NHL Hockey Player News

Binnington appears to be the starter for the Blues on Wednesday as they visit the Colorado Avalanche. The 30-year-old netminder is hoping to get back into the win column after losing consecutive games (0-2-0) and recording a .875 SV%. Before that, Binnington was off to a torrid start with a 2-0-1 record and .959 SV% but seems to have levelled off to more familiar territory in recent games. The Blues are +194 road underdogs on Wednesday even though the Avalanche have been shut out in consecutive contests.

Reimer has been terrific in limited action this season, posting a 1.68 GAA and .939 SV% in three games (2-1-0) and will get the nod in between the pipes on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Reimer has never finished a season with a sub-2.31 GAA so this is unfamiliar territory for the veteran netminder and is likely unsustainable going forward. The Red Wings are +106 home underdogs against a Panthers team that is 4-3-1 to start the season.

Drouin has only one point (0G / 1A) while averaging 13:16 time-on-ice through eight games with the Avalanche this season. Drouin started the season playing on the top line, skating alongside his former junior hockey linemate Nathan MacKinnon but has since been shifted off the line after failing to refind their chemistry. Riley Tufte will slot into the lineup and play alongside Ryan Johansen and Valeri Nichushkin.

Devon Levi has officially returned to the Sabres' lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury but will serve as the backup, at least for his first game, to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Luukkonen didn't get his chance to be the number-one goaltender in Buffalo until Eric Comrie (lower-body) also went down with an injury but has filled in admirably after being called upon. Coming off his best performance thus far, a 23-save shutout victory over the Colorado Avalanche, Luukkonen has a 2.84 GAA and .915 SV% in three games this season (2-1-0). The Sabres are slight +101 road underdogs against a Philadelphia Flyers team that has done a decent job finding the back of the net, averaging 3.33 goals per game so far this season (4-4-1).

Forbort played a season-high 23:28 on Monday for the Bruins in their 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers but suffered an undisclosed injury at some point, making him questionable for the team's Thursday night contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Forbort's potential absence comes at a time when the Bruins are already thin on the back end, being without Charlie McAvoy (suspension) and Matt Grzelcyk (upper-body). On Wednesday, the team recalled defensemen Parker Wotherspoon, Ian Mitchell, and Mason Lohrei from the Providence Bruins of the AHL.

Oettinger will look to build on his terrific season as he will start between the pipes for the Stars on Wednesday in Calgary. In five games (4-0-1), Oettinger leads the league with a 1.74 GAA and .940 SV% among goalies that have started at least five games. Oettinger looks poised to improve those league-leading totals as he and the Stars are -132 road favourites against a Flames team that is averaging the fourth-fewest goals scored per game (2.11).

After being injured in the second game of the season and being forced to miss the subsequent seven contests, Boldy will make his much-anticipated return to the Wild lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. The Wild have struggled immensely in his absence, winning only twice (2-3-2). Boldy has two points (1G / 1A) in two games this season and will be a fixture in the top-six and top powerplay unit for the Wild going forward.

Prosvetov will make his first start as a member of the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday after making his first appearance last week, saving all five shots he faced entering the game in relief of Alexandar Georgiev. Prosvetov has 14 NHL games under his belt (4-6-1), accumulated over the last three seasons as a member of the Arizona Coyotes, averaging a 4.03 GAA and .873 SV%. The Avalanche have been outscored 8-0 in their last two games (0-2-0) but are still -229 home favourites against a St. Louis Blues team that ranks second worst in the league offensively, averaging only 1.86 goals per game.

Dube played 18:10 in the Heritage Classic on Sunday but suffered an undisclosed injury at some point that has kept him out of two consecutive practices and subsequently has been ruled out of the Flames' contest against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. In nine games this season, Dube has three points (1G / 2A) and a -10 plus/minus rating.

Zub has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury and could return to action as soon as Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. In four games this season, Zub has amassed three points (1G / 2A), eight hits, and nine blocks while averaging 17:57 time-on-ice.

