NHL Player News

Oettinger stopped 17 of 19 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Jets.

Oettinger secured another victory despite a relatively light workload, benefiting from Dallas' late comeback after allowing two second-period goals. The 27-year-old netminder has now won three consecutive starts, reinforcing his status as a dependable fantasy option. His modest save total Thursday limited his contributions in volume-based formats, but the Stars' improving results and his established role as their primary starter continue to support his fantasy value. He's posted a 1.29 GAA and .931 save percentage during his ongoing winning run.

Varlamov made 24 saves in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to Los Angeles.

The Kings had a clear book on Varlamov, as two of the shots that got past him went over his shoulder on the glove side as he was dropping into his butterfly, including Brandt Clarke's OT winner. Despite his lengthy layoff, the 38-year-old netminder has been solid as Ilya Sorokin's backup, and Varlamov's gone 0-1-2 with a 2.25 GAA and .899 save percentage through three starts to begin the season.

Skinner stopped 35 of 38 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Stars.

Skinner delivered an impressive performance despite the defeat, posting a .921 save percentage while facing nearly twice as many shots as Dallas' Jake Oettinger. The veteran netminder made a remarkable glove save on Roope Hintz late in the second period to preserve Winnipeg's lead, but couldn't prevent Dallas' late comeback. His substantial workload creates opportunities for strong save totals, though the Jets' recent struggles could continue to limit his fantasy value in leagues that emphasize wins. It's worth noting that Skinner has been productive despite the team's struggles, posting a single-game save percentage of at least .900 in five of his last six starts.

Hintz scored two goals on five shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Jets. He also added three hits and a blocked shot.

Hintz delivered his strongest performance of the young season, tying the game with two minutes remaining in regulation before scoring the winner on a breakaway at 3:47 of overtime. The Finnish center now has five goals in 10 appearances, all coming in his last seven. His five shots were particularly encouraging, as it was his second-best output of the season in that regard, and his continued involvement alongside Dallas' top offensive players gives him substantial fantasy upside despite occasional fluctuations in production.

Clarke scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Thursday's 3-2 overtime victory over the Islanders.

After having a hand in an Artemi Panarin tally early in the first period that opened the scoring, Clarke ended things by wiring a shot past Semyon Varlamov from the faceoff dot. Clarke has fully assumed the mantle of No. 1 defenseman for the Kings this season from Drew Doughty, and through eight games the 23-year-old has two goals and seven points while adding 16 blocked shots, 18 shots on net, 21 PIM and a minus-5 rating.

Panarin scored two goals on four shots with a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Islanders.

Both tallies came in the first period, as Panarin gave the Kings a 2-0 lead with a pair of precision strikes past Semyon Varlamov. Panarin has produced back-to-back multi-point efforts, and through eight games to begin the season he's racked up six goals and nine points.

Kuemper stopped 41 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Islanders.

The Kings were out-shot 43-27 on the night by the home side, but Kuemper made more than 40 saves in a regular-season game for the first time since April 5, 2024 to steal a win for his team. He even picked up an assist on Brandt Clarke's OT winner. The 36-year-old netminder had a bumpy beginning to 2026-27, coughing up eight goals in Colorado in the season opener, but since then Kuemper's gone 2-2-1 in five starts with a 2.52 GAA and .924 save percentage.

Lapierre scored a goal and added an assist in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Panthers.

Injuries in the forward ranks pulled Lapierre out of the press box and had him centering the second line with Evgeni Malkin on his wing, and the duo showed some intriguing chemistry Thursday. Lapierre completed a slick 3-on-2 rush midway through the second period to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead, and the former Capital then set up Malkin for a beauty early in the third. Lapierre had been a healthy scratch the prior four games, but in his first seven contests for Pittsburgh this season he's produced two goals and five points, including two helpers on the power play. Thursday's performance, and his spark he showed with Malkin, make a good case for Lapierre to remain in the lineup even when the roster gets healthier.

Connor scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Stars.

Connor put Winnipeg ahead 2-1 in the second period, extending his impressive scoring start to nine goals through 10 appearances and failing to light the lamp just three times over that stretch. The veteran winger logged 23:02 of ice time and remains one of the Jets' most reliable offensive contributors despite the team's recent struggles. His scoring pace and substantial workload provide a strong fantasy foundation. Connor is also racking up elite shot numbers, averaging 4.4 shots on goal per game this season.

Johnston scored a goal on four shots and added an assist in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Jets.

Johnston finally opened his goal-scoring account after recording 45 goals last season, ending a nine-game drought. The 23-year-old forward also assisted on Roope Hintz's game-tying goal late in regulation, finishing with his second multi-point performance of the campaign. His 19:55 of ice time and continued involvement alongside Dallas' top offensive players remain encouraging, although his early scoring struggles have limited his fantasy production.