NHL Player News

Luukkonen was the first goalie off during Thursday's morning skate, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports, indicating that he'll draw the home start against the Stars.

Luukkonen will start for the third time in the Sabres' first four games of the season. Across his first two outings, he's gone 1-1-0 with a 4.03 GAA and .784 save percentage, but he's coming off a 4-3 win over the Blackhawks on Saturday and will attempt to maintain his momentum Thursday.

Fowler will start Thursday's home game against the Predators, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Fowler was called up by the Canadiens on Wednesday, and his starting nod against the Predators suggests that Sam Montembeault (undisclosed) won't be available Thursday. Fowler made 17 regular-season appearances for Montreal last year, going 9-6-2 with a 2.43 GAA and .908 save percentage.

Johansson was demoted to AHL Belleville on Thursday.

Johansson's reassignment to the minors likely means that Linus Ullmark (undisclosed) will be at least healthy enough to serve as the backup, if not the outright starter, against the Flyers on Thursday. If Samuel Ersson continues to struggle out of the gate, the Senators could decide to give Johansson a longer look at the NHL level, but for now he'll remain in Belleville.

Zub, who has been recovering from a knee injury, was seen skating during Senators' morning skate Thursday, per Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet.

Zub faced a setback in his recovery in the late stages of Ottawa's training camp. While he's missed each of the Senators' first three games of the new season, his presence at morning skate Thursday indicates that he could be nearing a return. The 31-year-old blueliner had a career year offensively in 2025-26, where he compiled five goals, 30 points, 92 shots on net, 66 hits and 120 blocked shots across 81 regular-season games. Once he's ready to return, he'll likely occupy a top-four pairing alongside either Thomas Chabot or Jake Sanderson.

Carlsson logged two power-play assists, two PIM and a minus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Oilers.

Carlsson has multiple points in three straight games to begin the season. He's done it mostly as a playmaker, earning one goal, six assists (five on the power play), two shots on net, three blocked shots and a minus-2 rating. The 21-year-old is centering the top line and should be a steady source of offense throughout the campaign.

Sennecke scored two power-play goals on seven shots, sevred four hits and added two PIM in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Oilers.

Sennecke gave the Ducks a good start with both goals coming in the first period. The Oilers woke up with a five-goal second period in response. Sennecke has done fairly well to begin the campaign, earning three goals, one assist, 11 shots on net, six hits, three blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over three contests. He continues to play on the second line and first power-play unit.

Husso stopped both shots he faced in relief of Lukas Dostal in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Oilers.

Husso played the third period after Dostal gave up five goals in the middle frame. This was the first action of the year for Husso, and it'll serve as a tune-up with the 31-year-old likely to start over the weekend. The Ducks have a back-to-back upcoming, as they'll play in Winnipeg on Friday and then in Calgary on Saturday. Beyond that back-to-back, Husso is likely to resume serving in a backup role.

Dostal allowed five goals on 17 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Oilers.

Dostal was pulled after the Oilers put up a five-spot in the second period against him. Ville Husso played the third period and made two saves. This was the first rough patch of the year for Dostal, who is 2-1-0 with 10 goals allowed on 78 shots over three games. He'll likely start one of the next two games -- the Ducks have a road back-to-back up next with stops in Winnipeg on Friday and Calgary on Saturday.

Draisaitl recorded four assists, two shots on goal, two hits and a plus-4 rating in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.

Draisaitl played facilitator during the Oilers' five-goal second period, assisting on all of their even-strength tallies. All of the helpers were primary assists. Draisaitl hasn't gotten quite as much buzz as Connor McDavid or Evan Bouchard to start the year, but he's been virtually just as important. Draisaitl has three goals, six assists, 17 shots on net, three hits and a plus-8 rating over four contests this season.

Kapanen scored a power-play goal on three shots and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.

Kapanen's tally was the 100th of his career. The 30-year-old winger has earned three points this season, including two on the power play and one while shorthanded. He's currently filling in on the top power-play unit, which will be a short-term boost in value until the Oilers get Zach Hyman (undisclosed), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) or Matt Savoie (lower body) back. Kapanen has added eight shots on net, five hits, three blocked shots and a minus-4 rating while skating on the second line at even strength.