NHL Player News

Blackwood will be between the home pipes during Sunday's exhibition matchup against the Mammoth, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.

The Avalanche have one of the best goaltending duos in the NHL, so Blackwood will certainly have competition for the No. 1 gig in the form of Scott Wedgewood. Wedgewood is coming off a career-best season, but it was reported Wednesday that Blackwood arrived at training camp in the best shape of his life, so head coach Jared Bednar has a good problem on his hands as far who will be in net on a nightly basis this season. Either way, Blackwood will be a strong fantasy option on one of the league's top teams.

Thompson will guard the road goal in Sunday's preseason matchup against the Bruins, Mike Vogel of the Capitals' official site reports.

Thompson earned a 31-21-6 record with four shutouts, a 2.44 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 58 regular-season appearances for the Capitals in 2025-26. He will likely make the majority of the starts for the team again in the 2026-27 campaign.

Saros will protect the road net in Sunday's preseason contest against Tampa Bay.

Saros posted a 28-22-8 record with a 3.16 GAA and an .894 save percentage in 59 games for the Predators during the 2025-26 regular season. He should see the bulk of the starts for Nashville again during the 2026-27 campaign.

DiPietro will patrol the home crease in Sunday's preseason matchup against Washington, according to Belle Fraser of the Bruins' official site.

DiPietro posted a superb 34-8-1 record with a 1.91 GAA and a .930 save percentage in 45 regular-season appearances for AHL Providence in 2025-26. He will likely begin the 2026-27 campaign as Jeremy Swayman's backup.

Grubauer will guard the road goal against Calgary on Sunday in preseason action, Bob Condor of the Kraken's official site reports.

Grubauer will play the first two periods, and Nikke Kokko will enter the contest in the third frame. The 34-year-old Grubauer went 13-12-4 with a 2.65 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 32 regular-season appearances for Seattle in 2025-26. He will likely compete for starts with Joey Daccord in the 2026-27 campaign.

Comrie will guard the road goal in Sunday's preseason matchup against Anaheim, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.

Comrie earned a 12-11-1 record with a 3.13 GAA and an .890 save percentage in 25 regular-season appearances for Winnipeg in 2025-26. After signing a two-year contract with the Sharks in the summer, he will compete for a depth role with his new team during training camp ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Salminen signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Florida on Sunday, PuckPedia reports.

Salminen notched 11 goals and 29 points in 43 games for the University of Denver in 2025-26. The 23-year-old forward will join the Panthers for training camp, but he will likely begin his professional career with AHL Charlotte in 2026-27.

Chabot (personal) will miss Monday's preseason opener against the Canadiens, per TSN 1200 Ottawa.

Chabot won't join the Senators for their preseason opener as he and his wife await the birth of their first child. The 29-year-old blueliner posted seven goals, 31 points, 99 shots on net and 11 blocked shots across 57 regular-season outings in 2025-26. He is in contention to fill Ottawa's captain vacancy, alongside fellow blueliner Jake Sanderson and center Tim Stutzle. Regardless of whether Chabot is named captain, he is expected to handle another sizable role in the 2026-27 campaign.

Cossa will defend the road net in Sunday's preseason matchup against Colorado, Brogan Houston of the Deseret News reports.

Cossa posted a 26-8-4 record with a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save percentage in 39 regular-season games for AHL Grand Rapids in 2025-26. He is competing for Utah's backup role behind Karel Vejmelka during training camp.

Vanecek led the Islanders onto the ice for Sunday's preseason game, indicating he'll draw the road start against New Jersey, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.

Vanecek will get the first chance to audition for the backup goalie role behind Ilya Sorokin in the midst of his training camp battle against Semyon Varlamov. The 30-year-old Vanecek is looking to bounce back in 2026-27 after a rough go of things a season ago, when he compiled a 5-13-3 record, a 2.94 GAA and an .883 save percentage across 22 regular-season games with Utah. He's set to debut for his sixth different team across seven NHL seasons, as Vanecek has become a journeyman depth option in net.