NHL Player News

Merilainen will tend the home twine versus the Maple Leafs on Saturday, Jeff Paterson of the Sekeres and Price podcast reports.

Merilainen will make his fourth straight start. He's allowed 12 goals on 81 shots over his last three outings, though he's managed to go 1-2-0 in that span. The 24-year-old netminder looks to have built some trust with head coach Manny Malhotra, but Merilainen's performance lately hasn't made him a reliable fantasy option.

Kemell scored two goals in AHL Milwaukee's 4-1 win over Cleveland on Saturday.

Kemell has put together a decent start to the year with four goals and four assists over 10 games. The forward produced three points in 16 NHL games in 2025-26, but he wasn't able to make the Opening Night roster this season. If he continues to play well in the AHL, he might be considered for a call-up.

Reimer (upper body) is expected to be available for Sunday's home matchup against Edmonton, per NHL.com.

Reimer was a full participant in Friday's practice, and according to Colin Stephenson of Newsday, the 38-year-old netminder looked sharper during Saturday's on-ice session. Joonas Korpisalo (lower body) also participated in Saturday's practice, but Dylan Garand was the first goalie off the ice and could face the Oilers on Sunday, per Stephenson.

Burakovsky (lower body) was put on injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Burakovsky is projected to miss the next 3-4 weeks, so his placement on IR makes sense. He has no points, two PIM, three shots, three hits and four blocks in eight outings in 2026-27. Philip Tomasino might play regularly during Burakovsky's absence.

Howard (knee) won't play against the Rangers on Sunday, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

Howard exited Saturday's 4-0 win over the Islanders after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Emil Heineman. Head coach Mike Babcock is optimistic that Howard's injury isn't serious, but it's unclear when the 22-year-old forward will be ready to return. Howard has one goal and two assists in 13 appearances this season.

Burns was assigned to AHL Springfield on Saturday.

Burns was a healthy scratch for Saturday's 5-4 win over Detroit before being sent back to the minors. He didn't make his NHL debut during his first NHL stint with the Blues. Burns has one assist in seven AHL appearances this season.

Tomkins is set to start on the road against the Rangers on Sunday, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

Tomkins is with the Oilers because Devon Levi (undisclosed) is on injured reserve. The 32-year-old Tomkins has posted a 3-2-1 record, 3.33 GAA and .892 save percentage in six career NHL regular-season outings. Edmonton is gearing up for the second half of a back-to-back set after Tristan Jarry earned an 18-save shutout victory over the Islanders on Saturday. Edmonton is now 10-2-2 this season and is coming off consecutive shutout wins after besting Calgary 4-0 on Wednesday.

Robertson was summoned from AHL Hartford on Saturday.

Robertson has a goal and an assist in eight outings with Hartford in 2026-27. He hasn't played for the Rangers yet this season, but he did record six goals and 18 points in 72 regular-season appearances with the NHL squad in 2025-26.

Although Terry's (hip) return doesn't appear to be imminent, he is getting close to playing, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports Saturday.

"Troy is closer. When I say closer, hopefully, definitely, in the next, I'm gonna say, week or so," coach Joel Quenneville told Lee. Terry hasn't played yet this campaign because of the injury. He had 19 goals and 57 points in 61 regular-season outings in 2025-26. The 29-year-old is expected to take on a top-six role once he's healthy.

Forsberg is slated to start at home against Buffalo on Saturday, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site.

Forsberg has gone 0-3-0 with a 2.38 GAA and a .902 save percentage in five appearances this season. The Kings have been limited to just a single goal in each of his past four outings. Buffalo is 6-4-3 and has averaged 3.08 goals per game this season.