NHL Player News

Hart allowed four goals on 20 shots in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Ducks.

Hart gave up a goal late in the first period and then allowed three more in the middle stanza. The 28-year-old netminder didn't have much to do as Vegas controlled play in the third, but the comeback effort fell short. Hart has now allowed six goals on 46 shots over his two starts this season. The Golden Knights' tight defense will limit his shots faced, but that could also lead to a lower save percentage when he's not at his best. The Golden Knights are set for a two-game road trip up next, playing in Vancouver on Sunday and in Seattle on Tuesday.

Dostal stopped 27 of 30 shots in Friday's 4-3 win over the Golden Knights.

Dostal kept Vegas off the board for two periods, but last year's runners-up didn't go down without a fight, scoring thrice in the third. That's likely a product of a very young blue line, and more generally an inexperienced roster. Dostal is capable of handling a starter's workload, and it'll be up to him to provide a calming presence in goal to build his defense's confidence. The Ducks' next game is Sunday at home versus the Panthers, which will provide another tough test early in the campaign.

Hofer posted a 25-save shutout in Friday's 4-0 win over the Stars.

Mason McTavish scored early in the first period for the Blues, and Hofer made that goal stand as the game-winner. If there's any chance of Hofer and Jordan Binnington battling for No. 1 minutes, the former has set a strong tone right out of the gate. After steady work with a 2.61 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 46 games in the 2025-26 regular season, Hofer sure looks ready to handle a starter's workload if asked to do so. However, Binnington will get the chance to response as he is scheduled to make the start Saturday in Colorado.

Oettinger stopped 20 of 22 shots in Friday's 4-0 loss to the Blues. The last two goals were empty-netters.

Oettinger missed the preseason due to a lower-body injury, but the 27-year-old was cleared to play as of Wednesday. He did a decent job between the pipes Friday, but his teammates weren't able to give him any support. It's a tough loss to begin the year, but Oettinger has a winning track record with at least 30 victories in five straight years. He should see a starter's workload in 2026-27, though Dallas also has a capable backup in Casey DeSmith, who will probably get the nod Saturday in Nashville.

Skinner stopped 26 of 30 shots in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins.

Skinner came within 98 seconds of earning a victory in his Winnipeg debut. He allowed two first-period goals before blanking Boston throughout the second and most of the third, but Elias Lindholm's late redirection forced overtime. JJ Peterka would then beat Skinner on a breakaway at 3:21 of overtime, leaving the netminder with an .867 save percentage in his first start for the Jets. Skinner figures to remain the No. 1 option for the Jets as long as Connor Hellebuyck (suspension) remains away from the team.

Swayman stopped 30 of 33 shots in Friday's 4-3 overtime win over the Jets.

Swayman followed Tuesday's 24-save shutout of the Rangers with another solid performance, though the potential shutout bid ended quickly after he was beaten once in the first period and twice in the second. However, the seven-year veteran shut the door the rest of the way and allowed the Bruins to mount the comeback. Swayman has had a strong start to the season, stopping 54 of 57 shots faced through two starts and winning both outings.

Sogaard notched a 27-save shutout in AHL Syracuse's 2-0 win over Laval on Friday.

Sogaard's first game for Syracuse was a huge success. The goalie will be the organizational No. 3 for the Lightning, but he probably won't see much NHL time unless Andrei Vasilevksiy or Dennis Hildeby gets hurt. Last year, Sogaard went 7-13-4 with a 3.69 GAA and an .874 save percentage for AHL Belleville in the regular season.

Skinner will protect the home goal versus the Bruins on Friday

Skinner is set to handle the No. 1 job in goal for the Jets this season. The 27-year-old netminder went 23-17-9 with a 2.92 GAA and an .888 save percentage over 50 regular-season outings last year. Skinner has plenty of experience, but he may struggle behind a team that lacks depth and wasn't all that strong in 2025-26.

Gibson will protect the home goal versus the Rangers on Friday.

Gibson will get the nod in the Red Wings' season opener. He allowed five goals on 45 shots over two preseason appearances. Gibson saw action in 57 games in 2025-26, his most in any campaign since 2018-19, though his lengthy injury history could make it difficult for him to get back to that number of appearances this year.

Garand will defend the road crease against Detroit on Friday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

The Rangers are playing the second half of a back-to-back set Friday, so Garand will make his season debut since Joonas Korpisalo (lower body) is on injured reserve. Across three regular-season appearances with the Rangers last year, Garand went 2-0-1 with a 1.62 GAA and .948 save percentage.