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NHL Hockey Player News

Vanecek was the first goalie off the ice at Utah's morning skate.

Vanecek has only played once in the last two weeks, but will likely return to the crease on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. The 29-year-old Vanecek has been inconsistent early in his Utah tenure, but is coming off a solid 21-save performance (.955 SV%) in a 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames. He has a 2.87 GAA and .878 SV% in nine games this season (2-6-1). The Mammoth enter Tuesday's contest as -113 road favorites against a Bruins team coming off a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, snapping a four-game winning streak.

Vitek Vanecek
Vladar is expected to start in Montreal on Tuesday.

Vladar has been a leading force behind the Flyers' solid 16-9-6 record this season, posting a solid 2.48 GAA and .908 SV% through 19 games this season (11-5-3). He was excellent in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Philadelphia's most recent outing, saving 30 of 32 shots (.938 SV%). The Flyers enter Tuesday's contest as +111 road underdogs against a Montreal Canadiens team coming off an impressive 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Dan Vladar
Pesce (upper-body) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice and is expected to return on New Jersey's road trip.

Pesce has not played since suffering an upper-body injury on October 26th, but appears to nearing a return to the lineup. The 30-year-old defenseman has been a stabilizing force on New Jersey's blueline when healthy, averaging 19:39 time-on-ice and scoring three points (0G / 3A) in nine games.

Brett Pesce
Gustavsson will start vs. Washington on Tuesday.

Minnesota has been one of the top teams in the NHL over the past month, is riding a four-game winning streak, and has kept its goalies fresh by alternating starts regularly. Gustavsson will tend the twine on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals, looking to build on a 2.61 GAA and .908 SV% through 21 games this season (10-8-3). He is coming off a 29-save performance (.935 SV%) in a 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Minnesota enters Tuesday's contest as -111 home favorites against a Capitals team that is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games.

Filip Gustavsson
Brodin (lower-body) will remain out vs. Washington on Tuesday and is considered day-to-day.

Brodin exited Thursday's game against the Dallas Stars late in the third period and has not played since. He will remain out of the lineup on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. The 32-year-old defenseman is averaging 22:05 time-on-ice and has nine points (3G / 6A) in 30 games this season.

Jonas Brodin
Johansson (lower-body) will be out vs. Washington and is considered day-to-day.

Johansson exited Sunday's 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins after only 7:57 time-on-ice due to a lower-body injury. The 35-year-old Johansson is pacing for a career yet with the Wild, scoring 26 points (11G / 15A) through 33 games. He will not play on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals.

Marcus Johansson
Levshunov is expected to be a healthy scratch in Toronto on Tuesday after being late to the rink on Monday.

Strong play from Levshunov rewarded him with overtaking a role on Chicago's top powerplay unit, but he has cooled down lately and will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday. He has 14 points (1G / 13A) in 31 games this season, but has only one assist in his last seven games. Ethan Del Mastro will draw into the lineup as Levshunov's replacement.

Artyom Levshunov
Foligno (lower-body) is expected to return vs. Washington on Tuesday.

Foligno has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on November 26th, but he should return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. The 34-year-old Foligno has a -10 plus/minus and is off to the worst offensive start to his career, with only two points (0G / 2A) in 23 games.

Marcus Foligno
Sorokin will start in Detroit on Tuesday.

The Islanders have won six of their last seven (6-1-0) and can largely credit their success to strong play from Sorokin between the pipes. The 30-year-old Sorokin has an outstanding 2.00 GAA and .942 SV% in his last five games (5-0-0). He boasts a 2.50 GAA and .912 SV% in 22 games this season (12-8-2). The Islanders enter Tuesday's contest as +116 road underdogs against a Detroit Red Wings team that is 5-1-2 in their last eight games.

Ilya Sorokin
Barzal (maintenance) missed morning skate on Tuesday and will be a game-time decision vs. Detroit.

