Welcome back! It's the first week of the NHL schedule and you are likely drafting your fantasy squad this weekend, if you haven't done so already. It's a different season in 2025-26 as the Olympic Games will cause the NHL to stop play from Feb. 6-26. That means there is a condensed schedule throughout the remainder of the season and that means plenty of action.
Best of luck this season to all!
WEEK OF OCTOBER 7-12
4 Games – New York Rangers
3 Games – Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, Los Angeles, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Vegas, Washington
2 Games – Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Florida plays all three games at home.
ANAHEIM
Games this week: @ Seattle, @ San Jose
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Ducks will start the season without the services of John Gibson for the first time since 2013-14, as he was dealt to Detroit in the offseason. That puts the goaltending in the hands of Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek, with Ville Husso also available...Mason McTavish signed a six-year contract extension Sept. 27, but look out for a slow start as he missed a big chunk of training camp...Leo Carlsson could have a big offensive season in 2025-26.
BOSTON
Games this week: @Washington, vs. Chicago, vs. Buffalo
Tired: vs. Chicago (Thursday)
Rested: None
Notes: The Bruins play three games
Welcome back! It's the first week of the NHL schedule and you are likely drafting your fantasy squad this weekend, if you haven't done so already. It's a different season in 2025-26 as the Olympic Games will cause the NHL to stop play from Feb. 6-26. That means there is a condensed schedule throughout the remainder of the season and that means plenty of action.
Best of luck this season to all!
WEEK OF OCTOBER 7-12
4 Games – New York Rangers
3 Games – Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, Los Angeles, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Vegas, Washington
2 Games – Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Florida plays all three games at home.
ANAHEIM
Games this week: @ Seattle, @ San Jose
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Ducks will start the season without the services of John Gibson for the first time since 2013-14, as he was dealt to Detroit in the offseason. That puts the goaltending in the hands of Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek, with Ville Husso also available...Mason McTavish signed a six-year contract extension Sept. 27, but look out for a slow start as he missed a big chunk of training camp...Leo Carlsson could have a big offensive season in 2025-26.
BOSTON
Games this week: @Washington, vs. Chicago, vs. Buffalo
Tired: vs. Chicago (Thursday)
Rested: None
Notes: The Bruins play three games in four nights so expect to see Jeremy Swayman play twice with Joonas Korpisalo tending the twine once...Morgan Geekie had a breakout season in 2024-25 with 33 goals and 24 assists. Look for a regression this season...Charlie McAvoy injured his shoulder during the Four Nations Face-Off in February and did not return to the Boston lineup the rest of the season due to subsequent surgery. He appears healthy and should have a big season.
BUFFALO
Games this week: vs. New York Rangers, @ Boston
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Sabres will be without Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) to start the season...Alex Lyon will likely get the two starts this week...I'm expecting Josh Norris to have a strong season, if he's able to stay away from injuries. Playing alongside Tage Thompson will be good for Norris...Rasmus Dahlin should hit the 70-point mark for the second time.
CALGARY
Games this week: @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, vs. St. Louis
Tired: @ Vancouver (Thursday)
Rested: None
Notes: The Flames need to get another great season out of Dustin Wolf if they plan to make a run for the playoffs this season...Zayne Parekh is a wild card on the blue line. If he remains with the Flames all season, he will be the quarterback of the power play and will allow Calgary to deal Rasmus Andersson, who is unlikely to stay with the Flames past this season.
CAROLINA
Games this week: vs. New Jersey, vs. Philadelphia
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Hurricanes handed Nikolaj Ehlers a six-year contract in the offseason and he is expected to see first-line time alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Look for a career high in points from Ehlers this season...I like Logan Stankoven, who should excel on the second line...Rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin is highly regarded.
CHICAGO
Games this week: @ Florida, @ Boston, vs. Montreal
Tired: None
Rested: @ Boston (Thursday)
Notes: The Blackhawks need a big year from Connor Bedard, who enters his third season in the NHL...A great start by Bedard will put him in line for a spot on Team Canada's Olympic roster...Look for Spencer Knight to have a good year between the pipes...I'm also expecting a big season from Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel.
COLORADO
Games this week: @ Los Angeles, vs. Utah, vs. Dallas
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Avalanche will be helped this season by the fact that Gabriel Landeskog will play a full year...Mackenzie Blackwood will also be with the Avs for a full season. Colorado had awful goaltending to start the 2024-25 season from Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen and will get off to a much better start with Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood...It should be interesting to see if 40-year-old Brent Burns still has one more good season left in him.
COLUMBUS
Games this week: @ Nashville, @ Minnesota
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Blue Jackets are expected to have Jet Greaves start the season as their No. 1 goaltender, ahead of Elvis Merzlikins...The Blue Jackets have plenty of young talent in Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson up front and have one of the best defensemen in Zach Werenski, who managed 23 goals and 82 points last season...Columbus could make another big leap forward this season.
DALLAS
Games this week:
@ Winnipeg, @ Colorado
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes:
The Stars are talking about playing Mikko Rantanen on both power plays this season, which would certainly help his fantasy value...They have one of the best goaltenders in Jake Oettinger, but may need to rely on Casey DeSmith after the Olympic Games if Oettinger plays a lot for the Americans...Tyler Seguin is ready to play after missing 62 games last season, as he underwent shoulder surgery during the season.
