NHL Player News

Kuemper halted 30 of 32 shots on net in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Capitals.

Kuemper took the first step in getting his season on track Tuesday by earning his first win of the 2026-27 campaign against his former team. After he surrendered a pair of early goals in the opening period, his confidence grew as the Kings continued to score, allowing him to keep the Capitals off the board. Overall, the 36-year-old backstop is up to a 1-3-1 record, a 3.94 GAA and an .869 save percentage across five outings. His overall numbers are still inflated due to his slow start, but Kuemper is trending back in the right direction with a convincing win against a quality opponent. Depending on when he's called upon for his next outing, he'll be a decent spot start in fantasy for the remainder of the Kings' five game road trip.

Dobes made 26 saves in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose.

The Canadiens held a 3-1 lead after two periods but Dobes couldn't make it hold up -- although there wasn't much he could do on the tying or winning goals, both of which came on Sharks power plays. The 25-year-old netminder is fighting for the No. 1 job in the Montreal crease with Jacob Fowler, and through five starts this season Dobes has gone 1-2-2 with a rough 4.47 GAA and .847 save percentage. Dobes has given up at least four goals in four straight outings.

Nedeljkovic turned aside 31 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Canadiens.

Montreal grabbed a 3-1 lead with about six minutes left in the second period but Nedeljkovic shut the door the rest of the way, making 11 saves in the third period alone as the Sharks rallied to tie it up. His efforts were rewarded when Macklin Celebrini wired home a one-timer in OT. Nedeljkovic has yet to take a regulation loss this season as he pushes for at least a timeshare with Yaroslav Askarov in the San Jose crease, going 3-0-1 in four starts with a 2.37 GAA and .917 save percentage. Remarkably, all four of Nedeljkovic's outings have been decided in overtime or a shootout.

Sorokin stopped 15 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.

While he didn't face a lot of rubber, Sorokin came up big when he needed to, and both goals against him came when his defense allowed clean looks from in close. The 31-year-old netminder has won three straight starts, and through seven appearances to begin the season he's gone 5-2-0 with a stellar 1.72 GAA and .934 save percentage.

Dostal made 22 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders.

All three goals against Dostal came within two and a half minutes of each other late in the first period, including a power-play tally by Simon Holmstrom that proved to be the game-winner. The 26-year-old netminder stood tall the rest of the way, but the Ducks couldn't draw level. Dostal has lost three straight decision, allowing at least three goals each time, and through seven outings to begin the season he's gone 3-4-0 with a 3.17 GAA and .881 save percentage.

Hart stopped 15 of 21 shots in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Lightning.

The Golden Knights' usually stout defense came up short of the standard Tuesday. Four of the Lightning's goals were unassisted, with turnovers being a big problem for the Vegas lineup. Hart didn't offer much help, failing to bail out his teammates with a big save when they needed it. He's now 4-3-0 with a 2.87 GAA and an .888 save percentage over seven games this season. While Adin Hill has largely drawn easier matchups, he's undefeated in four starts and could start to eat into Hart's playing time soon -- they've already been alternating for the last five games. The Golden Knights are set for a two-game road trip to close out this week, with stops in St. Louis on Thursday and in Columbus on Saturday.

Vasilevskiy stopped 32 of 34 shots in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Golden Knights.

Vasilevskiy got plenty of help from his teammates, who were able to capitalize on Vegas' many defensive miscues. The 32-year-old netminder is now 5-2-0 on the year, and he's posted a 2.46 GAA and an .898 save percentage through seven starts. While he's not quite in the elite area yet with his numbers this season, Vasilevskiy will have both the workload and the talent to get there. He'll have another tough task ahead as the Lightning wrap up a road trip with a back-to-back. Expect Vasilevskiy and Dennis Hildeby to split those games, which are Friday in Colorado and Saturday in Utah, neither of which is a walk in the park.

Merilainen stopped 38 of 43 shots in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes. The sixth goal was an empty-netter.

Merilainen was under siege for much of the game as the Canucks got out-shot 44-17. It's the fourth outing in a row where Merilainen has faced more than 30 shots. That's likely to happen a lot behind a shaky and young defense. Merilainen is 1-2-1 with a 2.95 GAA and a .917 save percentage over seven outings this season. He's starting to gain an edge over Kevin Lankinen for playing time, but neither goalie is a reliable fantasy option in most formats. The Canucks are set to host the Red Wings on Thursday.

Kochetkov stopped 14 of 17 shots in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Canucks.

The Hurricanes' offense made sure that Kochetkov's poor outing wasn't punished. He gave up a pair of goals in the first period but was able to settle down after that. This was the first time Kochetkov has allowed more than two goals in a game this season. He's 6-0-0 with a 1.98 GAA and an .899 save percentage over six games so far. The 27-year-old has started four of the last five Carolina contests, giving him an edge for the No. 1 job. He'll have his hands full if he gets the start in Edmonton on Thursday.

Tarasov allowed three goals on 27 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Kraken.

Things started poorly for Tarasov, and he gave up all three goals against across the first two periods. The Red Wings were able to rally in the third to force overtime, but Tarasov stopped just two of four shootout attempts to get stuck with the loss. He's now allowed five goals on 84 shots across four appearances this season. Tarasov has started to alternate starts with John Gibson, which would lead to a predictable workload if the pattern continues. Should that happen, Tarasov would draw a favorable road start in Calgary on Saturday.