NHL Player News

Thompson will guard the home goal in Tuesday's clash against the Hurricanes, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.

Thompson will look to bounce back after his worst start of the season Sunday, where he yielded five goals in his lone loss of the year. Overall, the 29-year-old netminder has a 3-1-0 record, a 2.77 GAA and a .902 save percentage across four appearances to begin the new season. He'll get his second start of the season against the Hurricanes on Tuesday after stopping 31 shots against them in a 5-2 victory Oct. 2. He's a strong start in all fantasy formats moving forward.

Dostal will patrol the home paint in Tuesday's clash against the Flames, per Derek Lee of The Hockey News.

Dostal will look to keep momentum on his side in Tuesday's clash after he won his most recent appearance in a 5-1 victory over Winnipeg. The 26-year-old netminder has a 3-1-0 record, a 2.96 GAA and an .883 save percentage across four outings to begin the new campaign. He'll be slated to face the Flames, who have yet to find the win column across five outings, making Dostal one of the top players to start in fantasy Tuesday.

Stolarz will defend the road net against Utah on Tuesday, per Mark Masters of TSN.

Stolarz has won his previous two starts this season, stopping 47 of 52 shots. Utah (4-2-0) has scored 22 goals in six games to begin the 2026-27 campaign.

DeSmith will guard the road goal against Colorado on Wednesday, per Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine.

DeSmith will get the second half of Dallas' back-to-back after Jake Oettinger plays in Tuesday's home matchup against the Avalanche. The 35-year-old DeSmith will make his second start of the 2026-27 campaign after he stopped 24 shots in a 2-1 loss to Nashville on Oct. 3 in his season debut. Colorado (3-2-0) has amassed 26 goals in five games this year.

Merilainen will patrol the road paint in Tuesday's clash against the Islanders, per Thomas Drance of The Athletic.

Merilainen will return to action Tuesday after avoiding his first loss of the season in Saturday's clash, where he was off the ice having his skate repaired when Kevin Lankinen allowed the game-winning goal. Outside of Saturday's game, the 24-year-old Merilainen has fared well to begin the new season, where he has a 1-0-0 record, a 2.18 GAA and a .929 save percentage across four appearances. While the young netminder's fantasy stock is on the rise, he'll have to prove himself in a tough matchup with the Islanders on Tuesday. He's a spot start option for fantasy managers in a pinch, but he should be left on waivers for the time being in standard formats.

Saros was the first goalie to exit the ice Tuesday, Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports, indicating he'll tend the twine at home versus Vegas.

Saros started the first four games of the season, posting a 2-1-1 record, 2.72 GAA and .916 save percentage. If the 31-year-old backstop can continue to hold those ratios across the year, he should be capable of hitting the 30-win mark for the first time since 2023-24.

Oettinger will guard the home crease in Tuesday's clash against the Avalanche, per Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine.

Oettinger has been excellent over the last three contests, as he's allowed just one goal. Overall, the 27-year-old netminder has a 2-1-1 record, a 0.74 GAA and a .963 save percentage across four outings this season. He'll look to extend his undefeated-in-regulation streak Tuesday against the high-powered Avalanche offense that currently leads the league with 5.20 goals per game. Regardless, Oettinger is a strong start in all fantasy formats for Tuesday.

Hofer is slated to patrol the crease on the road versus Ottawa on Tuesday, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Hofer started the season with a 25-save shutout before dropping his last two outings while allowing five goals on 46 shots (.891 save percentage). Look for Hofer to continue serving as the No. 1 option for the Blues, though he'll need to stave off any challenges from Jordan Binnington.

Annunen (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision versus the Knights on Tuesday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

Even if Annunen is cleared and activated off injured reserve, he is likely to serve as the backup to Juuse Saros. With no back-to-backs on the short-term schedule, it's not clear when Annunen might make his season debut for the Predators, though he's unlikely to see a significant number of starts regardless.

Schmid will defend the road crease in Tuesday's clash against the Blue Jackets, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.

Schmid was called upon in relief during Monday's contest after Jacob Markstrom exited the contest due to tightness. Overall, the 26-year-old Schmid has an 0-1-1 record, a 4.16 GAA and an .868 save percentage across two appearances. While Markstrom avoided an injury, Cooper Black was recalled from AHL Charlotte on Tuesday in case the former can't back up Schmid. The Blue Jackets offense has been steady to open the 2026-27 season with 3.00 goals per game, making Schmid a risky fantasy option, especially after playing in Monday's contest.