NHL Player News

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.

Smith scored two goals, one on the power play and the other shorthanded, and added an assist in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers.

Smith and linemate Macklin Celebrini wasted no time in displaying their chemistry, as each went off for three points in the opener. The 21-year-old Smith typically hasn't seen much shorthanded usage in his career, but as he rounds out his game, he could be more involved there. He put up 24 goals, 59 points and 166 shots on net over 69 outings in the 2025-26 regular season. Smith could push for a point-per-game pace this year if he continues to develop well, though his fantasy contributions will be limited to offense.

Askarov stopped 23 of 26 shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers.

The Sharks looked good for two periods but got shaky in the third. Askarov kept them from falling behind, setting the stage for Luca Cagnoni's heroics in overtime. This could be a preview for the season as a whole -- the Sharks have assembled some young talent and complemented the kids with veterans in key spots, but it could take a while for the roster to mature to avoid blowing leads. Askarov should have a slight edge over Alex Nedeljkovic for starts as long as he plays well. The Sharks are set to host the Kings on Saturday.