October 14, 2025
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (face) is on track to make his season debut on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports. Benson is expected to take a spot on the first line and should also see time with the top power-play unit. His season debut has been delayed due to a facial injury. The 20-year-old took a puck to the face during practice the day before Buffalo's season opener. Although Benson's career stats of 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) over 146 games don't really stand out, he becomes an intriguing fantasy option if he sticks to the first line and the top power-play unit. On Wednesday, Josh Doan will be bumped to the second line, with Jiri Kulich projected to be a healthy scratch.
--Taavi PailkSource: Bill Hoppe
October 14, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Steven Lorentz (upper body) will be sidelined for Tuesday's clash against the Nashville Predators. He will miss a second consecutive game after being hurt in Saturday's contest against the Detroit Red Wings. Easton Cowan entered the lineup as Lorentz's replacement for Monday's rematch against Detroit and will have another chance to impress on Tuesday night. Cowan finished his NHL debut on Monday with one shot on goal and three hits across 14:05 of ice time. On Tuesday, Cowan is expected to continue skating with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews on the first line, making him an appealing fantasy option.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 14, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (lower body) won't be in the lineup on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. He has stayed behind as the team prepares to kick off a six-game road trip. "He didn't feel great at the end of that game the other night, and we went for some more stuff," Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "I think they're testing, and we're just going to keep him out for a while. It's nothing really super serious, but [it] doesn't quite feel right, so for right now he's not on this trip." Slavin's spot in the lineup will go to Mike Reilly, who will make his season debut on Tuesday night. Reilly will skate on the bottom pairing and should remain a free agent in fantasy leagues.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 14, 2025
Washington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower body) will miss Tuesday's matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dubois was injured in Sunday's 1-0 win over the New York Rangers and remains day-to-day. Washington is expected to use Connor McMichael as Dubois' replacement in the second-line center role. Meanwhile, Hendrix Lapierre will re-enter the lineup on the third line after sitting as a healthy scratch on Sunday. Joining the top six boosts McMichael's fantasy appeal and may help him get going after a sluggish start to the campaign. The 24-year-old hasn't scored any points in the first three games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
October 14, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (lower body) is considered a game-time call for Tuesday's clash against the Anaheim Ducks. He suffered a lower-body injury against the New York Rangers on Saturday, but Letang returned to practice on Monday and appears to be on track to be available against Anaheim. However, we won't know for sure until the teams hit the ice. On Monday, Letang skated with Harrison Brunicke and worked with the second power-play unit. The veteran rearguard has been anonymous offensively so far this season, going scoreless in three games and firing off only five shots on goal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 14, 2025
Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk (wrist) will miss at least one month of action, according to head coach Travis Green. "He's going to miss a significant amount of time," Green said Tuesday. "We'll know more in the next 24 hours. We don't know exactly, but it's four weeks plus. We don't know exactly." Tkachuk hurt his right wrist during Monday's contest against the Nashville Predators. Across the first three games of the season, Tkachuk has amassed three assists with 10 shots and 10 hits. Losing Tkachuk is a tough blow for Ottawa, but the team will at least have Drake Batherson (upper body) back in the lineup Wednesday versus the Buffalo Sabres.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 14, 2025
St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first two goals of the season in Monday's 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Snuggerud's power-play goal in the middle of the second frame proved to be the game-winning marker. The 21-year-old rookie celebrated his first career multi-goal game. Having tallied three points in three games, Snuggerud can be very happy with his start to the campaign. He's skating with the top power-play unit and has picked up two of his points with the man advantage. Wednesday's meeting with the struggling Chicago Blackhawks will give Snuggerud a good chance to further boost his numbers.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 14, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier racked up two goals and two assists in Monday's 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Couturier's second marker came late in the third period and was the game-winning goal. The veteran forward had his third career game with multiple goals and assists in a single contest, making him only the third Flyers player in the last 25 years to have this many performances with two-plus goals and assists. Couturier entered Monday's matchup with zero points through two games. This outing could provide Couturier with some momentum, but since it's been years since he was a consistent scorer, fantasy managers shouldn't expect too much from him.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 14, 2025
New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (cramping) didn't complete Monday's 3-2 road victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was dealing with cramping and was replaced by Jacob Markstrom for the third period. Allen had a good day at the office before he was forced to leave, stopping 23 of 24 shots. The Devils have their first back-to-back of the season next week, on Wednesday and Thursday, and will need Allen. Luckily for the team, the veteran netminder has plenty of time to get back into game shape. Markstrom should return as the starter for Thursday's matchup against the Florida Panthers, aiming for his third consecutive win.
