NHL Hockey Player News

After starting 51 games in 2025-26, Igor Shesterkin is unsurprisingly expected to start New York's season opener in Boston on Tuesday. The 30-year-old is entering his eighth NHL season after posting a 25-19-6 record last season with a 2.50 GAA and a .912 SV%. He will head to TD Garden for a tough road matchup in Boston, which went 29-11-1 at home during the 2025-26 regular season.

The Canadiens called Demidov day-to-day but he will be in the lineup for their season opener in Toronto. Demidov had 19 goals and 43 assists (62 points) in 82 games during his rookie season and is a popular breakout pick for 2026-27.

DeBrusk missed practice on Monday but was back on the ice for Tuesday's morning skate and will play in the season opener in Edmonton. DeBrusk will look to pick up where he left off last season, where he had nine goals in his final 13 game.

Markstrom was acquired in the offseason from New Jersey in a five-player deal and will get the crease for Florida's opening night matchup in Carolina on Tuesday. The 36-year-old is entering his 17th NHL season with his fifth organization and will hope for some better luck in Florida after posting an ugly 23-19-1 record, .883 SV% and 3.07 GAA last season. He will head to Raleigh to take on last year's Stanley Cup Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jost signed a one-year, two-way contract on Monday after a successful PTO in the preseason and was assigned to Milwaukee (AHL) on Tuesday after clearing waivers. The 28-year-old is entering his 11th NHL season and his second with Nashville after putting up eight goals and 16 points in 69 games played last season.

Despite having a shot to crack Minnesota's opening night lineup, Charlie Stramel has been reassigned to Iowa (AHL) for the start of the 2025-26 season. The 21-year-old centre is Minnesota's 2023 1st-round pick (21st overall) and had 19 goals and 44 points in 37 games with Michigan State (NCAA) last season.

After signing a three-year, $21 million contract with Toronto in the offseason, Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to make his Maple Leafs debut on Tuesday vs. Montreal. The 38-year-old is entering his 17th NHL season after eight successful years in Florida and will hope to bounce back to his Vezina-worthy ways after posting an ugly 27-23-1 record with a .877 SV% and 3.07 GAA in 52 appearances last season. Bobrovsky will host Toronto's Original Six rival in Montreal, which finished third in the Atlantic Division in 2025-26, posting a strong 48-24-10 record.

With Thatcher Demko starting the season on injured reserve, Kevin Lankinen is expected to occupy Vancouver's opening night crease in Edmonton on Tuesday. The 31-year-old is entering his seventh NHL season after a dreadful 2025-26 campaign where he posted a 11-27-5 record, with a 3.70 GAA and.875 SV%. He will head to Edmonton to take on the tough task of the Oilers at home, who posted a 22-14-5 record on home ice last season.

Marchenko's status for Toronto's season opener vs. Montreal was up in the air as the 26-year-old dealt with Visa issues after his trade on Monday, but it has been confirmed the star forward will dress and make his Maple Leafs' debut. Marchenko signed a six-year, $12.5 million AAV extension after being acquired from Columbus on Monday and is hopeful to build off his 27-goal, 67-point season across 76 games played last season.

After starting 55 games in 2025-26, Spencer Knight is unsurprisingly expected to take the crease for Chicago's season opener in Vegas after occupying the starter's crease at morning skate. The 25-year-old American netminder enjoyed an up-and-down season in his first campaign as Chicago's starter last year, posting a 19-25-11 record, 2.82 GAA and .902 SV%. He will head to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights, who are coming off a Game 6 loss to Carolina in the Stanley Cup Final last season.

L'Heureux is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury that he suffered late in the preseason. L'Heureux missed the final two preseason games on Friday and Saturday, and then also missed Sunday's practice session. He's considered day-to-day and will miss Colorado's opener vs. Los Angeles on Wednesday.

O'Connor is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury that he suffered late in the preseason. O'Connor missed the final two preseason games on Friday and Saturday, and then also missed Sunday's practice session. He's considered day-to-day and will now miss Colorado's season opener. T.J. Hughes skated in O'Connor's spot at Sunday's practice and is expected to play on Wednesday.

After a fairytale rookie season which saw him post a 31-6-2 record on way to winning a Stanley Cup, Brandon Bussi will start Carolina's season opener vs. Florida on Tuesday.

Despite being completely healthy, Teuvo Teravainen finds himself the odd man out of Chicago's roster for opening night in Vegas and is expected to be a healthy scratch. The 32-year-old is entering his 14th NHL season and has not appeared in fewer than 68 games in any of his last five NHL seasons. He is coming off a 14-goal, 35-point campaign across 75 games played in 2025-26 and will hope to find himself back in Chicago's lineup soon.

After starting 55 games in 2025-26, Spencer Knight is unsurprisingly expected to take the crease for Chicago's season opener in Vegas after occupying the starter's crease at morning skate. The 25-year-old American netminder enjoyed an up-and-down season in his first campaign as Chicago's starter last year, posting a 19-25-11 record, 2.82 GAA and .902 SV%. He will head to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights, who are coming off a Game 6 loss to Carolina in the Stanley Cup Final last season.

After leading Vegas to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, Carter Hart will draw Vegas' opening night start on Tuesday vs. Chicago. The 28-year-old took over the Golden Knights' crease in the 2nd half of last season and posted an impressive 11-3-3 record despite having an ugly .891 SV% and 2.71 GAA. He will host the Connor Bedard-less Chicago Blackhawks in Vegas on Tuesday, who are hoping to improve on their abysmal 72 points from 2025-26, which ranked them second-to-last in the NHL.

Head Coach Mike Babcock announced Tuesday that Savoie started the week eight weeks away from returning from the undisclosed injury that caused him to miss the preseason. The 22-year-old is coming off a strong rookie season in 2025-26 where he had 18-goals, 37 points and 25 PIMs in 82 games played.

Janmark missed the entirety of Edmonton's preseason action with an undisclosed injury and will remain out indefinitely after the team announced there was no timetable to return for the 33-year-old's return. Janmark is entering his 11th NHL season and was expected to play a complementary role in Edmonton's bottom-six after putting up a goal, eight points and 22 PIMs in 43 games last season.