NHL Player News

Saros allowed two goals on 22 shots during Sunday's 2-1 preseason loss to the Lightning.

Saros has made at least 58 regular-season appearances with the Predators in each of the past five years, most recently going 28-22-8 with a 3.16 GAA and .894 save percentage across 59 regular-season outings during the 2025-26 campaign. He was relatively effective during Sunday's preseason opener while playing the entire game, and he'll likely see most of the playing time in the crease once again during the 2026-27 regular season.

Kochetkov conceded five goals on 33 shots in Sunday's 6-3 preseason loss to the Panthers. The sixth goal was an empty-netter.

The Panthers rolled out a much more experienced roster than the Hurricanes in Sunday's exhibition opener, so it's not much of a surprise that Kochetkov was on the losing end of this game. The deparature of Frederik Andersen in the offseason has opened the door for Kochetkov to play more regularly this season, but Brandon Bussi is in the fold as well for the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

DiPietro turned aside 30 of 32 shots during Sunday's 3-2 preseason overtime win over the Capitals.

DiPietro drew the start during Sunday's preseason opener and played the entire matchup. He faced plenty of shots and was productive en route to the overtime victory. DiPietro made just one regular-season appearance at the NHL level last year but will likely serve as Jeremy Swayman's backup to begin the 2026-27 season.

Markstrom stopped 21 of 24 shots in Sunday's 6-3 exhibition win over the Hurricanes.

It was Markstrom's first time wearing a Florida sweater since the 2013-14 season -- he was drafted by the organization in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. While Markstrom will more than likely begin the year as the Panthers' top option between the pipes, he could be challenged for starts by Akira Schmid if the former struggles out of the gate. Florida is expected to rebound this year after missing the postseason in 2025-26, so Markstrom could pick up his fair share of wins in 2026-27.

Thompson allowed two goals on 30 shots during Sunday's 3-2 preseason overtime loss to the Bruins.

Thompson had one of the best years of his career last year, going 31-21-6 with a 2.44 GAA and .912 save percentage across 58 regular-season appearances with the Capitals. He has topped 30 wins in back-to-back seasons and put forth a solid showing during Sunday's preseason opener. Even if Charlie Lindgren carves out some playing time during the 2026-27 campaign, Thompson should remain a reliable fantasy option this year.

Cossa allowed one goal on 12 shots in Sunday's 4-1 preseason loss in Colorado.

Cossa played the first 40 minutes of Sunday's game before being replaced by Michael Hrabal in the final stanza. Utah gave up a first-round pick to get Cossa on the night of the 2026 NHL Draft, so he will likely be given every opportunity to earn the backup role behind Karel Vejmelka this season.

LaCombe recorded a goal and an assist on two shots during Sunday's 6-2 preseason win over San Jose.

LaCombe put the Ducks on the board with his goal 2:57 into the first period Sunday, and he also pitched in on Beckett Sennecke's second-period goal. LaCombe appeared in all 82 regular-season games last year and generated 10 goals, 48 assists, 128 blocked shots, 74 hits and 19 PIM while averaging 24:15 of ice time.

Sennecke recorded three goals, including one on the power play, on three shots and two PIM during Sunday's 6-2 preseason win over the Sharks.

Sennecke was a strong contributor during his first NHL regular season last year, posting 23 goals, 37 assists, 97 hits, 62 PIM and 24 blocked shots while averaging 17:27 of ice time. He was dominant to begin the preseason, potting two goals in the second period before completing the hat trick in the final frame. The 20-year-old should occupy a top-six role with the Ducks once again during the 2026-27 season.

Blackwood stopped all seven shots he faced in 29:30 of ice time during Sunday's 4-1 preseason win over Utah.

Blackwood didn't have to do much in Sunday's exhibition opener, but he was perfect nonetheless. It was a good start for Blackwood, who is competing with Scott Wedgewood for the starting job ahead of the 2026-27 season. Regardless of who sees more starts this year, both Blackwood and Wedgewood are great fantasy options on a Colorado team that is expected to be one of the best in the NHL once again.

Cooley made 19 saves on 22 shots in Sunday's 4-2 preseason loss to the Kraken. The fourth marker was an empty-netter.

Cooley conceded just one goal at even strength in this contest -- the other two markers came on the power play, so all things considered, the 29-year-old turned in a decent performance in the Flames' preseason opener. Cooley is entrenched as Dustin Wolf's backup heading into the 2026-27 campaign, so Cooley doesn't need to be rostered in most fantasy formats.