The preseason begun on Saturday with seven games, two of which were split-squad games between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs.

In the Habs/Leafs game in Toronto, Gavin McKenna appeared in a live NHL game for the first time. McKenna was held without a point in just over 20 minutes of icetime in a 4-1 loss for the Leafs. The Leafs haven't wasted any time testing out their shiny new toy, as he has been skating with John Tavares and William Nylander.

Gavin McKenna almost scored on his 3rd NHL shift 😳 pic.twitter.com/NsCBRGZMXB

— Leafs Papi (@LeafsPapi_) September 19, 2026

For the Habs, Phillip Danault led the way with a pair of goals.

By the way, how many of you were disappointed that Sportsnet chose to show the split-squad game that McKenna was not involved in to its nationwide audience? I'm sure that won't be the last television network inconvenience you'll encounter this season. Don't worry, we'll all get to see McKenna play very soon, as there is no shortage of Leafs games broadcasted in Canada.

At least in the other Habs/Leafs game in Montreal, you were able to watch newly acquired Chris Kreider take shifts with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. After receiving a scare from what appeared to be a secondary squad from the Leafs, the Habs prevailed with a come-from-behind 4-3 win in overtime. Caufield scored the game-winner. Kreider did not record a point in 17 minutes of icetime.

Fantasy Take: Kreider Chooses Montreal

–

With the NHL extending the regular season to 84 games this season, teams will now play only four preseason games. On top of that, players with at least 100 games of NHL experience cannot appear in more than two preseason games. That means the first two preseason games for many teams could mainly feature prospects and other players not expected to make the NHL team. That was the case for the Canucks and Kraken on Saturday.

For example, the Canucks featured a top line for this game of Braeden Cootes, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Arshdeep Bains. Despite the Canucks being on the losing end of this game (4-2), 2025 first-round pick Cootes impressed with a goal and an assist. Bains also scored a goal with an assist, while Lekkerimaki registered two assists. They were the only players to record points for the Canucks.

HE COOTES, HE SCORES. pic.twitter.com/IEzUMmKvpG

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 20, 2026

It seems like Cootes will play in the AHL this season, as AHL teams will be allowed to roster one 19-year-old this season. That makes sense, since Cootes has already dominated the WHL (86 points in 77 games last season), but he may not be ready for the NHL quite yet. Expect him to receive a cup of coffee or two with the Canucks at some point this season, but he is more likely to be a full-time NHL player next season.

Jake O'Brien, who was Seattle's 2025 first-round pick, scored a goal and added an assist for the Kraken in the win.

–

Evan Bouchard assisted on four goals while Ryan Shea posted a goal and two assists in the Oilers' 5-2 victory over the Jets. Bouchard should be a top-5 – if not a top-3 – defenseman off the board in your fantasy drafts. Shea might add a bit of offense from the blueline as an offseason signing for the Oilers, as he recorded 35 points for Pittsburgh last season.

Alex Formenton scored one of the Oilers' other goals. Formenton was another offseason signing for the Oilers but a more controversial one due to his presence in the recent sexual assault court case involving members of the Canadian World Junior team. The Oilers are bringing him in as a penalty killer, so his fantasy value will likely be minimal.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl also scored goals against Winnipeg, who were resting all of their notable players from last season.

–

As I work through the Yahoo rankings and compare them to the Fantasy Hockey Geek rankings for my specific league, I can't help but notice several players that are not ranked high enough by Yahoo, are not being drafted high enough in fantasy leagues, or both. I'm sharing those players below.

If you are wondering how I am ranking these players, my league uses the following stat categories: G, A, +/-, SOG, PPP, HIT, BKS, SV%, GAA, W. I believe these stat categories are very similar to those of a standard Yahoo league. Regardless, maybe these players make sense to remember in your league's draft too.

Dylan Cozens, C, OTT (Yahoo Rank 138, ADP 141.5)

The forwards on this list should all be defined as bangers, but Cozens has the highest scoring upside of the three. Although he has never been able to surpass his output of 31 goals and 68 points from 2022-23, Cozens came closest to that in his first full season in Ottawa with 28 goals and 59 points. Cozens wasn't much of a hitter during that 2022-23 season (just 55 hits), but he has changed his game dramatically with back-to-back 200-hit seasons since then. Cozens has also added power-play scoring to his resume, as his 13 power-play goals and 29 power-play points from last season were both career bests.

