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NHL News

Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.

Saturday, September 26

Joey Daccord Slated to Start Preseason Game in Vancouver

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Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord is set to start Saturday's preseason road matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. Daccord previously stopped 14 shots over two periods in last Saturday's 4-2 exhibition win over Vancouver. The netminder posted a 20-20-6 record, 3.03 GAA, and .896 save percentage across 47 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, down from his 2.75 GAA and .906 save percentage performance in 2024-25.

Kevin Lankinen Named Canucks Starter for Preseason Game vs Kraken

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Kevin Lankinen is slated to start in goal for the Vancouver Canucks in Saturday's preseason matchup against the Seattle Kraken. Lankinen is coming off a 27-save performance on 30 shots during Tuesday's 3-1 exhibition loss to Calgary. With primary netminder Thatcher Demko sidelined by a hip injury and unlikely for Opening Night, Lankinen will compete with Leevi Merilainen for early-season starts in goal.

Pyotr Kochetkov Signs Two-Year Extension With Carolina Hurricanes

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Pyotr Kochetkov signed a two-year contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes through the 2028-29 season, expressing relief to focus solely on hockey. Returning from December hip surgery, Kochetkov stopped 51 of 61 shots across two preseason games. With Frederik Andersen departed, Kochetkov is preparing to compete with Brandon Bussi for Carolina's top goaltending role as he aims to build consistency heading into the campaign.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Exits Preseason Finale With Precautionary Injury

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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen left Saturday's 3-1 preseason loss against Pittsburgh due to an undisclosed injury described as a precautionary tweak. The 27-year-old goaltender was originally slated to play the full finale after stopping all 13 shots in his prior start against Columbus. With Alex Lyon already out with an upper-body injury, Luukkonen's status is critical ahead of Thursday's season opener in Columbus; if unavailable, Colten Ellis could see heavy action.

Elmer Soderblom Rests in Penguins Preseason Finale Victory

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Elmer Soderblom was held out of the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup during Saturday's 3-1 preseason finale against the Buffalo Sabres. Having already skated in two exhibition games during training camp, Soderblom was rested as the team rolled out an opening-night roster configuration for the final tuneup. The decision comes as Pittsburgh concludes its preseason slate and prepares for Wednesday's season opener.

Connor Dewar Held Out of Penguins Preseason Finale After Prior Workouts

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Connor Dewar was omitted from the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup for Saturday's preseason finale against the Buffalo Sabres. Dewar sat out the game after already appearing in two exhibition contests earlier in camp. The Penguins opted for an opening-night style lineup for the match, resting Dewar alongside other regulars as the squad concluded its preseason schedule ahead of Wednesday's opener in Philadelphia.

Egor Chinakhov Skates in Penguins Preseason Finale Victory

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Egor Chinakhov was included on the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster for Saturday's preseason finale against the Buffalo Sabres as the team finalized its lineup. During the first period of Pittsburgh's 3-1 victory at KeyBank Center, Chinakhov took the game's opening penalty, which the Penguins successfully killed off before taking an early lead. The forward's participation comes as Pittsburgh navigates veteran roster limits ahead of opening night.

Dennis Hildeby Gets Road Start in Preseason Finale Against Florida

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Dennis Hildeby will defend the road net in Saturday's preseason finale against the Florida Panthers. Hildeby is coming off a performance where he made 23 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime exhibition loss to the Nashville Predators. The goaltender is slated to serve as a backup for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign, positioning him as a viable spot-starter option when given the nod between the pipes during regular-season action.

Bryan Rust Suffers Undisclosed Injury in Preseason Finale

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Bryan Rust sustained an undisclosed injury during the Pittsburgh Penguins' preseason finale against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and was unable to return to the game. The veteran winger, who recorded 29 goals and 65 points across 72 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, was initially suited up for the afternoon matchup before leaving. If Rust is unable to recover prior to Opening Night, prospect Rutger McGroarty could see an expanded role on the roster.

Linus Ullmark Set to Start in Home Preseason Game Against Montreal

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Linus Ullmark will patrol the home crease for the Ottawa Senators in Saturday's preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens. Coming off a 2025-26 campaign where he logged a 28-12-8 record, three shutouts, a 2.73 GAA, and an .891 save percentage over 49 regular-season appearances, Ullmark remains slated to handle the bulk of the goaltending workload for Ottawa during the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Scott Wedgewood Set to Defend Road Net in Preseason Finale

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Scott Wedgewood will defend the road net in Saturday's preseason finale against Utah, as reported by Evan Rawal. Wedgewood is coming off an impressive 2025-26 regular season where he went 31-6-6 with four shutouts, a 2.02 GAA, and a .921 save percentage across 45 outings. Heading into the 2026-27 campaign, he is set to compete for starts in the crease alongside teammate Mackenzie Blackwood.

