NHL Player News

Wedgewood allowed one goal on 32 shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Mammoth.

Wedgewood has been exactly what the Avalanche have needed to get by without Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) early in the season. This was Wedgewood's second win in as many starts, and he's allowed just two goals on 57 shots in those games. The 33-year-old netminder's strong play will allow Colorado to be careful with Blackwood's recovery. As such, expect Wedgewood to get the starting nod again Saturday versus the Stars in the Avalanche's first game of the season against a division rival.

Vladar made 32 saves in a 2-1 loss to Florida on Thursday.

Anton Lundell beat him early in the second period on the power play, and Brad Marchand put a shot over his left shoulder early in the third for the winner. This could be a long season for Vladar, who played well behind a young team learning a new system under head coach Rick Tocchet. The Flyers also took five minor penalties compared to the Panthers' two.

Bobrovsky made 19 saves in a 2-1 win over the Flyers on Thursday.

The Panthers need big things from Bobrovsky and the defensive corps while Matthew Tkachuk (groin) and Aleksander Barkov (knee) are missing due to injury. Noah Cates was the only player to beat Bobrovsky. Cates rushed the net, grabbed a rebound and lifted it over Bobrovsky's head. It's Bobrovsky's second win in two games this season, and those two wins made Florida the sixth reigning Stanley Cup champions in the past 30 years to win each of their first two games of the season.

Lyon made 29 saves in a 4-0 loss to the Rangers on Thursday. He allowed three goals.

The game was closer than the score suggests. Lyon kept the game at 1-0 until Carson Soucy scored at 14:46 of the third frame. Lyon is serving as the Sabres' starting netminder early in the season since Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is on the shelf with a lower-body injury. Lyon's skills are better suited for backup duty, but he did put up a 2.81 GAA in 30 games last season.

Shesterkin made 37 saves in a 4-0 victory over Buffalo on Thursday.

It was his 22nd NHL shutout. Shesterkin bailed his team out several times on the night. He's looked superstar sharp in his first two games this season, allowing just one goal on 65 shots. Shesterkin is looking to bounce back from a somewhat off 2024-25 where he registered the worst statistical season of his career. He went 27-29-5 with a 2.86 GAA and .905 save percentage. So far, so good.

Demko is set to start at home against Calgary on Thursday, Jeff Paterson of CanucksArmy.com reports.

Demko underwhelmed in 2024-25 with a 10-8-3 record, 2.90 GAA and .889 save percentage in 23 outings, but injury issues were a major factor. Unlike last year, he's healthy going into this season. Demko is a prime candidate for a bounce-back campaign.

Wolf will guard the road goal versus the Canucks on Thursday, Jeff Paterson of CanucksArmy.com reports.

Despite facing 35 shots Wednesday versus the Oilers and playing both games on the road, Wolf will work both halves of a back-to-back set. It's unclear if this is a vote of confidence in Wolf or an indication the Flames don't fully trust Devin Cooley in the backup role. In any case, Wolf will look to keep his strong start to the season going after earning a shootout win Wednesday in Edmonton.

Schmid will occupy the road crease in Thursday's game versus the Sharks, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.

Schmid will get his first start of the season after Adin Hill was in goal for Wednesday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Kings. Schmid made just five NHL appearances the 2024-25 regular season after logging a total of 37 games over the previous two years combined. He'll get the first crack at being Vegas' backup goalie in 2025-26.

Blackwood (lower body) isn't available for Thursday's home game against Utah.

Blackwood also missed Colorado's season opener Tuesday due to the injury. His next opportunity to play is Saturday versus Dallas. Blackwood is expected to reclaim his role as Colorado's No. 1 netminder once he's healthy, but in the meantime, the Avalanche are likely to lean on Scott Wedgewood.

Gustavsson is expected to start on the road against St. Louis on Thursday, per Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Gustavsson had a 31-19-6 record, 2.56 GAA and .914 save percentage in 58 regular-season appearances with the Wild last year. He's got a good chance of getting a similar workload in 2025-26, and it's plausible that he'll hit the 30-win mark again thanks in no small part to the strength of the team in front of him.