Barzal did not participate at the Islanders' morning skate on Tuesday, but could be an option in the evening against the Detroit Red Wings. The Islanders, already without Bo Horvat (lower body), can ill-afford to also be without Barzal. The 28-year-old Barzal has 25 points (9G / 16A) in 32 games this season.

Mathew Barzal
Lindgren will start in Minnesota on Tuesday.

Lindgren returns to the Capitals' crease for only the second time in three weeks despite a solid performance in his previous outing, saving 23 of 24 shots (.958 SV%) in a 7-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. The 31-year-old Lindgren has been serviceable in a supporting role this season, but has been a distant second to starting netminder Logan Thompson, posting a 2.90 GAA and .893 SV% in 10 games (5-3-1). The Capitals enter Tuesday's contest as +100 road underdogs against a Minnesota team that has outscored its opposition 18-7 during a four-game winning streak.

Charlie Lindgren
Halverson has been reassigned to Syracuse (AHL).

Halverson has been with the Tampa Bay the past two weeks, but his reassignment to Syracuse (AHL) is an indication that Andrei Vasilevskiy could be nearing a return from injury. The 29-year-old Halverson has only played two NHL games in his career. He has a 2.58 GAA and .901 SV% in 13 games (9-4-0) with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) this season.

Brandon Halverson
Swayman will start vs. Utah on Tuesday.

Swayman has largely rebounded after a forgettable 2024-25 season, but has battled some adversity lately, allowing five or more goals in two of his last four games (2-2-0). The 27-year-old American goalie has a 2.83 GAA and .908 SV% in 21 games this season (13-8-0). The Bruins enter Tuesday's action as slight +103 home underdogs against a Utah Mammoth team that has scored five goals in each of its last two games (2-0-0).

Jeremy Swayman
Knight is in the starter's crease at Chicago's morning skate.

The Blackhawks have lost four of seven in December (2-4-1), and few players have stood out, but Knight has remained serviceable between the pipes despite poor team efforts, posting a 2.60 GAA and .903 SV% in five outings (2-2-1). The 24-year-old goalie has a 2.52 GAA and .915 SV% in 22 games this season (10-7-5). The Blackhawks enter Tuesday's contest as +174 road underdogs against a Toronto Maple Leafs team that has earned points in six of its last seven games (4-1-2).

Spencer Knight
Jones is expected to be a healthy scratch in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

With Quinn Hutson making his season debut on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jones will exit the lineup as a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old Jones made his season debut in Edmonton's previous game, recording four hits in 5:39 time-on-ice.

Max Jones
Hutson is expected to make his season debut vs. Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Hutson made his NHL debut with the Oilers last season and was held off the scoresheet in two games. The 23-year-old product of Boston University has excelled in his first full professional season with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL), scoring 28 points (16G / 12A) in 24 games.

Quinn Hutson
Sorokin is in the starter's crease at New York's morning skate on Tuesday.

The Islanders have won six of their last seven (6-1-0) and can largely credit their success to strong play from Sorokin between the pipes. The 30-year-old Sorokin has an outstanding 2.00 GAA and .942 SV% in his last five games (5-0-0). He boasts a 2.50 GAA and .912 SV% in 22 games this season (12-8-2). The Islanders enter Tuesday's contest as +116 road underdogs against a Detroit Red Wings team that is 5-1-2 in their last eight games.

Ilya Sorokin
Jarry will start in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Jarry didn't have to be sensational in his Oilers' debut on Saturday, but still recorded a victory, saving 25 of 28 shots (.893 SV%) in a 6-3 defeat of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before joining the Oilers, the 30-year-old Jarry had a 2.66 GAA and .909 SV% in 14 appearances with the Pittsburgh Penguins, totals that would be happily welcomed by an Oilers team that has become accustomed to sub-.900 SV% goaltending. Jarry will be between the pipes on Tuesday for the first time against his former team.

