NHL Player News

Poehling (lower body) was placed on injured reserve by the Ducks on Tuesday.

Poehling was deemed day-to-day on Monday, but he will ultimately end up missing the Ducks' next three games by moving to injured reserve. Across five games to begin the 2026-27 campaign, he has a goal, two points, six shots on net, three hits and five blocks. In the interim, Roger McQueen is expected to make his NHL debut Tuesday and serve as a middle-six center until Poehling is ready to return.

Sturm (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

Sturm suffered an upper-body injury in Monday's 4-2 win over Vegas. He will be out for at least the next three games after being moved to the IR list, starting with Tuesday's matchup against Winnipeg, but it's unclear when he will be ready to return. Minnesota recalled Justin Kirkland from AHL Iowa on Tuesday in a corresponding move.

Kirkland was recalled from AHL Iowa on Tuesday.

Kirkland's call up from Iowa was done in a corresponding move to Nico Sturm (upper body) being placed on injured reserve. The 30-year-old Kirkland was off to a solid start in the AHL prior to his call up, posting two assists and six shots on net across four appearances. He'll likely suit up as Minnesota's fourth-line left winger in Tuesday's clash against the Jets.

Morrissey (wrist) is considered day-to-day and will miss Tuesday's home clash against the Wild, per Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press.

Morrissey will miss his second consecutive game Tuesday after he was injured in Wednesday's clash against the Avalanche. The 31-year-old blueliner was a key part of the Jets' offense to open the new season, as he posted three assists, 12 shots on net and five blocked shots across four appearances prior to going down. His next opportunity to return will be Thursday's road game against the Blackhawks.

Kiviranta (lower body) won't play against Colorado on Tuesday, according to Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports.

Despite being a full participant in Monday's practice, Kiviranta isn't quite ready to return to the lineup. However, he could be an option for Tuesday's rematch against the Avalanche. He has one goal, three shots on net, four hits and one blocked shot in two appearances this season.

DeSmith will guard the road goal against Colorado on Wednesday, per Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine.

DeSmith will get the second half of Dallas' back-to-back after Jake Oettinger plays in Tuesday's home matchup against the Avalanche. The 35-year-old DeSmith will make his second start of the 2026-27 campaign after he stopped 24 shots in a 2-1 loss to Nashville on Oct. 3 in his season debut. Colorado (3-2-0) has amassed 26 goals in five games this year.

Merilainen will patrol the road paint in Tuesday's clash against the Islanders, per Thomas Drance of The Athletic.

Merilainen will return to action Tuesday after avoiding his first loss of the season in Saturday's clash, where he was off the ice having his skate repaired when Kevin Lankinen allowed the game-winning goal. Outside of Saturday's game, the 24-year-old Merilainen has fared well to begin the new season, where he has a 1-0-0 record, a 2.18 GAA and a .929 save percentage across four appearances. While the young netminder's fantasy stock is on the rise, he'll have to prove himself in a tough matchup with the Islanders on Tuesday. He's a spot start option for fantasy managers in a pinch, but he should be left on waivers for the time being in standard formats.

Saros was the first goalie to exit the ice Tuesday, Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports, indicating he'll tend the twine at home versus Vegas.

Saros started the first four games of the season, posting a 2-1-1 record, 2.72 GAA and .916 save percentage. If the 31-year-old backstop can continue to hold those ratios across the year, he should be capable of hitting the 30-win mark for the first time since 2023-24.

Oettinger will guard the home crease in Tuesday's clash against the Avalanche, per Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine.

Oettinger has been excellent over the last three contests, as he's allowed just one goal. Overall, the 27-year-old netminder has a 2-1-1 record, a 0.74 GAA and a .963 save percentage across four outings this season. He'll look to extend his undefeated-in-regulation streak Tuesday against the high-powered Avalanche offense that currently leads the league with 5.20 goals per game. Regardless, Oettinger is a strong start in all fantasy formats for Tuesday.

Hofer is slated to patrol the crease on the road versus Ottawa on Tuesday, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Hofer started the season with a 25-save shutout before dropping his last two outings while allowing five goals on 46 shots (.891 save percentage). Look for Hofer to continue serving as the No. 1 option for the Blues, though he'll need to stave off any challenges from Jordan Binnington.