Markstrom has been one of the few bright spots on a horrid start to the season for the Flames as he will suit up between the pipes for his eighth start. Despite a respectable 2.88 GAA and .901 SV% for Markstrom in seven games (1-5-1), the Flames rank fifth worst defensively, averaging 3.67 goals allowed per game. The Flames' complete inability to score (2.11 GF / GP) has culminated in a very frustrating start for a team that had high hopes of returning to the playoffs before the season started. The Flames will be welcoming a Dallas Stars team that is very stingy defensively (2.43 GA / GP) and is off to an impressive 5-1-1 start.

Dermott will return to the Coyotes lineup after missing the last two games with an illness. In six games this season, Dermott has zero points, -3 plus/minus and six shots while averaging 18:20 time-on-ice. He will likely replace Josh Brown, who suited up for him during his two-game absence.

Ingram will return to the Coyotes crease on Thursday after Karel Vejmelka served between the pipes for Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss in Anaheim. Ingram's coming off his best start of the young season, stopping 29 of the 30 shots he faced in Monday's 8-1 victory over the Blackhawks. The 26-year-old netminder owns a .914 SV% and a 2.51 GAA to go along with his 2-1-0 record across four appearances on the season. Ingram and the Coyotes are -130 favourites over the Canadiens on Thursday.

The even rotation between the pipes will continue for the Coyotes on Wednesday as Vejmelka will start for the fifth time in nine games. Despite a 2-3-0 record, Vejemelka has been terrific to start the season for the Coyotes, posting a 2.51 GAA and .926 SV% and has played a big part in the Coyotes ranking seventh defensively, allowing an average of only 2.63 goals allowed per game, a stark difference to last season's 24th-ranked 3.60. The Coyotes are -128 road favourites on Wednesday against an Anaheim Ducks team that has also shown improvements this season as they are off to a 5-4-1 start.

Spurgeon has not played yet this season due to an upper-body injury so his presence at practice was a welcome sight for a Wild team that currently ranks worst in the league defensively (4.11 GA / GP). Last season, Surgeron averaged 21:49 time-on-ice while tallying 34 points (11G / 23A) and a +32 plus/minus rating in 79 games.

Wotherspoon was recalled along with Mason Lohrei and Ian Mitchell to give the Bruins options on their blueline as they will be without Charlie McAvoy (suspension) and Matt Grzelcyk (upper body). Wotherspoon was a fourth-round pick of the New York Islanders in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and played his first 12 NHL games with the Islanders last season, recording one point (0G / 1A) four penalty minutes, and a +5 plus/minus rating.

Mitchell was recalled along with Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon to aid a Bruins' blueline that is currently without Charlie McAvoy (suspension) and Matt Grzelcyk (upper body). Mitchell was the 57th overall pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and already had a two-game stint with the Bruins earlier this season, recording one point (0G / 1A) and four penalty minutes.

Lohrei is likely to make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lohrei was one of three defensemen recalled by Boston from Providence (AHL), along with Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon, as they will be without regulars Matt Grzelcyk (upper-body) and Charlie McAvoy (suspension). Lohrei was the Bruins' 58th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has four points (0G / 4A) in seven games at the AHL level this season.

Grzelcyk suffered an upper-body injury in the first period of the Bruins' 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday and has been placed on long-term injured reserve. Grzelcyk would have been a candidate to see a bump in playing time with Charlie McAvoy (suspension) out of the lineup for the next four games but instead, those duties will likely fall to Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Bruins have also recalled defensemen Mason Lohrei, Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon.

Backstrom has announced he will "step away from the game" indefinitely as he takes time to focus on his health. In 2022, Backstrom had hip resurfacing surgery that forced him to miss the majority of the 2022-23 season. The 35-year-old Sweedish center iceman has played 1105 career games, all with the Washington Capitals, registering 1033 points (271G / 762A), but has only scored 22 points (7G / 15A) in 47 games since his surgery, a 0.47 point-per-game pace, down significantly from the 0.96 pace he had prior.