NHL Player News

Bahl scored a goal in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

Bahl tallied in the third period. It's just the 12th goal of his NHL career over parts of seven seasons. The 26-year-old defenseman has added two shots on net, four hits, two blocked shots, six PIM and a minus-3 rating over four appearances this season. Bahl could put up some ugly numbers, particularly in plus-minus rating, while seeing heavy defensive minutes on a rebuilding team.

Backlund scored a goal on eight shots in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

This was Backlund's first point of the season, to go with 17 shots on net, four hits, one blocked shot and a minus-3 rating. The veteran center is in the first season of a two-year extension he signed in September of 2025. He's serving as the Flames' captain, and while the results on the ice are unlikely to be pretty, he'll serve as a mentor to many of the team's young forwards during some rebuilding years.

Klapka scored a goal and added five hits in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

Klapka got the Flames on the board late in the first period. The goal was his first point over four games this season. The 26-year-old has added four shots on net, 16 hits, 27 PIM and a minus-3 rating while filling a fourth-line role. He may get some opportunities to move around the lineup, but Klapka's fantasy appeal is limited to deep banger leagues.

Lohrei scored a goal Thursday in a 6-1 win over Utah.

Lohrei's goal chased Sebastian Cossa from the Utah net; it was the Bruins third goal in a 5:45 span in the second half of the first period. He has three points, including two assists, in five games this season. Lohrei also has four shots and five blocks while playing an average of 19:48. His role will shift slightly when Charlie McAvoy (suspension) returns, but Lohrei will still deliver strong fantasy numbers.

Cooley stopped 23 of 30 shots in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Avalanche.

Cooley did well to limit the damage to one goal in the first period, but the Avalanche's offense didn't back down after that. Given the quality of the teams involved, this outing went about as expected for Cooley. He's now allowed 10 goals on 55 shots over his two games this season. The 29-year-old will likely have a tough time accumulating wins since the Flames getting caved in all over the ice to begin the year. If the team continues to alternate starts between the goalies, Dustin Wolf would start at home Saturday versus the Ducks before Cooley gets the rematch in Anaheim on Tuesday.

Mittelstadt scored a goal in a 6-1 win over Utah on Thursday.

It was Mittelstadt's first goal of the season. He's fresh off a 15-goal, 42-point season, and he's skating with Elias Lindholm and rookie James Hagens on the team's third line. Mittelstadt's days of high 50s point totals are behind him, but he can deliver another 40-point campaign, especially with his role on the second power-play unit.

Hughes logged an assist, six shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Flames.

The helper was Hughes' first point in four NHL games. The 24-year-old winger has turned a strong training camp into a steady third-line role with power-play time. In addition to the helper, he's produced 11 shots on net, five hits and a plus-1 rating. Hughes' offense isn't to the level that fantasy managers need to roster him yet, but he could be worth adding if he gets on a hot streak later in the year.

Kulak notched two assists, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Flames.

Kulak has earned all three of his assists this season over the last two games. The 32-year-old defenseman is seeing steady usage in a bottom-four role. He's added eight blocked shots, two shots on net and a plus-1 rating. Kulak is unlikely to get power-play time, but he'll probably continue to be a fixture in the Colorado lineup after signing a five-year contract extension in June.

MacKinnon scored a goal on two shots, added two assists and went plus-2 in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Flames.

MacKinnon was held off the scoresheet Wednesday in Winnipeg, but he wasted no time in bouncing back. This was his third multi-point effort of the year. The superstar center has compiled three goals, five assists, 15 shots on net, two hits and a plus-1 rating across four outings in his usual top-line role.

Geekie had a goal and two assists, all on the power play, in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Mammoth.

The goal was Geekie's first of the season after a 39-goal, 68-point campaign in 2025-26. He has scored 72 goals in the last two seasons, and he's in a great position to deliver the same kind of production this season. Geekie is skating on the top line with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, and he hops the boards on the top power play unit.