NHL Player News

Schmid will patrol the home crease in Saturday's preseason matchup against Tampa Bay, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Schmid posted a 16-10-6 record with a 2.59 GAA and an .893 save percentage in 34 regular-season appearances for Vegas in 2025-26. As a member of Florida, he could push Jacob Markstrom for starts in the 2026-27 campaign, but Schmid will likely enter the year as Markstrom's backup.

Graves (lower body) won't participate in Saturday's practice.

Before the Penguins provide an update on his status, Graves needs further evaluation. He earned one goal, 21 shots on net, 38 blocked shots and 23 hits in 22 regular-season appearances for Pittsburgh in 2025-26.

Hamilton scored three goals in WHL Red Deer's 4-3 win over Lethbridge on Friday.

Hamilton was a third-round pick of the Avalanche back in June. He broke out with 62 points in 67 regular-season appearances on a struggling team. This year, he's captaining the Rebels and is off to a hot start. The 18-year-old should be able to show growth on offense while playing in a large role for Red Deer throughout 2026-27.

Czata scored twice in OHL Guelph's 6-0 win over Oshawa on Friday.

Fresh off a stint at training camp with the Lightning, Czata had a strong OHL season debut. He's on a new team this year, joining the Storm after three years with Niagara. He posted 53 points in 63 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, a slight per-game uptick from the year before. Playing on a strong team that's also hosting the Memorial Cup in May of 2027 should allow Czata to do a bit more on offense in his age-19 campaign.

Nobert scored twice in QMJHL Halifax's 4-3 overtime win over Newfoundland on Friday.

Nobert made his Mooseheads debut after getting traded from Blainville-Boisbriand in the offseason. The Vegas prospect collected 78 points in 62 regular-season games with the Armada last year. The 19-year-old should be a leader on offense for Halifax in 2026-27, setting him up either for an entry-level deal or a jump to the NCAA next year.

Dagenais scored twice and added two assists in QMJHL Quebec's 7-4 win over Shawinigan on Friday.

Dagenais made his season debut after a stint at the Blues' training camp. The forward was drafted 16th overall in 2026 and has a great shot while still needing work in other areas. Dagenais was drafted as a center but has mostly worked on the wing in his junior career, and it's possible he moves full time to the wing once he reaches the professional ranks.

Schwartz scored a goal, added two assists and went plus-3 in Friday's 5-2 preseason win over the Jets.

Schwartz is penciled into a middle-six role and a spot on the second power-play unit for the Avalanche to begin the season. The 34-year-old winger's biggest challenge will be staying healthy -- he's missed at least 11 games in four of the last five campaigns, and at least 20 games in three of those years. Schwartz can contribute around a 40-point pace if he stays in the lineup, though the move from Seattle to Colorado could also give his offense a boost.

Hughes had a hat trick, an assist and a plus-4 rating in Friday's 5-2 preseason win over the Jets.

Per Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now, Hughes will get another audition Saturday versus the Mammoth. Hughes has already potted four goals this preseason. He was a standout with 57 points in 40 games for the University of Michigan in 2025-26, and he's been praised for his hockey IQ and his poise so far. While the Avalanche don't have an obvious prominent spot to give Hughes yet, he could start out in the bottom six if he makes the team out of camp.

Blackwood allowed two goals on 26 shots in Friday's 5-2 preseason win over the Jets.

Blackwood played the full game Friday after working half a game versus the Mammoth on Sunday. The 29-year-old netminder will likely get at least half of the starts in 2026-27, though a lot will depend on how Scott Wedgewood performs after his career year in 2025-26. Blackwood has the talent to be a No. 1 on his own, but the Avalanche have the luxury of not needing to push either goalie too hard.

Niederreiter scored a goal on four shots, dished an assist, added four PIM and logged two hits in Friday's 5-2 preseason loss to the Avalanche.

Niederreiter is poised for a bottom-six role to begin 2026-27, though he could score his way into middle-six usage. He may also factor in on the power play at times -- his goal Friday came with the man advantage. The winger struggled to 19 points in 61 games in 2025-26, and at 34 years old, a bounce-back season is far from guaranteed.