NHL Player News

Hill is expected to defend the road net against the Kings on Saturday in preseason action, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Hill posted a 10-9-6 record with one shutout, a 3.04 GAA and an .871 save percentage over 27 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season. Hill and Carter Hart are expected to get two starts apiece in the preseason ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Askarov told reporters Friday that he changed his training regimen and added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.

The extra muscle should help Askarov hold up over a longer NHL campaign. He played in 47 games last year, going 21-20-4 with a 3.63 GAA and an .883 save percentage while occasionally sharing the crease with Alex Nedeljkovic. Askarov is poised to compete for starts again early in the year, but if his performance improves, it won't be long before he's the clear No. 1 between the pipes.

Gustavsson (hip) is expected to return around early November, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports Friday.

This is the first timeline that's been provided regarding Gustavsson's recovery. It also means he'll be missing about a month to begin the campaign. In Gustavsson's absence, expect Jesper Wallstedt to get a heavy workload while Calvin Pickard mixes in as the backup.

Pickard is set to start at home against Chicago for Saturday's preseason game, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

While goaltenders will sometimes serve in only half of an exhibition tilt, the intention is for Pickard to play the full 60 minutes. He had a 5-6-2 record, 3.68 GAA and .871 save percentage in 16 regular-season appearances with Edmonton in 2025-26. If Filip Gustavsson (hip) isn't available for the start of the campaign, then Pickard will likely enter the season as Jesper Wallstedt's understudy. However, Pickard might lose his roster spot once Gustavsson is healthy.

Bobrovsky is expected to start at home against Montreal for Saturday's preseason game, per Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun.

Bobrovsky might not play in the full game. The Maple Leafs are also playing in a split-squad format with the Canadiens on Saturday, so part of each team's training camp roster will be playing in Toronto while another group from each team will be playing simultaneously in Montreal. Bobrovsky is getting ready for his first campaign with the Maple Leafs after inking a three-year, $21 million contract over the summer. He's expected to enter the season as Toronto's clear No. 1, and Anthony Stolarz is set to serve as the understudy.

Keyser has suffered a long-term upper-body injury, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports Thursday.

Keyser's injury led the team to sign Ilya Samsonov ahead of training camp. Even without his long-term injury, Keyser was a near-lock to spend the bulk of the season in the minors with AHL San Jose.

Hellebuyck has been suspended by the Jets for not reporting to training camp Wednesday amid his ongoing confrontation with the team regarding his trade request.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will talk to the media Thursday. Hellebuyck's failure to report to camp while having an active trade request in place likely is the final nail in the coffin on his Jets career. The goaltender will still be worth a large haul once he's dealt, but his fantasy value hinges on ending up in a favorable landing spot for 2026-27 and beyond. If he is not dealt by the start of the season, Hellebuyck may ultimately need some time to get up to game speed with a new team.

Levi will be given every chance to win the No. 1 job in goal during the preseason, Janson Duench of The Athletic reports Wednesday.

Levi was acquired from the Sabres on July 1. While Frederik Andersen (undisclosed) will miss the start of the season, Levi and Tristan Jarry will battle for the top job in goal. Levi will have to earn it, given Jarry's experience, but the former has the upside of youth to help him make a case. Keep a close eye on Edmonton's crease early in the season, as a strong start to the year could help Levi maintain his playing time once Andersen is back.

The Oilers expect Jarry to bounce back after he struggled following a lower-body injury in 2025-26, Janson Duench of The Athletic reports Wednesday.

Jarry is the middle ground in the Oilers' three-man goalie group, which includes the experienced Frederik Andersen (undisclosed) and the young Devon Levi. Regarding the injury last year, Jarry said, "I just didn't really feel like myself. So coming off a full summer to be able to help that, strengthen that, I think it'll be a lot better for me." General manager Stan Bowman is counting on Jarry to bounce back, but the No. 1 job in Edmonton's crease remains up for grabs heading into training camp.

D'Aigle was listed as injured on the Penguins' roster to open training camp Wednesday.

D'Aigle's injury could explain why the team added Collin Delia on a professional tryout for the start of camp. Still, there likely won't be any openings for roster spots between the pipes ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The 19-year-old D'Aigle will likely head to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the upcoming season once he's given the all-clear.