NHL Player News

Dobes will get the start in net Sunday for Game 1 against the Lightning, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.

Dobes will get the nod for the postseason opener over 21-year-old rookie Jacob Fowler and veteran Sam Montembeault. The 24-year-old Dobes finished the regular season with a 29-10-4 record, a 2.78 GAA and a .901 save percentage while leading Montreal's netminders with 43 games played. He enters the postseason in a bit of a slump, having allowed at least three goals in four of his last five starts. Dobes will have his hands full with the Lightning, who ranked fourth in the NHL at 3.49 goals per game in the regular season.

Johansson (undisclosed) took the ice for warmups and will suit up as the backup for Sunday's Game 1 against the Canadiens, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Johansson did not dress in the Lightning's final two regular-season games due to an undisclosed injury, but he is good to go for the beginning of the postseason. The 30-year-old is clearly entrenched as the backup behind Andrei Vasilevskiy heading into Tampa Bay's first-round series against the Canadiens. Johansson went 11-10-2 with a 3.29 GAA and an .884 save percentage during the regular season.

Vasilevskiy will patrol the home crease against Montreal on Sunday in Game 1, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Vasilevskiy has won four of his last six outings, allowing only 13 goals on 147 shots. He posted a 39-15-4 record with two shutouts, a 2.31 GAA and a .911 save percentage across 58 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season.

Posch was summoned from AHL Colorado on Sunday.

Posch posted a 15-8-5 record with a 2.78 GAA and an .891 save percentage in 28 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season. He will serve as the Avalanche's emergency third goaltender in the playoffs behind Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood.

Buteyets has been recalled from ECHL Tulsa by the Ducks, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports Sunday.

Buteyets will serve as the emergency third goaltender for the Ducks behind Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso. With ECHL Tulsa, the 23-year-old Buteyets went 18-19-5 with a 3.11 GAA and a .908 save percentage on the season. He made one appearance in relief at the NHL level earlier this season, stopping 10 of 13 shots Dec. 3 against the Mammoth.

Forsberg led the Kings out for warmups Sunday and will start Game 1 against the Avalanche, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Forsberg spent much of the season as Darcy Kuemper's backup, playing in just 36 games in the regular season, but Forsberg will get the nod in goal for Game 1. The 33-year-old Forsberg earned it with a fantastic month of April, going 5-1-0 with a 1.48 GAA and a .944 save percentage. On the flip side, Kuemper allowed 19 goals over his final four starts of his regular season. Forsberg will have his hands full with the Avalanche, who led the league with 3.63 goals per game in the regular season.

Vejmelka was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports, indicating Vejmelka will defend the road net in Game 1 against Vegas on Sunday.

Vejmelka went 2-1-0 versus the Golden Knights during the regular season, allowing only five goals on 95 shots. He had a 38-20-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.75 GAA and an .896 save percentage across 64 appearances in the 2025-26 regular season.

Hart will get the start in net for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mammoth, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Hart has appeared in only 18 games this season, but there aren't many hotter goalies in the sport right now. Since returning in April, the 27-year-old has won six straight starts and has allowed two goals or fewer in all but one of them. Hart has brought much-needed stability to a Golden Knights crease that has struggled this season overall. He brings an 11-3-3 record into the postseason with a 2.71 GAA and an .891 save percentage. The Mammoth ranked 12th in the NHL at 3.27 goals per game in the regular season.

Wedgewood will get the start in goal for Sunday's Game 1 against the Kings, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports.

Wedgewood has appeared in four playoff games in his career, but this will be the first start in the playoffs for the 33-year-old. He had the best regular season of his career this year, playing in 45 games and going 31-6-6 with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 save percentage. The Avalanche may use Mackenzie Blackwood at some point in the postseason as well, but it will be Wedgewood's net to open the postseason against the Kings, who had the fourth-worst offense in the NHL during the regular season at 2.68 goals per game.

Swayman will defend the road net against the Sabres on Sunday in Game 1, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.

During the 2025-26 regular season, Swayman posted a 31-18-4 record with two shutouts, a 2.71 GAA and a .907 save percentage across 55 appearances. He made 21 saves in a 3-1 win over Buffalo on Oct. 11 in his second game of the campaign.