NHL Player News

Tarasov is expected to start on the road in Saturday's game versus the Canadiens, Max Bultman of The Athletic reports.

It will be Tarasov's first start of the campaign. The 27-year-old netminder has settled in as backup to John Gibson early in 2026-27. The Red Wings' offense has been inconsistent so far, making Tarasov a risky option on the second half of a back-to-back.

Dostal will protect the road goal versus the Jets on Friday.

Dostal is looking to bounce back after allowing five goals on 17 shots over two periods against the Oilers on Wednesday. That was his first loss in three starts this season. The 26-year-old will face a Jets team that has enjoyed a hot start to the year with 12 goals over four games while going 3-0-1.

Struble was traded to the Predators from the Canadiens on Friday in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick.

Struble is set for a change of scenery, which could open the door for Adam Engstrom or David Reinbacher to see more steady playing time for the Canadiens. The 25-year-old Struble failed to log a point or shot in three games this season for Montreal. Last year, he had 12 points, 58 PIM, 115 hits and 32 blocked shots over 59 regular-season outings.

Bjugstad (pectoral) was transferred to long-term injured reserve Friday, per PuckPedia.

Bjugstad is recovering from a torn pectoral muscle which required surgery. The 34-year-old is expected to be sidelined until January at a minimum, so this move doesn't change his timeline. Should further injuries arise, the Devils will have a bit more cap flexibility.

Grubauer will protect the road goal versus the Red Wings on Friday, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Grubauer will make his second start and third appearance of the season. He has allowed three goals on 32 shots so far this season. Joey Daccord is expected to command a majority of the starts in goal, but Grubauer's play has been steady enough for him to challenge for something closer to an even timeshare in net.

Dumba announced his retirement from professional hockey Friday.

Dumba spent the first 10 years of his career in Minnesota but moved around in recent years, playing for Arizona, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Pittsburgh across the past three seasons. He appeared in 748 regular-season games between his five teams and recorded 85 goals, 176 assists, 1,104 hits and 879 blocked shots.

Ekblad (personal) practiced Friday, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site, and is set to play Saturday versus Minnesota.

Ekblad was absent from Florida's previous two games. He has an assist in two outings with the Panthers in 2026-27. Ekblad and Gustav Forsling are set to form Florida's top pairing Saturday, based on Friday's practice.

Tavares won't play Saturday against Colorado following the birth of his child, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Tavares didn't practice Friday, and he'll be held out of game action a day later after his family welcomed their fourth child. Zack MacEwen and Miles Wood are candidates to enter the lineup Saturday, while Tavares' next opportunity to suit up will be Tuesday against Utah.

Gaudette (upper body) might be available for Saturday's game against Edmonton, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.

Gaudette has missed San Jose's opening four games because of the injury. The Sharks' lineup for Saturday has no shortage of question marks because Macklin Celebrini (lower body) and Kiefer Sherwood (upper body) are both listed as game-time decisions, in addition to the uncertainty regarding Gaudette. If Gaudette is able to play Saturday, then he'll likely serve in a bototm-six capacity.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky said Friday that Celebrini (lower body) is a game-time decision for Saturday's matchup against Edmonton, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Celebrini has participated in long skating sessions Thursday and Friday and is progressing in his recovery, but the team's medical staff will wait to see how he feels Saturday before determining his status against the Oilers. The 20-year-old has missed the last two games due to his injury, but his recent updates indicate that he doesn't appear to be facing a long-term absence, regardless of whether he gets the green light Saturday.