NHL Player News

Dries scored two goals in AHL Grand Rapids' 5-2 win over Cleveland on Friday.

Dries has logged at least 40 points in four of the last five AHL regular seasons. The forward is off to another good start this year, though it's expected the 32-year-old will serve as a veteran leader with the Griffins rather than a call-up option for the Red Wings. He made five appearances for Detroit in 2025-26.

Chovan scored a goal and added three assists in OHL Sudbury's 7-1 win over Niagara on Friday.

Chovan had his first big game of the season as the Wolves earned a blowout win. He has six points, seven shots on net and a plus-2 rating over three contests in the OHL season. Chovan will turn 20 in January, so he'll likely be deciding between signing and going to the AHL or heading to the NCAA for the 2027-28 campaign.

Hopkins scored twice in OHL Guelph's 4-2 win over Windsor on Friday.

Hopkins has taken off quickly in this OHL campaign, earning three goals and seven points over his first three games of the campaign. The Maple Leafs prospect is in a great situation, so steady offense should be on the way for him throughout the campaign. He has yet to sign his entry-level contract, so he could opt to head to the NCAA next year if he remains unsigned.

Lavoie (undisclosed) won't play Friday versus the Ducks, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Lavoie skated in a non-contact jersey Tuesday, but he'll miss a second straight game to start the season. It's not yet clear if he'll be given the chance to play regularly at the NHL level when he's healthy enough to draw into the lineup. However, the 26-year-old forward would require waivers to be sent to AHL Henderson.

Skinner will protect the home goal versus the Bruins on Friday

Skinner is set to handle the No. 1 job in goal for the Jets this season. The 27-year-old netminder went 23-17-9 with a 2.92 GAA and an .888 save percentage over 50 regular-season outings last year. Skinner has plenty of experience, but he may struggle behind a team that lacks depth and wasn't all that strong in 2025-26.

Mews (knee) is in the lineup for the University of Michigan's season opener versus Bowling Green State University on Friday, per Anna Liao of The Michigan Daily.

Mews sustained a season-ending knee injury last November, but he's now good to go for the 2026-27 campaign. He's entering his sophomore season for the Wolverines. It's unclear when the 20-year-old defenseman would consider signing an entry-level deal with the Flames.

Greer (upper body) is set to return to the lineup Friday versus the Golden Knights, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Greer battled the upper-body injury during preseason, but he's good to go for the Ducks' season opener. He'll get a golden assignment Friday, playing alongside Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier on the top line at even strength. It's unclear if he'll stick in that spot, but he'll have some extra appeal as long as he's commanding top-six usage. Greer broke out to the tune of 32 points in 78 regular-season games with the Panthers last year, but he also shot 16.3 percent, which raises the risk of regression.

Gibson will protect the home goal versus the Rangers on Friday.

Gibson will get the nod in the Red Wings' season opener. He allowed five goals on 45 shots over two preseason appearances. Gibson saw action in 57 games in 2025-26, his most in any campaign since 2018-19, though his lengthy injury history could make it difficult for him to get back to that number of appearances this year.

Garand will defend the road crease against Detroit on Friday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

The Rangers are playing the second half of a back-to-back set Friday, so Garand will make his season debut since Joonas Korpisalo (lower body) is on injured reserve. Across three regular-season appearances with the Rangers last year, Garand went 2-0-1 with a 1.62 GAA and .948 save percentage.

Hellebuyck (suspension) is not listed on the Jets' official roster, per the NHL media site Friday.

Hellebuyck remains suspended by the team while he holds out for a trade. So far, the 33-year-old backstop has not missed any regular-season action, but that will change when the Jets face the Bruins at home Friday. With Hellebuyck away from the team, Stuart Skinner figures to fill the No. 1 role while Clay Stevenson serves as the backup.