NHL Hockey Player News

Beecher will slide back into his usual spot on the fourth line as Jakub Lauko is the odd-man out on Thursday. Beecher has four goals and two assists in 34 games this season.

Olofsson is expected to skate alongside Peyton Krebs and Zemgus Girgensons on the Sabres' fourth line. He has four goals and eight assists in 30 games this season.

Provorov was a game-time decision due to an illness on Thursday. Provorov is pacing for the best offensive season of his career, scoring 21 points (2G / 19A) through 39 games.

Chinakhov was a game-time decision on Thursday due to an illness. Chinakhov has 17 points (10G / 7A) in 27 games this season, playing predominantly alongside Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko.

Swayman will tend the twine for the Bruins on Thursday as they search for their fifth straight victory. Over his last two games (2-0-0), Swayman has saved 52 of 56 shots faced (.929 SV%). The Bruins have outscored their opposition 18-7 over their last four games (4-0-0) and are -142 home favourites against a Pittsburgh Penguins club that is coming off a 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals but has won three of their last four games (3-1-0).

Deslauriers was a healthy scratch for the Flyers' previous contest but will draw back into the lineup Thursday on the fourth line. The 32-year-old grinding left-winger has yet to score in 2023-24, but has three assists, 34 SOG, 39 PIMs and a -6 plus/minus in 36 games played.

Not much changes about Terry's return status but he was placed on the Injured Reserve Thursday with an upper-body injury retroactive to December 30th. The 26-year-old right winger had been enjoying a so-so beginning to his 2023-24 campaign, with nine goals, 22 points, 83 SOG, 14 PIMs and his -7 plus/minus through 35 games.

Gardner last appeared in the NHL in 2021-22 with the Dallas Stars and has two points (1G/1A) in 40 career NHL games but will make his Flyers' debut Thursday vs. Columbus. The 27-year-old draws into the lineup as Morgan Frost and Cam Atkinson are surprisingly scratched Thursday.

Frost has only one assist in his last four games and finds himself the odd man out of the Flyers' lineup Thursday as Rhett Gardner makes his Philadelphia debut. The 24-year-old Frost is no stranger to being healthy scratched this season, as he has not dressed for 10 games so far already this season but still has five goals and 11 points in the 27 games he has played.

It has been 22 games since Atkinson found the back of the net and he will take a breather Thursday as a healthy scratch vs. Columbus. The 34-year-old right-winger will be replaced by Rhett Gardner, who is making his Flyers debut. When Atkinson does return he will look to build off the eight goals, 10 assists, 113 SOG, 14 PIMs and a -9 plus/minus he has amassed across 37 games prior to the scratch.

The Flyers' goaltending carousel continues Thursday as Samuel Ersson will take the crease for the second time in three games after backing up Carter Hart in a Flyers loss last game. The 24-year-old Swedish netminder has performed well in his second career season, with his 9-5-2 record, 2.54 GAA, .902 SV% and two shutouts so far in 2023-24. He hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday, who have lost five of their last six games and are 16th in the NHL in goals per game (3.08).

Walker earned his call up from Springfield after producing 29 points (13G/16A) in 30 games played and is expected to make his season debut Thursday vs. Vancouver. The 29-year-old left-winger appeared in 58 games for the Blues in 2022-23, where he had two goals, eight assists, 43 SOG, 25 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus.

Gadjovich has found himself the odd man out of the Panthers' lineup for 11 straight games due to illness and lack of roster room but will draw back in Thursday as he replaced Nick Cousins (concussion). The 25-year-old bruising left-winger has failed to pick up a goal in nine games this season, but has an assist, 43 PIMs, 10 SOG and a -2 plus/minus.

Bobrovsky will search for his fifth straight win when he returns to the crease on Thursday evening. The 35-year-old Bobrovsky is playing his best hockey of the season, posting a .930 SV% over his last six games (5-1-0). The Panthers, winners of five straight, are slight -115 road favourites over a Vegas Golden Knights team they defeated 4-2 less than two weeks ago.

Alexandrov has been reassigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, allowing the Blues to recall Jakub Vrana. Alexandrov was held without a point in 10 games with the Blues this season and will likely make his 2023-24 Thunderbirds debut after scoring 38 points (19G / 19A) in 41 games with the AHL club last season.

Vrana has spent most of the last month with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, scoring eight points (4G / 4A) in seven games. He has been recalled in correspondence to the Blues reassigning Nikita Alexandrov to the AHL.

Faulk did not play the last game for the Blues due to a lower-body injury and has been placed retroactively on IR. Before his injury, Faulk had five points (2G / 3A) in his last seven games, averaging over 22 minutes on ice.

Demko will start his second straight game and look for his third consecutive victory for the Canucks on Thursday. The 28-year-old Demko has helped his team collect a point in his last seven games (6-0-1), allowing three or fewer goals five times and posting a serviceable .917 SV%. The Canucks are -147 road favourites against a St. Louis Blues team that has lost two straight, being outscored 6-3.

Meyers has appeared in eight games for the Avalanche this season and has a goal, six SOG, and a -1 plus/minus while averaging 9:41 TOI/GP but has been reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL) Thursday. The 25-year-old miraculously does not have an assist in 52 career NHL games played dispite having six goals. He returns to the Eagles, where he had 13 points (6G/7A) in 19 games prior to his previous call up.

John Beecher will draw back into the lineup for the Bruins on Thursday, prompting the team to have Lauko serve as a health scratch. The 23-year-old Lauko has been held without a point in 14 straight games.