NHL Player News

Stolarz is expected to guard the home goal in Toronto's season opener against Montreal on Wednesday, per Dave McCarthy of NHL.com.

Stolarz posted a 21-8-3 record, 2.14 GAA and .926 save percentage in 34 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. He's entering the season as Toronto's clear No. 1 option. While Joseph Woll (personal) will likely get a good chunk of the work once he's available, the Maple Leafs should give Stolarz the lion's share of the starts until both netminders are in the fold.

Thompson will start Wednesday's Opening Night matchup at home against the Bruins, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Thompson made 43 regular-season appearances during his first campaign with the Capitals last year, going 31-6-6 with a 2.49 GAA and .910 save percentage. He performed well enough last year to earn No. 1 goaltending duties early in the 2025-26 campaign, but Charlie Lindgren is also a capable netminder who should push for playing time if Thompson struggles at any point.

Kuemper allowed four goals on 23 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Avalanche.

Kuemper's season opener didn't go all that well, but this was a tough opponent. The 35-year-old kept the Avalanche at bay through one period, but he couldn't do the same in the middle stanza, when he allowed three goals on 11 shots. The Kings still did a decent job of keeping the shot volume down, which has been a hallmark of the team's style for years. That could make it tough for Kuemper to post a high save percentage in 2025-26, but his workload and ability to keep the puck out of the net should still make him a solid fantasy option. He'll likely get the night off Wednesday against the Golden Knights, paving the way for Anton Forsberg to make his team debut for the Kings.

Wedgewood allowed one goal on 25 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kings.

The only tally against Wedgewood was Kevin Fiala's goal, which came on a 5-on-3 advantage for the Kings. All in all, it was a positive start to the year for Wedgewood. He went 14-6-2 with a 2.32 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 24 regular-season appearances between Nashville and Colorado in 2024-25. The 33-year-old will continue to handle a starting role while Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) continues to work his way back from injury. The Avalanche's home opener is Thursday versus the Mammoth.

Bobrovsky made 17 saves in a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks on Tuesday.

The Panthers raised their championship banner Tuesday and then came out on fire, pinning the Blackhawks in their own zone most of the first frame. Bobrovsky faced just three shots in that period, allowing one goal. At 37 and with two consecutive Stanley Cups, Bob has a lot of mileage on his Hall of Fame body. Daniil Tarasov may get 35 games this season, so Bobrovsky gets rest for an attempted 'three-peat.' You'll need to have a strong complement for your G2 spot to offset Bob's potential rest schedule.

Knight made 34 saves in a 3-2 loss to Florida on Tuesday.

Knight was sharp against his former team and kept the game tied until the middle of the third frame. He actually gave his team a chance to win against the Stanley Cup champions, who raised their championship banner before the game. Knight faced a barrage in the first period when the Panthers held a 17-3 shot advantage, but just two got past, including one on the power play. Perhaps more importantly, his opponent and former battery mate, Sergei Bobrovsky, had high praise for the young 'tender earlier in the day, saying Knight has all the ingredients to be one of the best goalies in the game. The 24-year-old Knight will have a tough year on a young Hawks team, but Knight's future looks bright.

Silovs stopped all 25 shots he faced in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Rangers.

Silovs got the start for Opening Night after outperforming Tristan Jarry in the preseason, and he was impressive en route to posting a shutout. One good outing is not enough to claim Silovs as the permanent starter between the pipes going forward, but he certainly strengthened his case with a strong showing on Opening Night. The Penguins' next game will come against the Islanders on Thursday, and it's uncertain if either Silovs or Jarry will get the start to protect Pittsburgh's crease.

Shesterkin stopped 27 of 28 shots in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Penguins. The other two goals were empty-netters late in the third period.

Shesterkin was beaten late in the first half when Justin Brazeau found the twine with a backhand. The star netminder was able to keep the Rangers in the game and delivered a solid performance overall, but New York failed to support him offensively. The Rangers are likely to lean heavily on Shesterkin this year, so perhaps he'll quickly get another chance to earn his first win of the season by getting the start Thursday in Buffalo.

Kuemper will protect the home goal in Tuesday's Opening Night game versus the Avalanche, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Kuemper unsurprisingly gets the nod for the first regular-season game. The 35-year-old had a massive bounce-back year in 2024-25, going 31-11-7 with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 save percentage over 50 regular-season outings. Those numbers will be hard for him to replicate in 2025-26, but he should still be able to see the majority of the starts for the Kings.

Knight will patrol the road crease for Tuesday's season opener versus Florida, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Knight will face his former club for the first time since he was traded to Chicago last season. After his move to the Windy City, the 24-year-old netminder went 5-8-2 with a 3.19 GAA in 15 regular-season appearances. Heading into 2025-26, Knight should see a heavy workload and could top 50 games for the first time in his five-year NHL career. Even with a heavy workload, Knight will likely remain a mid-range fantasy option considering the weakness of the team around him.