NHL Player News

Theodore logged three assists, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 5-4 preseason overtime win over the Mammoth.

Theodore enters the season as the top blueliner for Vegas, though not by much with the likes of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin around. Theodore should at least get first dibs on the top power-play unit, assuming the Golden Knights don't roll out a five-forward group. Theodore is coming off his worst campaign in years -- he was limited to 39 points in 70 regular-season outings, falling short of the 40-point mark for the first time since 2018-19.

Eichel scored a goal on three shots and added two assists in Thursday's 5-4 preseason overtime win over the Mammoth.

Eichel looks good to go to start 2026-27. The 29-year-old's tally was the overtime winner Thursday. Eichel will center the top line and see ice time in all situations as the leader of the Golden Knights' offense. He's posted consecutive seasons of at least 90 points, though he hasn't reached the 30-goal mark since 2023-24.

Hill allowed four goals on 21 shots in Thursday's 5-4 preseason overtime win over the Mammoth.

Hill wasn't very good against a prospect-and-depth-heavy Utah lineup. The Golden Knights' defense already looks to be in form -- Hill has faced just 40 shots over two preseason outings, allowing six goals. Hill is probably going to operate as the backup netminder for Vegas this season, though he'll still be a decent target for wins in fantasy when he starts.

Stenlund posted three assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-4 preseason overtime loss to the Golden Knights.

Stenlund's position with the Mammoth will likely depend on how many prospects make the Opening Night roster. He carries a $2.75 million cap hit, which might deter other teams from claiming him if he lands on waivers. Stenlund is unlikely to see anything more than fourth-line minutes in 2026-27.

Cossa stopped 30 of 35 shots in Thursday's 5-4 preseason overtime loss to the Golden Knights.

Cossa looked good at times through the first two periods, but he couldn't hold back Vegas in the third. The 23-year-old will get a chance to be an NHL regular as Karel Vejmelka's backup in 2026-27. Cossa has allowed six goals on 47 shots over two preseason outings, though it'll likely be Vejmelka between the pipes for the preseason finale Saturday versus the Avalanche.

Cooley stopped 23 of 26 shots in Thursday's 4-3 preseason shootout loss to the Kraken.

Cooley has allowed six goals on 48 shots over two preseason outings. The 29-year-old netminder is firmly in the backup role for the Flames to begin the season, a spot that is unlikely to lead to many starts or wins. He'll likely play in the range of 25-30 games as Dustin Wolf's understudy in 2026-27.

Beniers logged two assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-3 preseason shootout win over the Flames.

Beniers is poised to enter the season as the Kraken's top-line center once again. He reached the 50-point mark for the second time in four full seasons last year, but he's more of a steady two-way center rather than a true do-it-all leader. Beniers has some appeal in fantasy, particularly in formats that count blocked shots -- he had 69 of those last year, which is a good total for a forward.

Grubauer stopped 32 of 35 shots in Thursday's 4-3 preseason shootout win over the Flames.

Grubauer has done well this preseason, stopping 47 of 51 shots over two games. The 34-year-old isn't eligible to play Saturday against the Canucks due to limitations on veterans in the preseason, so his next start will come in the regular season. The Kraken have a back-to-back over the first weekend of the campaign, so Grubauer won't have to wait long to get back between the pipes.

Tolopilo stopped 12 of 14 shots in Thursday's 2-1 preseason loss to the Oilers.

Tolopilo featured in the first two periods and did a mediocre job against a largely AHL-caliber squad. It's not great for Tolopilo that PTO camp attendee Chris Driedger came in and stopped all seven shots he faced in the third period, keeping the game close despite the loss. Tolopilo is not a lock to start the year as Kevin Lankinen's backup in the absence of Thatcher Demko (hip). The Canucks have one more preseason game, Saturday at home versus the Kraken, which could be telling in regards to which goalies break camp in the NHL.

Howard scored a goal on seven shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 2-1 preseason win over the Canucks.

Howard played well as arguably the best skater on the Oilers' roster in this road preseason contest. The 22-year-old's performance should improve his chances of breaking camp in Edmonton rather than Bakersfield. What kind of role awaits him with the Oilers is to be determined, but he would be best suited by playing at least in a middle-six capacity to begin 2026-27.