NHL Player News

Vladar (upper body) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's Opening Night contest against the Penguins, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Vladar has been trending towards being available for the Flyers' season opener, and he confirmed that he'll be available for Wednesday's playoff rematch with the Penguins. The 29-year-old backstop had a breakout season in 2025-26, where he posted a 29-14-7 record, a 2.42 GAA and a .906 save percentage across 52 regular-season outings. It remains to be seen whether Vladar or Joseph Woll will get the start Wednesday. However, Vladar dominated against Pittsburgh in the postseason, compiling a 4-2-0 record, a 1.61 GAA and a .937 save percentage, so he could be in for a successful fantasy outing if the Flyers elect to roll with him over Woll.

Head coach Lindy Ruff stated that Lyon (upper body) is expected to miss a couple of days, per Heather Engel of NHL.com.

Lyon suffered the upper-body injury during Thursday's preseason outing against the Red Wings. The 33-year-old netminder had a solid showing in the 2025-26 regular season, where he posted a 20-10-4 record, a 2.77 GAA, a .906 save percentage and three shutouts across 36 outings. He's currently in jeopardy of missing the team's Opening Night contest, where the Sabres appear to be planning for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to start. If Lyon can't suit up for the opener, Colten Ellis will be the backup.

Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) will miss the Oilers' Opening Night matchup Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined for around two weeks, per Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels.

Bob Stauffer of the Oilers Radio Network reported that Nugent-Hopkins is specifically dealing with a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old forward had a solid season in 2025-26, where he posted 20 goals, 56 points and 133 shots on net across 72 regular-season outings. In his absence, Colton Dach and Owen Michaels are expected to see heightened roles up the center of the ice. Nugent-Hopkins should be left on the waiver wire in fantasy until more details about his injury are shared.

Faber underwent a procedure to repair his fractured skull and is without a timetable to return, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Faber left Friday's preseason contest against the Stars in the second period with his confirmed skull fracture. The 24-year-old's status will be closely monitored in the coming days until a timetable for his return is provided. Faber's role is not one that can be easily filled, as he exploded for 15 goals, 51 points, 173 shots on net and 148 blocked shots across 80 regular-season games in the 2025-26 campaign. He's a worthy candidate to occupy the IR spot in fantasy until he's able to return to Minnesota's top defensive pairing.

Head coach Lindy Ruff stated that Samuelsson (lower body) could return to practice Wednesday, per Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report.

Samuelsson suffered his lower-body injury early in the preseason, but he appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery, given his initial timetable for return of week-to-week. The 26-year-old blueliner had a breakout season in 2025-26, where he posted 13 goals, 41 points, 109 shots on net, 132 hits and 154 blocked shots across 78 regular-season contests. While he might take a step back in the goal-scoring department in 2026-27, he remains a well-rounded defensemen that is a valuable player to have in category-based fantasy formats. If he can log full practice ahead of his eligible return date from IR, Samuelsson might only miss a handful of games to start the upcoming season.

Sorokin will patrol the road crease in Wednesday's opening night matchup against the Maple Leafs, per Andrew Gross of Newsday.

Sorokin was the first goalie off the ice during Tuesday's morning skate, placing him in line to start the Islanders' season opener. The 31-year-old backstop had a lot of highs to look back on from the 2025-26 campaign, where he posted a 29-24-2 record, a 2.68 GAA, a .906 save percentage and seven shutouts across 55 regular-season outings. As he led the league in clean sheets a season ago, Sorokin has the ability to flip a fantasy matchup on its head, making him an elite option in all league formats to begin the upcoming season.

Grebenkin (undisclosed) did not practice Tuesday and was deemed day-to-day, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Head coach Rick Tocchet mentioned that Grebenkin, as well as Denver Barkey, are both on a day-to-day timeline. While Barkey was placed on injured reserve Monday, Grebenkin's exclusion from that list could give him the chance to suit up for Opening Night. The 23-year-old winger had a solid rookie campaign, where he posted four goals, 14 points, 32 shots on net and 86 hits across 55 regular-season outings. If he's good to go for the Flyers' Opening Night contest Wednesday, he'll probably serve in the team's bottom six.

Uchacz (undisclosed) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on the injured non-roster list, per SinBin.vegas.

Uchacz was deemed week-to-week in the middle of the Golden Knights' training camp, and he is set to miss at least one more with his move to the injured non-roster list. The 23-year-old center had a solid season with AHL Henderson in 2025-26, where he posted 20 goals and 51 points across 68 regular-season appearances. He was named alternate captain of the Silver Knights last season, which is a strong indication that he'll return to the organization for the majority of the upcoming campaign.

Cormier (undisclosed) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on the injured non-roster list, per SinBin.vegas.

Cormier was a limited participant throughout the Golden Knights' training camp before he ultimately appeared on injured reserve Tuesday. The 24-year-old blueliner wore a red non-contact jersey when he did skate, and his placement on IR will keep him out of action for at least the next seven days. He was highly effective with AHL Henderson in 2025-26, where he compiled eight goals and 47 points across 49 regular-season games. He should be involved with the Silver Knights in a similar role once he's healthy this season.

Swayman will defend the home crease in Tuesday's Opening Night matchup against the Rangers, per Jack Studley of Boston Hockey Now.

Swayman will look to carry the momentum he generated in the 2025-26 season into the upcoming campaign, where he'll kick things off against one of Boston's rivals from the Original Six. The 27-year-old backstop excelled in his second full season as the Bruins' lead option between the pipes, compiling a 31-18-4 record, a 2.71 GAA, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts across 55 regular-season appearances. Pitted against a Rangers' offense that struggled a season ago, Swayman is a strong start in all fantasy formats to welcome in the new season.