NHL2026-11-14Saturday NHL Goalie and Injury Watch: Hellebuyck Set for Washington, Starters Unsettled in Toronto and Helsinki
By Verdexed NHL Desk
Saturday, Nov. 14 brings a 14-game NHL slate that opens with the Global Series finale between the Seattle Kraken and Carolina Hurricanes in Helsinki and runs through late West Coast games in Anaheim and Los Angeles. For fantasy managers and DFS players, goaltending is the swing factor, and the picture is unusually mixed: one starter is reportedly locked in, several are strong projections, and a handful of creases remain unsettled until morning skates.
Below is the projected goalie board built from team reports and lineup previews, followed by the injuries that matter most. Projections are not confirmations, so treat anything not labeled confirmed as subject to change.
Projected starters for Saturday
| Matchup | Away goalie | Home goalie | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken vs. Hurricanes (Helsinki) | Unconfirmed (Grubauer started Thursday; Daccord is the alternative) | Kochetkov possible (Bussi started Thursday) | Unconfirmed |
| Jets at Blackhawks | Stuart Skinner likely | Spencer Knight projected | Winnipeg unconfirmed |
| Oilers at Maple Leafs | Devon Levi projected | Stolarz or Bobrovsky | Toronto unconfirmed |
| Avalanche at Canadiens | Mackenzie Blackwood listed | Jacob Fowler projected | Projected |
| Senators at Penguins | Ullmark or Ersson | Silovs or Murashov | Unconfirmed |
| Devils at Capitals | Connor Hellebuyck | Logan Thompson projected | Hellebuyck reportedly confirmed |
| Panthers at Blues | Akira Schmid projected | Joel Hofer listed | Projected |
| Wild at Bruins | Jesper Wallstedt listed | Jeremy Swayman projected | Projected |
| Red Wings at Lightning | Unconfirmed | Andrei Vasilevskiy expected | Projected |
| Sabres at Stars | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen listed | Jake Oettinger expected | Projected |
| Islanders at Ducks | Ilya Sorokin projected | Unconfirmed | Projected |
| Flames at Kings | Dustin Wolf expected | Darcy Kuemper expected | Projected |
Starters for Flyers at Blue Jackets and Sharks at Mammoth had not been projected by the outlets we checked at publication.
The confirmed and the near-locks
Connor Hellebuyck is the safest goalie play on the slate. The Devils said he would start both games of their home-and-home with Washington, and he has been excellent since arriving in New Jersey: 5-0-0 with a 1.96 GAA, a .913 save percentage and a shutout, per reports. Washington's offense generates volume, which raises his save ceiling, and RotoBaller tabbed him as the top goalie on the night.
Jake Oettinger is expected back in the Dallas net against Buffalo after being pulled in Thursday's 8-3 loss to Winnipeg. He is 9-4-1 with a 2.33 GAA and .895 save percentage over 14 starts, and Dallas is a favorite at home. Rebound starts after a pull are often strong spots for elite goalies, and he remains a start.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is the expected starter for Tampa Bay at home against a Detroit team that came in at 7-10-3. His form has been uneven this season, but the matchup favors him.
The uncertain creases
Toronto is the biggest question. Previews split between Anthony Stolarz and Sergei Bobrovsky against Edmonton, and the team had not named a starter. Bobrovsky's numbers in Toronto have been rough (a 3.47 GAA and .881 save percentage, per one preview), so managers should not start any Leafs goalie until the club confirms. On the other side, Devon Levi is the likelier Edmonton starter after Tristan Jarry went last time out.
In Helsinki, Carolina beat Seattle 4-1 on Thursday with Brandon Bussi in net, and Pyotr Kochetkov is the logical choice for the second game. Seattle started Philipp Grubauer on Thursday, leaving Joey Daccord as the other option. Wait for official word on both.
In Ottawa, Linus Ullmark returned Thursday from a nine-game absence and stopped 26 of 29 shots in the overtime win over Colorado. Whether he goes again Saturday or yields to Samuel Ersson had not been announced. Pittsburgh's split between Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov is also unresolved.
Goalies to fade
DFS analysts flagged Mackenzie Blackwood as struggling, though the context in Montreal cuts both ways: Colorado could be without its two best skaters, which hurts his win odds and likely raises his shot volume. RotoBaller also highlighted Yaroslav Askarov's weak road numbers and called Dustin Wolf a risk against the Kings, noting Wolf's poor high-danger save rate. Spencer Knight faces a Winnipeg team that arrives on a five-game winning streak after scoring eight in Dallas.
Injury watch
| Player | Team | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan MacKinnon | Avalanche | Lower body | Uncertain vs. Montreal; not on IR |
| Cale Makar | Avalanche | Lower body | Uncertain vs. Montreal; not on IR |
| Chris Kreider | Canadiens | Lower body | Day-to-day |
| Jordan Staal | Hurricanes | Calf | Could return after missing 14 games |
| Brock Faber | Wild | Skull fracture | On IR; could make season debut |
| Miro Heiskanen | Stars | Upper body | Outcould return Sunday |
| Logan Cooley | Mammoth | Upper body | Day-to-day |
| Dylan DeMelo | Jets | Lower body | IRweek to week |
| Sam Montembeault | Canadiens | Undisclosed | IR |
The Colorado situation is the most consequential for fantasy. Both stars left Thursday's loss in Ottawa and traveled to Montreal, but coach Jared Bednar said he was unsure about either for Saturday, and the team recalled Gavin Brindley as forward insurance. Devon Toews is the likely beneficiary on the top power-play unit if Makar sits.
Faber's potential return matters for Minnesota's blue line and power play, though coach John Hynes said it was not guaranteed. Staal practiced twice in Finland and worked on special teams Friday, a strong sign he plays in Helsinki. Heiskanen's absence on Saturday keeps Dallas' defense thin against Buffalo.
What to do in your league
Lock in Hellebuyck, Oettinger and Vasilevskiy. Hold Toronto, Seattle, Carolina, Ottawa and Pittsburgh goalies on the bench until the teams confirm. Treat Wolf and Knight as fades in all but the deepest formats. For the full game-by-game view, see Verdexed's NHL predictions page at /nhl/predictions and the daily picks at /blog/nhl-picks-2026-11-14.
What's next
Morning skates and pregame warmups will settle most of the open creases, and the Helsinki game starts early, so managers with Hurricanes or Kraken players need to set lineups before the rest of the slate. Watch for Bednar's pregame update in Montreal and any Avalanche IR moves.
The takeaway: build around Hellebuyck, wait on confirmations everywhere else, and do not get caught starting an unconfirmed goalie on a 14-game night.