NHL Player News

Skinner is battling the flu bug and may not be able to play against Vancouver in preseason action Friday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Skinner was scheduled to start, but that may be in doubt. If he is unable to go, Calvin Pickard is in line for the start, with the Oilers likely recalling a goaltender from the minors. Skinner was shaky last season, going 26-18-4 with a 2.81 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 51 regular-season appearances.

Demko (personal) was the first goalie to leave the ice Friday, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports, indicating he'll guard the home crease against the Oilers.

Demko had been away from the club for personal reasons but has rejoined his teammates ahead of Friday's preseason finale. Injuries limited the 29-year-old backstop to just 23 regular-season outings last year in which he went 10-8-3 with a 2.90 GAA and one shutout. If Demko can avoid a stint in the infirmary, he should be capable of playing 50-plus games this year and pushing for the 30-win threshold.

Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) will tend the twine on the road against the Panthers on Saturday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Vasilevskiy has been hampered by his undisclosed injury throughout training camp but will get into the crease for the Bolts' preseason finale. With his injury concern seemingly behind him, Vasilevskiy will almost certainly be in goal for Opening Night against the Senators on Thursday.

Tomkins was recalled from AHL Bakersfield on Friday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Tomkins landed on waivers earlier this week, but he'll rejoin the NHL club just before the end of the preseason since Stuart Skinner (illness) may not be able to play in Friday's preseason finale against Vancouver. Tomkins will presumably head back to Bakersfield before the start of the regular season.

Wolf will defend the home crease during Friday's preseason game against Winnipeg, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Wolf was expected to start Friday's preseason finale, and he'll officially get the nod. He's expected to play the full game in his final tune-up before the start of the regular season. Wolf also appears to be in line to serve as the starting netminder during Wednesday's Opening Night matchup against the Oilers.

Shepard was reassigned to AHL Belleville on Friday.

With just one preseason game remaining, Shepard's services were no longer required for the NHL club, especially since it still has three netminders on the roster. At this point, Shepard seems to be firmly cemented as the No. 4 option for the club, which means he faces an uphill battle to even make the lineup for an NHL game this year. As such, don't expect him to offer much, if any, fantasy value this year.

Skarek was promoted from AHL San Jose on Friday.

Skarek will likely serve as the No. 2 for one or both of the Sharks' final two preseason games against the Golden Knights and Mammoth on Friday and Saturday, respectively, but is unlikely to get the start for either game. Once the team starts gearing up for Opening Night versus Vegas on Thursday, look for Skarek to be shipped back down to AHL San Jose.

Portillo was reassigned to AHL Ontario on Friday.

Portillo should be the first goaltender recalled in case of an injury to either Darcy Kuemper or Anton Forsberg. Portillo made his NHL debut last season, allowing one goal on 29 shots in a 2-1 win over Anaheim on Nov. 29.

Knight will guard the home goal versus Minnesota on Friday, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Knight is expected to get the Opening Night start against his former teammates in Florida on Oct. 7. Knight was 17-16-3 with a 2.72 GAA and a .901 save percentage across 38 regular-season games with Florida and Chicago in 2024-25. The 24-year-old netminder is poised to play in at least 50 games, barring any serious injury this season.

Luukkonen (lower body) will be re-evaluated in a week, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports, effectively ruling him out Opening Night against the Rangers on Thursday.

Head coach Lindy Ruff clarified that Luukkonen's injury is a new issue and not the same one that kept him out of training camp. With the 26-year-old backstop on the shelf, it will likely be Alex Lyon who gets the nod versus the Rangers, though Alexandar Georgiev should also be in the mix. Barring an extended absence, Luukkonen should still be capable of reaching the 50-game mark for the third straight year and putting up around 25 wins.