NHL Player News

Cossa was dealt to Utah from Detroit on Friday in exchange for the No. 23 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Originally the No. 15 overall pick by the Red Wings in 2021, Cossa has one NHL game under his belt, with that coming back in the 2024-25 campaign. He is coming off a season with AHL Grand Rapids in which Cossa posted a 26-8-4 record along with a 2.33 GAA and .915 save percentage. Mammoth starter Karel Vejmelka appeared in an NHL-high 64 games a year ago, and Vitek Vanecek is a pending unrestricted free agent, so the 23-year-old Cossa should be considered the favorite for the backup job in Utah this coming season.

Ersson was traded to the Senators from the Maple Leafs on Friday in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Ersson was traded to Toronto from Philadelphia in mid-June, and he'll be on the move once again just over a week later. He made 33 regular-season appearances for the Flyers during the 2025-26 campaign, going 14-11-5 with a 3.12 GAA and .870 save percentage. Leevi Merilainen is slated to be a restricted free agent during the offseason, while James Reimer will be an unrestricted free agent, so Ersson could have the opportunity to carve out a backup role behind Linus Ullmark during the 2026-27 season.

Stolarz (groin) has fully recovered from his groin injury and is expected to be the starter heading into training camp, according to general manager John Chayka, per Luke Fox of Sportsnet on Thursday.

Stolarz being deemed the starting goalie by Chayka shouldn't come as a huge surprise after the club traded away Joseph Woll in mid-June. The 32-year-old Stolarz was limited to just 26 regular-season appearances due to injuries this year, posting a 10-10-3 record and 3.28 GAA. That injury history should be a red flag for fantasy managers, especially considering he has reached the 30-game mark only once in his NHL career.

Zajicek agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with the Bruins on Tuesday.

Zajicek failed to break into the NHL last year, spending the entire year in the minors with AHL Providence, where he went 14-6-1 with a 2.44 GAA and a .915 save percentage. With both Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo under contract next year, not to mention Michael DiPietro, the 24-year-old Zajicek will be hard-pressed to break into the NHL any time soon.

Garand signed a two-year, $1.75 million contract with the Rangers on Sunday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

Garand had a 2-0-1 record while allowing only five goals on 96 shots in three appearances for the Rangers last campaign. He also went 16-15-2 with a 2.83 GAA and an .896 save percentage across 36 regular-season appearances with AHL Hartford in 2025-26. The 24-year-old will compete for the backup role behind Igor Shesterkin during training camp.

Akhtyamov recorded a 24-save shutout in AHL Toronto's 1-0 win over Chicago in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals on Tuesday.

Akhtyamov has stood out in the playoffs with a 14-6 record, two shutouts, a 2.10 GAA and a .928 save percentage over 20 games. His effort Tuesday was a big one, giving the Marlies a 3-0 lead in the championship series. Akhtyamov will likely get the chance to close out the sweep in Game 4 on Thursday.

Nashville acquired Posch and Ross Colton from Colorado on Tuesday in exchange for Magnus Chrona, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.

Posch posted a 15-8-5 record with a 2.78 GAA and an .891 save percentage over 28 regular-season appearances with AHL Colorado in 2025-26. He is under contract through the 2026-27 campaign, and he will probably spend most of the year in the minors.

Gauthier signed a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Gauthier posted a 21-9-5 record with a 2.09 GAA, a .929 save percentage and three shutouts in 36 regular-season appearances for ECHL Wheeling in 2025-26. He also went 9-8 with a 2.23 GAA and a .922 save percentage during the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The 25-year-old will probably spend most, if not all, of the 2026-27 campaign in the minors.

Ersson was traded to Toronto from Philadelphia on Tuesday along with Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick in exchange for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit.

In 33 regular-season appearances this year, Ersson posted a 14-11-5 record, a 3.12 GAA and an .870 save percentage. While the 26-year-old backstop should still be in the mix for plenty of opportunities with the Leafs, he figures to be the No. 2 option to start the season behind Anthony Stolarz (groin). Still, with Stolarz's extensive injury history (he's only hit the 30-game mark in one of his last five seasons), Ersson could get a chance to play No. 1 minutes if called upon.

Woll and Simon Benoit were traded to Philadelphia from Toronto on Tuesday in exchange for Samuel Ersson, Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick.

Woll saw action in 39 regular-season games for the Leafs this season, going 15-16-7 with a 3.34 GAA, .898 save percentage and two shutouts. With his new club, the 27-year-old backstop figures to slide into the backup role behind Dan Vladar, though he should still see about 25-35 games as the No. 2 option for the Flyers.