NHL Player News

Larkin (upper body) was placed on non-roster injured reserve Friday, per the NHL media site.

Larkin was injured during the preseason and didn't play in the Red Wings' first two regular-season contests, which makes him eligible for a non-roster designation. Even once cleared to play, it's unclear whether Larkin will want to play for the club, considering he previously put in a trade request that resulted in him being stripped of the captaincy.

Englund (not injury related) has been removed from the non-roster list Friday, per the NHL media site.

Englund was unavailable due to an immigration issue, but this move implies that it's been sorted out. He might draw into the lineup Friday versus the Rangers, but it's also possible the 30-year-old will be a healthy scratch. Detroit claimed Englund off waivers from Calgary on Saturday.

Trouba is battling an illness, but he's still expected to play Saturday versus the Kings, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.

Trouba had no points, five PIM, two shots, three hits and one block in 22:35 of ice time in San Jose's 4-3 overtime victory over Florida on Thursday. He's expected to once again serve in a top-four capacity Saturday, but it's possible he'll be used a touch less if he's not feeling 100 percent.

Hart will defend the home crease against the Ducks on Friday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Hart drew the Opening Night start at home against the Blackhawks on Tuesday and allowed two goals on 26 shots during the 5-2 victory. The 28-year-old made six starts against the Ducks during last year's playoffs, going 4-2-0 with a 1.99 GAA and .935 save percentage during those outings.

Dostal is expected to start on the road against Vegas on Friday, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Dostal had a 30-20-4 record, 3.10 GAA and .888 save percentage in 56 regular-season appearances with Anaheim in 2025-26. He's set to be the Ducks' No. 1 option this campaign, while Ville Husso is slated to be the backup option. Dostal and the Ducks will be looking for a little revenge after Vegas ended Anaheim's playoff run in the 2026 second-round series. Dostal had a 3.21 GAA and an .884 save percentage across six outings in that series.

Gaudreau scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flames.

Gaudreau is working on the fourth line to begin the year, which will likely have a limiting effect on his offense. Still, he can chip in decent depth scoring while working as a defensive center. His production has moved around in recent years -- his 24 points in 68 games in 2025-26 is on the low end of his capabilities. However, as a depth forward, it's unlikely he'll do enough to gain widespread appeal in fantasy.

Kakko scored a goal, added an assist and went plus-3 in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flames.

Kakko opened the year on a line with Jared McCann and Matty Beniers, which is expected to be the Kraken's top trio. The 25-year-old Kakko did his part, though in just 16:49 of ice time. There's little elite talent in Seattle's lineup, so expect the ice time to be spread around. Kakko had 40 points and a plus-14 rating over 65 games last year on a bad Seattle team, so he could still find another level on offense if he sticks in the top six.

Stephenson scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flames.

Stephenson tallied on a quick-developing play assisted by Vince Dunn and Joey Daccord. The 32-year-old Stephenson typically isn't a shoot-first player, instead focusing on facilitating offense as a playmaker on the second line. The center produced 49 points over 80 outings in 2025-26, right in line with his previous two years. Expect roughly 15 goals, 50 points and a decent chunk of power-play usage once again.

Beniers scored a goal, added an assist, logged two hits, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Flames.

Beniers started the season well in a game that saw the Kraken get contributions from all over the lineup. The quality of the opponent is a factor, but Beniers will often be in a position to produce offense for the Kraken this year as the team's top-line center. He's coming off a 20-goal, 50-point campaign in 2025-26, and similar production can be expected this year.

Josi scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Wild.

Josi scored midway through the second period, but that was all Nashville could muster against Jesper Wallstedt. The 36-year-old Josi is once again poised to serve as the Predators' top blueliner. He produced 55 points, 181 shots on net, 101 blocked shots and a minus-15 rating over 68 appearances in 2025-26. While age-related regression is a risk, some of Josi's best work has come since he entered his 30s, though staying healthy will be an important factor in his production.