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Jesperi Kotkaniemi to Re-Enter Hurricanes Lineup Saturday
Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi is set to return to the lineup for Saturday's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers. The Finnish forward missed his first postseason game of the year when he was a healthy scratch on Thursday for Game 2 of the series. Mark Jankowski entered the lineup in his place. On Saturday, Kotkaniemi is expected to take Jack Roslovic's spot as the second-line center. Kotkaniemi has been relatively quiet in these playoffs, failing to score on 15 shots and recording three assists in 11 appearances.
Source: Renaud Lavoie
Source: Renaud Lavoie
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Oliver Kapanen Remains Out Saturday
Montreal Canadiens center Oliver Kapanen (lower body) won't play on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss a second straight game. As a rookie, Kapanen played in all 82 games last season, registering 37 points (22 goals, 15 assists). He was Montreal's fourth-highest goal-scorer. Kapanen's next chance to make his season debut comes Tuesday night against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Ben Kindel Ready to Face Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (lower body) will be available Saturday against Montreal after being removed from Injured Reserve. Last Sunday, Kindel was deemed week-to-week. Fortunately for the Penguins, he missed only one game. Following a dominant 7-0 victory over Philadelphia, the Penguins don't want to tinker much with the lineup, so Kindel is set to fill a fourth-line spot Saturday. He will be in contention for a middle-six role once he has found his footing. In his rookie season last year, Kindel recorded 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 77 games.
Source: Pittsburgh Penguins
Source: Pittsburgh Penguins
Mackie Samoskevich Activated From Injured Reserve
Seattle Kraken right wing Mackie Samoskevich (upper body) has come off Injured Reserve and will be available Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers. He missed Seattle's season opener against Calgary but has been cleared to return to the lineup. Big things are expected of Samoskevich as a top-six regular in Seattle, and he should also see power-play time. The former Panther will make his debut in a great spot, facing an Oilers team that has allowed 13 goals in two games. To make room for Samoskevich on the roster, the Kraken moved Jacob Melanson (upper body) to Injured Reserve.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jake DeBrusk Unavailable Saturday Due to Illness
Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (illness) will miss Saturday's contest against the Calgary Flames. On Saturday morning, Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra revealed that DeBrusk was dealing with an illness. DeBrusk registered one assist and four SOG in the first two games of the season. Aatu Raty will enter the lineup as his replacement. With DeBrusk absent, Linus Karlsson is expected to move to the first line. Karlsson averaged only 13:42 of ice time in the first two games of the season, but he will have a significantly more important role on Saturday night.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Bowen Byram Won't Play Saturday
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram (personal) won't play in Saturday's clash against the Buffalo Sabres. Byram was supposed to meet his former team, but he is attending to a family matter and will skip the game. The Blackhawks acquired Byram from the Sabres this offseason and signed him to a whopping six-year, $75 million extension. Byram hasn't found his footing in Chicago yet, failing to register any points and posting a minus-four rating through his first two games. After allowing 11 goals in two games, the Blackhawks are planning several defensive changes, with Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro expected to enter the lineup.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jake Sanderson Officially Available Saturday
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (undisclosed) will be in the lineup Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sanderson has been trending in the right direction and has now been officially cleared to play in Ottawa's season opener. This is great news for the Senators, whose backline will be without Artem Zub (knee) at the start of the season. Sanderson is expected to carry a heavy workload, partnering with Nikolas Matinpalo on the first defensive pairing. He will look to build on a strong year, having amassed 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists) in 67 games.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Panthers Place Aleksander Barkov on Long-Term Injured Reserve
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (leg) was placed on long-term Injured Reserve on Saturday. The Panthers captain suffered an apparent left leg injury on Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. Barkov remains under evaluation after undergoing an MRI. The Panthers are reportedly optimistic that Barkov's injury is not season-ending. Still, he's facing a spell on the sidelines and must miss at least 10 games and 24 days after landing on long-term injured Reserve. With Barkov out, the Panthers will lean more on Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell at center.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Alex Tuch Starts Life in Washington With Two-Goal Outing
Washington Capitals winger Alex Tuch lit the lamp twice in Friday's impressive 5-2 road win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. In his official Capitals debut, Tuch became the fifth player in franchise history to open his tenure with a multi-goal outing, providing two of Washington's three first-period goals. He started the season on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson. Across the previous four campaigns, Tuch has scored at least 30 goals three times. As a member of Washington's talented forward group, Tuch is in a prime spot for another prolific year in 2026-27.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Leo Carlsson Opens Season With Multi-Point Effort
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson contributed a goal and an assist in Friday's season-opening 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. This was Carlsson's first outing since becoming the NHL's highest-paid player with a five-year, $90 million contract. He certainly proved his worth, helping the Ducks to a 4-0 lead before Vegas made the score respectable with three third-period goals. Carlsson logged 17:43 of ice time, including 2:58 on the power play. The Ducks went with Cutter Gauthier and A.J. Greer as Carlsson's running mates on the first line. By racking up four points together, the trio showed off good chemistry.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
JJ Peterka Pots Game-Winner in Overtime Friday
