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Karel Vejmelka Posts 15-Save Shutout in Season Opener
Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka started the 2026-27 campaign with a 15-save shutout in Thursday's 6-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Mammoth dominated on home ice, and Vejmelka played a key part in it. Vejmelka has registered over 60 wins across the last two seasons, but he still has room for improvement. With a solid team around him, the Czech netminder has no reason he can't pick up shutouts at a higher rate than he currently does. The 2025-26 campaign was only his second season with more than one shutout.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
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Igor Shesterkin Pots Empty-Netter in Big Win
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had a special outing on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the first netminder in franchise history to score a goal. He wrapped up a 5-1 victory with an empty-netter. Overall, Shesterkin is the 18th goaltender to score in an NHL game. The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner also performed admirably in his regular duties, allowing only one goal on 25 SOG. Shesterkin has put in elite work year after year, and Thursday's goal already makes this season special for him. This game will also go into the history books as Shesterkin's 100th home win in the NHL.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Sabres Sign Louis Crevier to Four-Year, $16 Million Extension
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Louis Crevier signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension ahead of Thursday's season opener against Columbus. He would have been a restricted free agent next year. Crevier landed in Buffalo in June as part of the Bowen Byram trade. On Thursday night, Crevier worked on the second defensive pairing alongside Owen Power, recording one SOG and two blocks in 16:14 of ice time. While Crevier had a fairly quiet Sabres debut, he showed good two-way ability last season, finishing with 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists), 114 SOG, 95 blocks, and 124 hits in 78 games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tristan Luneau Lands $43.2 Million Deal After 14 NHL Games
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Tristan Luneau has signed a six-year, $43.2 million contract extension. The Ducks locked up Luneau on a long-term deal despite seeing him in only 14 NHL games. Luneau, a second-round draft pick in 2022, has been held back by injuries early in his career. He is expected to become a regular in the lineup this season and is projected to start the campaign as Jackson LaCombe's partner on the first defensive pairing. Luneau, who will finish his entry-level contract in 2026-27, should also see power-play time on the second unit.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Aleksander Barkov Exits With Injury Thursday
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov sustained an apparent lower-body injury in Thursday's overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks. He was hurt in the second period during a scrum along the boards. The Panthers captain missed the entire 2025-26 campaign after tearing his right ACL and MCL in training camp. Fortunately, his latest setback isn't related to last year's issue. "It's not related to his injury last year at all," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "We'll have a good idea by [Friday] afternoon." Still, it's possible Barkov will miss time again, boosting the fantasy value of Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Joonas Korpisalo Out Week-to-Week With Lower-Body Injury
New York Rangers goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (lower-body) will be on the shelf to start the season. He was placed on Injured Reserve Thursday and is considered week-to-week. It's unclear when Korpisalo was hurt. The Finnish veteran dressed as Igor Shesterkin's backup on Tuesday as the Rangers opened the season with a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins. With the Rangers starting a back-to-back set on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Korpisalo was expected to make his Rangers debut. Instead, Dylan Garand has been called up from the minors and could face the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, with Shesterkin confirmed as the starter for Thursday's matchup.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Dylan Larkin Ruled Out for Two Games
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (upper body) will miss the first two games of the season, Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com reports. The former Red Wings captain has failed to shake off an upper-body injury. Detroit faces the New York Rangers on Friday, then takes on the Winnipeg Jets in a Sunday matinee. In Larkin's absence, Andrew Copp has worked as the first-line center in practice. He is also poised for increased power-play usage until Larkin returns. Copp had one of the best seasons of his career offensively in 2025-26 and is now in a great position to keep the momentum.
Source: Nicholas J. Cotsonika
Source: Nicholas J. Cotsonika
Devon Levi Starting Thursday Night
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devon Levi has been named the starter for Thursday's rematch against the Vancouver Canucks. Edmonton also faced Vancouver in its season opener a couple of nights ago, with Tristan Jarry between the sticks. The former Penguin had a horrible outing, giving up six goals on 23 SOG in a 6-5 overtime loss. Jarry's early struggles gave Levi a chance to earn a bigger role. He already benefits from the absence of Frederik Andersen (knee), who isn't expected to be available until December. Levi has been a highly rated goaltender, but his 2025-26 campaign with the Buffalo Sabres wasn't good, as he finished with a 2-7-0 record, a 4.12 goals-against average, and a .872 save percentage.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
Damon Severson Considered Week-to-Week
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson (shoulder) is week-to-week. He's already been ruled out for the first two games of the season, but Severson could miss even more time as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Ivan Provorov (lower body) and Dante Fabbro (upper body) are also week-to-week, so Columbus will miss half of its regular defense in Thursday's season openers against Buffalo. Denton Mateychuk, Carson Soucy, and Emil Andrae all have added fantasy value due to the injuries.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
Ivan Provorov Added to Injured Reserve, Out Week-to-Week
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (lower body) will miss the start of the season after being placed on Injured Reserve. Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness labeled Provorov week-to-week before Thursday's season opener against the Buffalo Sabres. Thursday's matchup will mark the first time in his career that Provorov has missed a game due to injury. He has sat out only three games due to COVID protocol in 2022, making 375 consecutive regular-season appearances. Columbus is also dealing with several other absentees on defense, meaning Denton Mateychuk will join Zach Werenski on the first defensive pairing. At the same time, recently joined Carson Soucy and Emil Andrae will play a vital role as the second defensive pairing.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Mattias Samuelsson Will Play Thursday
