NHL Player News

Vasilevskiy made 23 saves in a 5-4 loss to Ottawa on Saturday.

It was a tight match, but special teams proved to be the difference. Ottawa went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Tampa Bay was 0-for-3 and allowed a shorthanded goal. The five goals allowed equaled the total that Vasilevskiy had let in over his first three outings. Tough night.

Forsberg made 25 saves in a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Forsberg earned his first win of the season in his third appearance. He has been filling in for Linus Ullmark (strain), who has missed three straight games. The 31-year-old Forsberg has benefited from the additional playing time, but Ullmark could be back as early as Tuesday's matchup at Utah.

Luukkonen will protect the road goal versus the Blackhawks on Saturday, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Luukkonen will make his fourth start of the season. He has alternated with Devon Levi so far, though the Sabres have already had a pair of back-to-back sets. Luukkonen has allowed 11 goals on 87 shots through his first three starts, but he has a favorable matchup for this game.

Merzlikins (upper body) won't be in the lineup for Saturday's home game versus Minnesota, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.

Merzlikins has a record of 0-2-0 with a 3.68 GAA and an .854 save percentage in two appearances in 2024-25. Daniil Tarasov is expected to start Saturday, while Jet Greaves will serve as the understudy.

Kochetkov will protect the road goal versus the Blues on Saturday, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Kochetkov won his season debut, stopping 24 of 26 shots versus the Devils on Tuesday. The 25-year-old netminder has alternated starts with Frederik Andersen so far, and that arrangement could continue if both goalies play well. The Blues have scored just 13 goals over five games, so Kochetkov has a somewhat favorable matchup.

Samsonov will defend the road net Saturday against Florida, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

During his Vegas debut, Samsonov stopped 22 shots in a 3-1 win over Anaheim on Oct. 13. Florida has a 3-2-1 record this season while scoring 19 goals.

Oettinger will protect the home crease Saturday against Edmonton, Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine reports.

Oettinger has a 3-0-0 record in 2024-25, stopping 92 of 97 shots. He went 1-0-1 versus the Oilers in the 2023-24 regular season, allowing four goals on 59 shots. Edmonton has 11 goals through five outings this campaign.

Vladar will defend the road goal in Seattle on Saturday, according to the SoundofHockey.com.

Vladar has won both his starts as the Flames have opened the campaign with a 4-0-0 run. Vladar was outstanding Sunday against Edmonton, stopping 25 shots in a 4-1 win. The Kraken have scored 20 goals in five games, including pumping six goals against the Flyers on Thursday.

Kuemper (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday by the Kings.

Kuemper won't be eligible to play in Sunday's road game against Anaheim, but he could be an option for Tuesday's clash in Vegas, provided he's healthy. David Rittich has appeared in each of LA's past two games, and he'll likely continue to be leaned on heavily until Kuemper is ready to play.

Copley was recalled from AHL Ontario on Saturday.

The Kings moved Darcy Kuemper (lower body) to injured reserve in a corresponding move. Copley could serve as David Rittich's backup in Sunday's road matchup against Anaheim.