Tristan Jarry

NHL Player News: Your Ultimate Source for Hockey Player News

At Daily Faceoff you can stay in the know regarding all 32 teams and their top players this season. From trades, to injuries, and everything in between, you can find all the latest NHL player news today here. Staying up to date with player news NHL can also give you a competitive edge in your fantasy hockey leagues, as well as your NHL bets.

Check out all the latest NHL updates below and learn more about the hottest updates in the hockey world today.

Who are the top NHL players to watch this season?

There’s never been more talent scattered across the NHL than there is this season. With living legends like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin still setting records left-and-right, alongside today’s current superstars such as Connor McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon, the level of talent in the NHL is at an all-time high. Along with these established stars, there’s plenty of budding stars emerging every season such as Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matvei Michkov.

What are the latest updates on NHL player suspensions or disciplinary actions?

Already this season we’ve seen the hammer brought down by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Notable suspensions and fines include Ryan Reaves of the Toronto Maple Leafs who was given a five-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against the Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot who was dealt a three-game suspension, also for an illegal hit to the head.

In the 2023-24 season, there were a total of 14 suspensions and 17 fines issued throughout the NHL. The longest suspension served was dealt to former-Detroit Red Wing David Perron at six-games after a cross-checking penalty dealt ironically against his current team in the 2024-25 season, the Ottawa Senators. Additionally, Perron was fined $148,437.48 for his actions.

How are NHL player performances impacting fantasy hockey?

NHL player performances make a direct impact on the outcome of any fantasy hockey matchup. Staying up to date with the latest news and performances of your team’s players can be the difference between winning and losing.

Some notable fantasy hockey performers that flew under the radar in most drafts this year include Martin Necas (123 ADP) of the Carolina Hurricanes and Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks. While sleeper picks are always a great get, nothing is worse than a bust taken early on. Some of the most disappointing players of the fantasy hockey season includes Zach Hyman (28 ADP) of the Edmonton Oilers and Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars (33 ADP).

Whether you’re checking out how your current rostered players are performing or scouting for hidden gems on the waiver wire, the latest player news can help you make your next winning move this season.

Which NHL players are having breakout or comeback seasons?

Every season there are several players who have breakout years, establishing themselves as some of the best up-and-coming stars in the league. In the 2024-25 season early breakout candidates have emerged such as Dylan Strome of the Washington Capitals (on-pace for his first 100-point season) and Ivan Barbashev of the Vegas Golden Knights (on-pace for career-high in points).

Additionally, nothing beats a comeback story, and that can be said about surging veterans such as Anze Koipitar of the Los Angeles Kings, and Matt Duchene of the Dallas Stars.

How often is NHL player news updated?

Our player news is updated regularly throughout the season, bringing you fresh player updates every day throughout the calendar year. Providing our users with a one-stop destination for everything you need to know from across the NHL, our player news is the go-to spot for all the biggest stories in the hockey universe.

What types of information does NHL player news cover?

Our NHL news covers every aspect of the hockey season. From injuries to trades to rumours and even suspensions, we’ve got you covered through it all with credible and fast-updates all-season long.

Are there specific sources for reliable NHL player updates?

All of our sources come from credible and reputable areas. When you’re at Daily Faceoff, you can trust that we are never going to spoon-feed you fake news. You can trust you’re only reading legitimate news that matters.

How does NHL player news impact betting lines?

Player news has a massive impact on the latest hockey betting lines. From daily game lines and prop bets, to Stanley Cup futures bets, every trade, roster change, and injury can shake up the odds set by oddsmakers.

By staying informed on the latest NHL updates, you can become a better NHL bettor as you’ll have a winning edge thanks to our in-depth news coverage.

DFO’s Specialized News Categories

Get the most out of your hockey news with our in-depth coverage of the NHL with our comprehensive player news updates. Below we’ve compiled go-to destinations for player injuries, trades, signings, line combinations, and more!