NHL Player News

Montembeault stopped all 14 shots he faced in Saturday's 4-2 preseason win over the Senators.

Montembeault replaced Jacob Fowler 10:43 into the second period and shut down Ottawa the rest of the way. He was tested immediately after entering, making several stops during a Senators power play, and ultimately kept Ottawa scoreless for nearly 30 minutes while Montreal turned a 2-2 tie into a two-goal victory. It was an encouraging finish to the preseason for Montembeault as Montreal sorts through a crowded goaltending situation. On paper, though, it seems Montembeault will open the regular season as the No. 3 goaltender behind Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler. The Canadiens open their 2026-27 season against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday in Opening Night.

Ersson stopped 22 of 26 shots in Saturday's 4-2 preseason loss to the Canadiens.

Ersson allowed one goal in the first period and another early in the second before Montreal broke a 2-2 tie with two third-period tallies. The 26-year-old made his second preseason appearance against Montreal after stopping 32 of 35 shots in Monday's 3-2 overtime loss to the same Canadiens team. Ersson will open the 2026-27 season as Ottawa's No. 2 goalkeeper.

Vanecek was placed on waivers Sunday with the intention of assigning him to AHL Hamilton.

Vanecek posted a 5-13-3 record with one shutout, a 2.94 GAA and an .883 save percentage in 22 appearances with Utah during the 2025-26 regular season. He signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Islanders when free agency opened in July. If he goes unclaimed, he will likely begin the 2026-27 campaign in the minors.

Slafkovsky recorded a goal and two assists in Saturday's 4-2 preseason win over the Senators.

Slafkovsky assisted on Noah Dobson's power-play goal just 47 seconds into the second period, then broke a 2-2 tie at 6:13 of the third. He added another helper on Phillip Danault's insurance tally later in the frame, giving him a hand in each of Montreal's final three goals. Slafkovsky finished the preseason on a high note after also scoring in Montreal's exhibition opener against Toronto, and he is expected to be a key player for the Canadiens in the 2026-27 season, skating on the second line next to Phillip Danault and Alex Newhook.

Ullmark stopped 22 of 25 shots in Saturday's 4-3 preseason win over the Canadiens.

Ullmark allowed Brett Berard's opening goal 3:49 into the game but kept Montreal off the board for the remainder of the first two periods while Ottawa built a 3-1 advantage. The Canadiens then struck twice in a span of 1:46 during the third, with Alex Belzile and Sasha Pastujov beating Ullmark to tie the contest, but a later goal from William Eklund gave the Senators -- and Ullmark -- the win. Ullmark posted a 28-12-8 record with three shutouts, a 2.73 GAA and an .891 save percentage in 49 regular-season appearances for Ottawa in 2025-26. While this wasn't his finest performance with the regular season right around the corner, he's slated to open the 2026-27 campaign as the first-choice goaltender for the Senators.

Dobes stopped 24 of 28 shots in Saturday's 4-3 preseason loss to the Senators.

Dobes was beaten exclusively in the power play, allowing one goal in the first period, two in the second and the eventual game-winner to William Eklund midway through the third. Montreal erased a 3-1 deficit with two goals early in the final frame, but William Eklund's tally at the 10:57 mark proved decisive. Dobes had also appeared earlier in the preseason against Ottawa, stopping 11 of 12 shots in Montreal's overtime win Monday. He posted a 29-10-4 record, 2.78 GAA and .901 save percentage in 43 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

Giroux recorded a goal and two assists in Saturday's 4-3 preseason win over the Canadiens.

Giroux did all of his damage on the power play, tying the game with a slap shot midway through the first period before picking up secondary assists on second-period goals by Drake Batherson and Carter Yakemchuk. Ottawa ultimately went 4-for-8 with the man advantage, with all four of its goals coming on the power play. Giroux will open the season as a middle-six forward and is slated to open the campaign skating in the third line next to Michael Amadio and Shane Pinto (undisclosed).

Wolf stopped 25 of 29 shots in Saturday's 4-1 preseason loss to the Oilers.

Wolf faced plenty of pressure early, stopping the first seven shots he saw before Zach Hyman beat him on Edmonton's first power play. Connor McDavid and Ryan Shea added second-period goals before Kasperi Kapanen converted a third-period breakaway to complete the scoring. Wolf made several strong saves throughout the game, including an early glove stop on Leon Draisaitl, but at the end of the day, Calgary struggled to contain an Edmonton lineup featuring most of its top offensive players. Wolf is slated to open the season as the Flames' No. 1 goaltender, so he should be between the pipes for the regular-season opener against Seattle on Thursday.

Kapanen recorded a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-1 preseason win over the Flames.

Kapanen helped create Edmonton's third goal, working the puck around the offensive zone before finding Ryan Shea for a one-timer late in the second period. The 30-year-old then restored the Oilers' three-goal cushion in the third, scoring on a breakaway just 1:46 after Matt Coronato had cut Calgary's deficit to 3-1. Edmonton dressed a lineup close to its regular-season group, making the two-point performance an encouraging finish to Kapanen's preseason. He's expected to open the season as a middle-six forward.

Levi stopped 23 of 24 shots in Saturday's 4-1 preseason win over the Flames.

Levi kept Calgary scoreless through the first two periods, turning aside all 16 shots he faced while Edmonton built a 3-0 advantage. His shutout bid ended when Matthew Coronato scored in the third period, but the Oilers still found a way to close the game out. The 24-year-old finished Edmonton's preseason finale with a .958 save percentage but will open the season as the No. 2 goaltender behind Tristan Jarry.