Player news from trusted outlets
Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Justus Annunen is slated to protect the home net for the Nashville Predators on Saturday when they face the Dallas Stars. This confirmation comes from Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site, indicating Annunen will be the starting goaltender for the upcoming matchup.
Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord has been officially placed on injured reserve as of Saturday, per the NHL media site. The move is a result of an upper-body injury, which will sideline Daccord for an undetermined period and impacts the Kraken's immediate goaltending situation.
Petr Mrazek will be the starting goaltender for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, tasked with guarding the road goal against the Vegas Golden Knights. This assignment was reported by Jesse Granger of The Athletic, confirming Mrazek's role in the upcoming contest.
Kevin Lankinen is slated to patrol the home crease for the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. This start comes as fellow Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko will not dress for the game due to an undisclosed injury. Lankinen will be looking to secure a win for Vancouver in front of their home crowd.
Thatcher Demko (undisclosed) will not dress for the Vancouver Canucks' home game against Columbus on Saturday. The nature of his injury remains undisclosed, forcing the team to rely on Kevin Lankinen to start in goal. Demko's absence marks a significant development for the Canucks' goaltending situation for the upcoming matchup.
Akira Schmid is expected to start in goal for the Vegas Golden Knights at home against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. This assignment positions Schmid to lead his team's defense in a key divisional matchup, aiming to secure a victory on home ice.
Scott Wedgewood was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, a strong indication that he will defend the road net for the Colorado Avalanche against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. This signals Wedgewood's readiness to take on the Oilers in what is expected to be a challenging road contest.
Alex Steeves, who departed the Maple Leafs organization as a UFA this past summer to sign a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Boston Bruins, has been called up to the NHL this morning. Steeves spent most of his four seasons in Toronto with the Marlies, where he holds the franchise record for goals (108) and points (224) in 256 games. He appeared in just 14 NHL games with Toronto, scoring three points. Steeves started this season with the AHL's Providence Bruins, recording eight points in nine games, and will now play on Boston's second line alongside Pavel Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson.
Fraser Minten, traded by the Maple Leafs last spring to the Boston Bruins along with a conditional first-round pick for Brandon Carlo, is set to play his former team for the first time. The 21-year-old, drafted by Toronto in 2022, has developed a full-time role with Boston, tallying two goals and three assists through 16 games this season with a 51.5 percent faceoff success rate. Minten, who once lived with John Tavares, will center the Bruins' third line between Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic, expressing excitement for the big game.
Los Angeles Kings left winger Warren Foegele is slated to return from an upper-body injury in Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Foegele has been sidelined for approximately two weeks after sustaining the injury on October 26 against the Chicago Blackhawks, where he played only 1:29 before exiting. He was placed on injured reserve on November 1, making him eligible to return after a seven-day period. Foegele, who scored his first goal of the season against Pittsburgh previously, reports feeling 'really good' and is expected to slot into the fourth line on the left wing with Alex Turcotte and Corey Perry. In 10 appearances this season, he has one goal, a minus-one rating, and averages 13:22 of ice time.
John Gibson is set to start in goal for the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, patrolling the home crease against Chicago. This confirmation comes from Ansar Khan of MLive.com, indicating his next appearance for the team.
Jeremy Swayman is slated to start in goal for the Boston Bruins on Saturday, defending the road net against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This assignment was confirmed by Belle Fraser of the Bruins' official site, highlighting Swayman's role in the upcoming matchup. This start marks a significant opportunity for Swayman as the Bruins face a key divisional rival.
Joseph Woll has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies for a conditioning stint, as confirmed by Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube. This move comes after Woll spoke publicly for the first time since taking a personal leave, stating his desire "not to create any distractions." His absence and subsequent conditioning stint have led to Dennis Hildeby's imminent season debut with the Maple Leafs, backing up Anthony Stolarz.
Anthony Stolarz is confirmed to make his 12th start of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs when they host the Boston Bruins. With the team facing back-to-back games, it is highly unlikely Stolarz will start on consecutive days, suggesting another goaltender will get the nod for the following game against the Carolina Hurricanes. His start comes as Dennis Hildeby is called up to back him up, following Cayden Primeau being placed on waivers.
Dennis Hildeby is on the cusp of his Toronto Maple Leafs season debut, set to back up Anthony Stolarz against the Boston Bruins and is highly likely to start against the Carolina Hurricanes on November 9th. The 24-year-old goaltender recently signed a new three-year, $2.53 million extension, carrying an average annual value of $841,667 at the NHL level. His imminent call-up follows Cayden Primeau being placed on waivers and Joseph Woll's conditioning stint with the Marlies. Hildeby previously backed up on October 25th and has posted a 2-2-1 record with an .890 save percentage for the Marlies this season, alongside a .920 save percentage in three preseason games.
The Colorado Avalanche have called up forward Danil Gushchin from the AHL on Saturday, a move prompted by Gavin Brindley's concussion recovery, leaving Colorado with 11 healthy forwards. Gushchin, 23, impressed during training camp with his skating, offensive awareness, and wrist shot. He has been highly productive in the AHL this season, tallying nine goals and two assists over 11 games for a point-per-game pace, tying him for the AHL-lead in goals. This call-up offers the Russia native a prime opportunity to demonstrate his improvements and potentially earn a permanent NHL spot. Gushchin previously appeared in 18 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, recording two goals and three assists, and is now set to play his 19th career NHL game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Philipp Grubauer is slated to start in goal for the Seattle Kraken's road game against St. Louis on Saturday. This was indicated by Piper Shaw of Kraken Hockey Network, who reported that Grubauer was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate. This customary observation often signals the starting netminder for the upcoming contest, positioning Grubauer to guard the road goal against the Blues.
Logan Thompson is slated to start in goal for the Washington Capitals on Saturday, defending the visiting net against Tampa Bay. This confirmation comes from Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post, indicating his role in the upcoming matchup. Thompson's assignment places him as the primary netminder for the Capitals in this road game.
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will not be available to play in Saturday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. His absence is due to personal reasons, as reported by Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. This development means the Bruins will be without a key blueliner for their upcoming matchup, impacting their defensive lineup.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield sustained an injury after a dangerous head contact hit from Minnesota Wild's Tyler Pitlick, which led to Pitlick's ejection from the game. Chatfield remains injured, and Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'amour is expected to provide an update on the defenseman's status soon. The NHL ruled no further discipline for Pitlick regarding the hit, but Chatfield's recovery timeline is currently unknown.
