NHL Hockey Player News

The Sharks were fairly liberal with their goalie rotation in 2025-26, regularly shifting between Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic. That said, they will turn to Askarov to tend the twine for the third start time to start the 2026-27 season. Despite a less-than-stellar 3.32 GAA and .885 SV% for the 24-year-old Askarov, it's hard to fault Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky for turning to him again after a perfect 2-0-0 start. The Sharks enter Monday's contest as +174 road underdogs against a Dallas Stars team off to a miserable start, outscored 6-1 through two games (0-2-0).

Brown is recovering from a lower-body injury and has yet to play this season; although he is expected to miss at least a few more games, he appears to be inching closer to a return. The 32-year-old forward had a productive first season with the Devils in 2025-26, matching a career-high 43 points (18G / 25A) in 75 games.

The Minnesota Wild lack depth at center ice, so they will 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.

Through two games this season, the Stars have alternated between inserting Joel Kiviranta and Colin Blackwell into the lineup. The trend will continue Monday, with Blackwell returning to sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 33-year-old Blackwell played 7:29 time-on-ice in his previous game.

Through two games this season, the Stars have alternated between inserting Joel Kiviranta and Colin Blackwell into the lineup. The trend will continue Monday, with Kiviranta returning against the San Jose Sharks. The 30-year-old Kiviranta averaged 10:18 time-on-ice and recorded two shots on goal in his only outing this season.

Roy exited Saturday's game with a lower-body injury, and his status is day-to-day. The 31-year-old Roy averaged 20:37 time-on-ice, recording 19 points (2G /17A), 116 hits, and 146 blocks in 79 games last season. It is unclear what his availability will be when Washington returns to action on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Barkov missed the entire 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery to repair ACL and MCL injuries. Unfortunately for the talented 31-year-old Finnish forward, his return to action in 2026-27 has been marred by another lower-body injury, which is expected to sideline him toward the end of December. Reports suggest the injury is unrelated to his injury from last season, which is an encouraging sign in an otherwise bleak development.

Bedard underwent shoulder surgery in early July and was given a four-month recovery timeline, but could be trending toward a sooner-than-expected return after practicing on Monday. The 21-year-old Bedard, the first-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, missed some time last season with a shoulder injury, but was exceptional when healthy, scoring 75 points (30G / 45A) in 69 games.

Ristolainen exited Saturday's game due to an undisclosed injury, and his status remains uncertain for Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 31-year-old Finnish defenseman missed significant time last season with a ruptured right triceps tendon and played just 44 games, averaging 21:23 time on ice and scoring 14 points (1G / 13A).

With Jake Sanderson (lower body) expected to miss at least two more games, Crotty will fill in on Ottawa's blueline, beginning with Monday's contest against the Boston Bruins. The 27-year-old Crotty played six games for Ottawa last season, averaging 14:55 time on ice and scoring one assist.

Ullmark was excellent in his first game of the season, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will return to the crease on Monday against his former team, the Boston Bruins. The 33-year-old Swedish goalie had an inconsistent 2025-26 season with Ottawa, posting a 2.73 GAA and .891 SV% in 49 games (28-12-8), and will need to improve in 2026-27 if the Senators hope to return to the postseason. Ottawa enters Monday's contest as slight -115 road favourites against a Bruins team off to a 2-1-0 start.

The Stars have gotten adequate play from Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith through two games this season, but they've amassed only one goal and are off to an unexpected 0-2-0 start. The 27-year-old Oettinger had a subpar 2025-26 season, posting a 2.59 GAA and .899 SV% through 54 games (35-12-6), but he was solid in his season opener, saving 20 of 22 shots (.909 SV%) in an eventual 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Stars enter Monday's contest as -199 home favourites against a San Jose Sharks team that has scored nine goals through two games (2-0-0).

Bowen Byram did not play on Saturday, as he tended to a personal matter, but he was back at practice on Monday. The 25-year-old defenseman is still searching for his first point with the Blackhawks. He is averaging 24:59 time-on-ice and has a -4 plus/minus through two games this season.

Murashev made his NHL debut last season, recording a 2.56 GAA and .897 SV% in five appearances (1-1-2). The 22-year-old goalie is expected to play a larger role this season, possibly in a timeshare, but his debut has been delayed by a strong opening two games from Arturs Silovs (2-0-0). Still, hopes are high for Murashov this season, who has excelled at every other level, including posting a solid 2.20 GAA and .919 SV% last season in 38 games (24-9-4) with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL). Pittsburgh enters the action on Monday as -175 home favourites against the Winnipeg Jets, who are coming off a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings yesterday.

Filip Hallander will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets, allowing Koivunen to re-enter the lineup. The 23-year-old Koivunen was solid in his season debut, scoring one goal in 13:50 time-on-ice.

Annunen did not dress in Saturday's game due to an undisclosed injury, but he returned to practice on Monday. The 26-year-old Annunen had a successful 2025-26 season as Jusse Saros' backup, posting a solid 2.68 GAA and .906 SV% in 28 appearances (10-12-2).