Forsling was a late scratch on Thursday in San Jose but head coach Paul Maurice said he could play as early as next game. Uvis Balinskis replaced him on Thursday and would remain in the lineup in Anaheim if Forsling can't play.
Barkov immediately left Thursday's game in San Jose after suffering an apparent leg injury after getting tangled up in the corner. Head coach Paul Maurice said that the injury is "not related to his injury last year at all," and added that they'll have a "good idea by tomorrow afternoon." Barkov will be evaluated in California and an update should be provided ahead of Sunday's game in Anaheim.
Lankinen struggled in Vancouver's season opener, allowing five goals on 37 shots (.865 SV%), but got plenty of help in an eventual 6-5 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks will likely need Lankinen to be more stoic between the pipes on Thursday in a rematch against the Oilers. Expectations are low for the Canucks this season, but Lankinen will hope to improve on last season's ugly 3.70 GAA and .876 SV% in 47 outings (11-27-5). The Canucks enter the action as +187 home underdogs.
Vejmelka was a busy goalie last season, and he should continue that role in 2026-27, as his backup is Sebastian Cossa, who, while he has a promising future, has only one career NHL appearance. The 30-year-old Vejmelka led the Mammoth to the playoffs last season, appearing in 64 games (38-20-3), posting a 2.75 GAA and .896 SV%. The Mammoth enter their season opener on Thursday as sizeable -219 home favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks team that lost 5-2 on Tuesday to the Vegas Golden Knights.
After back-to-back seasons with a SV% above .906 and a Quality Start% over 61.8%, Daccord dropped to an .896 SV% and 52.2 Quality Start% in 2025-26. He also dipped back to 46 starts, with Philipp Grubauer bouncing back. The Kraken are expected to be a bottom-10 team this season, so Daccord is more useful in points-formats where the saves will accumulate, but he’s positioned nicely on Thursday against a Calgary team that is expected to be near the league’s basement. The Kraken enter play at -102 on the road.
The Sabres acquired Crevier in the offseason and he has been rewarded with a four-year, $16 million contract ($4.0M AAV). The 25-yera-old defenseman played a career high 78 games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, averaging 17:08 time-on-ice and scoring 25 points (7G / 18A).
Luneau has only 14 NHL games of experience, but the Ducks have awarded him a significant six-year contract worth $43.2 million ($7.2M AAV). The Ducks clearly think highly of the 22-year-old defenseman, who was drafted 53rd overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and hope he develops into a prominent role on their blueline.
Greaves impressed in his first full NHL season in 2025-26, recording a solid 2.60 GAA and .908 SV% in 55 games (26-19-9). The 25-year-old goalie is expected to lead the way between the pipes for the Blue Jackets in 2026-27, with newly acquired veteran Cam Talbot serving as his backup. The Blue Jackets fell just short of a playoff spot last season, and will need Greaves to showcase his talents again if they have any intention of returning to the postseason. The Blue Jackets enter their season opener as slight -100 home underdogs against the Buffalo Sabres.
Fresh off winning his second Vezina Trophy, Vasilevskiy will be between the pipes to open the 2026-27 season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 32-year-old goalie posted a solid 2.31 GAA and .911 SV% last season in 58 games (39-15-4), and should have a heavy workload again in 2026-27 with the largely unproven Dennis Hildeby as his backup. Tampa Bay enters Thursday's contest as -142 road favourites against a New York Rangers team that lost 3-0 in their season opener against the Boston Bruins.
With Filip Gustavsson (hip) sidelined to the start of the season, Minnesota will rely heavily on Jesper Wallstedt, beginning with Thursday's season opener against the Nashville Predators. The 23-year-old Wallstedt excelled last season as a rookie, posting a 2.61 GAA and .915 SV% in 35 appearances (18-9-6). Minnesota enters the action on Thursday as -145 road favourites.
A night after being pummeled 7-0 in their season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers will likely change things up between the pipes, turning to newcomer Joseph Woll for his team debut. The 28-year-old Woll spent the first few seasons of his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they parted ways after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, posting a 3.34 GAA and .898 SV% in 39 outings (15-16-7). The Flyers hope to rebound on Thursday, entering the action as +149 road underdogs against the New Jersey Devils.
Samoskevich missed most of training camp because of an upper-body injury, but he appears to be inching closer to a return after practicing Thursday in a non-contact jersey. The 23-year-old Samoskevich spent his first three seasons with the Florida Panthers. He scored 32 points (12G / 20A) in 77 games last season. He will likely play a more prominent role on a Seattle team with less offensive depth.
Dickinson played a prominent role on San Jose's blue line in 2025-26 as a rookie, but he will start the 2026-27 season as a healthy scratch. He averaged 16:45 time-on-ice and scored 14 points (1G / 13A) last season in 72 games.
Samanski did not play in Edmonton's season opener, but with Zach Hyman (undisclosed) set to miss two weeks, he will draw in on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. The 24-year-old Samanski made his NHL debut last season, scoring four points (2G / 2A) in 24 games with the Oilers.
Jacob Markstrom was excellent in Florida's season opener, saving all 15 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Still, the team will rotate netminders early, turning to Schmid on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. The 26-year-old Schmid has had successful stints at the NHL level and is coming off a career-high 34 games played (16-10-6) last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, posting a 2.59 GAA and .893 SV%. The Panthers enter Thursday as -142 road favourites.
Markstrom was excellent in Florida's season opener, saving all 15 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Still, the team will rotate netminders early, turning to Schmid on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. The 26-year-old Schmid has had successful stints at the NHL level and is coming off a career-high 34 games played (16-10-6) last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, posting a 2.59 GAA and .893 SV%. The Panthers enter Thursday as -142 road favourites.
Hyman played 20:33 time on ice in Edmonton's season-opening 6-5 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, but he is battling an undisclosed injury and is expected to miss the next two weeks. The 34-year-old forward had a resurgent 2025-26 season, scoring 52 points (31G / 21A) in 58 games and will be relied upon heavily again for offence in 2026-27.
With Frederik Andersen (undisclosed) expected to be out until December, and Tristan Jarry off to a discouraging start on Tuesday, allowing six goals on 23 shots (.739 SV%) in a 6-5 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, Levi tends the twine in a rematch against the Canucks. The 24-year-old Levi has excelled in the AHL but has struggled to translate that success to the NHL in previous stints with the Buffalo Sabres. Now, with the Oilers, who are desperate for an answer between the pipes, Levi has a chance to make his mark. The Oilers enter Thursday's contest as sizeable -212 road favourites.
