NHL Player News

Kolyachonok (illness) will not play in Saturday's road clash against the Capitals, per Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site.

Kolyachonok is the second New Jersey blueliner to sustain an illness this week, as neither he nor Brett Pesce made the team's trip to Washington D.C. The 25-year-old Kolyachonok was effective in his season debut, finding the back of the net and posting a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Capitals. In his absence, Anton Silaev was called up from AHL Utica to skate on the team's third defensive pairing Saturday.

Pesce (illness) won't play against Washington on Saturday, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Pesce will miss his second straight game. He has recorded one goal, seven assists, 19 shots on net, 32 blocked shots and six hits in 19 appearances this season. Pesce has some extra time to recover ahead of Wednesday's matchup against Montreal, but it's unclear if he will be ready to return to the lineup by then.

Poirier was loaned to AHL Texas on Saturday for conditioning purposes.

After being a part of four different organizations to begin the 2026-27 campaign, Poirier is finally expected to see playing time in the AHL with Saturday's loan to Texas. The 25-year-old netminder is no stranger to finding success in the AHL, as he posted a 27-19-8 record, a 2.61 GAA, two shutouts and a .912 save percentage across 52 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season. Poirier can spend up to 14 days with Texas before his conditioning loan expires and requires him to return to Dallas.

Vejmelka is slated to patrol the home crease against San Jose on Saturday, Brogan Houston of the Deseret News reports.

Vejmelka is coming off a 22-save performance in Thursday's 1-0 shootout loss to St. Louis. He has a 6-6-1 record, a 3.02 GAA, an .876 save percentage and two shutouts in 14 appearances this season. San Jose (8-11-2) sits 29th in the league during the 2026-27 campaign with 2.43 goals per game.

Heiskanen (upper body) is doubtful for Sunday's matchup against Florida, per Mike Heika of the Stars' official site.

Heiskanen rotated into drills during Saturday's practice, but he will likely miss his fifth straight game against the Panthers on Sunday. He has already been ruled out for Saturday's matchup against Buffalo. Heiskanen has three goals, 11 points, 26 shots on net, 17 blocked shots and four hits in 15 appearances this season.

Wallstedt will guard the road goal against Boston on Saturday, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Wallstedt has allowed only seven goals on 132 shots during his five-game winning streak. In 18 appearances this season, he has a 13-2-3 record, a 1.94 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Boston (13-5-1) ranks sixth in the league with 3.63 goals per game this campaign.

Daccord will defend the road net against Carolina on Saturday, per Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News.

Daccord has a 4-3-0 record in the 2026-27 campaign and has allowed 28 goals on 236 shots. Carolina (15-3-2) leads the league with 4.10 goals per game this season.

Makar (lower body) is expected to be sidelined for approximately two weeks, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post.

Makar was forced to exit Thursday's contest in Ottawa with a lower-body injury. He also left one of Colorado's practices earlier in the week with a potential lower-body issue, but it remains unknown whether the two injuries are related. Makar's absence will be a tough loss for the Avs, as he's compiled five goals, 23 points, a plus-4 rating, 49 shots on net and 22 blocked shots over 19 outings this season. In his absence, Alex Gagne will likely enter Colorado's lineup for Saturday's clash and potentially beyond.

MacKinnon (lower body) will miss at least one month, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post on Saturday.

MacKinnon suffered a lower-body injury against Ottawa on Thursday and will be out of action for a while. He has registered 10 goals, 30 points, 71 shots on net and 11 hits in 20 appearances this season. Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson will probably receive increased roles during MacKinnon's absence.

Blackwood will guard the road net in Saturday's clash against the Canadiens, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.

Blackwood has been on a roll as of late, as he's unbeaten in regulation over his last eight appearances. Overall, the 29-year-old backstop has a 10-3-1 record, a 2.63 GAA, a shutout and a .901 save percentage across 15 outings this season. With Scott Wedgewood struggling to find the win column, Blackwood remains the No. 1 option for Colorado moving forward. Despite Saturday's tricky matchup against the Canadiens, he remains a must-start in all fantasy formats moving forward.