NHL Player News

Oettinger stopped 34 shots in a 3-0 shutout win over the Islanders on Saturday.

Oettinger was outstanding Saturday and earned his first shutout of the season in the Stars' home opener. Casey DeSmith will start Sunday against the Kraken in the second half of a back-to-back set, but Oettinger should return to his regular starting role when the Stars take on the Sharks on Tuesday.

Fedotov gave up five goals on 31 shots in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Flames. The sixth goal was an empty-netter.

Fedotov put in a decent effort, but the Flyers seemed to fade as a team in the third period of the second half of a back-to-back. Still, the Flyers never led in the contest. Fedotov's first start didn't help his cause to push Samuel Ersson for playing time, though it's possible this goalie situation turns into a tandem approach. The Flyers have a couple of days off before returning to action Tuesday in Edmonton.

Wolf stopped 37 of 40 shots in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Flyers.

Wolf was tested heavily in the contest and met the challenge, earning the win in his season debut. He looked a little better than Dan Vladar did against the Canucks on Wednesday as well, though the heavy workload Wolf faced Saturday likely means Vladar will face the Oilers on Sunday. The Calgary crease is likely to be an ongoing competition for much of the year, but the 23-year-old Wolf has better value in keeper and dynasty fantasy formats.

Pickard allowed five goals on 20 shots in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Blackhawks.

Neither Pickard nor Stuart Skinner have looked good in their first starts of the year. The Blackhawks' power play did a number on Pickard with three goals and added two even-strength tallies to outpace the Oilers. With six goals allowed on 27 shots over two appearances, Pickard is off to a rough start in 2024-25. Stuart Skinner will start at home versus the Flames on Sunday, but Edmonton's crease could turn into a hot-hand situation if neither goalie gets on a run in the early going.

Mrazek stopped 36 of 38 shots in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Oilers.

Mrazek didn't play well in his first outing of the year, but he did better in Saturday's contest, keeping a talented Oilers offense mostly at bay. The 32-year-old has allowed six goals on 64 shots while going 1-1-0 over two starts. He's likely to face a heavy workload in most games due to the Blackhawks' lackluster blue line. The team finishes a four-game season-opening road trip in Calgary on Tuesday.

Dostal posted a 30-save shutout in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Sharks.

Dostal's claim to the Anaheim crease is off to a great start after a shutout in his season debut. He earned the second shutout of his career, with the first being a 4-0 win over the Blackhawks on March 21 of last season. The 24-year-old netminder can build momentum for himself in goal while John Gibson (abdomen) continues to recover. The Ducks are back in action Sunday in Vegas, though it's unclear if it will be Dostal or James Reimer in goal for that contest.

Vanecek allowed a goal on 29 shots in Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Ducks. The second goal was an empty-netter.

The game was scoreless for 51 minutes before Isac Lundestrom tallied. Vanecek put in a good performance against a weak opponent, but a lack of goal support from his teammates stuck him with the loss in his Sharks debut. Mackenzie Blackwood allowed five goals in an overtime loss to the Blues on Thursday, so Vanecek's stronger performance despite a worse result could help him stay in the mix for playing time. The Sharks play three games in four days on the road next week, beginning with Tuesday's visit to Dallas.

Annunen allowed two goals on 13 shots in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Annunen was on the hook for the loss after the Avalanche covered the three goals Alexandar Georgiev gave up. The Blue Jackets' sixth tally went into an empty net. While Georgiev has struggled through two starts, Annunen has done poorly in relief, allowing four goals on 17 shots across his two games. Georgiev's salary will give him a long runway to correct things in the NHL. Still, Annunen will face competition for the backup role after Colorado plucked Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Jets on Friday. Annunen showed promise last season, so don't expect the Avalanche to make any hasty decisions with the 24-year-old.

Georgiev stopped six of nine shots before being replaced by Justus Annunen in the second period of Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Georgiev has been pulled in his first two games of the season, giving up eight goals on 25 shots. He was spared the loss this time, as the Avalanche rallied to cover his damage right after he exited the game. After the contest, head coach Jared Bednar gave Georgiev a vote of confidence by telling reporters, "he's our guy," per Ryan Boulding of NHL.com. Still, fantasy managers are likely already thin on patience with the 28-year-old netminder. Colorado's next game is at home versus the Islanders, and while Georgiev still has a grip on the starting job, it's loosening by the game, though Annunen has also struggled in his two relief outings.

Ullmark stopped 22 of 26 shots in Saturday's 4-1 loss to Montreal.

Ullmark took a slight step backward after his stellar 30-save effort in Ottawa's season-opening win over Florida on Thursday. The Senators host Los Angeles on Monday, and Ullmark might be back between the pipes.