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) will suit up for Thursday's season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He sustained a lower-body injury in a preseason game on Sept. 22 and was initially expected to sit out a pair of games at the start of the regular season. Samuelsson adds a lot to the Sabres' lineup, recording a career-high 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists), 109 SOG, 154 blocks, and 132 hits in 78 games last season. He will skate with his usual partner, Rasmus Dahlin, on the first defensive pairing.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Zach Hyman to Miss Two Weeks
Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (upper body) will miss approximately two weeks, according to head coach Mike Babcock. The veteran forward reportedly sustained an upper-body injury in Edmonton's preseason finale against Calgary. He logged 20:33 of action in Tuesday's regular-season opener against Vancouver but is now set to miss several games. The Oilers are already badly banged up early in the season, so Max Jones and Colton Dach will join the top six in Thursday's rematch with the Canucks. The available forwards can also expect extra time on the power play.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Cale Makar Makes History With Multi-Point Performance
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar kicked off the 2026-27 campaign with two assists in Wednesday's 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. He registered one even-strength and one power-play helper. As a result, the two-time Norris Trophy winner became the first defenseman in NHL history to record multiple points in five straight season openers. Makar is hugely talented offensively and always makes a big impact for the Avalanche. He has averaged at least a point per game for six consecutive seasons and will contend for the title of the league's highest-scoring defenseman again in 2026-27.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Arturs Silovs Frustrates Flyers With 19-Save Shutout
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs enjoyed a perfect night at the office in Wednesday's season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers, skating away with a 19-save shutout in a 7-0 road victory. Incredibly, Silovs opened the season with a shutout for the second straight year. Last season, he stopped 25 pucks in a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers. The Latvian became only the fifth goaltender in league history to record season-opening shutouts in back-to-back years. It's an impressive feat for Silovs, but with the talented Sergei Murashov waiting in the wings, he will need more than a few good outings to cement his spot as Pittsburgh's No. 1.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mathew Barzal Could Resume Skating This Weekend
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (knee) might be back on the ice this weekend. He is dealing with a knee issue and didn't play in Wednesday's season-opening loss to Toronto. However, Barzal is expected to return to the ice in the coming days and should then be available for selection soon. On Wednesday, Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said Barzal would be "good to go" after only a few practices. Barzal has led his team in scoring twice in the past three years. In 2025-26, he amassed 72 points (19 goals, 53 assists) in 81 contests.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Senators Hope to Have Warren Foegele Available Saturday
Ottawa Senators winger Warren Foegele (undisclosed) is trending in the right direction ahead of Saturday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 30-year-old is nursing an undisclosed injury, but Senators head coach Travis Green said after Wednesday's practice that he's hopeful Foegele will play against Toronto. As a midseason acquisition, Foegele tallied eight points (six goals, two assists) in 21 outings with the Senators last term. He may take on a larger role early this season due to Andre Burakovsky's (upper body) absence.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jake Sanderson Iffy for Season Opener
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (undisclosed) didn't practice on Wednesday. He was hurt in Saturday's preseason finale against Montreal and skated on his own Wednesday. Initially, reports said Sanderson was fine after sitting out Monday's practice. Now that he has missed several practice sessions, it's unclear whether Sanderson will be available for Ottawa's season opener against Toronto on Saturday night. If Sanderson can't play, Thomas Chabot will likely get as many minutes as he can handle, and we should also see more of Carter Yakemchuk.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Alex Nedeljkovic Expected to Be Available Thursday
San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (illness) is expected to suit up for Thursday's season-opening matchup against the Florida Panthers, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters on Wednesday that Nedeljkovic was feeling under the weather but should be available against Florida. Although Nedeljkovic will likely be available, he is expected to serve as Yaroslav Askarov's backup. In 2025-26, Nedeljkovic had a solid year with the Sharks, going 18-14-4, with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage.
Source: Curtis Pashelka
Source: Curtis Pashelka
William Karlsson Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson has signed a two-year contract extension, ESPN's Kristen Shilton reports. The Swedish forward inked a $13.5 million deal on Wednesday, keeping him in Sin City through the 2028-29 season. While injuries have held Karlsson back in recent years, he plays an effective game when on the ice and has been a key part of the Golden Knights' success. Karlsson operates in a middle-six role, and if he can stay healthy, he could put up 50-60 points this season.
Source: Kristen Shilton
Source: Kristen Shilton
Andre Burakovsky Won't Play in Season Opener
Ottawa Senators winger Andre Burakovsky (upper body) will be forced to miss Saturday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He sustained an upper-body injury in Ottawa's preseason finale against Montreal last weekend. The Senators acquired Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason. He's had a difficult four-year stretch after collecting a career-high 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 2021-22 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. The early-season injury won't help Burakovsky's efforts to regain his top form.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Tyler Tucker Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (knee) will be re-evaluated in six weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery, general manager Alexander Steen announced. Tucker injured his right knee in practice last week. Entering the season opener, St. Louis has also lost Logan Mailloux (hand) for several weeks. The team recently claimed Justin Barron off waivers to add defensive depth. The backline injuries could also allow Adam Jiricek to break into the lineup early in the season.
Source: St. Louis Blues
Source: St. Louis Blues
