NHL Hockey Player News

Vejmelka will continue the goalie rotation for the Coyotes on Thursday as he will start for the sixth time in the last 12 games. After seemingly refining his game in December, posting a stellar .939 SV% in three straight wins, Vejmelka has struggled against two tough opponents in his last two games (0-2-0), allowing eight goals on 72 combined shots (.889 SV%). Vejmelka and the Coyotes are slight +111 home underdogs against a more evenly matched opponent on Thursday, the Calgary Flames, who have lost two of their last three games (1-2-0).

Since Lyon returned shortly after the Christmas break, the Red Wings have bounced back from a 1-5-0 skid in his absence with a 4-1-0 record in their last five, all games that Lyon has started. Lyon has undoubtedly been the most reliable netminder for the Red Wings this season, as is evident from his .921 SV% over his last three games (3-0-0). That said, the Red Wings are +144 home underdogs against a tough opponent in the Edmonton Oilers, among the league's hottest teams and are riding an eight-game winning streak.

Forsberg will return to the crease for the Senators on Thursday as they attempt to snap their four-game losing skid. Forsberg has been wildly inconsistent this season but has salvaged a .914 SV% in his last four games (2-2-0) despite allowing three or more goals in three of them. The Senators are +116 road underdogs against a Buffalo Sabres team defeated 5-2 by the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

Shesterkin has followed up three of his last four quality starts by allowing three or more goals, including allowing five on 25 shots (.800 SV%) in a 6-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The 2023-24 campaign has been inconsistent for the 2021-22 Vezina winner, as his .904 SV% and 2.85 GAA are well below his career-averaged .921 SV% and 2.44 GAA. Despite his unspectacular play, Shesterkin has managed a respectable 16-9-0 record for a Rangers club that sits first in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers have lost two straight but are sizeable -161 road favourites against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

Zibanejad did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness but will play on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. Zibenejad has only two points (0G / 2A) in his last four games but has been consistent all season, scoring 39 points (14G / 25A) in 39 games.

Trouba did not participate in practice on Tuesday or Wednesday as he was expecting the birth of his child but will play on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The 29-year-old Trouba has been an effective producer for the Rangers lately, scoring three points (1G / 2A), registering 19 hits, and 18 shots in his last five games.

Demko did not play on Tuesday, the back end of a back-to-back, a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders, but will return to the crease on Thursday in search of his third straight win. Demko has been unspectacular lately, allowing three or more goals in six of his last seven games, but his .898 SV% in that stretch has been enough to salvage a 5-1-1 record. The Canucks are +113 road underdogs against a Pittsburgh Penguins club that handily defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 in their last game.

Murray returned to backing up Scott Wedgewood on Wednesday after recording a shutout on Monday in his season debut against the Minnesota Wild. Murray has been involved in paper transactions daily since being recalled from the Texas Stars (AHL) after Jake Oettinger was injured as part of salary cap gymnastics. It is unclear if Murray's most recent demotion is permanent or if he will be recalled again ahead of their next contest as Oettinger nears his return.

Robertson scored a goal while playing 14:54 time-on-ice in his return to action from a two-game absence on Tuesday but will be a healthy scratch for the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Robertson has three goals in his last four games while averaging less than 12 minutes per night.

Jonsson-Fjallby has played 13 straight games for the Jets but could be at risk of that streak coming to an end as he is battling an illness. The 25-year-old has zero points in his last five games while averaging less than 10 minutes per night on a line with Dominic Toninato and Morgan Barron.

Norris finished Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Calgary Flames but will be unavailable for Thursday's tilt against the Buffalo Sabres as he is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old Norris is amid a seven-game pointless skid but was having a decent season before then with 20 points (8G / 12A) in his first 26 games.

The red-hot Kraken will turn to Daccord for the fifth straight game as they look to extend a season-best seven-game winning streak. Daccord has been sensational since taking the reigns between the pipes due to a Philipp Grubauer injury, helping his team record at least a point in his last 10 games (8-0-2) while posting an other-worldly .957 SV%. More impressively, during that stretch, Daccord has limited his opposition to two or fewer goals in nine of 10 games. With that in mind, the Kraken are -122 road favourites against a Washington Capitals club that has lost six of their last eight games (2-4-2).

McGinn has been held without a point in 13 straight games and will return to the lineup on Thursday after being a healthy scratch for the Ducks in their previous contest. The 2023-24 campaign has been disappointing for the 29-year-old McGinn, who is pacing for the worst offensively output of his nine-year career with only two points (1G / 1A) in 19 games.

After playing two straight games, Groulx was a healthy scratch in the last two for the Ducks but will re-enter the lineup on Thursday. The 23-year-old has one point (0G / 1A) while averaging 12:44 time-on-ice through 22 games this season.

Johnston has played 29 games for the Ducks this season, scoring two points (0G / 2A) while averaging only 7:28 time-on-ice. The Ducks are expected to welcome Brock McGinn and Bo Groulx back into the lineup on Thursday as Johnston will be a healthy scratch.

Okposo has not played since New Year's Eve, missing three straight games, but has practiced the last few days and will return to the lineup on Thursday. The 35-year-old Okposo has 14 points (8G / 6A) in 38 games this season, averaging 13:59 time-on-ice while playing most recently on a line with Zemgus Girgensons and Peyton Krebs.

Talbot will likely start for the third straight game as the Kings attempt to snap a season-worst six-game losing streak (0-4-2). After posting an otherworldly .931 SV% in his first 18 games (12-4-2), Talbot has fallen off in a big way, with a more pedestrian .903 SV% in his last nine outings (2-5-2). The Kings will be hard-pressed to snap their losing skid on Thursday as they are +121 road underdogs against one of the league's hottest teams, the Florida Panthers, who will be searching for their eighth-straight victory.

The 28-year-old Hagg has spent the entirety of this season with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, scoring four points (1G / 3A) in 22 games. He will make his season debut with the Ducks on Thursday skating on the third defensive pair with Ilya Lyubushkin.