NHL Player News

Black stopped 14 of 16 shots in Thursday's 5-3 preseason win over the Lightning.

This was essentially a dress rehearsal for the AHL Charlotte roster, and Black did his part well against a veteran-laden Tampa Bay lineup. Black is projected to be the organizational No. 3 in goal for the Panthers this year. He'll be in line for a call-up if Jacob Markstrom or Akira Schmid misses any time.

Annunen allowed six goals on 31 shots in Thursday's 6-5 preseason loss to the Hurricanes.

Annunen wasn't good, particularly when factoring in that the Predators led 5-1 midway through the second period. He has given up eight goals on 58 shots this preseason. Annunen is firmly in the backup role behind Juuse Saros, and he's done little to inspire much confidence for fantasy managers who might consider him a streaming option.

Kochetkov allowed five goals on 28 shots in Thursday's 6-5 preseason win over the Predators.

All five goals against came over the first 28:24 of the contest. Kochetkov has given up 10 goals on 61 shots this preseason, offering little in the way of confidence that he'll be able to handle anything more than a backup role early in the season. Brandon Bussi will likely get the net for Saturday's preseason finale, as well as Opening Night against the Panthers on Tuesday, but Kochetkov could step into a platoon role as the season progresses.

Woll recorded a 28-save shutout in Thursday's 2-0 preseason win over the Bruins.

Woll is ready for the regular season. The 28-year-old may have a little more work early in the year if Dan Vladar (upper body) is unavailable to begin 2026-27. Woll has taken on a tandem role in the past, playing in a total of 81 games over the last two regular seasons with Toronto.

DiPietro allowed two goals on 28 shots in Thursday's 2-0 preseason loss to the Flyers.

DiPietro has allowed four goals on 60 shots over two outings this preseason. That level of performance should be more than enough to secure his spot in the backup role this season. Jeremy Swayman will probably get a tune-up Friday versus the Capitals to close out the Bruins' preseason slate, though Jiri Patera could also get a chance to respond to DiPietro's strong exhibition play.

Korpisalo stopped 20 of 23 shots in a 4-3 preseason shootout win over the Devils on Thursday.

Korpisalo's first start of the preseason wasn't all that impressive. The veteran netminder is still the favorite to fill the backup role behind Igor Shesterkin, but Korpisalo has left the door open for Dylan Garand to make a challenge for that gig. All three goalies have started one preseason game, though it's unlikely Korpisalo will go again Friday against the Islanders. Even if he wins the competition, Korpisalo isn't in a fantasy-friendly role -- he's on a rebuilding team and trapped on the depth chart behind a star goalie.

Daws allowed three goals on 23 shots in Thursday's 4-3 preseason shootout loss to the Rangers.

Daws went the distance in his first art of the preseason. The 25-year-old squandered a 2-0 lead in the third period and gave up the lone tally in the shootout. It's unclear if he'll get another audition this preseason -- the Devils play the Islanders on Saturday. Daws entered camp competing with David Rittich for the backup job, but the former didn't make a great impression in Thursday's contest. If the Devils don't want to carry three goalies, Daws will need to clear waivers to join AHL Utica.

Talbot posted a 15-save shutout in Thursday's 4-0 preseason win over the Penguins.

Talbot looked good, though he was essentially up against the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roster. With three goals allowed on 41 shots over two games this preseason, Talbot has put in a good audition for the backup role behind Jet Greaves. Pheonix Copley, who cleared waivers Thursday, is also in the mix for that spot, but he can be moved to the AHL without needing waivers again for the next 30 days, which gives Talbot a bit more security.

Murashov allowed three goals on 16 shots in Thursday's 4-0 preseason loss to the Blue Jackets.

Murashov was playing behind a largely AHL-level roster for this game, while the Blue Jackets brought a more experienced group. He has allowed three goals on 29 shots over two appearances this preseason. As a rookie, Murashov could be given another chance to play Saturday versus the Sabres, though the Penguins may want to give Arturs Silovs a second chance to get work in after he gave up seven goals versus the Red Wings on Tuesday. Murashov may have to settle for timeshare usage early in 2026-27, but he'll get every chance to win the No. 1 job outright.

Tarasov stopped 17 of 19 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over the Sabres on Thursday.

Tarasov played the full contest. He looks ready for the regular season after allowing just two goals on 34 shots over his two preseason appearances so far. The 27-year-old is projected to serve as John Gibson's backup in 2026-27.