

Zellweger (concussion) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.

Zellweger had already been ruled out versus the Blue Jackets on Thursday, though his availability for Saturday's clash with Chicago remains in question thanks to the team using a retroactive IR designation. With the open roster spot, the Sabres brought up Dennis Gilbert from the minors.

Cowan scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Islanders.

He added three shots on net, two hits and a plus-1 rating to his ledger. Cowan's off to a quick start to 2026-27, collecting a goal and three points in the Leafs' first two games, and a consistent spot in the middle six and on the second power-play unit positions the 21-year-old winger to take a big step forward with his production after he delivered 11 goals and 29 points in 66 regular-season games as a rookie last season.

Stolarz stopped 26 shots in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Islanders.

The veteran netminder took a shutout into the third period, only for Emil Heineman to spoil it with a shortie, but it was still an impressive start to the campaign for Stolarz. He's set to handle backup duties behind new No. 1 Sergei Bobrovsky, but the former Panther's decline last season could open the door for Stolarz to see more work than expected if its continues, provided he can stay healthy enough to take advantage.

Heineman scored a shorthanded goal on his only shot on net while adding three hits in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.

The 24-year-old winger spoiled Anthony Stolarz's shutout bid with just under six minutes left in the third period, banging home a nifty feed from Bo Horvat on the counterattack. Heineman broke out with 22 goals in 2025-26 while racking up a team-high 247 hits, but his offensive surge could be tough to repeat without consistent power-play time.

Chinakhov tallied a goal and placed three shots on net in Wednesday's 7-0 Opening Night win over the Flyers.

Chinakhov picked up where he left off last season, as he found the back of the net on a third-period power play to cap off Wednesday's big win. The 25-year-old winger flipped a switch offensively when the Penguins acquired him from Columbus in late December, as he went off for 18 goals and 36 points across 43 regular-season outings with Pittsburgh. As long as his hot streak continues, Chinakhov will likely be penciled in as a top-six winger for the foreseeable future, making him a solid fantasy option in leagues that heavily value offensive contributions.

Sorokin made 24 saves in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Both pucks that got past Sorokin came in the first period, the game-winner on a Toronto power play, but the 31-year-old netminder shut the door the rest of the way and at least gave the Isles a chance to mount a comeback. Sorokin has played more than 50 games and produced at least 25 wins in each of the last five seasons, and his workload doesn't figure to slack in 2026-27 with 38-year-old Semyon Varlamov and his balky knee as his main backup.

Saros will get the starting nod at home against the Wild on Thursday, Max Herz of 102.5 The Game Nashville reports.

Saros will get the Opening Night start, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering he featured 59 times during the regular season last year. In those outings, the 31-year-old backstop went 28-22-8 with a career-worst 3.16 GAA. Despite the underwhelming numbers, Saros remains the unquestioned No. 1 option in Music City and could top the 60-game mark for the first time since 2023-24.

Lapierre potted a goal, distributed an assist, posted a plus-three rating and recorded four hits in Wednesday's 7-0 Opening Night win over Philadelphia.

Lapierre's Penguins debut was a massive success, as he picked up two points across two and a half minutes in the second period. He dished out the primary helper on Evgeni Malkin's power-play goal before he scored himself on a set-up from Filip Hallander. Lapierre struggled to carve out consistent playing time with the Capitals in 2025-26, where he posted four goals, 16 points, 53 shots on net and 49 hits across 74 regular-season games while averaging just under nine minutes of ice time. He could be in line for an increased role while Ben Kindel (lower body) remains on injured reserve to begin the 2026-27 season.

Hallander scored a goal, dished out two assists, posted a plus-four rating and placed three shots on net in Wednesday's 7-0 Opening Night win over the Flyers.

Hallander was awarded the first star of the game Wednesday, where he put together the first multi-point outing of his career. The 26-year-old forward played a hand in the team's fourth, fifth and sixth goals, with Pittsburgh's fifth tally of the night being his first goal of the season. He also showed a connection with his linemate on Pittsburgh's third forward unit, Hendrix Lapierre, when he assisted him early in the second period. Even with a handful of forwards injured to begin the year for the Penguins, Hallander is expected to play a larger role for the team in 2026-27, which was likely solidified for the time being with his three-point night Wednesday.