--Taavi PailkSource: New Jersey Devils
October 14, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli finished Monday's 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins with two goals. He potted a pair of first-period goals, putting the Lightning 2-0 up. These were Cirelli's first points of the season. The Lightning have been prolific early into the season but some players have struggled, including Nikita Kucherov. Cirelli can start building momentum with another outing on Tuesday, as Tampa Bay meets the Washington Capitals. Although he's had a slow start, it wouldn't be surprising if Cirelli flirted with a 60-point campaign again. Last year, he fell just one point short of that mark, achieving career-highs with 27 goals and 32 assists in 80 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 14, 2025
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had two goals in Monday's 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He opened and finished the scoring, doubling his goals tally for the season. MacKinnon has also picked up four assists, giving him a whopping eight points through the first four games of the campaign. The Avalanche superstar has scored in three consecutive regular-season games for the first time since March 2024. It's also been 18 months since MacKinnon last had a four-game goal-scoring streak. He will get a chance to extend his scoring run on Thursday against a Columbus team that's allowing a league-high 37.3 shots on goal per game early into the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 14, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Miles Wood (face) was forced to make an early exit against the New Jersey Devils on Monday after taking a stick to the face. He logged only 1:17 of ice time before Dougie Hamilton's stick caught Wood and left him bleeding. Hamilton received a four-minute penalty for high-sticking. Wood has begun his first season in Columbus and boasts one goal with four shots and two hits through three games. If Wood needs to take some time off following Monday's incident, Yegor Chinakhov may get an opportunity to play on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 13, 2025
Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (upper body) could be absent for eight weeks. "That is probably pretty close (to the timeline)," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said before Monday's 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Norris missed a second consecutive game on Monday due to an upper-body injury. It looks like fantasy managers might have to wait until mid-December before he's back in action. During Norris' absence, Ryan McLeod has seen top-six usage, though he moved down to the third line on Monday. Ruff switched Tage Thompson to center on the first line, and he responded with his first goal of the season. Jiri Kulich operated as the second-line center, finishing with a minus-two rating.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 13, 2025
New Jersey Devils right wing Zack MacEwen (undisclosed) is set to miss time after getting hurt late in Saturday's clash against the Tampa Bay Lightning. "He sustained an injury in the last game later in the third period. He's going to miss an extended period of time," Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "The length we won't know until later on. That's the situation with him." On Saturday, MacEwan jumped into the lineup to replace Evgenii Dadonov (hand). Unfortunately, now he has to miss time himself. Brian Halonen will come into the lineup as MacEwen's replacement on Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Halonen has had some offensive success in the AHL, but he's unlikely to make an impact in the NHL as a fourth-liner.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 13, 2025
Utah Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi (upper body) is expected to miss four weeks of action, the team announced on Monday. Durzi's absence will start on Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. If he doesn't encounter any setbacks, Durzi will miss a total of 14 games. This is a tough blow for both the player and the team. Durzi has recorded one assist, two shots, four blocks, and three hits with a plus-one rating in two games this season. Center Barrett Hayton (undisclosed) could be Durzi's replacement in the lineup after Utah began the season with seven defensemen. Hayton is considered a game-time decision for Monday's contest.
--Taavi PailkSource: Utah Mammoth PR
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