NHL Player News

Ellis will start Tuesday's home game against the Wild, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.

Ellis didn't start in either of the Sabres' first two games of the season, but he'll make his regular-season debut Tuesday. Across 16 regular-season appearances with Buffalo last year, he went 8-4-2 with a 2.90 GAA and .903 save percentage. Although Ellis will draw the start against Minnesota, Alex Lyon (upper body) participated in Tuesday's morning skate, and Ellis could lose out on some opportunities once Lyon is cleared to return to game action.

Varlamov will start Tuesday's road game against the Rangers, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Varlamov underwent knee surgery in December of 2024 and will make his first start since his procedure during Tuesday's road matchup. The 38-year-old is serving as Ilya Sorokin's backup to begin the 2026-27 campaign, but it's encouraging to see Varlamov cleared to return to action following his lengthy recovery process.

Dobes will defend the home crease in Tuesday's clash with the Hurricanes, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.

Dobes will get his shot to bounce back against Carolina in Tuesday's Eastern Conference Finals rematch. In the five-game series late in the 2025-26 postseason, the 25-year-old backstop fought hard, but was ultimately bested, posting a 1-4-0 record, a 3.05 GAA and a .903 save percentage. He'll also be looking to get on the right track in 2026-27, as he's posted a 1-0-1 record, a 4.03 GAA and an .863 save percentage across two outings. Tuesday's matchup projects to be a tough one for Dobes, but he's still worth starting in fantasy due to his revenge-game appeal.

Allen will start Tuesday's home game against the Mammoth, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Allen drew the Opening Night start at home against the Flyers on Thursday and allowed two goals on 25 shots during the 3-2 overtime victory. He'll start for the second time in the Devils' first three games of the year Tuesday.

Stolarz will start Tuesday's home game against the Predators, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Stolarz earned the win during his regular-season debut at home against the Islanders on Wednesday, turning aside 26 of 27 shots during the 2-1 victory. He'll start for the second time over the Maple Leafs' first four regular-season matchups as he's split time with Sergei Bobrovsky in the net early in the year.

Murray was recalled from AHL Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Murray's move back to the majors Tuesday was in correspondence to Justus Annunen (undisclosed) being placed on injured reserve. The 28-year-old netminder served as the backup for Juuse Saros in Nashville's 2-1 win over the Stars on Saturday before being sent back to Milwaukee. Murray posted solid numbers in the 2025-26 regular season with the Admirals, compiling a 22-22-2 record, four shutouts, a 2.83 GAA and a .904 save percentage. During his stint in the majors, he'll likely appear in his first NHL game since the 2023-24 season.

Lyon (upper body) was spotted practicing at Tuesday's optional morning skate, per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic.

According to head coach Lindy Ruff, Lyon is still without a timetable for return from the injury he suffered late in the preseason. However, his presence at Tuesday's optional morning skate is a sign that he could be somewhat near returning. The 33-year-old netminder had a strong 2025-26 regular season, where he posted a 20-10-4 record, a 2.77 GAA and a .906 save percentage across 36 appearances. In his absence, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen should continue to serve as the lead option between the pipes and Colten Ellis should see an increased role as well.

The Predators placed Annunen (undisclosed) on injured reserve Tuesday.

Annunen missed Saturday's game against Dallas due to an undisclosed injury, and while he was initially considered day-to-day, he'll be required to miss at least a week after landing on injured reserve. Matt Murray was recalled from AHL Milwaukee on Tuesday to provide additional depth behind Juuse Saros while Annunen is sidelined.

Gibson is slated to get the starting nod at home against the Senators on Tuesday, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Gibson has lost each of his first two outings despite posting an impressive 2.07 GAA and .915 save percentage. The netminder could get some offensive reinforcements soon, as Dylan Larkin (upper body) has been taken off non-roster injured reserve ahead of Tuesday's tilt. With some more scoring, Gibson should be capable of picking up plenty of wins, as he figures to see the bulk of the workload for the Wings.

Swayman made 20 saves in Monday's 4-1 loss to Ottawa.

The Bruins' defense was lackluster, to say the least, in front of Swayman. The Senators' first two goals were scored on 2-on-1 counter-attacks on the same Boston power play in the first period, while Drake Batherson's tally early in the second came on a clean breakaway from the blue line after a neutral zone turnover. The loss was Swayman's first of the season after two wins, but he's still allowed just seven goals on 81 total shots, thanks largely to a shutout of the Rangers in the Bruins' opener.