NHL Player News

Barzal (knee) might resume skating this weekend or early next week, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports Wednesday.

Barzal isn't expected to need long to recover after he resumes skating. However, it's safe to say he won't play Wednesday in Toronto or Saturday against New Jersey. Barzal is likely to serve on the top line and first power-play unit once he's ready to return.

Terry (hip) was moved from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve Wednesday, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Terry isn't expected to be back until mid-November at the earliest, so this transfer doesn't impact his timetable. He had 19 goals and 57 points in 61 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. Terry should occupy a top-six role and play on the first power-play unit once he's healthy.

Vladar is expected to start at home against Pittsburgh on Thursday, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Vladar is getting the assignment in the Flyers' season opener after posting a 29-14-7 record, 2.42 GAA and .906 save percentage in 52 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. He was very effective against the Penguins in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, going 4-2 with a 1.61 GAA and a .937 save percentage in six outings, so he'll naturally be looking to extend that success. Pittsburgh is still a strong adversary, though the Penguins will be missing one of their top forwards in Bryan Rust, who is on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury.

DeSmith agreed to terms on a two-year, $5 million contract extension with Dallas on Wednesday.

DeSmith has been a solid backup for the Stars over the previous two campaigns, going a combined 29-16-8 with a 2.50 GAA and three shutouts in 57 regular-season outings. With Jake Oettinger signed through the 2032-33 season, the Stars have secured their goalie tandem for the next two years by locking down DeSmith.

Edvinsson, who is a restricted free agent, has returned to Sweden to resume his training, per Andreas III Johnsson of Goteborgs-Posten on Wednesday.

Edvinsson decided to attend the Red Wings' training camp, which was an unusual step for a restricted free agent. However, the two sides have been unable to agree to terms, so he remains unsigned. Given that Edvinsson opted to head to Sweden rather than stay in Detroit, it wouldn't be surprising if it turned out that the 23-year-old defenseman isn't optimistic about signing a deal in the coming days.

Greenway scored a goal on five shots and added three hits in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

Greenway was the other player acquired in the Blackhawks' trade for Bowen Byram in June. It's a fresh start for Greenway, who seemed to spend more time injured than healthy during his parts of four campaigns in Buffalo. He was limited to just 14 points over 74 regular-season appearances over the previous two years combined. The 29-year-old started his Chicago tenure in a fourth-line role, but if he can stay healthy, he should challenge for around 20 points with a decent share of hits and PIM.

Kane scored a goal on four shots and added two hits in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

Kane cashed in on a turnover in the third period. While the Blackhawks lost, it was likely enjoyable and nostalgic to see No. 88 in a Chicago sweater again. The 37-year-old winger signed a two-year deal in July and will serve as a top-six option as well as a mentor for the next generation of Blackhawks. Kane's past his peak on offense but has still chipped in at least 47 points in each of his last four campaigns despite missing time in each of those seasons. The playmaker is still productive enough to be a depth option in fantasy, particularly in formats that value power-play production.

Knight stopped 32 of 36 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

The Blackhawks got off to a slow start, and they weren't able to recover from that. Knight is capable of maintaining solid ratios after posting a 2.82 GAA and a .902 save percentage over 55 games a year ago in his first full campaign for Chicago. However, since the Blackhawks are still wrapping up their rebuild, wins will likely be hard for the 25-year-old to come by for most of the campaign. Knight's fantasy value will come from consistent playing time rather than results. The Blackhawks' road trip continues in Utah on Thursday.

McNabb logged two assists and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Multi-point efforts won't be a regular thing for McNabb, but he can chip in some offense in a top-four role. His biggest source of fantasy value comes from blocked shots, especially if new head coach Ryan Craig doesn't make too many changes to Vegas' defensive style. McNabb was held to 12 points with 110 hits and 142 blocked shots over 63 regular-season appearances last year, but he had reached the 20-point mark in the previous two campaigns. Keep him in mind in deeper fantasy formats as well as banger leagues.

Barbashev notched two assists, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Barbashev sometimes goes unheralded in fantasy, but keep an eye on him while he's seeing his even-strength minutes alongside Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. He assisted on each of his linemates' goals in this contest. Barbashev had a career-best 61 points with 137 hits, 133 shots on net and a plus-20 rating over 82 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. His combination of offense and physical play can be a difference maker as a depth option in fantasy, especially if he can fend off Trevor Connelly and Braeden Bowman for top-line duties.