Linus Ullmark, G, OTT (Yahoo Rank 150, ADP 134.1)

The Senators fan that you know probably tells you that their team doesn't get enough respect. There might be something to that, at least in fantasy leagues. Maybe the lack of respect is because of last year's nasty rumors surrounding Ullmark when he took his leave of absence, or it could be because of the departure of Brady Tkachuk. That all aside, if you're interested in a goalie that consistently posts a goals-against average of below 2.75 and should have little competition for the starting job while not requiring a high pick, then Ullmark might be the goalie for you. I was surprised to learn that Ullmark has never played 50 games in a season, but I'm willing to bet he will reach that total for the first time this season.  

Mackenzie Weegar, D, UTA (Yahoo Rank 160, ADP 112.8)

Weegar averaged 50 points per season in his last two full seasons with Calgary, but I'm not expecting him to reach those lofty numbers in Utah. The offseason departure of Sean Durzi could result in Weegar picking up second-unit power-play time, but scoring isn't the main reason you should be drafting him. You're drafting Weegar because he is dominant in peripherals. Take your pick: In 2025-26, Weegar finished fifth in SOG+HIT+BKS (496), sixth in PIM+HIT+BKS (430), and seventh in HIT+BKS (342). That's why you'll find him in this month's Top 100 Roto Rankings. His ADP seems fair, but Yahoo has him ranked way too low.

Jet Greaves, G, CBJ (Yahoo Rank 173, ADP 119.3)

Greaves might have been the most underrated goalie in fantasy leagues last season. Only four goalies posted more quality starts than Greaves (35) last season, while he was only one of 12 goalies to appear in at least 55 games. Elvis Merzlikins has no timetable to return from a shoulder injury, which means that there should be little doubt that Greaves will start the bulk of the games for Columbus. Posting respectable numbers (2.60 GAA, .908 SV%) for a Blue Jackets team that constantly flies under the radar, Greaves is an ideal pick for those fantasy teams that like to go full Zero G.   

Filip Hronek, D, VAN (Yahoo Rank 205, ADP 139.8)

After about pick 100 in many fantasy drafts, finding a quality defenseman that is on a team's top power play can be difficult. Once many of the notable names are off the board and you're searching through what's left, Hronek is not as bad an option as you might think. Once Quinn Hughes was traded, Hronek registered 33 points in 51 games while frequently logging 25+ minutes per game. The Canucks' power play went on a late-season run, which resulted in him racking up 10 power-play in his last 20 games. His value decreases if your league counts plus/minus; otherwise, there are no major red flags with Hronek.

Will Cuylle, LW, NYR (Yahoo Rank: 256, ADP NA)

Many bangers leaguers will jump on Kiefer Sherwood (ADP 132.3) at some point in their draft because of his domination of the hits category. However, Cuylle can provide at least the same level of scoring as Sherwood with a hit total that isn't that far behind. Cuylle doesn't have a Yahoo ADP, but he is being added in a few leagues (24% rostered – Sherwood is 33% rostered). Cuylle probably isn't a top-line scorer, but his secondary assist percentage was only 16.7% last season, so a few more assists could push him above 40 points for the second time in his career.  

Vasily Podkolzin, LW/RW, EDM (Yahoo Rank: 345, ADP NA)

Although I don't place major season-long stock into early training camp line combinations, Podkolzin couldn't possibly have better linemates at the moment with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Cast aside by the Canucks two seasons ago when he seemed like the odd man out, Podkolzin has carved out an important role as a secondary scorer who provides plenty of juice (back-to-back 200+ hit seasons). He has also steadily improved scoring-wise, reaching 19 goals and 37 points last season. He should build on that if he sticks with the Oilers' two top scorers. He's a definite sleeper, especially in bangers leagues.

If you have a draft coming up soon, good luck!

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social