NHL Player News

Bouchard scored a goal on four shots, added two assists and went plus-3 in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Canucks.

Per Sportsnet, Bouchard's eight points are the most by any NHL defensemen in his team's first two games since Harry Cameron had seven points in the Toronto Arenas' first two contests in 1917. Considering Bouchard has earned just a single power-play assist, it's safe to say he's not even maximizing his opportunities yet. The Oilers' offense won't hum at this pace all year, but Bouchard has set off to a good start as he aims for a third point-per-game campaign in four years. Don't let Bouchard out of your fantasy lineup -- he's proving last year was no fluke.

McDavid scored a shorthanded goal and added four assists, including two on the power play, in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Canucks.

McDavid's two assists in Tuesday's opener were a nice appetizer, but he delivered the main course in the second game of the year. The 29-year-old superstar had a trio of five-point efforts in the 2025-26 regular season, but he's able to pop off at any moment. With the Oilers' offense starting the year hot, fantasy managers are getting instant rewards if they were lucky enough to draft McDavid. He has seven points, three shots on net and a plus-5 rating through two contests.

Draisaitl scored twice on five shots, dished an assist and went plus-3 in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Canucks.

One of Draisaitl's goals came on the power play. The 30-year-old played alongside Connor McDavid in this contest as the injury-riddled Oilers opted to put one dominant line together. The offense is humming along so far, and Draisaitl has four points and 10 shots on net over two contests. He's a lock to be in fantasy lineups and should continue to produce at a high level as long as he can avoid injuries.

Levi allowed seven goals on 22 shots in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Canucks.

Levi had a great chance to stake a claim to the Oilers' No. 1 job, but he looked bad under low pressure for two periods. The Canucks found a groove in the third, and only Edmonton's offense was able to bail out Levi's poor performance. Considering Tristan Jarry gave up six goals in an overtime loss to Vancouver on Tuesday, the Oilers are no closer to having a clear starter in goal yet. Their next game is at home versus the Kraken on Saturday, though neither Jarry nor Levi has done enough to be trusted in fantasy yet.

Tkachuk scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Tkachuk's third-period tally forced overtime. The winger has racked up four shots on net and three hits over two games this season while seeing time on the second line and first power-play unit. Tkachuk should continue to be a point-per-game threat on offense while maintaining a physical edge. As long as he can stay healthy, he'll offer multi-category upside as a lock to be in fantasy lineups.

Luostarinen scored two goals, including one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Luostarinen had the Panthers' first two goals of the contest. The 28-year-old forward has added four shots on net and four hits over two games this season. He's seeing time on the third line, though he could be a candidate for power-play usage if Aleksander Barkov (leg) gets bad news with his injury evaluation after leaving Thursday's game early. Luostarinen has enough physicality to be useful in deeper fantasy formats, but he's topped the 40-point mark just once in his five full-length seasons.

Schmid allowed four goals on 32 shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Schmid didn't have an answer for the Sharks' top line, though the Panthers' offense did enough to carve out a point in the standings. Schmid likely got this start because the Panthers made a cross-country trip after opening the season in Raleigh on Tuesday. Jacob Markstrom is projected to handle a majority of the starts for Florida this year, and he should be between the pipes Sunday versus the Ducks. Schmid will be a streaming option in fantasy when he gets a good matchup.

Celebrini logged three assists and seven shots on goal in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers.

Celebrini had one assist on the power play and one while shorthanded as he had a hand in both of Will Smith's goals. He also helped out on Luca Cagnoni's overtime tally. The 20-year-old Celebrini had 45 goals and 115 points over 82 games in his second NHL campaign, and he's poised for more responsibility as the Sharks' captain. Expect him to take on more work on the penalty kill throughout the year as he develops into an all-around superstar rather than just an elite scorer.

Marchment scored a goal on four shots, added two PIM and doled out three hits in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers.

Marchment opened the scoring in his Sharks debut. He is the first player to get a look on the top line alongside Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, with the trio carrying San Jose's offense in the opener. Marchment has logged at least 45 points in four of the last five seasons despite playing for four different teams, so finding chemistry with new teammates shouldn't be a problem. Marchment will have significant appeal if he stays on the top line, though he can still be a useful all-around winger if he slips to the middle six.

Cagnoni scored a goal on three shots, added a power-play assist and blocked three shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers.

Cagnoni impressed in training camp, earning a spot on the Opening Night roster. That worked out well, as the 21-year-old ended up scoring the game-winner in overtime for his first career goal. Cagnoni got top billing on the power play, but he's not a lock to stay in that spot -- or in the lineup -- with Sam Dickinson also on the roster. Still, Cagnoni is worth keeping an eye on, as the power-play usage alone makes him an intriguing blueliner for fantasy purposes.