NHL Player News

Gustavsson (hip) was placed on injured reserve Monday, according to Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.

Gustavsson is expected to be out until at least early November. He posted a 28-15-6 record with two shutouts, a 2.69 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 50 appearances for Minnesota during the 2025-26 regular season. Once he returns, Gustavsson will be in the mix for starts with Jesper Wallstedt.

Driedger was released from his professional tryout agreement by the Canucks on Monday, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports.

Driedger signed a PTO with the Canucks in late August, but he'll be let go by the organization before the start of the regular season. Thatcher Demko (hip) is slated to miss the first few months of the year, and the team will roll with Kevin Lankinen and Leevi Merilainen in the crease during his absence. Driedger hasn't made a regular-season appearance at the NHL level since the 2023-24 campaign and will likely have to settle for a minor-league role once again this year.

Winnipeg claimed Stevenson off waivers from Washington on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Stevenson appeared in five regular-season games for the Capitals over the past two years, posting a 3-2-0 record and allowing 13 goals on 139 shots. As a member of the Jets, Stevenson could compete for playing time with Stuart Skinner this campaign, as Connor Hellebuyck (suspension) is seemingly out of the picture.

Co-president of hockey operations Henrik Sedin said Monday that he hopes Demko (hip) will be ready to return before Christmas, Kevin Woodley of NHL.com reports.

Demko missed the second half of the 2025-26 season after undergoing hip surgery in January, and he was officially placed on injured reserve last week. He doesn't yet have a clear timetable for when he'll be back in action, but Sedin said that Demko is "taking steps every day" in his recovery process. While Demko is sidelined, Kevin Lankinen and Leevi Merilainen should compete for starts in the Canucks' crease.

Jarry will get the starting nod for Tuesday's home clash with Vancouver, Bob Stauffer of the Oilers Radio Network reports.

Jarry went 9-6-2 with a career-worst 3.86 GAA in his 19 regular-season appearances with the Oilers following his trade from Pittsburgh. While it seems the backstop is going to get the first crack at the starting gig with Frederik Andersen (undisclosed) on the shelf, Devon Levi will be waiting in the wings to take over if Jarry stumbles.

Vladar (upper body) was a full participant in Sunday's practice and is on track to be ready for the Flyers' regular-season opener against the Penguins on Wednesday, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Regarding Vladar's status, head coach Rick Tocchet said, "I wouldn't say he's 100 percent, but he's very hopeful. Pretty spirited practice, and he made it through; he seemed like he looked good to me. So we'll see." General manager Danny Briere also said Saturday that Vladar should be ready for Wednesday's regular-season opener. Furthermore, the Flyers loaned netminder Aleksei Kolosov to AHL Lehigh Valley on Sunday, which is another indication that the Flyers aren't overly concerned with Vladar's availability for Wednesday. For now, though, Vladar should still be considered day-to-day until there is official word that he is good to go.

Portillo was loaned to AHL Ontario on Sunday.

The Kings have two veteran netminders on their roster in Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg, so the move to loan Portillo to the minor-league club doesn't come as much of a surprise. The 26-year-old Portillo will now shift his focus to working as the Reign's top netminder for the 2026-27 season.

Romanov was placed on waivers by the Blues on Sunday, PuckPedia reports.

Romanov signed a two-year, two-way contract with St. Louis during the offseason and is set to begin the regular season in the minors since the Blues will keep Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington as their two goaltenders on the roster for the start of the year. Romanov made 28 regular-season appearances with AHL Springfield last year and went 9-12-4 with a 3.29 GAA and .896 save percentage.

Rittich was placed on waivers by New Jersey on Sunday.

Out of the six players sent to the waiver wire by New Jersey on Sunday, Rittich was by far the biggest shock. The 34-year-old netminder was signed to a one-year, $1 million contract on the second day of free agency and entered training camp as the projected No. 2 option for the upcoming campaign. He was a strong backup with the Islanders in 2025-26, where he posted a 14-10-3 record, a 2.76 GAA and an .894 save percentage across 30 regular-season outings. As things currently stand, New Jersey currently has three goalies on their active roster - Jake Allen, Nico Daws and the newly-acquired Remi Poirier off waivers. It remains to be seen whether Rittich was placed on waivers as an act of roster gymnastics by New Jersey to scoop up Poirier, or if the team views the veteran as the No. 4 option in the organization. Regardless, there is a non-zero chance that Rittich is claimed off the wire, making the next 24 hours intriguing for the veteran netminder's future.

Samsonov was placed on waivers Sunday, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports.

Samsonov posted a 3-8-0 record, a 3.27 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 14 KHL appearances for HK Sochi during the 2025-26 regular season. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with San Jose on Sept. 8. If he clears waivers and reports to AHL San Jose, he could be a call-up option for the Sharks in the 2026-27 campaign if goaltending injuries occur.