Dubois has returned to practice and is nearing a return to the lineup but will miss a fifth straight game on Friday when the Capitals visit the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 27-year-old Dubois has been held off the scoresheet through three games this season. He had a career-high 66 points (20G / 46A) in 82 games last season.

The Capitals, off to a 5-2-0 start, lead the league defensively, allowing only 13 total goals through seven games (1.86 GA / GP). Team goaltending has been a leading contributor to the Capitals' hot start, led by Logan Thompson. The 28-year-old Thompson returns to the crease on Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, looking to build on an impressive 1.60 GAA and .927 SV% through five games (4-1-0). The Capitals enter Friday's contest as slight -107 road underdogs against a Blue Jackets team coming off a dominant 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars.

Cowan drew into Toronto's lineup for his NHL debut in their third game of the season, playing four straight, but returned to being a healthy scratch in their most recent contest. He will re-enter the lineup on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 20-year-old forward has one point (0G / 1A) in four games.

With recent injuries to Morgan Rielly (undisclosed) and Chris Tanev (upper-body), a vacancy has opened on Toronto's blueline, allowing Myers to draw into the lineup for his season debut. The 28-year-old Myers played 36 games with the Maple Leafs last season and scored five points (2G / 3A).

Sabourin is an undrafted 33-year-old forward with eight points (2G / 6A) in 47 career NHL games. He spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, where he scored 25 points (10G / 15A) in 68 games with the San Jose Barracuda.

The Maple Leafs hope to tighten their defensive game, turning to Stolarz between the pipes on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 31-year-old Stolarz has yet to recapture his magic from the 2024-25 season, showcasing a pedestrian 3.01 GAA and .894 SV% in six outings (2-3-1). The Maple Leafs enter Friday's contest as -118 road favorites against a Sabres team that is outscoring their opposition 17-8 in their last four games (3-1-0).

Allen has been sensational filling in as New Jersey's de facto starting netminder in Jacob Markstrom's (lower body) absence, and will return to the crease on Friday against the San Jose Sharks. The 35-year-old Allen has been near-perfect, posting a dazzling 1.91 GAA and .931 SV% in four appearances (3-0-0). The Devils enter Friday's contest as enormous -355 home favourites against a Sharks team that recorded their first win of the season last night in an exciting 6-5 overtime contest against the New York Rangers.

Robertson has appeared in all seven games for the Maple Leafs this season, but has only recorded a single point (0G / 1A), and will head to the sidelines as a healthy scratch on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 24-year-old Robertson was the subject of trade talks in the offseason and has yet to truly make his mark at the NHL level.

Gushchin is off to a blistering start at the AHL level, scoring seven points (6G / 1A) in 18 games with the Eagles. The 23-year-old forward has five points (2G / 3A) in 18 career NHL games.

Ahcan is off to a hot start with the Eagles (AHL), with five points (1G / 4A) in four games. The undrafted 28-year-old defenseman has played 11 career NHL games and will hope to make his season debut with the team on their upcoming road trip.

Rielly showed no signs of an injury in Toronto's most recent game, playing a season-high 24:30 time-on-ice, but was absent from practice on Thursday, and will not play on Friday. The 31-year-old Rielly is off to an impressive offensive start to the season, scoring six points (2G / 4A) in seven games.

Markstrom was scheduled to miss a couple of weeks after suffering a lower-body injury on October 13th and appears to be nearing a return, scheduled to resume practicing on Saturday. The Devils' tandem of Jake Allen and Nico Daws has played well in Markstrom's absence, but the team will be thrilled for his impending return to the crease. The 35-year-old Markstrom has a 3.89 GAA and .845 SV% in three games this season (2-1-0).

Nick Leddy suffered an upper-body injury in the Sharks' 6-5 win over the Rangers on Thursday, and will be out of the lineup for at least two more game. Dickinson will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch. The 19-year-old Dickinson, the Sharks' 11th-overall pick in 2024, is averaging 14:18 time-on-ice through his first five NHL games.

Michael Misa will be a healthy scratch on Friday against the New Jersey Devils, allowing Kurashev to return to the lineup. The 26-year-old Kurashev has been a healthy scratch for the Sharks' previous two games. He has one point (1G / 0A) in five contests this season.

Misa has played four of seven games for the Sharks this season to start his NHL career and has been a solid contributor, scoring two points (0G / 2A). He will return to the sidelines a healthy scratch, continuing to acclimate to the NHL level, as Philipp Kurashev draws back into the lineup as his replacement.

Leddy exiting Thursday's game early in the first period after only 1:44 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury. The 34-year-old veteran defenseman has two points (0G / 2A) in seven games and will be sidelined for at least two more games. Sam Dickinson will enter the lineup as Leddy's replacement.

Fresh off their first win of the season, an exciting 6-5 overtime win over the Rangers last night, the Sharks will turn to Askarov between the pipes in the tail end of their back-to-back. The 23-year-old Askarov is a high-pedigree netminder, widely believed to be the Sharks' goalie of the future, but he has struggled early in the 2025-26 season, posting an ugly 5.72 GAA and .838 SV% through three games (0-2-1). The Sharks enter Friday's contest as significant +302 road underdogs against a Devils team that sits atop the Eastern Conference with a 6-1-0 record.

Rempe received a five-minute major for fighting with San Jose's Ryan Reaves on Thursday and did not return to the game, finishing with only 19 seconds of ice time. The 23-year-old Rempe is averaging 9:48 time-on-ice and has one point (1G / 0A) in nine games this season. The Rangers have recalled Brennan Othmann from Hartford (AHL) as a potential replacement for Rempe.

Matt Rempe suffered an upper-body injury in the Rangers' most recent game, resulting in Othmann being recalled from Hartford (AHL). The 22-year-old Othmann played 22 games with the Rangers last season and scored two points (0G / 2A).

There has not been a concrete update regarding Zucker after he exited Buffalo's most recent game due to an upper-body injury, but it is not expected to be serious, as he is expected to return to the lineup on Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sabres will be pleased to know Zucker will not be sidelined long after he came out of the gate hot to start 2025-26, with four goals and five points in his first seven games played.