Tuesday’s 16-game slate produced several developments worth tracking beyond the scoring totals. Mason McTavish converted an early FHI power-play signal, Olen Zellweger contributed twice with Rasmus Dahlin unavailable, and Ivar Stenberg became involved in both San Jose power-play goals. Connor Bedard returned ahead of schedule, while injuries continue to reshape offensive opportunities in Carolina and Anaheim.
McTavish: The process and opportunity are coming together
Mason McTavish scored twice, added an assist and generated six shots in St. Louis’ 7–2 win over Ottawa. His second goal came on the power play, with Connor McMichael assisting on both McTavish goals.
FHI’s October 9 Radar ranked McTavish first among its opportunity signals, identifying a PP1 change alongside Driver 97, Deployment 67 and 0.63 Expected P/G. Tuesday provided another positive observation, although his 15:29 of ice time remains modest for a player with this offensive profile.
The shot volume and power-play involvement support the existing FHI case. Sustained minutes would strengthen it further.
Zellweger: Buffalo’s defensive opportunity is expanding
Olen Zellweger scored twice against Montreal, including Buffalo’s tying goal in the third period. Both shots changed direction before reaching the net.
Dahlin’s upper-body injury has created additional opportunity on Buffalo’s blue line. Owen Power played 26:31 and recorded two assists against Florida on Monday, taking on a heavier workload following Dahlin’s departure. Power is the established high-minute option, while Zellweger offers a different offensive profile. How Buffalo distributes power-play responsibilities between them will be important in assessing their short-term fantasy value.
FHI identified Zellweger as a Process Ahead of Role candidate on October 9, with Driver 89 against Deployment 55 and 0.26 Expected P/G. His offensive involvement is encouraging, but sustained premium deployment remains the key to a meaningful upgrade.
Stenberg: Two power-play points, with the process still developing
Ivar Stenberg recorded his first NHL goal and added an assist against Boston. Both points came on the power play alongside Macklin Celebrini, with Stenberg finishing a back-post pass before later setting up Celebrini’s one-timer.
The special-teams involvement is significant. His individual Driver remains considerably weaker than the opportunity signal, however, and sustained power-play deployment will be necessary before upgrading the outlook.
Svechnikov: The preseason forecast gets another positive result
Andrei Svechnikov recorded two goals and an assist against Washington, including the go-ahead power-play goal. He played 21:29, with 6:16 on the power play.
Carolina will also be without Jordan Staal for one to two months, while Taylor Hall left Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury. Those absences could affect Carolina’s forward deployment. Svechnikov’s existing offensive role remains strong.
Bedard returns ahead of schedule
Connor Bedard made his season debut against Pittsburgh after recovering from shoulder surgery. He registered three shots and assisted on Roman Kantserov’s power-play goal.
Kantserov scored twice, generated four shots and played alongside Bedard and Patrick Kane.
FHI’s preseason forecast projected 1.10–1.20 P/G for Bedard following his return, based on last season’s 1.09 actual P/G, 1.08 Expected P/G and Elite Driver profile.
The early return improves his potential season total. His scoring-rate forecast still needs several games of evidence, particularly regarding shot generation and deployment following surgery.
Florida: The power-play environment changes quickly
Florida converted four of six power plays against Columbus. Brady Tkachuk scored three goals, including two on the power play, while Matthew Tkachuk recorded five assists.
Sam Reinhart added two goals and an assist, generating seven shots. Seth Jones contributed four assists.
The Tkachuk brothers played together with Sam Bennett, giving Florida another productive offensive combination despite the absences of Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand.
A five-minute major contributed to Florida’s power-play opportunities, so Tuesday’s conversion rate should not become the new baseline. The personnel and offensive distribution are more useful indicators to follow.
Colorado: Makar’s absence creates a temporary opening
Cale Makar missed Colorado’s 3–2 win over Dallas for personal reasons, remaining home with his wife ahead of the birth of their twins.
Devon Toews contributed to the power-play goal scored by Martin Necas during a two-man advantage. Necas finished with two goals.
Makar’s absence should be treated as temporary until further information emerges. Any additional power-play opportunity for Toews or Colorado’s other defensemen is therefore a short-term consideration.
Dallas also has a more persistent availability issue: Matt Duchene underwent surgery and is expected to miss approximately three months.
Anaheim: Injuries reinforce the Carlsson–Sennecke opportunity
Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke both scored against Calgary. They played together on Anaheim’s projected top line with Alex Killorn.
Cutter Gauthier remains day-to-day, while Ryan Poehling is expected to miss six to eight weeks with an MCL sprain. Roger McQueen made his NHL debut, playing approximately 11½ minutes without a point.
FHI’s preseason assessment already supported continued development from Carlsson and Sennecke. Their current opportunity is substantial, while McQueen remains a player to monitor for additional minutes as Anaheim adjusts its forward group.
McAvoy immediately resumes a major role
Charlie McAvoy returned from his six-game suspension and scored against San Jose.
He played a team-leading 24:41 in his season debut, immediately restoring a substantial part of Boston’s defensive structure.
His return is relevant to the deployment outlook for Boston’s other defensemen. The next games should establish how power-play minutes and offensive responsibilities are distributed with McAvoy available.
Palmieri: A useful return from a long absence
Kyle Palmieri scored twice against Vancouver, including the game-winner, after returning from the ACL injury that ended most of his previous season.
Palmieri has been playing on the Islanders’ top line with Bo Horvat. His offensive role was already established before Tuesday’s production.
The relevant development is his return to scoring while maintaining that assignment. His workload and shot generation over the next several games will provide a clearer indication of his post-injury fantasy value.