NHL Hockey Player News

Vejmelka entered the crease in relief of Connor Ingram on Tuesday and saved all 16 shots he faced en route to an eventual 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Vejmelka has saved 44 consecutive shots across his last two appearances (2-0-0) and will return to the crease for the Coyotes on Thursday in San Jose. The Coyotes have won three straight, outscoring their opposition 7-3 and are -146 home favourites against the Sharks, who have only scored three goals over their last three games (0-3-0), including being shut out 1-0 by the Coyotes less than a week ago.

Hofer will start for the first time since December 8th, a five-game stretch, on Thursday after Jordan Binnington allowed five goals in an eventual 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Blue's last game. Hofer saved nine of 10 shots (.900 SV%) entering the game in relief on Thursday and has failed to record a save percentage above .900 in each of his last four outings (0-3-0). The Blues are +187 road underdogs against the Florida Panthers, who have been held to one or fewer goals in three of their last four outings (1-3-0).

Gibson was away from the team on Monday to attend the birth of his child but has returned to the Ducks and will serve as the backup to Lukas Dostal against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. In his last outing, Gibson allowed one goal on 19 shots before leaving due to dehydration on Sunday against the New Jersey Devils.

Drysdale has not played since October 15th due to a lower-body injury but could return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Drysdale has struggled to stay healthy during his young NHL career, but the 21-year-old has 42 points (7G / 35A) in 115 career games and has the offensive pedigree that could make him a staple on the powerplay for the Ducks.

McTavish has missed the last seven games for the Ducks but appears likely to return to action on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Before his injury, McTavish was held without a point in four straight games, recording a -7 plus/minus and six shots on goal.

Dostal will start for the third time in the last four games for the Ducks and look for his second consecutive victory. After a midseason stretch with limited action, posting a .787 SV% in three games (0-3-0), Dostal has played significantly better lately, posting a .915 SV% across his last four appearances (1-2-0). The Ducks are sizeable +176 home underdogs on Thursday against the Calgary Flames, who have collected at least a point in four straight games (2-0-2).

Rutta did not play on Tuesday due to an illness and will be a game-time decision on Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes. He has five points (0G / 5A) in 26 games while averaging 18:56 time-on-ice.

Addison did not play on Tuesday, missing his first game since joining the Sharks earlier this year due to a lower-body injury, and will be a game-time decision on Thursday. In 19 games with the Sharks, Addison has six points (1G / 5A), averaging 18:03 time-on-ice, including significant powerplay deployment.

Sgarbossa has been in the Capitals system since the 2018-19 season but has only played 17 games with the club in that span, scoring six points (2G / 4A). He has spent most of his time with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, where he has been stellar this season, scoring 28 points (5G / 23A) in 28 games.

Greenway has only played two of the last 14 games for the Sabres due to an upper-body injury dating back to November 24th. The 6'6 power forward was a full participant at practice on Wednesday and is expected to return to the lineup imminently. He has seven points (2G / 5A), averaging 16:24 time-on-ice while playing predominantly with Casey Mittelstadt and Zach Benson this season.

Skinner has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury but was a full participant at practice on Wednesday, and will be a game-time decision on Thursday. Skinner has 22 points (12G / 10A) in 30 games this season and is averaging 17:46 time-on-ice, the most since his inaugural season with the Sabres in 2018-19. The Sabres are 1-2-0 in his absence, including a 9-4 blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Blackwood was the undisputed starter for the Sharks earlier this season but as the quality of his play has tapered off, he has found himself in an equal timeshare with Kaapo Kahkonen. Blackwood has allowed four or more goals in three of his last four games (1-2-0), posting an uncharacteristically low .868 SV%, considering he was sporting a .903 SV% in the 17 games leading up to that. The Sharks are +135 home underdogs on Thursday against an Arizona Coyotes team riding a three-game winning streak, outscoring their opposition 7-3.

Demko will return to the crease after serving as the backup on Tuesday as the Canucks will search for their seventh win in their last eight games. Demko is riding a personal four-game winning streak, allowing only five total goals while posting a stellar .940 SV%. In his last matchup against the Dallas Stars, Demko saved all 27 shots he faced for a 2-0 shutout victory. Even so, the Canucks are listed as +134 against a Stars team that has scored three or more goals in four straight games (3-0-1).

Makar has struggled to stay in the lineup lately, playing only four of the last nine games for Colorado, but will be a game-time decision after being a full participant at practice on Thursday. Makar is among the league leaders for defensemen, scoring 37 points (8G / 29A) in 27 games this season.

Day has been recalled and reassigned several times in the last month but has not cracked the Lightning lineup during his stints at the NHL level. The 25-year-old Day was the third-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has eight points (0G / 8A) in 16 games this season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.

Georgiev allowed three goals on 22 shots (.864 SV%) in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday but will likely return to the crease for his third straight start on Thursday. Georgiev has a below-.500 rating over his last seven outings (2-3-1), posting an unimpressive .889 SV%. The 27-year-old netminder's quality of play has significantly worsened from his stellar 2022-23 campaign when he finished the season with a 2.53 GAA and .918 SV% in 62 games (40-16-6). That said, the Avalanche are sizeable -160 home favourites against the Ottawa Senators, who are losers of five straight.

Emil Heineman will make his NHL debut on Thursday as Pezzetta will watch from the press box as a healthy scratch. Pezzetta had played four straight games for the Canadiens, recording one point (0G / 1A), three shots, and 15 hits.

Michael Pezzetta will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Heineman to make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Heineman was the 43rd overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL Draft and has four points (1G / 3A) in seven games with the Laval Rocket this season.

Blais has only played one of the last six games for the Blues but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Blais' ice time has decreased by more than a minute this season but he is still committed to his hard-nosed style of play, averaging 3.08 hits per game.