Devon Levi Expected to Start in Exhibition Finale Against Calgary

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Devon Levi is expected to patrol the home crease in Saturday's exhibition finale against Calgary. Levi previously allowed one goal on 13 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime win over Winnipeg. He posted a 23-20-9 record with a 2.83 GAA and .904 save percentage in 52 AHL games with Rochester in 2025-26. With the Oilers, he will compete for starts with Tristan Jarry until Frederik Anderson recovers from an undisclosed injury.

Mats Zuccarello Returns from Shoulder Injury for Preseason Finale

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Mats Zuccarello (shoulder) will play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Ducks. As expected, Zuccarello will be in the lineup right before the 2026-27 season opens. He produced 15 goals, 54 points, and 122 shots on net over 59 regular-season appearances for Minnesota in 2025-26. Slated for a new role with Los Angeles this year, Zuccarello is expected to occupy a top-six forward spot and see consistent time on the primary power-play unit.

Lukas Dostal Named Starting Goalie for Ducks in Preseason Finale

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Lukas Dostal will guard the road net for the Anaheim Ducks in Saturday's preseason finale against the LA Kings. Dostal is coming off a solid 2025-26 campaign where he posted a 30-20-4 record alongside a 3.10 GAA and an .888 save percentage over 56 regular-season outings. Coming off that heavy workload, the goaltender is expected to once again get the bulk of the starts for Anaheim during the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Darcy Kuemper Set to Patrol Kings Crease in Saturday's Preseason Action

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Darcy Kuemper will start in Saturday's preseason game against the Ducks as he looks to bounce back from allowing five goals on 34 shots in Tuesday's loss to Utah. Kuemper posted a 19-14-15 record, 2.78 GAA, and .891 save percentage across 50 regular-season outings in 2025-26 while dealing with late-season injuries. He is likely to open the season as the Kings' primary starting option while facing competition for playing time against Anton Forsberg.

Aleksei Kolosov Struggles in Preseason Finale Against Capitals

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Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Aleksei Kolosov allowed five goals on 24 shots in Saturday's 5-1 preseason finale loss to the Washington Capitals. The 24-year-old prospect played the entire contest after previously posting an 0-2-0 record with eight goals allowed in 2025-26. With primary backup candidate Dan Vladar making strong progress from an upper-body injury and expected to be ready for the season opener, Kolosov's roster standing remains uncertain.

Juuse Saros Gets Start in Net for Nashville Predators' Preseason Finale

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Juuse Saros will patrol the home crease for the Nashville Predators in Saturday's preseason finale against the Carolina Hurricanes. Saros comes off a 2025-26 regular season where he posted a 28-22-8 record, a 3.16 GAA, and an .894 save percentage in 59 games for Nashville. The veteran netminder is expected to shoulder another heavy workload in goal for the Predators throughout the 2026-27 campaign.

Zach Dean Earns Spot on St. Louis Blues Opening Night Roster

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Zach Dean has earned a spot on the St. Louis Blues' opening night roster after winning out the competition for the 13th and 14th forward slots against Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker, and Jack Finley, who were placed on waivers and assigned to Springfield. Dean is scheduled to play in all four exhibition games, including Saturday's preseason finale against the Chicago Blackhawks, as the Blues finalize their roster ahead of their regular-season opener on Oct. 2.

Arturs Silovs To Guard Road Crease In Pittsburgh's Preseason Finale

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Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs will start Saturday's preseason finale on the road against the Sabres, looking to bounce back from allowing seven goals in a loss to Detroit. The 25-year-old veteran posted a 19-12-8 record, 3.07 GAA, and .887 save percentage across 39 games last season. As the most experienced netminder in Pittsburgh's room, Silovs could open the year as the primary option, though Sergei Murashov is expected to challenge him for playing time.

Jordan Greenway Expected Ready For Blackhawks Regular-Season Opener

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Jordan Greenway participated in a morning skate wearing a non-contact sweater after tweaking a lower-body injury earlier in the week. Coach Jeff Blashill confirmed Greenway will miss Saturday's preseason finale against St. Louis but is expected to return for Tuesday's regular-season opener against Vegas. Greenway has not played since last Monday but will avoid missing more than a week, bringing much-needed physical toughness to Chicago's lineup.