NHL Player News

Bjorklund posted a 25-save shutout in AHL Hershey's 2-0 win over Providence on Saturday.

Bjorklund earned his first AHL shutout in just his sixth game at the level. He's allowed just seven goals on 101 shots to begin 2025-26, going 3-0-1 in four contests. Clay Stevenson is the presumed starter for Hershey and the first in line for a call-up should the Capitals need one, but Bjorklund is just 23 years old and looks to be developing into a decent prospect in his own right.

Bobrovsky turned aside 19 shots in regulation and overtime and all three shootout attempts he faced in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Stars.

The Panthers had 2-0 and 3-2 leads that slipped away, but Bobrovsky slammed the door shut in OT and then denied Jason Robertson, Tyler Seguin and Mikko Rantanen in the shootout. Goalie Bob has won three of his last four starts, and on the season, he's 6-3-0 with a 2.34 GAA and an .899 save percentage.

Villalta posted a 19-save shutout in AHL Tucson's 3-0 win over Iowa on Saturday.

Villalta is off to a 4-1-0 start in 2025-26, posting a 1.99 GAA and a .933 save percentage over five outings. This was the 10th shutout of his AHL career. The 26-year-old doesn't have a clear path to the NHL at this time, but he's well-positioned to be the next man up if Karel Vejmelka or Vitek Vanecek are unavailable for the Mammoth.

Demko allowed four goals on 26 shots in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Wild. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

The Canucks are dealing with a plethora of injuries, including Quinn Hughes' lower-body ailment, which doesn't make life any easier on Demko. The Wild have had their own struggles, but they had the better of the Canucks in this one as Demko gave up a season-high four goals. On the year, Demko is at a 4-4-0 record with a 2.41 GAA and a .917 save percentage through eight appearances. He's mostly been sharing the crease with Kevin Lankinen, though it hasn't been a strict rotation, so it's not clear who will start in Nashville on Monday.

Kolosov stopped all seven shots he faced in relief Saturday in a 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.

He replaced starter Dan Vladar early in the third period. It was Kolosov's first appearance this season. Last year, Kolosov went 5-9-1 with a 3.59 GAA and an .867 save percentage across 17 regular-season outings with Philadelphia. The 23-year-old will remain with the team until Samuel Ersson (undisclosed) is ready to return. Expect Vladar to carry the mail during that period, though.

Vladar allowed four goals on 19 shots before being removed in the third period of Saturday's 5-2 loss to Toronto.

Vladar was replaced by Aleksei Kolosov after Easton Cowan's goal early in the third. Vladar has played so well this season -- he has a 4-3-0 record with a 2.11 GAA and a .924 save percentage in seven starts. Saturday was the first start in which the 28-year-old goaltender allowed more than two goals in a game this campaign.

DeSmith stopped 25 shots in regulation and overtime and two of three shootout attempts in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Panthers.

The veteran netminder played well to earn his team a point in the standings, but Dallas skaters couldn't solve Sergei Bobrovsky once the game got to a shootout. DeSmith has seen little work so far behind Jake Oettinger, going 1-1-1 in three starts with a 3.28 GAA and an .873 save percentage.

Gustavsson allowed two goals on 28 shots in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Canucks.

Gustavsson had lost his previous four outings (0-3-1), but he was able to quiet an injury-riddled Canucks team. It was also the first time since his Oct. 20 win over the Rangers that he allowed fewer than three goals. It's been a rough go of things for Gustavsson in 2025-26, with a 3-6-1 record, a 3.23 GAA and an .895 save percentage over 10 appearances. However, he'll continue to be the starter, as Jesper Wallstedt hasn't done anything to push for a larger role. The Wild host the Predators on Tuesday.

Askarov made 37 saves in Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over the Avalanche.

Martin Necas slipped the puck past Askarov just 30 seconds into the game. However, the 23-year-old netminder kept his composure and technically didn't let another shot beat him on the afternoon -- a goal was awarded to Nathan MacKinnon in the second period after the net behind Askarov was knocked off its pegs. The win was Askarov's second of the season, with both coming in his last three starts. Through seven outings, he sports a 4.15 GAA and an .867 save percentage to go with his 2-4-1 record.

Blackwood turned aside 20 shots in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks.

Making his season debut after recovering from a lower-body injury, Blackwood had little chance on either of the pucks that got past him in regulation, before Philipp Kurashev beat him for the second time by going high glove side in OT. The 28-year-old should take back the No. 1 job in the crease for the Avs quickly enough, but Scott Wedgewood's solid start to the season could allow the team to ease Blackwood back into action in the short term.