NHL Player News

Kulich (undisclosed) will play against Montreal on Saturday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.

Kulich sat out Thursday's 5-4 overtime win over Toronto because he wasn't feeling well. He returned to Buffalo for precautionary testing, but the results came back negative. Kulich has one goal, one assist, eight shots on net and seven hits in six appearances this season.

Kapanen (lower body) will play against Buffalo on Saturday.

After missing the first seven games, Kapanen will make his 2026-27 debut against the Sabres. He registered 22 goals, 37 points, 131 shots on net and 68 blocked shots in 82 games with the Canadiens during the 2025-26 regular season. Kapanen will replace Owen Beck in Saturday's lineup against Buffalo.

Sourdif (illness) won't play against New Jersey on Saturday, per Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.

Sourdif is day-to-day and will miss at least one game. He has contributed one goal, six shots on net, 13 hits and eight PIM in seven outings this season. Jonny Brodzinski will replace Sourdif in Saturday's lineup against the Devils.

Tavares (lower body) is week-to-week, according to Mark Masters of TSN on Saturday.

Tavares suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to Buffalo. It's unclear when he will be available to return. He has two goals, seven points, 17 shots on net, five blocked shots and four hits in seven appearances this season. With Tavares unavailable, Gavin McKenna is poised to fill in on the top power-play unit, while Nick Paul will occupy a top-six role.

Dubois (illness) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

The Capitals recalled Jonny Brodzinski from AHL Hershey in a corresponding move. Dubois will miss his fourth straight game against New Jersey on Saturday. He has earned one goal, three assists, six shots on net, five hits and three blocked shots in four appearances this season.

Joshua (abdomen) was sent to AHL Toronto on Friday for a conditioning stint.

Joshua hasn't played this season yet because of a core muscle injury. He practiced with the Marlies on Friday, according to Joshua Kloke of The Athletic, but it's unclear when the 30-year-old forward will be available to play in the minors. Joshua had 10 goals, 18 points, 49 PIM and 195 hits in 55 NHL regular-season appearances for the Maple Leafs in 2025-26.

Washe scored a goal and added two hits in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Bruins.

Washe has been effective in a fourth-line role to start the season. He's already up to two goals and four points through seven outings, with the hot start solidifying his place in the lineup. He's added a total of six shots on net, 25 hits, 12 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating. Washe will have deep-league fantasy appeal if he continue to chip in offense -- he's already just one point shy of matching his total from the 2025-26 regular season.

Zacha (undisclosed) left Friday's game versus the Ducks in the third period after taking a hit, and there was no update on his status after the contest, Scott McLaughlin of WEEI reports.

Zacha didn't play for about the last nine minutes of the game. Prior to his exit, he had two assists, both coming on the power play. He entered the contest as the Bruins' top-line center, so he would be a big loss if he can't play versus the Kings on Saturday. If Zacha is out, Fraser Minten or Matthew Poitras could see the biggest bumps in ice time while Sean Kuraly would likely draw back into the lineup. Expect an update on Zacha prior to Saturday's 9 p.m. Eastern puck drop.

Hagens notched two assists, including one on the power play, and added two shots on goal and two blocked shots in Friday's 4-2 win over the Ducks.

Hagens earned the first multi-point effort of his young career with this performance. It also included his first power-play point. Through eight contests, Hagens has racked up two goals, four assists, 13 shots on net, five hits, 10 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating while seeing time on the third line. Hagens could move up the lineup if he continues to find success on offense.

Poitras scored a goal on two shots in Friday's 4-2 win over the Ducks

Poitras has scored in consecutive contests and looks to be finding some consistency early in the year. He's at three goals, one assist, eight shots on net, six hits and a plus-3 rating through five outings overall. While Poitras has mainly worked in the bottom six, it'll be tough to keep him there if he remains productive.