DETROIT
Games this week:
@ Montreal, vs. Toronto
Tired: None
Rested: @ Montreal (Thursday)
Notes:
The Red Wings are counting on John Gibson to solidify their goaltending after a tough 2024-25 campaign in which Cam Talbot (this season's backup), Alex Lyon, Ville Husso, Petr Mrazek and Sebastian Cossa all played between the pipes...Look for Marco Kasper to take a step forward this season after picking up 19 goals and 18 assists in his rookie year of 2024-25.
EDMONTON
Games this week: vs. Calgary, vs. Vancouver
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: All eyes will be on Edmonton to see if Connor McDavid is signed to a contract past this season, or whether the drama will go on all season...The Oilers will miss Zach Hyman (wrist) for the opening month of the season, leaving an opening for Isaac Howard to start the season with the big club...The Oilers have had a problem between the pipes with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, especially last season, and you have to wonder if Connor Ingram could be the answer.
FLORIDA
Games this week: vs. Chicago, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Ottawa
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Panthers start the season with Aleksander Barkov out for the regular season after undergoing knee surgery during training camp...Add to that the offseason surgery for Matthew Tkachuk (groin), who is expected to miss at least half the season, and the Panthers could be in trouble should anyone else suffer a major injury...Look for Anton Lundell to get an increased role with Barkov's injury...Seth Jones should have a big year and quarterback the top power play.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week: vs. Colorado, @ Vegas, @ Winnipeg
Tired: @ Vegas (Wednesday)
Rested: None
Notes: The Kings will bid farewell to Anze Kopitar after this season and will do their best to see him go far into the playoffs...Corey Perry should return by the end of the month after undergoing knee surgery just before the start of training camp...Quinton Byfield could hit the 60-point mark this season.
MINNESOTA
Games this week: @ St. Louis, vs. Columbus
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Wild made a couple of huge signings in the last week, inking Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $126 million contract, the largest ever in the NHL...They then signed goaltender Filip Gustasson to a five-year deal worth $34.8 million, locking up their top two players...Zeev Buium is an interesting player, as the defenseman has plenty of offensive upside and could quarterback the first power play before too long.
MONTREAL
Games this week: @ Toronto, vs. Detroit, @ Chicago
Tired: vs. Detroit (Thursday)
Rested: None
Notes: The Canadiens play three games in four nights. Look for Sam Montembeault to play twice with Jakub Dobes playing once...The Canadiens have a very good top nine, led by Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Patrik Laine and Ivan Demidov...They helped themselves on the blue line with the offseason trade for Noah Dobson, who had 70 points during the 2023-24 season. He gives the Habs an excellent one-two punch on the blue line with 2024-25 Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson.
NASHVILLE
Games this week: vs. Columbus, vs. Utah
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Predators will try to forget last season, as they entered the season with Stanley Cup aspirations and finished 30th in the NHL standings with a measly 68 points...They need a comeback season from Juuse Saros, who has been progressively worse every season since the 2020-21 campaign when he had a 2.28 GAA. It was 2.98 last season, though the weak Predators team didn't help.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week: @ Carolina, @ Tampa Bay
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Devils signed restricted free agent Luke Hughes to a seven-year contract Wednesday, but the defenseman is expected to need some time to get in game shape and shouldn't be used in your fantasy lineup early in the season...Arseni Gritsyuk is an interesting late pickup. He played in the KHL last season and could have fantasy value if he plays on the top line alongside Jack Hughes.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week: @ Pittsburgh, vs. Washington
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Islanders dealt top offensive defenseman Noah Dobson to the Canadiens in the offseason and will rely on Tony DeAngelo this season to run their top power play...Matthew Schaefer was selected first overall in the 2025 Draft and could see plenty of power-play time, possibly replacing DeAngelo later in the season on the first power play.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week: vs. Pittsburgh, @ Buffalo, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Washington
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Rangers are the only team in the NHL to play four games this week. They also play three games in four nights. Igor Shesterkin should see three starts, with Jonathan Quick making one appearance between the pipes...The Rangers have two very good top lines, but the talent up front goes downhill very quickly after that...Will Cuylle could surprise on the second line.
OTTAWA
Games this week: @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Senators open up the season in the state of Florida for a pair of games...Linus Ullmark is currently penciled in as the No. 1 goaltender, but Leevi Merilainen, who posted an 8-3-1 mark with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 12 starts last season, could share the job, or even beat him out by the end of the season...Jake Sanderson had 11 goals and 46 assists in 80 regular-season games in 2024-25 and could hit the 65-70 point mark this season.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week: @ Florida, @ Carolina
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Flyers are hoping that Trevor Zegras, who they got from Anaheim in an offseason trade, can regain his form from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaign, when he had 61 and 65 points respectively, rather than his 15- and 32-point seasons in the last two years...Playing alongside Matvei Michkov won't hurt his cause...Samuel Ersson is in line to be the No. 1 goaltender, with Dan Vladar as his backup.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week: @ New York Rangers, vs. New York Islanders, vs. New York Rangers
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Penguins sent Sergei Murashov to the minors Saturday, despite his stellar training camp where he outplayed Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs in the Pittsburgh cage...Look for the Penguins to trade off some of their veterans this season, including Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust (lower body)...Sidney Crosby will remain a Penguin for as long as he wants to, but he could request a trade if the team continues to flounder this season.
