NHL Player News

Vladar is expected to start at home against Pittsburgh on Thursday, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Vladar is getting the assignment in the Flyers' season opener after posting a 29-14-7 record, 2.42 GAA and .906 save percentage in 52 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. He was very effective against the Penguins in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, going 4-2 with a 1.61 GAA and a .937 save percentage in six outings, so he'll naturally be looking to extend that success. Pittsburgh is still a strong adversary, though the Penguins will be missing one of their top forwards in Bryan Rust, who is on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury.

DeSmith agreed to terms on a two-year, $5 million contract extension with Dallas on Wednesday.

DeSmith has been a solid backup for the Stars over the previous two campaigns, going a combined 29-16-8 with a 2.50 GAA and three shutouts in 57 regular-season outings. With Jake Oettinger signed through the 2032-33 season, the Stars have secured their goalie tandem for the next two years by locking down DeSmith.

Knight stopped 32 of 36 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

The Blackhawks got off to a slow start, and they weren't able to recover from that. Knight is capable of maintaining solid ratios after posting a 2.82 GAA and a .902 save percentage over 55 games a year ago in his first full campaign for Chicago. However, since the Blackhawks are still wrapping up their rebuild, wins will likely be hard for the 25-year-old to come by for most of the campaign. Knight's fantasy value will come from consistent playing time rather than results. The Blackhawks' road trip continues in Utah on Thursday.

Hart allowed two goals on 26 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Chicago didn't much going early on, and Hart limited the damage to a goal in each of the last two periods. The 28-year-old Hart is in a good spot to pick up wins, as he'll have a sturdy defense in front of him throughout the year. He's projected to be the Golden Knights' top goalie throughout the campaign, though Adin Hill could get more looks if Hart hits a rough patch. Vegas' next game is Friday at home versus the Ducks.

Jarry allowed six goals on 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks.

Jarry didn't look sharp in his first start of the season. He had a decent preseason, but he is likely to have a short leash with the No. 1 job in Edmonton if he doesn't improve his performance. Frederik Andersen (knee) is out until at least December, but Devon Levi could leapfrog Jarry on the depth chart with a few good starts. It's not yet clear which of Jarry or Levi will get the nod for Thursday's road rematch against the Canucks.

Lankinen stopped 32 of 37 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Oilers.

The Oilers were able to put together a third-period push after Lankinen did well in the first two frames. Evan Bouchard was Lankinen's main nemesis, as the Edmonton defenseman had a hat trick and two assists in the high-scoring opener. Lankinen is penciled in as the Canucks' No. 1 goalie, but outings like this one could be pretty common, making him a risky fantasy option in virtually all matchups. The Canucks have a rematch with the Oilers in Vancouver on Thursday.

Shesterkin stopped 20 of 22 shots in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Bruins. The third goal was an empty-netter.

Shesterkin kept Boston off the board for more than 56 minutes before Fraser Minten finally beat him with 3:46 remaining in regulation. JJ Peterka added another goal just 52 seconds later, and Boston's third tally went into an empty net after Shesterkin was pulled for an extra attacker. Despite taking the loss, Shesterkin had a solid showing overall, though he'll need more support from the offense if he's going to earn a few wins here and there. The star goaltender, who posted a 2.50 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 51 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, should remain between the pipes when the Rangers take on the Lightning on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

Swayman stopped all 24 shots he faced in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Rangers.

Swayman and Igor Shesterkin traded zeroes for more than 56 minutes before the Bruins broke through and scored three goals late in the third period. Swayman faced his heaviest workload in the final frame, turning aside all 10 shots as New York pushed for the opening goal. The 27-year-old ultimately secured the shutout to enjoy a strong start to the season. He's coming off a 2025-26 campaign in which he went 31-18-4 with a 2.71 GAA, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts across 55 regular-season appearances. Swayman should remain the starter when the Bruins take on the Jets on the road Friday.

Dobes made 25 saves in a 3-2 win Tuesday over Toronto.

Dobes was beaten twice by William Nylander, but he bricked the net otherwise. He made some great saves against new Leafs winger, Kirill Marchenko. Dobes has a corner on the Habs' blue paint. Expect him to carry a heavy load with at least 60 percent of starts, and with this hot, young team, Dobes' numbers should be above average.

Bobrovsky made 21 saves Tuesday in a 3-2 loss to Montreal.

Bob was solid, but he was at the mercy of three turnovers by his mates within the Leafs' zone. There were also a couple of deflections that were all but impossible to stop. The team in front of Bobrovsky wasn't really connecting with passes, and they looked like a bunch of guys learning to play together. Bob will be fine when the team cleans up its play in front of him.