NHL Player News

Hofer is slated to patrol the crease on the road versus Ottawa on Tuesday, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Hofer started the season with a 25-save shutout before dropping his last two outings while allowing five goals on 46 shots (.891 save percentage). Look for Hofer to continue serving as the No. 1 option for the Blues, though he'll need to stave off any challenges from Jordan Binnington.

Bedard (shoulder) is expected to be in the lineup against the Penguins on Tuesday, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Bedard is set to make his season debut nearly a month ahead of schedule from his original return date. With the 21-year-old center back in the lineup, he'll jump back into the top line while linking up with the No. 1 power-play unit. Given his offensive upside, Bedard should still be an elite fantasy option and is capable of generating above a point-per-game pace.

Bourque (upper body) is considered a game-time decision ahead of Tuesday's home clash against the Golden Knights, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.

Bourque missed Saturday's contest after he exited Thursday's game against the Canadiens, where he sustained the upper-body injury during the second period. Prior to the injury, he posted an assist, a plus-1 rating, two PIM, seven shots on net and four hits across his first four regular-season appearances with Nashville. If he can't go Tuesday, Vitali Pinchuk will likely be his replacement in the lineup once again.

Annunen (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision versus the Knights on Tuesday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

Even if Annunen is cleared and activated off injured reserve, he is likely to serve as the backup to Juuse Saros. With no back-to-backs on the short-term schedule, it's not clear when Annunen might make his season debut for the Predators, though he's unlikely to see a significant number of starts regardless.

Schmid will defend the road crease in Tuesday's clash against the Blue Jackets, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.

Schmid was called upon in relief during Monday's contest after Jacob Markstrom exited the contest due to tightness. Overall, the 26-year-old Schmid has an 0-1-1 record, a 4.16 GAA and an .868 save percentage across two appearances. While Markstrom avoided an injury, Cooper Black was recalled from AHL Charlotte on Tuesday in case the former can't back up Schmid. The Blue Jackets offense has been steady to open the 2026-27 season with 3.00 goals per game, making Schmid a risky fantasy option, especially after playing in Monday's contest.

Hildeby is questionable to serve as the backup against the Rangers on Tuesday for an undisclosed reason, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

While it's not clear why Hildeby may not be available, the Bolts did call up Mads Sogaard from the minors just in case. Regardless of Hildeby's status, the Bolts are expected to utilize Andrei Vasilevskiy in the crease versus the Rangers.

Vasilevskiy is slated to be in goal for Tuesday's road matchup with the Rangers, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Vasilevskiy will make his fifth start in the Bolts' first six games of the year, having gone 3-1-0 with a 2.29 GAA to open the season. With no back-to-backs on the short-term schedule, the 32-year-old netminder could see a run of starts here, especially if Dennis Hildeby (undisclosed) is unavailable to serve in relief.

Vladar will draw the home start in Tuesday's clash against the Kraken, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Vladar is looking to get back on track after a shaky start to the 2026-27 season, where he has an 0-3-0 record, a 5.08 GAA and an .857 save percentage across three appearances. While he was lights out in the 2025-26 season, a different story seems to be starting in the early stages of the new season if he can't quickly turn things around. Joseph Woll has already taken a chunk of the opportunities between the pipes for Philadelphia during Vladar's struggles, but he still holds a relatively high ceiling if he can quickly shake off the slow start. However, he'll have his work cut out for him Tuesday, as Seattle ranks third in the NHL with 4.33 goals per game to open the new season, making Vladar an untrustworthy option in fantasy Tuesday.

Staal will be out for 1-2 months after sustaining a torn calf muscle, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports Tuesday.

Staal went pointless through the first six games of the season before missing Sunday's matchup with the Flyers. Even with his offense drying up, the 38-year-old center remains a key piece of the Canes' roster and figures to retake his third-line role once he is cleared to play. In the meantime, Mark Jankowski should be expected to take on a bigger role, including with the No. 2 power-play unit.

Sogaard was recalled from AHL Syracuse on Tuesday.

Sogaard is set to provide goaltender depth behind Andrei Vasilevskiy and Dennis Hildeby at the NHL level following his call-up. The 25-year-old Sogaard is off to a strong start to the 2026-27 AHL regular season, where he has a 1-1-0 record, a shutout, a 1.73 GAA and a .937 save percentage across three appearances. It's unclear how long he will be with the Lightning before returning to the AHL, but if he does hit the ice at some point during his stint back in the NHL, he'll be doing so in his debut for Tampa Bay.