SAN JOSE
Games this week: vs. Vegas, vs. Anaheim
Tired: None
Rested: vs. Vegas (Thursday)
Notes: The Sharks will be led in goal by Yaroslav Askarov with Alex Nedeljkovic as his backup...There is plenty of young talent in San Jose, starting with Macklin Celebrini...Will Smith should also excel on the top line while William Eklund and Michael Misa (if he isn't sent back to junior hockey) are key pieces on the second line...Timothy Liljegren is expected to quarterback the first power play.
SEATTLE
Games this week: vs. Anaheim, vs. Vegas
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Kraken look like a non-playoff team on paper, but they do have some young talent up front, led by Matty Beniers and Shane Wright...Joey Daccord has been solid the last two seasons as he has taken over the No. 1 spot in goal with the Kraken...He was 27-23-5 with a 2.75 GAA and a .906 save percentage across 57 regular-season games last year...Vince Dunn (undisclosed) missed Seattle's final preseason clash but he is expected to quarterback their power play upon his return.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week: vs. Minnesota, @ Calgary
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Blues are led by Robert Thomas up front, and if he can manage to stay healthy, a 100-point season is within his grasp...Jimmy Snuggerud is slated to start the season on the first line...St. Louis made a nice signing in the offseason, acquiring Pius Suter...Cam Fowler is expected to quarterback the first power play, but don't forget about Philip Broberg, who had eight goals and 21 assists in 68 regular-season contests.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week: vs. Ottawa, vs. New Jersey
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Lightning are quite strong everywhere, including star forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, who headline a first unit which also includes Jake Guentzel...Victor Hedman continues to show why he's still a top-five defenseman. Hedman had 15 goals and 51 assists in 79 games last season, and the 34-year-old should pick up similar numbers this season.
TORONTO
Games this week: vs. Montreal, @ Detroit
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Maple Leafs lost Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights in a trade before the beginning of free agency, but the loss may be tempered by their trades for Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua up front. It may not show up during the regular season but certainly will come playoff time...Auston Matthews had "only" 33 goals in 67 games in 2024-25, but look for him to get back to the 50-plus mark this season.
UTAH
Games this week: @ Colorado, @ Nashville
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Mammoth are another team with plenty of young talent up front, including Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther...The trio could lead Utah to a playoff spot, especially if goaltender Karel Vejmelka is able to carry the load as he did last season, posting a 26-22-8 record with a 2.58 GAA and a .904 save percentage...Mikhail Sergachev provided 15 goals and 38 assists with 140 blocked shots in 77 games, his first season with the franchise after seven seasons in Tampa Bay.
VANCOUVER
Games this week: vs. Calgary, @ Edmonton
Tired: None
Rested: @ Calgary (Thursday)
Notes: The Canucks need Thatcher Demko to be healthy this season as he managed to play in only 23 games in 2024-25 due to a multitude of injuries. He was okay when he played, going 10-8-3 with a 2.90 GAA and an .889 save percentage, but it was a far cry from the previous campaign where he was 35-14-2 with five shutouts, a 2.45 GAA and a .918 save percentage...Elias Pettersson must also find his mojo as he had only 15 goals and 30 assists in 64 games.
VEGAS
Games this week: vs. Los Angeles, @ San Jose, @ Seattle
Tired: @ San Jose (Thursday)
Rested: vs. Los Angeles (Wednesday)
Notes: The Golden Knights play three games in four nights...Adin Hill should get two starts with Akira Schmid starting once...The Golden Knights made the biggest splash of the offseason, inking Mitch Marner to an eight-year, $112 million contract. Marner is expected to start the season on the top line alongside Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev...Alex Pietrangelo's career could be over as he could miss the entire season with a serious hip injury.
WASHINGTON
Games this week: vs. Boston, @ New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Capitals need another big season from Alex Ovechkin, who managed 44 goals in 65 games despite missing 18 games with a broken leg...The big question is whether or not he can do it at the age of 40...Look for Logan Thompson to take over as the No. 1 goaltender, rather than sharing the job with Charlie Lindgren...Aliaksei Protas had 30 goals and 66 points in 76 games last season despite picking up only one assist on the power play...It will be tough for him to have an offensive year like that without power-play time.
WINNIPEG
Games this week: vs. Dallas, vs. Los Angeles
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes: The Jets lost Nikolaj Ehlers to free agency, but signed Manitoba native Jonathan Toews to center their second line...Connor Hellebuyck carried the Jets during the regular season as the goaltender not only won the Vezina Trophy but he also captured the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player...Josh Morrissey has had three straight seasons with at least 62 points and has averaged 23 points on the power play over the three campaigns.
