NHL Player News

Nichushkin scored a goal on three shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 4-0 preseason win over the Penguins.

Nichushkin is looking at second-line usage in his first year with the Blue Jackets. He looked good on a line with Sean Monahan and Dmitri Voronkov in this contest. Nichushkin isn't a threat to produce at a point-per-game pace and has missed at least 10 games in each of the last five campaigns. If he can stay relatively healthy and find chemistry with his new teammates, he can contribute around a 50-point pace.

Marchenko scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 4-0 preseason win over the Penguins.

Marchenko remains the Blue Jackets' top-line right winger entering 2026-27, but he has indicated he won't re-sign with the team. He's entering a contract year, so he'll be motivated to play well in an effort to land with a contender. Marchenko should still get top billing on the power play as long as he's with Columbus, and he carries 30-goal, 70-point potential.

Voronkov notched two assists, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-0 preseason win over the Penguins.

Voronkov was on a line with Valeri Nichushkin and Sean Monahan, a trio that could open 2026-27 as the Blue Jackets' second line. Voronkov has a chance at a fresh start in head coach Rick Bowness's first full season behind the bench, though the winger had just three points while averaging 9:58 of ice time after Bowness took over in January of last season. A potential top-six job and power play should position Voronkov well for a bounce-back year.

Talbot posted a 15-save shutout in Thursday's 4-0 preseason win over the Penguins.

Talbot looked good, though he was essentially up against the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roster. With three goals allowed on 41 shots over two games this preseason, Talbot has put in a good audition for the backup role behind Jet Greaves. Pheonix Copley, who cleared waivers Thursday, is also in the mix for that spot, but he can be moved to the AHL without needing waivers again for the next 30 days, which gives Talbot a bit more security.

Murashov allowed three goals on 16 shots in Thursday's 4-0 preseason loss to the Blue Jackets.

Murashov was playing behind a largely AHL-level roster for this game, while the Blue Jackets brought a more experienced group. He has allowed three goals on 29 shots over two appearances this preseason. As a rookie, Murashov could be given another chance to play Saturday versus the Sabres, though the Penguins may want to give Arturs Silovs a second chance to get work in after he gave up seven goals versus the Red Wings on Tuesday. Murashov may have to settle for timeshare usage early in 2026-27, but he'll get every chance to win the No. 1 job outright.

Sandin-Pellikka scored a power-play goal and blocked two shots in Thursday's 3-2 preseason overtime win over the Sabres.

The fact that Sandin-Pellikka is getting power-play reps with a decent number of NHL players in the lineup is a good sign. He appears to have the edge to open the season with the Red Wings. The defenseman spent most of 2025-26 in the NHL as well, earning 21 points over 68 appearances, including seven power-play points. He'll have deep-league appeal in fantasy if he retains his role with the man advantage into the regular season.

Tarasov stopped 17 of 19 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over the Sabres on Thursday.

Tarasov played the full contest. He looks ready for the regular season after allowing just two goals on 34 shots over his two preseason appearances so far. The 27-year-old is projected to serve as John Gibson's backup in 2026-27.

Ellis stopped 16 of 18 shots in Thursday's 3-2 preseason overtime loss to the Red Wings.

It's not clear if it was planned for Ellis to play in this game, but he ended up checking in when Alex Lyon (upper body) got hurt in the first period. Ellis put in a decent performance despite the overtime loss. The 25-year-old netminder would handle a traditional backup role if Lyon is out for any length of time, though both goalies may still end up on the roster after head coach Lindy Ruff indicated before camp that the Sabres are ready to roster three netminders again in 2026-27. Ellis made 16 appearances in the 2025-26 regular season under similar circumstances, posting a 2.90 GAA and a .903 save percentage.

Kulich (undisclosed) left Thursday's preseason game versus the Red Wings for precautionary reasons, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.

Kulich left about halfway through the contest. The 22-year-old forward was believed to have a chance at a middle-six role in place of Jason Zucker (abdomen). Kulich's own injury concerns casts a little doubt on that now, but the precautionary nature of his removal Thursday suggests he isn't dealing with a major issue. The Sabres play the Penguins in their last preseason game Saturday before opening the season in Columbus next Thursday.

Lyon sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of Thursday's preseason game against the Red Wings, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.

Lyon was injured diving for a puck late in the first frame. He stopped seven of eight shots prior to his early exit. The Sabres were already planning on carrying three goalies to start 2026-27, but if Lyon misses time, expect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to be the starter with Colten Ellis featuring as the backup.