NHL Hockey Player News

Iorio will make his Sharks debut when they play the Mammoth on Friday. He has appeared in nine career NHL games, all with the Capitals, registering zero goals and one assist.

Mukhamadullin was a surprise scratch on Friday, with the team not announcing his absence prior to warmups. Vincent Iorio will dress in his place.

Misa will take a seat on Friday after making his NHL debut in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Hurricanes. Ryan Reaves will draw into the lineup in his place.

Utah's defensive prowess has been on display early in the 2025-26 season, limiting its opposition to only eight total goals. However, they have only translated their defensive effectiveness into a 2-2-0 record due to difficulties offensively, only scoring eight goals in the process. Vejmelka will likely be between the pipes on Friday against the San Jose Sharks, looking to build on an already impressive 1.67 GAA and .929 SV% through three games (2-1-0). The Mammoth enter Friday's contest as sizable -245 home favorites against a Sharks team searching for their first win this season (0-1-2).

The Blackhawks are off to a serviceable 2-2-1 start to the 2025-26 season, due in part to strong goaltending spearheaded by Spencer Knight. The 24-year-old Knight has a losing 1-2-0 record through three games but has kept his team within reach in each contest, posting a solid 2.35 GAA and .920 SV%. Chicago is riding a two-game winning streak and enters the action on Friday as +123 home underdogs against a Vancouver Canucks team coming off an impressive come-from-behind 5-3 win last night over the Dallas Stars.

Finley will appear in his second game of the season and just third of his NHL career. He is yet to register a point. Finley was a late addition to Tampa Bay's lineup after Nikita Kucherov was a surprise scratch due to an illness.

Kucherov was a surprise scratch on Friday, with the team not announcing his absence until the start of warmups. We should get an update on his status ahead of Tampa Bay's game in Columbus on Saturday.

Raty will take a seat on Friday as the Canucks opt to get some fresh legs into the lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Teddy Blueger will dress in his place.

Blueger will make his season debut on Friday after missing the first four games with an undisclosed injury. Aatu Raty will sit in his place.

The Canucks will unsurprisingly turn to Lankinen between the pipes when they travel to Chicago for the tail-end of their back-to-back on Friday. Lankinen's lone appearance this season came in a 5-2 loss to the Blues on Monday, where he allowed four goals on 35 shots. Despite the Canucks playing their second game in as many nights, Lankinen has a great chance of breaking into the win column on Friday as Vancouver enters action at -135 on the money line.

Tampa Bay is off to a disappointing 1-2-1 start to the 2025-26 season and will turn to Vasilevskiy on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings as he searches for his first win this season. The 31-year-old Vasilevskiy has an ugly 4.08 GAA and .870 SV% in three games (0-2-1), but he played well in his most recent outing, saving 25 of 28 shots (.893 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay enters Friday's contest as -151 road favorites against a Red Wings team outscoring their opposition 13-6 during a three-game winning streak.

To accommodate the season debut of Jonathan Huberdeau (undisclosed) Kirkland will return to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 29-year-old Kirkland played a career-high 21 games last season and scored eight points (2G / 6A). He has zero points through three games this season.

Sabourin is an undrafted 33-year-old forward with eight points (2G / 6A) in 47 career NHL games. He spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, where he scored 25 points (10G / 15A) in 68 games with the San Jose Barracuda.

Gridin has been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) in a move to help accommodate activating Jonathan Huberdeau (undisclosed) off of Injured Reserve. The 19-year-old Gridin made his NHL debut last week and has recorded one goal in four games with the Flames this season.

Huberdeau has not played Calgary's first five games due to an undisclosed injury, but he has been activated from Injured Reserve and is expected to draw into the lineup on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights. He is expected to suit up on a line with Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee. The 32-year-old Huberdeau averaged 19:33 time-on-ice and had 62 points (28G / 34A) in 81 games last season, his most productive campaign with the Flames.

Kopitar did not play in the Kings' previous game and will be sidelined week-to-week as he recovers from a foot injury. The Kings are off to a sluggish start to the 2025-26 season (1-3-1) and will be further challenged to create offense without Kopitar, who announced several weeks ago that he will be retiring at the conclusion of the season. The 38-year-old Kopitar has four points (0G / 4A) in four games this season.

Logan Mailloux will be a healthy scratch on Saturday against the Dallas Stars, allowing Kessel to draw into the lineup for his season debut. The 29-year-old Kessel played 29 games with the Blues in 2024-25 and scored three points (0G / 3A).

Mailloux's previous career-high was seven games last season with the Montreal Canadiens, and he will be a healthy scratch on Saturday as the Blues attempt to integrate him into a full-time NHL role. The 22-year-old defenseman has zero points and a -7 plus/minus through four games this season. Matthew Kessel will draw into the lineup as Mailloux's replacement.

Lycksell was held off the scoresheet in two games with Ottawa this season but will report to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. The 26-year-old forward has been limited to 11 points (1G / 10A) in 47 career NHL games but has been electric at the AHL level, scoring 128 points (52G / 76A) in 134 games.

Masters was a fourth-round pick, 118th overall, of the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old defenseman has yet to play an NHL game. He spent most of the 2024-25 season in the ECHL, where he tallied 13 points (5G / 8A) in 27 games with the Iowa Heartlanders.