NHL Player News

LaCombe scored a power-play goal, blocked two shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Flames.

With the tally, LaCombe extended his season-opening point streak to five games. He has a goal, four assists, four shots on net, four hits, eight blocked shots and a minus-1 rating so far this year. It wasn't all sunshine for LaCombe in this contest -- he was briefly benched during the game. Still, he's the Ducks' most reliable defenseman for fantasy, and he's already delivering on offense.

Schaefer picked up an assist Saturday in a 5-3 loss to the Lightning.

Initially, Schaefer was credited with a goal that would have tied him with Bobby Orr for goals by a defender under 20, but the goal was given to Jean-Gabriel Pageau after a review. Schaefer has 23; Orr had 24. The former turned 19 in early September, so the record will be shattered this season. Who knew?

DeAngelo scored a goal and added an assist in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Lightning.

The points were his first this season. DeAngelo is averaging 16:40 so far, and his 16:33 was fifth among Isles' defenders on Saturday. Sheltered minutes 5v5 plus second-unit deployment on the power play means DeAngelo will deliver decent lower-risk production for fantasy managers.

Hedman picked up an assist in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Islanders.

Hedman has settled into a different role this season -- his ice time has dropped and this assist was his first of the season. His season average ice time is 14:00, down from a career average of 23:16 and 18:52 last year. Saturday, Hedman played just 10:34, the least of the Bolts' seven defenders. His assist was his 812th career point to move him into third place by a defenseman born outside of North America in NHL history. The only others with more are Nicklas Lidstrom (1,142) and Erik Karlsson (941).

Crozier put up two assists Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Islanders.

It was the second two-point game of Crozier's career. The other came Oct. 11, 2005. Crozier has impressed beside veteran star Victor Hedman, but he won't put up a lot of offense. His best pro output came in 2024-25 when he tallied nine goals and 25 assists in 52 regular-season games with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL).

Dravecky scored twice and added three assists in OHL Guelph's 10-5 win over Owen Sound on Saturday.

Dravecky just signed his entry-level deal with the Islanders on Wednesday. He was a fifth-round pick in 2026, but his stock is rising fast. He's opened the campaign with nine points and a plus-8 rating over six contests for the Storm. He's in a great spot for offense with Guelph, but it'll be interesting to see how his defensive work progresses.

Lohrei scored the game-winning goal in Saturday's 5-1 victory over the Flyers.

He jumped into the rush and finished a nice pass from JJ Peterka on a 4-on-2. Lohrei has been showing off his offensive skills with Charlie McAvoy, but the latter will be eligible to return to the lineup against San Jose on Tuesday. Still, Lohrei's offensive talents will likely give him more opportunities. Lohrei has two goals, two assists, six blocks, five shots and one hit in six games.

Tanev (upper body) won't finish Saturday's game versus the Avalanche.

Tanev was injured in the first period and won't be able to continue. The 36-year-old defenseman's exit leaves Toronto with six healthy defensemen on the roster. He'll be day-to-day for now until the Maple Leafs provide additional information.

Crotty (illness) will miss Saturday's game against Nashville, per the NHL media site.

It will be Crotty's second straight game on the shelf. He has no points, a plus-1 rating and one hit in two outings with Ottawa this season. When he's healthy, Crotty might serve as part of the third pairing, but there's no guarantee that he'll be put into the lineup once he's available.

Sanderson (lower body) won't play versus the Predators on Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Sanderson will miss his fourth straight game. The 24-year-old defenseman's next chance to play is Monday versus the Devils in the first half of a back-to-back set. Since that game is on the road, the Senators may be cautious with their top blueliner and hold him out until Tuesday's game versus the Blues.