NHL Player News

Merilainen will guard the home goal versus the Rangers on Friday, Canucks play-by-play announcer Brendan Batchelor reports.

Merilainen has lost his last five games, allowing 17 goals on 125 shots in that span. The 24-year-old still remains the Canucks' top goalie despite his struggles, as Kevin Lankinen has provided virtually no challenge to that status. The Rangers have scored just 15 goals over their last six games, which could afford Merilainen a chance to get on track.

Casey (knee) was moved to long-term injured reserve on Friday, per PuckPedia.

Casey began the season on non-roster injured reserve due to knee surgery. This move to LTIR doesn't change his timeline -- he's already missed enough time to be eligible to return. He was slated to miss 6-8 weeks, so don't expect him to be ready until late November at the earliest.

Cooley (upper body) won't play Saturday versus the Sharks and could be out longer than that, Ben Anderson of KSL Sports reports.

Cooley will miss a third straight game. If further evaluations of his injury give bad news, the 22-year-old could be placed on injured reserve in the coming days. Nick Schmaltz (lower body) is also ailing, so the Mammoth may want Cooley's roster spot for reinforcements soon.

The Canucks activated Chytil (shoulder) from injured reserve Friday.

Chytil had been on injured reserve since the end of October due to his shoulder injury, but he was expected to be able to return to the lineup against the Rangers on Friday, and he's now been officially cleared to suit up. Across seven appearances this year, he's recorded two assists, six blocked shots, six PIM and three hits while averaging 19:53 of ice time.

Brisebois (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Friday.

Brisebois' move to IR is retroactive to Nov. 9, which is the last time Vancouver played. Filip Chytil (shoulder) was taken off IR in a corresponding move. Brisebois has an assist, two PIM, four hits and nine blocks in six outings this season.

Brossoit was reassigned to AHL San Diego on Friday, per Derek Lee of The Hockey News.

Brossoit has a 4-1-0 record, 3.42 GAA and .867 save percentage in five appearances with Anaheim in 2026-27. The Ducks had been carrying three healthy goaltenders, so they still have Ville Husso and Lukas Dostal on the roster. Dostal and Husso are likely to split the upcoming workload fairly evenly. However, neither goaltender has impressed so far this season, so there's an opportunity for either to steal the No. 1 gig with a hot streak.

Wennberg (undisclosed) is expected to be a game-time decision for Saturday's match against Utah, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.

Wennberg has three assists in 11 outings with the Sharks this season. He missed 10 straight games before returning from an upper-body injury Monday. It's not clear if his current injury issue is related to that upper-body problem. Ty Dellandrea is projected to be a healthy scratch Saturday, but he will probably play if Wennberg isn't available.

Garland (upper body) was put on injured reserve Friday, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

Garland's placement on IR is retroactive to Nov. 6, which is when he last played. The 30-year-old has an assist in 15 outings with the Blue Jackets in 2026-27. Steven Lorentz might continue to play regularly while Garland is on the shelf.

Saros is expected to start on the road against Vegas on Friday, per Max Herz of 102.5 The Game Nashville.

Saros has won his past three games while allowing just two goals on 85 shots (.976 save percentage). He has a 6-3-4 record, 2.42 GAA and .918 save percentage in 13 appearances in 2026-27. The Predators are set to face a Vegas squad that has won four straight games to improve to 13-5-2.

Marchessault (lower body) isn't expected to play in Friday's game against the Golden Knights, Max Herz of 102.5 The Game Nashville reports.

Marchessault participated in Friday's optional morning skate and appears to be trending in the right direction, but he'll be forced to miss a sixth consecutive game. It's not yet clear when the Predators expect him to return, but his next opportunity to do so will be Sunday in San Jose.