NHL Hockey Player News

Jarry went 25-9-3 with a 2.75 GAA and .909 SV% in 38 starts in 2021. Jarry finished the season on a 13-1-1 stretch, while posting a .910 SV%. However, he struggled vs. the Islanders in the postseason, so it will be important for the Penguins that the good Jarry shows up to open the season. He draws a terrible matchup in Tampa Bay without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel in front of him.

Vasilevskiy led the NHL in wins for the fourth consecutive year in 2021, going 31-10-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .925 SV%. Vasilevsksiy has been in the top-3 in Vezina voting in four straight seasons and starts with a nice matchup tonight--Pittsburgh will be without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel in their season opener.

After being added to the COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, there was some hope that Oleksiak would be cleared to play tonight. However, Oleksiak remains in protocol with only Marcus Johansson getting cleared to play. Jeremy Lauzon is expected to take Oleksiak's spot in the lineup.

After being added to the COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, there was some hope that McCann would be cleared to play tonight. However, McCann remains in protocol with only Marcus Johansson getting cleared to play. Alex True was recalled from the AHL and is expected to take McCann's spot in the lineup.

After being added to the COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, there was some hope that Donskoi would be cleared to play tonight. However, Donskoi remains in protocol with only Marcus Johansson getting cleared to play. Kole Lind was recalled from the AHL and is expected to take Donskoi's spot in the lineup.

Johansson was placed in COVID-19 protocol on Monday but has been cleared to play in the first game in franchise history. It is difficult to project who Johansson will skate with, but with Calle Jarnkrok, Joonas Donskoi and Jared McCann all out, you have to assume he will play a prominent role.

Chiasson turned his PTO into a one-year deal, picking up one assist in three preseason games. Chiasson was skating on the top line with Elias Pettersson in Tuesday's practice, so he'll play a big role while Brock Boeser is out.

Janmark will miss the Golden Knights season opener, so Pavel Dorofeyev will make his NHL debut on the fourth line. Monitor Janmark's status prior to Thursday's game in Los Angeles.

Grubauer had an outstanding season in 2021, going 30-9-1 with a 1.95 GAA, .922 SV% and seven shutouts, finishing third in Vezina voting. This offseason he signed with the Seattle Kraken, who will be an obvious downgrade from the Avalanche. His rates are sure to take a hit and with a number of player's questionable for Tuesday's opener, he's a risky option vs. a high-powered Vegas team.

MacKinnon tested positive but is asymptomatic, so he will miss Wednesday's season opener. The Avalanche are hopeful that MacKinnon will test out of COVID-19 protocol and will be available for Saturday's game vs. the Blues.

Dorofeyev was a third-round pick of the Golden Knights in 2019 and is set to make his NHL debut vs. the Kraken. Vegas will likely be without Mattias Janmark, Will Carrier, Nicolas Roy and Brett Howden, which opened the door for the 20-year-old winger. Dorofeyev had nine goals and four assists (13 points) in 24 AHL games last year.

Lehner split time with Marc-Andre Fleury last year, starting just 19 games. Since joining the Golden Knights, Lehner has gone 16-4-2 with a 2.20 GAA and .917 SV%. With Fleury in Chicago, Lehner should start 50-plus games this season and should be a top-5 fantasy netminder. You picked him early, so don't bench him vs. a Kraken team that could be without a few key players.

MacKinnon missed Tuesday's practice because of COVID-19 protocol, putting his status for tomorrow's season opener in jeopardy. Monitor his status during Wednesday's morning skate.

Matheson is dealing with a nagging lower-body injury and will miss the Penguins season opener in Tampa Bay. With Matheson out, Mark Friedman will draw into the lineup.

Murray was not at Tuesday's practice with a non-COVID-related illness and is questionable for the Senators' season opener. If Murray is unavailable, Anton Forsberg will start vs. the Maple Leafs.

Kelley is a 22-year-old undrafted free agent, who scored a goal in his NHL debut with the Senators last season. He spent almost the entire season in the AHL, scoring 10 goals with eight assists (18 points) in 33 games with Belleville.

Suzuki is entering the final year of his entry-level contract and will get a huge raise next season, going from $863.3K AAV to $7.875M AAV. With Philip Danault now in Los Angeles, Suzuki will be tasked with playing major minutes in 2021-22, as he looks to build on his 60-point pace from a season ago.

The Capitals did not provide much clarity on the severity of Backstrom's injury during the preseason but announced on Tuesday that he will be moved to LTIR. The move will keep him out for at least 10 games or 24 days. Hendrix Lapierre appears to be the front runner to replace him down the middle to open the season.