NHL Player News

DeSmith stopped 26 of 27 shots in Friday's 2-1 preseason win over the Wild.

DeSmith stopped 56 of 58 shots over his two preseason games, winning both of them. The Stars didn't get to see Jake Oettinger (lower body) during the preseason, but the injury is not considered too serious. Still, if Oettinger misses the start of the season or any time throughout the campaign, DeSmith is a capable backup. DeSmith enters 2026-27 as a spot-start streamer in fantasy whenever he's between the pipes.

Zibanejad scored a goal, dished an assist and added two hits in Friday's 6-1 preseason win over the Islanders.

Zibanejad looks set to open the season as the Rangers' top center. While the team around him has gotten a remodel in recent years, Zibanejad stood out with a 78-point effort in 81 games in 2025-26. He also had 105 hits last year, topping the 100-hit mark for the first time since 2018-19. The 33-year-old can offer a little of everything, making him a quality middle-round fantasy option.

Fox logged three assists, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 6-1 preseason win over the Islanders.

Fox looked sharp in this contest. The 28-year-old defenseman is set to lead the Rangers' blue line in 2026-27, and he should be a high-quality option in fantasy, though a step down from the NHL's top tier of blueliners. Fox has missed the 70-point mark in consecutive seasons but should still be capable of generating significant offense, particularly as part of the first power-play unit.

Faber sustained an apparent upper-body injury after being hit with a puck in the second period of Friday's preseason game versus the Stars, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.

Faber initially remained in the game, but he was pulled during the second intermission. The 24-year-old defenseman's status wasn't updated after the game, though Smith reports there was at least an element of precaution involved. Faber will have a decent amount of time to get healthy ahead of the Wild's season opener Thursday in Nashville.

Shesterkin stopped 15 of 16 shots in Friday's 6-1 preseason win over the Islanders.

Facing a largely AHL-level lineup, Shesterkin had little work to do. The 30-year-old netminder is ready to handle the bulk of the time in goal for the Rangers in 2026-27, though he'll have a capable backup on hand in Joonas Korpisalo. Shesterkin may struggle to get wins for a team in a retooling phase, but he should post decent ratios even with a heavy workload.

Swayman allowed three goals on 35 shots in Friday's 3-2 preseason overtime loss to the Capitals.

Swayman allowed four goals on 56 shots over his two preseason games. The 27-year-old is the Bruins' unquestioned No. 1 between the pipes and will likely see a significant workload in 2026-27 since he'll have an inexperienced backup in Michael DiPietro. Swayman has played at least 55 contests in consecutive seasons and could push for 60 if he stays healthy this year.

Dubois notched two power-play assists in Friday's 3-2 preseason overtime win over the Bruins.

Dubois is likely to center the second line to start 2026-27. The 28-year-old is poised for a bounce-back year if he can stay healthy, as the upgrades the Capitals made to their forward group should elevate his play. Dubois was limited to 19 points in 29 appearances in 2025-26, but he had logged at least 60 points in three of the previous four campaigns, giving him a decent ceiling for fantasy purposes.

Wilson scored a goal on five shots and added an assist in Friday's 3-2 preseason overtime win over the Bruins.

Wilson is one of the players who could be most affected by the Capitals' busy offseason, but a lot of his production is independent of offense. The gritty winger looks poised to see middle-six minutes and power-play time in 2026-27. He's topped the 30-goal and 60-point marks in two straight campaigns, though he might take a slight dip on offense this year due to the added talent on the roster. Wilson still remains a top-tier option in banger leagues with the capability for 200 hits and 100 PIM.

Thompson allowed two goals on 22 shots in Friday's 3-2 preseason overtime win over the Bruins.

Thompson gave up four goals on 52 shots over his two preseason games. The 29-year-old will rest up for a week before presumably getting the start in the Capitals' season opener next Friday versus the Hurricanes. Thompson has been one of the best goalies in fantasy over the last two years and looks set to perform at an elite level again.

Skinner will guard the road goal in Friday's preseason game versus the Avalanche, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports.

Skinner did well in his first start of the preseason, stopping 31 of 32 shots against the Avalanche. The 27-year-old is poised to be the top goalie for the Jets to begin the season, though that could change if the team gets a goalie back in any eventual trade for Connor Hellebuyck (suspension). Skinner is set to have Domenic DiVincentiis as his backup to open the campaign.