NHL Player News

Dostal turned aside 17 of 19 shots during Wednesday's 2-1 preseason loss to the Kings.

Dostal got his first taste of preseason action ahead of the 2026-27 campaign Wednesday, but he allowed a pair of goals late in the first frame and didn't get much offensive support. Dostal appears to be in line to serve as the Ducks' primary netminder once again this year after he went 30-20-4 with a 3.10 GAA and .888 save percentage across 56 regular-season appearances during the 2025-26 campaign.

Forsberg allowed a goal on 25 shots during Wednesday's 2-1 preseason win over Anaheim.

Forsberg allowed three goals on 16 shots during his preseason debut against the Golden Knights, but he was much more effective Wednesday. He gave up the first goal of the game in the opening frame, but the Kings responded with a pair of goals later in the period en route to the victory. Forsberg will likely begin the 2026-27 season as the Kings' backup netminder but could see increased opportunities if Darcy Kuemper struggles.

Lindell scored a goal on two shots in Wednesday's 2-0 preseason win over the Wild.

Lindell showed a little offense in this preseason contest. The 32-year-old defenseman is likely to resume his usual shutdown role in the top four for the Stars in 2026-27. He matched his career high with 32 points while adding a plus-30 rating, 83 shots on net and 179 blocked shots over 82 regular-season contests last year. Lindell doesn't hit like he used to, but he's defensively sound on a good team, which gives him depth appeal in fantasy.

Poirier posted a 24-save shutout in Wednesday's 2-0 preseason win over the Wild.

Poirier was given the start on short notice after Jake Oettinger (lower body) was scratched. The 24-year-old Poirier made good use of the opportunity, and he's now stopped 35 of 36 shots over two preseason appearances. He's likely ticketed for AHL Texas, but Poirier would presumably be the first call-up on the list if Oettinger or Casey DeSmith is unavailable at any point in 2026-27.

Wallstedt stopped 22 of 24 shots in Wednesday's 2-0 preseason loss to the Stars.

Wallstedt was tasked with his first start of the preseason, but the team in front of him was largely an AHL-level roster. In that context, this was a good performance for Wallstedt, who will also play in Minnesota's preseason finale at home versus the Stars on Friday. The 23-year-old netminder will carry a heavy load in goal to begin 2026-27 while Filip Gustavsson (hip) misses the first month-plus of the campaign.

Ullmark stopped 20 of 23 shots in Wednesday's 4-2 preseason loss to the Maple Leafs. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Ullmark got the whole game, but the Senators as a whole struggled. The 33-year-old netminder is eligible for one more preseason game, though it's not yet clear if he'll make a start when the Senators have another split-squad set against the Canadiens on Saturday. In any case, expect Ullmark to handle the bulk of the workload in goal in 2026-27.

Stolarz stopped 19 of 21 shots in Wednesday's 4-2 preseason win over the Senators.

Stolarz was backstopping a younger group of Maple Leafs, but he did his job well. With the preseason slate now done, Stolarz is poised to handle backup duties behind Sergei Bobrovsky. Stolarz battled upper-body and groin injuries in 2025-26 while also playing behind an underwhelming team, but his numbers should bounce back with a lighter workload expected in 2026-27.

Roslovic scored a goal on four shots and added two assists in Wednesday's 6-1 preseason win over the Senators.

Roslovic struggled a bit with the Oilers last year, earning 36 points over 69 contests. The 29-year-old looks to have a real chance to stick in the top six, either alongside Auston Matthews or John Tavares. Roslovic should also be a factor on the power play, which has historically not been a major part of his production. If he can produce more with the man advantage, he could have a career year.

Tavares scored a goal on five shots, added two assists, logged two hits and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-1 preseason win over the Senators.

Tavares was one of three Maple Leafs to record three points in the game. The 36-year-old center looks ready to roll after this performance. He's topped the 70-point mark in four of the last five years, and he'll be in position to keep producing on offense while occupying a second-line role and a spot on the first power-play unit to begin 2026-27.

Matthews scored a goal on four shots and added two assists in Wednesday's 6-1 preseason win over the Senators.

Matthews looked good in the Maple Leafs' last tune-up before the regular season. The 29-year-old is coming off a down year of 27 goals and 53 points over 60 regular-season games, his first time under a point-per-game mark since his rookie year. Matthews is showing no lingering effects from the MCL injury that ended his 2025-26 campaign prematurely, and he should be a reliable source of offense in a top-line role this season.