Black is an undrafted goalie that has spent the past few seasons in the AHL. The 25-year-old had solid numbers last season with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL), posting a 2.47 GAA and .903 SV% in 42 games (25-13-4).
Walman has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury, but he should return to the lineup on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth. The 30-year-old defenseman has a -3 plus/minus, seven blocks, and zero points in four games this season.
Dach has not played since suffering an undisclosed injury in the third game of the season, but should return on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth. The 23-year-old Dach is averaging 13:23 time-on-ice and has a -4 plus/minus in three games.
Hyman played 20:33 on ice in Edmonton's season-opening 6-5 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, but hasn't played since due to an upper-body injury, missing six games. The 34-year-old forward is expected to be a key offensive contributor this season, but the Oilers have fared well offensively in his absence, scoring 31 goals in seven games (5-1-1). Hyman is coming off a resurgent 2025-26 season, scoring 52 points (31G / 21A) in 58 games.
Johnston was a late scratch for Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche due to illness and remained sidelined for Wednesday's rematch. Before Tuesday, Johnston had never missed a game in his young career, playing 333 consecutive games. The 23-year-old forward, who scored a career-high 45 goals last season, has just four assists in five games so far in 2026-27.
Back exited Dallas' previous game after only 3:04 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury and will be sidelined for approximately a month. The 26-year-old bottom-six forward has one assist in seven games this season.
Dubois will miss his third straight game on Saturday due to illness after the team announced he would be out vs. New Jersey. The 28-year-old has enjoyed a successful first four games to start the season, with a goal, four points and six PIMs while averaging 17:06 TOI.
Gauthier left Saturday's game with an upper-body injury and did not return. The 22-year-old Swedish goal scorer joined practice in a limited capacity on Monday and returned to full participation on Thursday. Gauthier has four points (2G / 2A) in five games this season. He will return to the lineup on Friday after missing just one game.
Jeremy Swayman has been terrific to start the 2026-27 season, giving little reason for the Bruins to deviate, but with an impending back-to-back, they turn to rookie Michael DiPietro on Friday. The 27-year-old DiPietro was serviceable in his only game this season, saving 26 of 29 shots (.897 SV%) in a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The Bruins enter Friday's contest as -104 road underdogs against a 4-2-0 Anaheim Ducks team.
Namestnikov played a season-high 13:28 in Winnipeg's 5-2 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, but he did not play on Thursday and will remain out week-to-week. The 33-year-old Russian forward has one assist and is averaging 12:06 time-on-ice through six games this season.
Granlund played 20:52 time-on-ice in Anaheim's previous game, but he is dealing with an upper-body injury. He will not play on Friday and remains out day-to-day. The 34-year-old Finnish forward is off to a strong start this season, with eight points (2G / 6A) in six games.
Silovs has had an up-and-down start to the 2026-27 season, challenged by backup Sergei Murashov, but he hopes to build on his most recent performance, saving 24 shots (.960 SV%) in a 2-1 shootout win over the Dallas Stars. The 25-year-old Latvian goalie has a 2.72 GAA and .885 SV% in four games this season (3-1-0). The Penguins enter Friday's action as +181 road underdogs against a Colorado Avalanche team that has lost three of its last five games (2-2-1).
Dostal has played five of six games for the Ducks this season and will return to the crease on Friday against the Boston Bruins. The 26-year-old Czech goalie was solid in his most recent outing, saving 32 of 35 shots (.914 SV%), but came up short in a 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames. He has a 2.98 GAA and .892 SV% in five games (3-2-0). The Ducks enter Friday's contest as slight -106 home favourites against a Bruins team that has outscored opponents 17-5 during a three-game winning streak.
Kulich did not play in Buffalo's previous game, but he could be an option on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 22-year-old Czech forward is averaging 13:06 time-on-ice and has two points (1G / 1A) in six games this season.
Dahlin scored a goal in Monday's game against the Florida Panthers but exited the game after 9:06 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury. He will miss a third consecutive game on Saturday. The 26-year-old Swedish defenseman has four points (2G / 2A) in six games this season. He remains day-to-day.
Stuart Skinner has been excellent early in the 2026-27 season for the Winnipeg Jets, but is coming off his worst performance in a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. The Jets hope to rebound on Saturday, turning to Stevenson to tend the twine against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 27-year-old Stevenson has a 3.10 GAA and .872 SV% in two games (1-1-0).
Sourdif is battling an illness, and his status for Saturday afternoon's game against the New Jersey Devils is unclear. The 24-year-old forward scored 35 points (15G / 20A) in 78 games last season, but his ice time has dipped from 14:44 to 13:24 early in 2026-27, and he has scored just one goal in seven outings.
Duehr has yet to play this season due to a lower-body injury, but he was a full participant at practice on Friday. The 28-year-old defenseman signed a two-year, $1.75 million contract with the Jets in the offseason.
Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar has favoured Mackenzie Blackwood early in the 2026-27 season despite some up-and-down outings. That said, the 29-year-old goalie was solid in his most recent outing, saving 24 of 26 shots (.923 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. He has a 3.04 GAA and .879 SV% in five games this season (3-2-0). Colorado enters Friday's contest as sizeable -201 home favourites against a 3-3-1 Pittsburgh Penguins team.
Slafkovsky was not on the ice for Friday's practice session, but head coach Martin St. Louis said that he will play Saturday vs. the Sabres. Slafkovsky's absence was classified as a therapy day, so he should be available without limitation on Saturday. He enters play with just three points (1G / 2A) in seven games this season.
