NHL Hockey Player News

DeBrusk did not play in Vancouver's previous game because of an illness, but he returned to practice Tuesday, suggesting he should be ready to play when the team returns to action Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. The 29-year-old DeBrusk is averaging 15:36 of ice time and has one assist in two games this season. He is expected to be relied upon heavily in Vancouver's top six this season.

Sam Rinzel will return to Chicago's lineup Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues, sending Korchinski to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Korchinski played 76 games as a rookie in the 2023-24 season but has played only 30 combined games since.

The Blackhawks defense has struggled early in the 2026-27 season, so they opted to make 22-year-old Rinzel a healthy scratch in their previous game. He is averaging 17:53 time-on-ice and has a -2 plus/minus through two games. Kevin Korchinski will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Rinzel's return to the lineup.

The Minnesota Wild lack depth at center ice, so they expect to rely heavily on Yurov in their top six and can ill afford to lose him for any stretch of time. The 22-year-old forward has one assist in two games and has started the season playing on an all-Russian line with Kirill Kaprizov and Max Shabanov.

With Filip Gustavsson (hip) sidelined to the start of the season, Minnesota will continue to rely on Wallstedt, turning to him for his third straight game to start 2026-27. The 23-year-old Swedish goalie has given Head Coach John Hynes no reason to deviate, posting a stellar 1.01 GAA and .957 SV% through two games (2-0-0). Minnesota enters the action on Tuesday as slight -106 road favourites against a Buffalo Sabres team that has been outscored 9-7 through two games (1-1-0).

Justin Danforth will make his season debut on Tuesday, resulting in Carrick being a healthy scratch. The 34-year-old Carrick is averaging 7:32 time-on-ice and has zero points through two games this season.

Sam Carrick will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, allowing Danforth to draw into the lineup for his season debut. The 33-year-old Danforth has spent most of his career in the AHL, but has seen more regular NHL action in recent seasons. He has 64 points (31G / 33A) in 187 career games.

Having not played since Saturday, the Predators were likely always turning to Saros to tend the twine on Tuesday, but Justus Annunen (undisclosed) surfacing on Injured Reserve sealed the deal. The 31-year-old Saros has had a solid start to the 2026-27 season, posting a 2.03 GAA and .933 SV% in two outings (1-1-0). He played exceptionally well in his previous game, saving 29 of 30 shots (.967 SV%) in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. The Predators enter Tuesday's contest as +134 road underdogs against a Toronto Maple Leafs team that has scored just six goals through three games this season (1-2-0).

Knight had a solid first full season with the Blackhawks in 2025-26, posting a serviceable 2.82 GAA and .902 SV% in 55 games (19-25-11). That said, the 25-year-old goalie has struggled out of the gate in 2026-27, as has his team, which is still without Connor Bedard (shoulder), posting an ugly 4.04 GAA and .875 SV% in two outings (0-2-0). The Blackhawks aren't expected to be the epitome of team defence this season, but they struggled last year as well, and Knight still performed well, so they will hope he showcases that same talent this year. The Blackhawks enter Tuesday's contest as +127 home favourites against a St. Louis Blues team off to a 1-1-0 start this season.

Varlamov has battled a myriad of injuries over the past two seasons, but will return to this crease on Tuesday for his first start since November 29th, 2024. The veteran 38-year-old goalie has put together an excellent career, posting a 2.65 GAA and .916 SV% in 621 career games (289-232-71). That said, in his most recent season, albeit a small sample size, Varlamov was pacing for one of the worst seasons of his career, posting a 2.89 GAA and .889 SV% in 10 appearances (3-4-3). The Islanders enter Tuesday's contest as +130 road underdogs against a New York Rangers team on a three-game winning streak.

Already lacking depth at center ice, the Red Wings will be without Compher, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The 31-year-old Compher has spent most of his career as a bottom-six forward, but has been thrust into a more offensive role for the Red Wings. He scored 28 points (11G / 17A) in 82 games last season.

Appleton is battling an undisclosed injury and will be out week-to-week. The Red Wings are already lacking depth at center ice and can ill-afford to be without Appleton. The 30-year-old scored 14 points (6G / 8A) in 65 games with the Red Wings last season.

Kasper suffered an injury in the Red Wings' season opener. The 22-year-old Austrian forward has not played since and is expected to be sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury. After scoring 34 points (19G / 18A) in his rookie season in 2024-25, Kasper is coming off a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, scoring just 19 points (9G / 10A) in 81 outings.

Larkin was used sparingly during training camp while recovering from an upper-body injury, and missed the opening two games of the regular season. The 30-year-old had an eventful offseason after publicly demanding a trade, leaving Red Wings fans highly critical of their former captain. He is expected to play tonight for the Red Wings pending clearance from doctors later today.

After trading Jacob Markstrom in the offseason, the Devils are rolling with a makeshift goalie tandem of Jake Allen and Nico Daws. The 36-year-old Allen has started 35 or fewer games in six of his past seven seasons, so it's unclear if the team will rely on him more heavily in 2026-27, but he was stellar in his only outing so far, saving 23 of 25 shots (.920 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils enter Tuesday as -122 home favourites against a Utah Mammoth team that has outscored its opposition 12-5 through games this season (2-1-0).

After a breakout 2025-26 season that continued into an impressive postseason run, Dobes has struggled early in the 2026-27 season. Through two games, the 25-year-old Czech goalie has allowed eight goals on 58 shots (.862 SV%) while posting a 1-0-1 record. Montreal's dominant offence has bailed Dobes out so far, but he will need to be better on Tuesday when he tends the twine against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadiens enter the action as slight +106 home underdogs.

The Maple Leafs are off to a 1-2-0 start, but hope to return to .500 on Tuesday, turning to Stolarz to tend the twine against the Nashville Predators. The 32-year-old Stolarz battled injuries in 2025-26 and had a disappointing season, but he was stellar in his only outing of 2026-27 thus far, saving 26 of 27 shots (.963 SV%) in a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. The Maple Leafs enter Tuesday's contest as -148 home favourites against a Predators team coming off a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars.

With Ivan Demidov (lower body) expected to miss the next two to four weeks, Xhekaj will draw into the lineup for his season debut on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 22-year-old Xhekaj made his NHL debut last season, tallying one assist, seven penalty minutes, and nine hits in five games with Montreal.

Murray was recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) on Saturday to replace an injured Justus Annunen (undisclosed) as Juuse Saros' backup. Annunen returned to practice on Monday and, as a result, Murray was sent back to the AHL. That said, Annunen's injury appears to have resurfaced, resulting in Murray being recalled again. Expect Saros to see the majority of the action while Annunen is sidelined.