NHL Player News

Xhekaj (undisclosed) won't play against Detroit on Saturday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Xhekaj missed Montreal's last two practices and will sit out at least one game. He hasn't earned a point in two appearances this season, but he has collected two shots on goal, three hits and one blocked shot. Kaiden Guhle (groin) will replace Xhekaj in Saturday's lineup against the Red Wings, as the Canadiens will go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Dube (neck) will be out of action for at least eight weeks, the team announced Saturday.

Dube sustained a neck injury in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to San Jose. He has contributed one goal, one shot on net and three hits in three appearances this season. Due to Dube's absence, Zach Dean will play against Columbus on Saturday.

Guhle (groin) will make his 2026-27 regular-season debut against the Red Wings on Saturday.

Guhle has been given the green light to return to game action after undergoing a minor adductor muscle surgery in the summer. The 24-year-old blueliner is coming off a season where his offensive numbers declined, posting just two goals and 11 points across 39 regular-season games in 2025-26. However, he remained a factor in stats without the puck, which should keep him relevant in deep fantasy leagues that value category coverage. He'll likely slot into a third-line pairing for Saturday's clash.

Sorokin is expected to protect the home net against Tampa Bay on Saturday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Sorokin occupied the starter's crease during the morning skate and was the first goalie off the ice. While posting a 2-1-0 record in three outings this season, he has stopped 83 of 86 shots. Tampa Bay (3-1-0) has 11 goals in four contests this campaign.

Fowler will guard the home crease in Saturday's clash with the Red Wings, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.

Fowler will have the opportunity to tidy things up Saturday after he yielded three goals in Thursday's 5-2 loss to Nashville. Montreal likely wants to see an extended showcase of what the 21-year-old netminder can currently provide to the team, as he was called up from AHL Laval due to Sam Montembeault's lower body injury. Fowler proved that he can be effective at the NHL level last season, where he compiled a 9-6-2 record, a 2.43 GAA, a .908 save percentage and a shutout across 17 regular-season appearances. Saturday's clash is an opportune spot for the young netminder to get back on track, as the Red Wings have won just one of their four contests to open the new season. Therefore, Fowler is one of the top streaming options between the pipes ahead of Saturday's busy slate of games.

Vladar will defend the road net against the Bruins on Saturday.

Vladar has surrendered 10 goals on 73 shots in two regulation losses to begin the 2026-27 campaign. However, he was better in Monday's defeat against Tampa Bay. Boston has netted 15 goals in five games this season for a 3-2-0 start.

Markstrom will patrol the home crease against Minnesota on Saturday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

In his previous three starts this season, Markstrom has allowed only four goals on 55 shots and has posted a 2-0-1 record. He is coming off a 19-save effort in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Kings. Minnesota (2-1-1) has scored 11 goals in four games this campaign.

Burakovsky (upper body) will be activated from injured reserve ahead of his return to the lineup against Nashville on Saturday, Claire Hanna of TSN reports.

The Senators will place William Eklund (ankle) on injured reserve to make room for Burakovsky's return. The 31-year-old Burakovsky worked on the top line and with the first power-play unit during Saturday's morning skate. After missing the first four games of the 2026-27 campaign. he is expected to make his Ottawa debut.

Eklund (ankle) was moved to injured reserve Saturday, according to Claire Hanna of TSN.

The Senators intend to activate Andre Burakovsky (upper body) from the IR list in a corresponding move. Eklund sustained an ankle injury in Thursday's 2-1 win over Philadelphia and is out indefinitely. He has one goal, two points and nine shots on net in four games this season.

Wallinder potted a goal, placed three shots on net and had two blocked shots in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Kraken.

Just days after posting an assist in his NHL debut, Wallinder tallied the first goal of his career four minutes into Friday's second period. The 24-year-old blueliner is making the most of his opportunity in Detroit with Simon Edvinsson (contract dispute) sidelined. Wallinder showed steady improvement with AHL Grand Rapids over the past three seasons, compiling two goals and 20 points in 66 regular-season games with the Griffins in 2025-26. The six-foot-four Wallinder should continue to have a role for the Red Wings at least over the next handful of games, and if he can secure his spot on the team long-term, he'll have decent upside in dynasty-based fantasy leagues.