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Emil Lilleberg to Miss One Week
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg (undisclosed) won't be in action for approximately one week, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday's win over Washington and will exit the lineup on Monday against Philadelphia. Lilleberg's absence will allow Maxwell Crozier to make his season debut as the Lightning continue to roll with seven defensemen. While Crozier has shown some potential, he isn't expected to make a fantasy impact in a third-pairing role.
Source: Eduardo A. Encina
Source: Eduardo A. Encina
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Denver Barkey Makes Season Debut Monday
Philadelphia Flyers left wing Denver Barkey (lower body will be in action on Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Earlier on Monday, he was activated from Injured Reserve, and it's now official: Barkey will be in the lineup. He joined Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett on the second line during pregame warmups. Barkey made his NHL debut last season, contributing five goals and 12 assists in 43 outings. Having Zegras and Tippett as linemates boosts Barkey's fantasy value, but he's far from a must-have player.
Source: Jackie Spiegel
Source: Jackie Spiegel
Rasmus Ristolainen Won't Play Monday
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (undisclosed) will miss Monday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Ristolainen didn't join his teammates for pregame warmups after being considered a game-time decision. He sustained an undisclosed injury on Saturday against Carolina. With Ristolainen out, Simon Benoit will be back in the lineup. After playing in the first two games of the season, Benoit was scratched for Saturday's action. Benoit has no fantasy value and should be ignored by managers. Travis Sanheim, Cam York, and Jamie Drysdale will carry the Flyers' defense.
Source: Jackie Spiegel
Source: Jackie Spiegel
Jake Sanderson to Sit Out At Least Two Games
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (lower body) will miss the team's upcoming back-to-back against Boston and Detroit. He re-aggravated a lower-body injury in Ottawa's season opener against Toronto on Saturday night. It remains to be seen whether Sanderson will be ready to rejoin the lineup on Thursday, when the Senators host Philadelphia in their home opener. Cameron Crotty will step into the lineup as his replacement for Monday's game. Meanwhile, Thomas Chabot, Jordan Spence, and Carter Yakemchuk must take on added responsibility on defense.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Alex Ovechkin Announces He Will Retire After This Season
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin announced on Monday that he will retire from the NHL after the 2026-27 campaign. The legendary forward has just started his 22nd NHL season. He will go down in history as one of the greatest goal-scorers ever. Last season, Ovechkin recorded an NHL-record 20th 30-goal season. In April 2025, Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's long-standing goals record. After battling a lower-body injury in training camp, Ovechkin has begun this season slowly, recording one assist in two games. Some fantasy managers might be worried, but Ovechkin's form should once he finds his footing.
Source: Washington Capitals
Source: Washington Capitals
Jordan Eberle Extends Season-Opening Point Streak
Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle scored the final goal in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Calgary Flames, extending his season-opening point streak to three games. He's only the second player in Kraken history to record at least one point in each of the first three games of a season, joining Andre Burakovsky, who had a four-game run in 2022-23. Eberle has contributed two goals and one assist in three games this season. Over the last 10 years, he has tallied more than 50 points only twice, so Eberle's point-per-game form won't last long. But fantasy managers should enjoy it while the veteran winger is hot.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Leo Carlsson Shines With Three Power-Play Assists
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson showed off world-class playmaking ability on Sunday, recording three power-play assists in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers. Carlsson became the fifth player in franchise history to open the season with back-to-back multi-point performances. He boasts one goal and four assists. No Ducks player has ever posted more than five points in the first two games of the season. While it's still early in the season, Carlsson is showing signs he won't have any trouble living up to his huge new contract. Another multi-point performance could be on the horizon for Carlsson, as the Ducks take on the Edmonton Oilers and their fragile defense in their next game.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Cutter Gauthier Bags Three Points in Sunday's Win
Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier potted two goals and added an assist as his team beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime Sunday night. Gauthier scored his first goals of the season, both on the power play. His assist also came with the man advantage, as Mikael Granlund ended the game 4:14 into overtime. After a breakout year last season, Gauthier has kicked off the new campaign with two goals and two assists in two games. His productive start could well continue against the Edmonton Oilers, who have killed just 57.1 percent of their penalties and allowed 14 goals in three games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kyle Connor Powers Jets Past Red Wings
Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor registered two goals and one assist to lead his team to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Winnipeg's power play was on fire, scoring every goal in the game with the man advantage. With his 56th career three-point game, Connor tied Thomas Steen for the third-most in franchise history. Connor has opened the season in impressive form, notching three goals and two assists in his first two outings. He'll be back on the ice Monday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who gave up five goals in their last game.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nick Schmaltz Pushes Season-Opening Goal Streak to Three Games
Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz matched a franchise record with a three-game season-opening goal streak in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. He scored a power-play goal in the second period to tie the game at one. Overall, Schmaltz already has four goals, tying him for the league lead. This is a promising sign that he can produce another 30-goal campaign. Last season, Schmaltz scored a career-high 33 goals and added 41 assists in 82 contests. This week, Schmaltz will face three matchups, starting with a clash against New Jersey on Tuesday.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Joe Veleno Sustains Lower-Body Injury
New York Rangers center Joe Veleno sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday's win over Utah, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. He left the game in the first period after taking only three shifts. Veleno couldn't put any weight on his right leg, which could signal a serious injury. His absence wouldn't mean much in fantasy hockey, but the Rangers would lose a valuable penalty-killer. Matt Rempe is poised to enter the lineup as Veleno's replacement, unless head coach Mike Sullivan wants to go with an extra defenseman.
