NHL Player News

Kucherov scored a goal in a 5-1 loss to the Rangers on Thursday.

Kucherov scored on a backhanded pass that went in off Noah Laba in the second frame. It made the score 3-1. Kuch is coming off a Hart trophy season with 44 goals and 86 assists in 2025-26, and he has averaged 127 points, including 39 goals, in each of his last four seasons. He is closing in on Steven Stamkos' team record of 1,137 points (1,082 games). Kucherov now has 1,125 (402 goals, 723 assists; 880 games). He could eclipse that record in the next couple weeks.

Vasilevskiy made 20 saves Thursday in a 5-1 loss to the Rangers. He allowed four goals.

This was not on Vasilevskiy. The Lightning offense was moribund, especially in the third frame when they managed just six shots despite being on the power play for close to seven minutes. Vasilevskiy is all-world, but he can't win without a little help from his team.

Shesterkin scored his first career goalie goal and made 24 saves in a 5-1 win over Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Shesterkin is the first goalie in Rangers' history to score a goal and the 18th in league history. There have been 21 goalie goals in NHL history, with 19 in the regular season and two in the playoffs. He grabbed a shoot-in that came off the back boards and whipped a long shot into the empty net at 17:26 of the third period to cap the scoring. It was also Shesterkin's 100th win at Madison Square Garden (177 games). He's the fourth-fastest goalie in team history to record that number after Mike Richter (172 games), Eddie Giacomin (173) and Henrik Lundqvist (176).

Hughes notched a goal in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers.

Hughes danced into the slot and ripped a rocket from between the dots that froze Joseph Woll. The 23-year-old defender has delivered at least a 41-point pace in each of his three full seasons, but he hasn't climbed back to the height of his 47-point rookie campaign. That earned Hughes a top-three finish in Calder trophy voting in 2022-23. With better health, he could top 50 points for the first time in his career. Hughes missed 14 games last season and 11 the year before.

Allen made 23 saves Thursday in a 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers.

Allen had no chance on the first goal. The Flyers had the extra attacker out on a delayed penalty and put massive Rasmus Ristolainen on the top edge of his crease. Allen didn't even see the puck. The Devils net will be a bit of mess early this season with backups Nico Daws and Remi Poirier both needing to clear waivers to be sent down to the AHL. That will suppress Allen's starts, but that might be a good thing at age 36. Last season, he compiled a 17-17-2 record with a 2.74 GAA and a strong .904 save percentage in 37 starts. Unfortunately, that will also diminish Allen's fantasy value overall.

Hamilton scored a goal Thursday in a 3-2 overtime victory over Philadelphia.

Hamilton hammered a shot that hit his own player in front of Joseph Woll and then picked up his own rebound and pounded it home. He fired six shots on net and laid three hits. Hamilton munches minutes for the Devils and delivers about 10 goals, 40 points, 200 shots, and more than 80 each of hits and blocks for fantasy managers. He's behind Luke Hughes on the power play, but he'll likely hit double-digits in points from the second unit.

Hughes scored the game-winning goal to lift the Devils to a 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers on Thursday.

Hughes took a pass down the slot from Jesper Bratt on what was essentially a 2-on-0 and made no mistake. The 25-year-old pivot delivered 77 points, including 27 goals, in 61 games last season -- that's a 104-point pace. Unfortunately, Hughes hasn't managed a full season in his career -- his best year came with 99 points in 78 games in 2022-23. That earned him an eighth-place finish in the Hart voting that season. Since then, he has missed at least 20 games each season, averaging 74 points. The Devils need a healthy Hughes to get them to the postseason this year.

Ristolainen scored a goal Thursday in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Devils. He led the Flyers with four shots on goal.

Ristolainen and partner Travis Sanheim were the only goal scorers for the Flyers. He's many years removed from his offensive days with the Sabres -- he's played steady, stay-at-home hockey for the Flyers. But Ristolainen did have four consecutive seasons of at least 41 points starting in 2015-16, so the potential is there in the right situation. This goal equaled his goal output from last season (one goal, 13 assists; 44 games).

Sanheim had a goal and an assist in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to New Jersey. He also blocked three shots.

The 30-year-old defender is best known for his smart, structured play in his own zone, but Sanheim has also put up seasons of 44 and 37 points within the last three years. And mostly at even strength. He can help in deep formats, especially those that count blocks. Sanheim has averaged 157 for the last three seasons and has put up at least 137 in each of his last five.

Woll made 41 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Devils on Thursday.

Woll saw a lot of pucks in his Flyers debut and was strong all night, especially when fending off all four Devils power plays. He will play second fiddle to Dan Vladar in the Philly net, but Woll has the talent to turn this into a true tandem if he can stay healthy.