Sandis Vilmanis Breaks Out for Four Points as Florida Holds Off Chicago, Matty Beniers Wins It in Overtime and Michael Amadio Sinks Buffalo: Wednesday NHL Fantasy Notes

Florida's Sandis Vilmanis scored twice and added two assists in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, the first multipoint game of his NHL career. Elsewhere, Matty Beniers scored on a breakaway in overtime to give Seattle a 2-1 win over Calgary, and Michael Amadio scored late in the third period as Ottawa beat Buffalo 2-1 to end the Sabres' three-game winning streak. (The fourth game of the night, a 7-2 Kings win over San Jose, is covered in a separate piece.) Here is the fantasy read from Wednesday's slate.

Panthers 5, Blackhawks 3: Vilmanis arrives

Vilmanis' four-point night highlighted a game in which the Panthers' second line led the way, per the team's recap. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists, including an empty-net goal at 18:33 of the third to seal it, and Carter Verhaeghe scored on the power play at 12:29 of the first period and added an assist.

Florida (9-5-2) closed a three-game homestand with the win and improved to 9-0-1 when allowing three goals or fewer. Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves on 20 shots. That is not a pretty save percentage, but the win counts, and Florida's defensive structure has kept Markstrom's workload light.

Fantasy takeaway: Vilmanis is an add in deep leagues and dynasty formats. A young winger who produces on a team as structured as Florida can hold a role, but one big night is not a guaranteed top-six spot. Watch his line placement in the next two games. Reinhart and Verhaeghe remain must-starts. Markstrom is a usable fantasy goalie behind a strong team, but his ratios carry risk when he faces a heavy shot volume.

For Chicago (4-11-1), Frank Nazar scored twice, Roman Kantserov added a goal, and Connor Bedard and Ethan Del Mastro each had two assists. Spencer Knight made 25 saves. The Blackhawks have lost four straight, but Bedard and Nazar continue to produce for fantasy. Knight is a ratio risk behind a struggling team and should be benched in most matchups.

Kraken 2, Flames 1 (OT): Beniers ends it, Wolf stands tall

Beniers scored the winner on a breakaway in overtime, banking a shot off the post and in. Yegor Sharangovich scored Calgary's only goal.

The fantasy story is in goal. Dustin Wolf stopped 27 shots for Calgary and still lost, but an overtime loss earns a point for his team and the save volume helps his fantasy line in leagues that reward saves. Calgary's goaltending situation has been in flux, with Devin Cooley on injured reserve, and Wolf has the starting role. He is a must-start in fantasy as long as he is getting this kind of workload. Calgary's offense is the concern: one goal in regulation limits his wins.

For Seattle, Beniers' overtime winner is a reminder that he remains the Kraken's top fantasy center. Hold him in standard leagues.

Senators 2, Sabres 1: Amadio's late winner

Ottawa rallied at KeyBank Center, with Amadio scoring the go-ahead goal late in the third period. Buffalo's Colten Ellis was sharp in his sixth start of the season, including a highlight pad save on Amadio in the first period, but the Sabres could not hold the lead.

Fantasy takeaway: Ellis has earned a share of the Buffalo net and is worth rostering in deeper leagues. A goalie who keeps games tight on a team that had won three straight has value even in a loss. In Ottawa, Linus Ullmark (lower body) was back on the ice at the end of Tuesday's practice, according to the league's status report, which suggests he is nearing a return. Managers who have been streaming Ottawa's backup should prepare for Ullmark to reclaim the crease soon. Senators forward Drake Batherson entered the night with a point streak, so check his line before your next lineup lock.

Goalie notes for the next slate

Wednesday's results reinforce a few goalie trends for the rest of the week:

Confirm every starter through Daily Faceoff or team announcements on game day before setting your lineup.

Betting angle

Two of Wednesday's games were one-goal results, and one went to overtime. For bettors, Calgary is an interesting team to watch: a goalie playing at Wolf's level behind an offense struggling to score is a recipe for unders and close games. Florida's record when allowing three goals or fewer is a sign of a team that wins tight games, which matters for puck-line bets.

For the model's view on tonight's slate, see /nhl/predictions and the daily picks page at /blog/nhl-picks-2026-11-05.

What to do in your league

Add Vilmanis in deep and dynasty leagues. Keep Wolf locked in as a starter. Add Ellis in leagues with 14 or more teams. Prepare for Ullmark's return in Ottawa. And keep Nazar and Bedard active despite Chicago's skid, because their production has not depended on the team's results.