NHL Player News

Askarov stopped 28 of 34 shots in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Mammoth.

Askarov's 2025-26 is off to an unimpressive start with 13 goals allowed on 78 shots over two games. That shot volume against is a big problem, but one that's not likely to get better in the near term with the Sharks battling multiple injuries on the blue line. The 23-year-old has alternated starts with Alex Nedeljkovic, a pattern that's likely to continue until one goalie gets in a groove. Look for Nedeljkovic to get the nod versus his former team, the Penguins, at home Saturday.

Vejmelka stopped 18 of 21 shots in Friday's 6-3 win over the Sharks.

Two of the Sharks' goals came on power plays, so this wasn't really all that bad of a performance from Vejmelka. The Mammoth's scoring outburst helped him get away with less than his best performance. This was the first time all season that Vejmelka has allowed more than two goals, and he improved to 3-1-0 with eight goals allowed on 91 shots. The defense has kept his workload light so far, which bodes well for improved performances. The Mammoth's next game is at home versus the Bruins on Sunday.

Knight stopped 30 of 32 shots in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Canucks.

Once again, Knight gave the Blackhawks good enough goaltending to have a chance at a win. He's unlucky to be 1-2-1 this year, having allowed just nine goals on 119 shots. The 24-year-old netminder is playing at a high level in a starting role, and the Blackhawks have shown some flashes of taking the first steps out of their rebuild. Fantasy managers should at least check on Knight -- his ratios won't hurt, even if he's having trouble compiling wins. The Blackhawks host another young team when the Ducks come to town Sunday.

Lankinen allowed two goals on 33 shots in Friday's 3-2 shootout win over the Blackhawks.

Lankinen gave up first-period goals to Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi, but the Vancouver goalie was perfect after that. The Canucks were able to pull even in the second, and Lankinen also turned aside four shootout attempts before Brock Boeser secured the win. Lankinen is now 1-1-0 with six goals allowed on 68 shots over his two games. The Canucks' defense hasn't been making it easy on him, but he's capable of putting in a decent effort in a backup role. Expect Thatcher Demko to get the starting nod Sunday versus the Capitals.

Kolosov posted a 35-save shutout in AHL Lehigh Valley's 3-0 win over Cleveland on Friday.

Kolosov was facing former Flyers teammate Ivan Fedotov in this game. While it was just one game, Kolosov made the Flyers look smart for keeping him, as he earned the first AHL shutout of his career. He's allowed two goals on 62 shots over his first two games of the Phantoms' season. Should anything happen to Samuel Ersson or Dan Vladar, Kolosov is likely to get called up to Philadelphia.

Knight will guard the home goal versus the Canucks on Friday, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Knight will get the net Friday after Arvid Soderblom was between the pipes for Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Blues. For the season, Knight has gone 1-2-0 while allowing seven goals on 87 shots. He's been sharp, and he'll be up against a Canucks team in the second half of a back-to-back set.

Blackwood's conditioning loan at AHL Colorado ended Friday.

It appears the Avalanche opted to have Blackwood practice in the minors, but they'll keep him out of game action for now. A timeline for his return to action has yet to be revealed.

Vasilevskiy will protect the road goal in Friday's game versus the Red Wings, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports.

Vasilevskiy will make his fourth start of the season while still in search of his first win. He's gone 0-2-1 with 12 goals allowed over his first three games. The Red Wings have 14 goals over four games this season, winning three of them.

Lankinen will protect the road goal versus the Blackhawks on Friday, Dan Murphy of Sportsnet reports.

Lankinen will handle the second half of a back-to-back after Thatcher Demko earned the win over the Stars on Thursday. In his season debut, Lankinen allowed four goals on 35 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Blues. The 30-year-old will likely continue to handle a backup role overall, especially since Demko has started the season well.

Askarov will patrol the visiting crease in Utah on Friday, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Askarov had a tough go of it in his season debut Saturday against Anaheim, allowing seven goals on 43 shots in an overtime loss. Askarov is highly regarded -- he was selected 11th overall by Nashville in 2020 -- and will get a chance to redeem himself against the Mammoth, who are averaging only 2.00 goals per game, 30th in the NHL.