Source: Dan Rosen
Source: Dan Rosen
Jake Sanderson Under Evaluation for Lower-Body Injury
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson re-aggravated a lower-body injury in Saturday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The star blue-liner logged only 4:39 of ice time after being questionable for the game. While the team didn't initially specify Sanderson's injury, head coach Travis Green said it was a lower-body injury. "We'll know more in the next few days," Green added. "Sandy was smart enough to pull himself out early enough that he didn't re-aggravate it too badly. He just felt it was coming and took himself out." It appears unlikely that Sanderson will play on Monday against Boston. However, Green's comments suggest Sanderson isn't expected to be out for long. Without Sanderson, Thomas Chabot carried a heavy workload Saturday and was one of Ottawa's key players in a 3-2 win, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
Simon Edvinsson Wants Out of Detroit
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is seeking a trade, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The Swedish blue-liner is currently a restricted free agent without a contract. On Friday, Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff told reporters that signing Edvinsson remains a "priority" for the team. However, it appears likely that Edvinsson has played his final game in Motown. Losing him would be a major blow for the Red Wings, who drafted the 23-year-old with the sixth overall pick in 2021. He has shown potential to develop into a top-class defenseman. In his second NHL season in 2025-26, Edvinsson recorded 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists), 88 SOG, 148 blocks, 94 hits, and a plus-12 rating in 72 games.
Source: Elliotte Friedman
Source: Elliotte Friedman
Alexey Toropchenko to Be Re-Evaluated in Six Weeks
St. Louis Blues winger Alexey Toropchenko (upper body) will be re-evaluated in six weeks, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reports. The Russian forward sustained an upper-body injury in Friday's season opener against Dallas. Toropchenko has never scored more than 21 points in a season, so his absence won't affect fantasy hockey. With Toropchenko out, Dillon Dube made his Blues debut in Saturday's heavy 6-1 loss to Colorado. Dube has shown scoring potential in his NHL career, but he isn't a major part of the Blues' offense as a fourth-liner.
Source: Jeremy Rutherford
Source: Jeremy Rutherford
Jake DeBrusk Remains Out Sunday
Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (illness) will miss a second consecutive game on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Kevin Woodley of NHL.com reports. DeBrusk dropped out of the lineup on Saturday against Calgary due to illness. Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra labeled DeBrusk day-to-day. Vancouver won't start next week's action until Thursday, giving DeBrusk time to recover. He is expected to travel on a six-game road trip. Linus Karlsson moved to the first line on Saturday and produced two assists, providing good value for money to DFS managers.
Source: Kevin Woodley
Source: Kevin Woodley
Gustav Forsling a Game-Time Call Sunday
Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (upper body) is a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. The Swedish rearguard is dealing with an upper-body injury and was a late scratch on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Forsling had a good start to the campaign, recording a goal, two SOG, two blocks, and three hits in Florida's season opener versus Carolina. Uvis Balinskis entered the lineup on Thursday night and is likely to retain his spot if Forsling isn't cleared to play against Anaheim.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Brad Marchand Set for Season Debut Sunday
Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (lower body) will make his season debut on Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. The veteran star was initially expected to miss significant time at the start of the season, but the Panthers are already bringing him back into the fold. It's a welcome boost for the team after losing Aleksander Barkov (leg). Marchand hasn't played for the Panthers since March 6. He tallied 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 52 games. Maintaining a point-per-game pace may be a challenge for Marchand, but his scoring track record makes him worthy of fantasy consideration.
Source: Jameson Olive
Source: Jameson Olive
Oliver Kapanen Remains Out Saturday
Montreal Canadiens center Oliver Kapanen (lower body) won't play on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss a second straight game. As a rookie, Kapanen played in all 82 games last season, registering 37 points (22 goals, 15 assists). He was Montreal's fourth-highest goal-scorer. Kapanen's next chance to make his season debut comes Tuesday night against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Benjamin Kindel Ready to Face Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins center Benjamin Kindel (lower body) will be available Saturday against Montreal after being removed from Injured Reserve. Last Sunday, Kindel was deemed week-to-week. Fortunately for the Penguins, he missed only one game. Following a dominant 7-0 victory over Philadelphia, the Penguins don't want to tinker much with the lineup, so Kindel is set to fill a fourth-line spot Saturday. He will be in contention for a middle-six role once he has found his footing. In his rookie season last year, Kindel recorded 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 77 games.
Source: Pittsburgh Penguins
Source: Pittsburgh Penguins
Mackie Samoskevich Activated From Injured Reserve
Seattle Kraken right wing Mackie Samoskevich (upper body) has come off Injured Reserve and will be available Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers. He missed Seattle's season opener against Calgary but has been cleared to return to the lineup. Big things are expected of Samoskevich as a top-six regular in Seattle, and he should also see power-play time. The former Panther will make his debut in a great spot, facing an Oilers team that has allowed 13 goals in two games. To make room for Samoskevich on the roster, the Kraken moved Jacob Melanson (upper body) to Injured Reserve.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jake DeBrusk Unavailable Saturday Due to Illness
Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (illness) will miss Saturday's contest against the Calgary Flames. On Saturday morning, Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra revealed that DeBrusk was dealing with an illness. DeBrusk registered one assist and four SOG in the first two games of the season. Aatu Raty will enter the lineup as his replacement. With DeBrusk absent, Linus Karlsson is expected to move to the first line. Karlsson averaged only 13:42 of ice time in the first two games of the season, but he will have a significantly more important role on Saturday night.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
