NHL Player News

Wolf will defend the home crease during Friday's preseason game against Winnipeg, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Wolf was expected to start Friday's preseason finale, and he'll officially get the nod. He's expected to play the full game in his final tune-up before the start of the regular season. Wolf also appears to be in line to serve as the starting netminder during Wednesday's Opening Night matchup against the Oilers.

Shepard was reassigned to AHL Belleville on Friday.

With just one preseason game remaining, Shepard's services were no longer required for the NHL club, especially since it still has three netminders on the roster. At this point, Shepard seems to be firmly cemented as the No. 4 option for the club, which means he faces an uphill battle to even make the lineup for an NHL game this year. As such, don't expect him to offer much, if any, fantasy value this year.

Skarek was promoted from AHL San Jose on Friday.

Skarek will likely serve as the No. 2 for one or both of the Sharks' final two preseason games against the Golden Knights and Mammoth on Friday and Saturday, respectively, but is unlikely to get the start for either game. Once the team starts gearing up for Opening Night versus Vegas on Thursday, look for Skarek to be shipped back down to AHL San Jose.

Portillo was reassigned to AHL Ontario on Friday.

Portillo should be the first goaltender recalled in case of an injury to either Darcy Kuemper or Anton Forsberg. Portillo made his NHL debut last season, allowing one goal on 29 shots in a 2-1 win over Anaheim on Nov. 29.

Knight will guard the home goal versus Minnesota on Friday, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports.

Knight is expected to get the Opening Night start against his former teammates in Florida on Oct. 7. Knight was 17-16-3 with a 2.72 GAA and a .901 save percentage across 38 regular-season games with Florida and Chicago in 2024-25. The 24-year-old netminder is poised to play in at least 50 games, barring any serious injury this season.

Luukkonen (lower body) will be re-evaluated in a week, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports, effectively ruling him out Opening Night against the Rangers on Thursday.

Head coach Lindy Ruff clarified that Luukkonen's injury is a new issue and not the same one that kept him out of training camp. With the 26-year-old backstop on the shelf, it will likely be Alex Lyon who gets the nod versus the Rangers, though Alexandar Georgiev should also be in the mix. Barring an extended absence, Luukkonen should still be capable of reaching the 50-game mark for the third straight year and putting up around 25 wins.

Merzlikins will patrol the visiting cease in Washington on Saturday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.

Merzlikins is in a battle for the No. 1 job with the Blue Jackets, as Jet Greaves has been pushing the Russian veteran all training camp. Merzlikins made 53 regular-season appearances for Columbus last season, going 26-21-5 with a 3.18 GAA and an .892 save percentage.

Montembeault will patrol the crease at home in Saturday's preseason finale versus Ottawa, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Montembeault will get the last tune-up before Opening Night against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, a game that the 28-year-old netminder also figures to get the starting nod. After appearing in 62 regular-season tilts last year, the Quebec native should see a similar workload in 2025-26 and will no doubt be hoping to once again eclipse the 30-win threshold.

Jarry will be between the home pipes versus Buffalo on Friday, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports.

Jarry will play the first half of the game while Sergei Murashov will tend the crease for the final 30 minutes. Jarry had an inconsistent 2024-25 campaign that included a stint in the minors. The 30-year-old netminder was 16-12-6 with a 3.12 GAA and an .892 save percentage over 36 regular-season appearances with Pittsburgh.

Luukkonen (lower body) will not be available against the Penguins on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

With Alex Lyon already confirmed as the starter for Friday's preseason finale, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Luukkonen being held out completely while Alexandar Georgiev serves as the backup. The priority for Buffalo will be getting the 26-year-old Luukkonen healthy in time to face the Rangers in the season opener at home Thursday.