Boston Bruins winger JJ Peterka potted the game-winning goal on Friday night as the team beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime. The Bruins narrowly escaped defeat in regulation on a goal from Elias Lindholm, and Peterka popped up with the winner in the extra frame. David Pastrnak assisted both goals. Peterka has become the first player in eight years to score in each of his first two outings for Boston. He plays with Lindholm and Pastrnak on the top line, and the trio has found good chemistry early in the season. They'll head back to work on Saturday night against Minnesota.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Dylan Garand Posts First Career Shutout
New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand had a special night on Friday, recording his first career shutout in a 2-0 road victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The Rangers wrapped up a back-to-back and went with Garand in the crease after Igor Shesterkin was between the sticks in Thursday's matchup with Tampa Bay. Garand has earned a backup role due to Joonas Korpisalo's (lower body) absence. This was only Garand's fourth career appearance, and he collected his first shutout with 22 saves. With Korpisalo out week-to-week, we might see Garand again soon.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Joel Hofer Blanks Stars in Season-Opening Win
St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer was in top form during Friday's season opener against the Dallas Stars, registering a 25-save shutout in a 4-0 win. The Stars had won six straight season-opening games, but they couldn't find a way past Hofer on Friday night. Hofer became the second goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in a season opener, joining Jaroslav Halak. Although Hofer tends to be solid on most nights he plays, he must compete for playing time with Jordan Binnington, limiting his fantasy appeal. Binnington is expected to make his season debut on Saturday against Colorado.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Alexey Toropchenko Sustains Upper-Body Injury in Season Opener
St. Louis Blues winger Alexey Toropchenko left Friday's season opener against Dallas due to an upper-body injury. He saw only 5:08 of action before his premature exit. The Russian forward will likely be forced to sit out Saturday's matchup with Colorado after Blues head coach Jim Montgomery said Toropchenko was "more than day-to-day." Toropchenko's absence won't have significant fantasy implications, as he has a limited fourth-line role in St. Louis. Zach Dean and Dillion Dube are the options to fill in for him on Saturday.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Roope Hintz "Fine" After Knee-on-Knee Collision
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz escaped injury in Friday's season-opening loss to the St. Louis Blues, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports. In the game, Hintz was involved in a knee-on-knee collision with Blues defenseman Brandon Carlo. Hintz needed help getting off the ice, while Carlo was ejected from the game. Fortunately, Hintz returned to action and felt "fine" after the game. Injuries are never far from Hintz, who suited up for just 53 games last season. This time, he was lucky and looks set to remain in the lineup for Saturday's clash against Nashville.
Source: Lia Assimakopoulos
Source: Lia Assimakopoulos
Seamus Casey to Sit Out 6-8 Weeks
New Jersey Devils defenseman Seamus Casey (knee) has been ruled out for 6-8 weeks. The 22-year-old suffered a knee injury in a preseason game on Sept. 24 and underwent surgery. Casey impressed with eight points (four goals, four assists) in 14 outings during the 2024-25 campaign, but the Devils used him only twice last season. The knee injury is a significant setback to his attempt to break into the team. A minimum six-week absence means Casey won't be an option for the Devils' blue line until at least mid-November.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
A.J. Greer Available for Ducks Debut Friday
Anaheim Ducks winger A.J. Greer (upper body) will make his team debut on Friday night against Vegas, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports. Greer has been iffy for the contest due to an upper-body injury sustained during the preseason, but he has been cleared for action. Not only that, but the former Panther will also get an opportunity to impress in a first-line role. With elite talents like Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier next to him, Greer is in a great spot to make a positive first impression. Anaheim also plans to use Greer on the second power-play unit.
Source: Zach Cavanagh
Source: Zach Cavanagh
Andrei Kuzmenko Returns to Practice
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Andrei Kuzmenko (personal) rejoined practice on Friday. He was away from the team for a week to be with his family following his father's passing. The Penguins have removed Kuzmenko from the non-roster list ahead of Saturday's clash against Montreal, signaling he may enter the lineup. On Friday, Kuzmenko skated on the fourth line. Kuzmenko has had an up-and-down NHL career but can heat up in the right circumstances. He has averaged nearly 0.7 points per game in his career.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Olen Zellweger Clears Concussion Protocol
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Olen Zellweger (concussion) will be available on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He missed Thursday's season opener against Columbus after suffering a concussion in a preseason game. Zellweger practiced alongside Owen Power on the second defensive pairing Friday. Based on the practice lines, Matt Grzelcyk is set to make room for Zellweger in the lineup. With the Anaheim Ducks, Zellweger had back-to-back 20-point campaigns. This should be the minimum target for him during his first year in Buffalo.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Warren Foegele Cleared for Action
Ottawa Senators winger Warren Foegele (undisclosed) will play Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. There were doubts about whether Foegele would be available for the season opener due to an undisclosed ailment, but he came through Friday's practice without any issues and has been cleared to play. Foegele skated with the first line Friday, suggesting he will play an important role in Saturday's contest. In 68 outings with the Senators and Los Angeles Kings last season, he contributed 13 goals and four assists, so Foegele typically doesn't have a major offensive impact.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jake Sanderson Resumes Skating Friday
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (undisclosed) was back on the ice on Friday and could play in Saturday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The star defenseman has been dealing with an undisclosed injury after being hurt in a preseason game. Sanderson averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time last season and plays a crucial role at both ends of the ice for Ottawa. In 2025-26, he notched 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists) and had 128 blocks. If he's cleared to play, Sanderson will fill a spot on the first defensive pairing and quarterback the first power-play unit.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
