NHL Hockey Player News

Binnington will be looking to collect just his second win of the calendar year when the Blues travel to San Jose on Friday. To be fair, Binnington was unfortunate not to come away with a victory in his last start, when he allowed just two goals on 32 shots in a 3-1 loss to the Devils last Saturday. The 32-year-old netminder owns a disappointing 8-18-6 record and .867 SV% across 33 appearances this season. St. Louis enters action on Friday at +120 on the money line.

The Wild will hand Gustavsson his 39th start of the campaign when they travel to Vegas on Friday night. Gustavsson has been in fine form since returning from representing Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, posting a .957 SV% and a 1.35 GAA across his last three starts. He was particularly impressive in his most recent start on Tuesday against the Lightning, when he allowed just a single goal on 25 shots enroute to a 5-1 victory. Gustavsson and the Wild enter action on Friday at -110 on the money line.

Jankowski will immediately re-enter Carolina's lineup after sitting on Wednesday's game in Vancouver. Jesperi Kotkaniemi will sit in his place.

Kotkaniemi will come right back out of the lineup on Friday after getting the opportunity to play on Wednesday for the first time in a month. Mark Jankowski will draw back into the lineup in his place.

Malkin was involved in an altercation with Rasmus Dahlin in Thursday's game in which he appeared to slash the Sabres defenceman across the helmet. He was assessed a two-minute minor for cross-checking, a five-minute major for slashing, and a game misconduct. Dahlin was also assessed a two-minute minor for cross checking on the play. It's the third time in Malkin's 20-year-career that he has been suspended. He was previously suspended one game for high-sticking in 2019, and four games for cross-checking in 2022.

Soderblom is a surprise starter on Friday night, filling in for Spencer Knight, who is out with an illness. The fact that Soderblom is coming off his first career NHL shutout does definitely soften the blow of Knight's absence. The 26-year-old Soderblom stopped every shot he faced in a 4-0 win in Utah on Sunday. Soderblom carries a 6-9-2 record and an .879 SV% into Friday night's matchup, where the Hawks enter action at -160 on the money line.

The Hurricanes could be returning to their typical rotation between the pipes as Frederik Andersen gets the call in Edmonton on Friday. Andersen was tagged with the loss in his last start, allowing two goals on 15 shots in a 2-1 loss in Seattle on Monday. The 13-year-veteran brings an 8-11-5 record and .874 SV% into Friday night's matchup, where the Hurricanes enter action at -120 on the money line.

Koivunen has not appeared in an NHL game since January 4th. The 22-year-old forward has five points (2G / 3A) in 27 games with Pittsburgh this season.

Vilmanis is the odd-man out as A.J. Greer re-enters the lineup after sitting out Thursday night's game. Vilmanis has appeared in 19 games this season, logging three goals and two assists.

Greer was held out of Florida's game on Thursday due to roster management purposes but ultimately was never traded. Sandis Vilmanis will sit in his place.

Xhekaj will return to the Habs lineup after sitting out each of their last two games. Jayden Struble will sit in his place.

Struble will take a seat on Friday in favour of Arber Xhekaj. Struble is yet to score a goal in 41 games this season, but has managed to pick up nine assists from the back-end.

Gridin has been a regular for the Flames in recent weeks, but he will play at least one game with the Wranglers, ensuring he is an option for them in the AHL playoffs. The 20-year-old Gridin has seven points (3G / 4A) in 18 games with the Flames this season.

Miroshnichenko was drafted 20th overall by the Capitals in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but he has yet to make his mark at the NHL Level. The 22-year-old forward played four games with the Capitals earlier this season, but has spent most of 2025-26 in the AHL, where he has 31 points (12G / 19A) in 38 games with the Hershey Bears.

Gauthier is an undrafted goalie who has seen sparse action at the AHL level, but has primarily made his presence felt in the ECHL. The 25-year-old has a 2.07 GAA and .924 SV% in 22 games (11-6-5) with the Wheeling Nailers this season.

Byfield has missed two consecutive games due to an illness, but could play on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 23-year-old Byfield has been held off the scoresheet in eight of his last 12 games. He has 33 points (13G / 20A) in 58 games this season.

Perron hasn't played since January 20th due to a sports hernia, but Red Wings' GM Steve Yzerman announced he is expected to re-debut with the team before the end of the month. The 37-year-old Perron returns to Detroit, where he spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, racking up 41 goals and 62 assists across 158 games. He was acquired in a trade on Thursday from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick.

Samanski made his NHL debut earlier this season, scoring two assists in six games with the Oilers, but has spent most of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. The undrafted 23-year-old forward has 31 points (8G / 23A) in 44 games with Bakersfield (AHL) this season.

Kadri's name had circulated in trade rumours for weeks and was finally traded in a last-minute deal before the deadline to a team he had tremendous success with, the Colorado Avalanche. Kadri scored a career-high 87 points (28G / 59A) in 71 games with the Avalanche in the 2021-22 season en route to a Stanley Cup Championship. Now in his age-35 season, Kadri has remained an effective player, scoring 41 points (12G / 29A) in 61 games with Calgary.

Olofsson was productive in brief stints with Colorado's top powerplay unit, but has primarily been a bottom-six player with the team this season. The 30-year-old Swedish forward has 25 points (11G / 14A) in 60 games. He scored a career-high 49 points (20G / 29A) in 72 games with the Buffalo Sabres in the 2021-22 season.