Kirkland will draw back in on Wednesday as the Flames opt to get some fresh legs into the lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Matvei Gridin will sit in his place.
Pachal will draw back in on Wednesday as the Flames opt to get some fresh legs into the lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Daniil Miromanov will sit in his place.
Miromanov will take a seat on Wednesday as the Flames opt to get some fresh legs into the lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Brayden Pachal will draw into the lineup in his place.
Gridin will take a seat on Wednesday as the Flames opt to get some fresh legs into the lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Justin Kirkland will draw into the lineup in his place.
After getting the night off in Utah's most recent outing, Vejmelka will return to the crease on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. Vejmelka has been solid early in the 2025-26 season but has only been rewarded with a 1-1-0 record, despite an impressive 1.99 GAA and .920 SV%. The Czech goaltending tandem of Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek should continue to be led by Vejmelka, unless his play dictates otherwise. The Mammoth enters Wednesday's contest as sizable -220 home favorites against a Flames team that has been outscored 9-16 in their first four games (1-3-0).
Dunne will draw right back out of the Sabres lineup after making his season debut on Monday. He played just six minutes and 25 seconds in Monday's contest, registering two hits and zero shots on goal.
The Sabres will give Lyon the nod between the pipes for the fourth time in as many games when they host the Senators on Wednesday. Lyon has been unfortunate not to pick up a win through his first three starts despite posting a rather impressive .919 SV%. He was busy in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Avalanche, turning away 34 of the 37 shots he faced. Even with the winless record, Lyon and the Sabres enter action on Wednesday as slight favourites at -105 on the money line.
Portillo played one game with the Kings last season, his NHL debut, saving 28 of 29 shots (.966 SV%) to record a victory. The 25-year-old goalie was the 67th-overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He was recalled by Los Angeles earlier on Wednesday after Darcy Kuemper (undisclosed) was announced day-to-day, but has been reassigned back to the Ontario Reign (AHL) after the Kings acquired goalie Phoenix Copley from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Kings lost Copley at the beginning of the month to the Tampa Bay Lightning after placing him on waivers. However, with Darcy Kuemper (undisclosed) considered day-to-day, the Kings were in need of another goalie and re-acquired Copley from Tampa Bay via trade for future considerations. Copley is no stranger to the NHL, with 77 games of experience. The 33-year-old Copley spent the majority of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, tallying a 2.49 GAA and .904 SV% in 42 games with the Ontario Reign (24-17-1).
Forbort did not play in Vancouver's 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues and has not practiced since. Through two games this season, the 33-year-old Forbort is averaging 13:56 time-on-ice, recording four blocks and two hits.
Liljegren showed no signs of a injury in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, playing 20:48 time-on-ice, but did not practice on Wednesday and is questionable for Friday's game against the Utah Mammoth. The 26-year-old Liljegren has zero points a -2 plus/minus through three games this season.
Klingberg did not practice on Wednesday and is questionable for Friday's game against the Utah Mammoth. The 33-year-old Klingberg has been productive from the blueline early in his tenure with the Sharks, scoring two points (1G / 1A), both on the powerplay, in his first three games.
Kuemper was not at practice on Wednesday and is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The 35-year-old Kuemper is off to a sluggish start to the 2025-26 season, posting a 3.35 GAA and .868 SV% in three games (0-2-1). The Kings recalled goalie Erik Portillo from the Ontario Reign (AHL), but Anton Forsberg is expected to start for the Kings on Thursday against the Penguins.
Anze Kopitar is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and was not at practice on Wednesday, but could be an option on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the self-proclaimed final season of his career, the 38-year-old Kopitar is off to a hot start with four points (0G / 4A) in his first four games.
Walman signed a seven-year contract worth $7 million AAV at the beginning of October but has not played a game yet in the 2025-26 season. He is hopeful to debut on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. The 29-year-old Walman had a goal, eight points and a +5 plus/minus in 15 games with the Oilers last season after being acquired at the Trade Deadline from San Jose.
York is slated to skate on Philadelphia's top defensive pairing alongside Travis Sanheim in Thursday's contest against the Winnipeg Jets after being sidelined through the first three games of the season due to a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old York averaged 20:47 time-on-ice and tallied 17 points (4G / 13A) in 66 games last season.
Afanasyev signed a one-year extension worth $800K in the offseason after being acquired in a trade from the Nashville Predators. The 24-year-old Afanasyev spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season in the KHL, where he scored 21 points (7G / 14A) in 53 games with CSKA Moscow. He will report to the San Jose Barracuda after clearing waivers.
With the announcement that Dmitry Kulikov (upper-body) will be sidelined for five months, the Panthers have opted to claim Donovan Sebrango off of waivers from the Ottawa Senators. The 23-year-old defenseman spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, tallying 20 points (8G / 12A) in 50 games with the Belleville Senators.
Andrae made his season debut in Philadelphia's most recent game, but he has now been reassigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL). The 23-year-old Andrae is in his sophomore season after playing 42 games with the Flyers in 2024-25, scoring seven points (1G / 6A) in the process.
