NHL Player News

Byfield (upper body) is slated to play Saturday versus Montreal, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site.

Byfield missed the Kings' past two games. He has 13 goals and 33 points in 58 outings in 2025-26. Byfield is poised to serve on the second line alongside Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere on Saturday.

Dobes is expected to start on the road against the Kings on Saturday, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

Dobes stopped 21 of 27 shots en route to a 7-5 loss to San Jose in his last start Tuesday. He's 19-6-4 with a 3.03 GAA and an .889 save percentage in 29 appearances in 2025-26. The Kings are tied for 30th in goals per game with 2.56, though Los Angeles is coming off a 5-3 victory over the Islanders on Thursday.

Kuemper will protect the home goal versus the Canadiens on Saturday, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Kuemper picked up a win over the Islanders on Thursday, stopping 32 of 35 shots. He's allowed at least three goals in four of his last five contests, so he's still a risky fantasy play. The Canadiens are on the second half of a back-to-back, but they've scored 19 goals over four games since the Olympic break.

Simashev was reassigned to AHL Tucson on Saturday.

MacKenzie Weegar is ready for his Utah debut, and Mikhail Sergachev is also set to return from a lower-body injury. That means there's no room for Simashev in the lineup, so he'll head to Tucson to resume getting regular playing time with the Roadrunners.

Sergachev (lower body) is good to play Saturday in Columbus.

Sergachev missed Thursday's 3-0 win over Philadelphia. He has 10 goals and 42 points in 61 outings in 2025-26. Sergachev is projected to play on the top pairing alongside MacKenzie Weegar, who is making his Utah debut after being acquired from Calgary on Wednesday.

Weegar (immigration) was added to the Mammoth's roster and will play Saturday versus the Blue Jackets.

Weegar will line up alongside Mikhail Sergachev, forming a formidable top pairing for the Mammoth. Weegar's visa paperwork was expected to take longer, but he'll end up missing just one game since he was traded Wednesday. He'll be a top-four fixture for the rest of the season, but it's not yet clear how much of a factor he'll be on Utah's power play.

Askarov will guard the home goal versus the Islanders on Saturday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Askarov will get the second half of a back-to-back after Alex Nedeljkovic was in goal for Friday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Blues. The Sharks have started to alternate goalies, with this being Askarov's third start in the last five games, though that may be influenced by a pair of back-to-back sets. The Islanders have lost their last two games, scoring a total of four goals.

Kozak (undisclosed) isn't available for Saturday's game against Nashville, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.

Kozak is set to miss his second straight game. He's considered day-to-day, so the 23-year-old might be an option Sunday versus Tampa Bay. Kozak has two goals, four points, two PIM, 98 hits and 33 blocks in 39 appearances in 2025-26. Kozak could serve in a bottom-six capacity once he's ready to return.

O'Reilly (eye) is slated to play Saturday versus Buffalo, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.

O'Reilly missed Thursday's 6-3 win over Boston because of the injury. He has 22 goals and 59 points in 61 appearances with the Predators in 2025-26. O'Reilly will return to his regular spot on the top line versus the Sabres. He should also see time on the power play and penalty kill.

Saros will guard the road goal against Buffalo on Saturday, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.

Saros is coming off a 20-save performance in Thursday's 6-3 win over Boston. He has a 22-18-6 record this campaign with a 3.18 GAA and an .892 save percentage through 47 appearances. Buffalo sits seventh in the league with 3.40 goals per game this season.