NHL Hockey Player News

Puljujarvi will be the odd-man out as Noel Acciari (concussion) is set to return from injury. Puljujarvi is yet to register a point in six games this season.

Daws will get an immediate shot at redemption after his shot streak came to a sudden end in Washington on Tuesday. Daws allowed six goals on just 26 shots in the 6-2 defeat, ending a run of four straight starts where the the 23-year-old netminder posted a .931 SV% or better. Daws owns a 6-7-0 record in 13 starts on the season to go along with a .903 SV% and a 3.18 GAA. He draws a difficult assignment on Thursday at home against the Rangers, though New York could be without Artemi Panarin (lower-body).

Despite struggling recently, Vasilevskiy will return to the crease for the sixth straight game on Thursday. The Vezina-winning netminder has allowed 10 goals across his last two games (0-2-0), posting a horrendous .800 SV%. That said, Vasilevskiy and the Lightning have a favourable matchup on Thursday night as they are -191 home favourites against one of the league's lowest-scoring teams, the Washington Capitals (2.48 GF / GP).

Acciari exited the Penguins' 3-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on February 6th after he suffered a concussion from a Brendan Dillon hit and has not played since. Acciari had played 11 of the past 12 games for the Penguins before his injury but failed to register a point in that time while averaging 12:58 time-on-ice.

Marino missed the Devils' previous game due to illness and will be a game-time decision on Thursday vs. New York. The 26-year-old shutdown defenseman has enjoyed yet another strong defensive season as he has four goals, 19 points, 45 SOG, 16 PIMs and a -7 plus/minus through 54 games played before his injury.

Shesterkin will look to extend New York's eight-game winning streak as he takes the crease for a third-straight start on Thursday in New Jersey. The 28-year-old all-star has surprisingly been the lesser of the Rangers' two starters this season, with his 23-12-1 record, 2.79 GAA and .904 SV%. He'll head right down the road to take on the New Jersey Devils, who have lost two of their last three games and rank 10th in the NHL in both goals per game (3.36) and shots per game (31.9).

Kochetkov will look to extend Carolina's winning streak to four as he takes the Hurricane crease over for the first time in three games on Thursday vs. Florida. The 24-year-old netminder now finds himself amongst three other capable goaltenders in Carolina and will look to continue to improve on his 14-9-3 record, 2.46 GAA and .905 SV%. He will take on one of the NHL's hottest teams in Florida on Thursday, who have won six straight and lead the NHL in shots per game (34.0).

The Kings will likely turn back to Rittich after Cam Talbot got the nod in each of the team's last two games. Rittich secured a victory his last time out, allowing four goals on 32 shots as Los Angeles held on to defeat the Bruins by a score of 5-4. Rittich owns an impressive .919 SV% and 2.25 GAA on the season to go along with his 8-2-3 record. He draws a solid matchup on Thursday, with the Kings being -160 favourites to pick up the win over the visiting Predators.

Saros will return to the Predators' crease after a rare backing up of Kevin Lankinen in Nashville's last game after he was the first goalie off the ice at an optional skate on Thursday. The 28-year-old has recently become the talk of trade speculation even though he is having one of the worst seasons of his nine-year career, with his 21-21-2 record, 3.02 GAA and .902 SV%. He will head to Los Angeles to take on the Kings on Thursday, who have won four straight and are third in the NHL in shots per game (33.5).

Eichel has been out for a week since leaving the Golden Knights' game on January 11th with a knee injury and appears to be on cue to return from surgery at the late end of his four-to-six-week prognosis. He currently has 19 goals, 25 assists, 173 SOG, 10 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus through 42 games before his injury and will be a welcomed addition to a Golden Knights team that just lost Mark Stone indefinitely to an upper-body injury.

Rielly has finished serving his five-game suspension and will return to the Maple Leafs lineup on the road in Vegas on Thursday night. Before his suspension, Rielly was having a terrific season and was amid a season-best five-game point streak with six points (0G / 6A).

Pickard has continued to be serviceable despite the Oilers' recent struggles and will likely return to the crease on Friday night. After their franchise-best 16-game winning streak ended earlier this month, the Oilers have showcased a pedestrian 4-3-1 in their last eight, allowing three or more goals in each contest. That said, Pickard is riding a six-game winning streak, allowing three or fewer goals in each while boasting a respectable .916 SV%. The Oilers enter action as -177 home favourites against the Minnesota Wild.

Adin Hill will likely tend the twine on Thursday night as he attempts to snap a season-worst three-game losing skid. Uncharacteristically, Hill has allowed three or more goals in four straight games, the first time this season, showcasing an ugly .884 SV%. The Golden Knights will face off against a Maple Leafs club that played last night, a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes, and is riding a five-game winning streak.

White was with Pittsburgh since the beginning of January but was placed on waivers by the team on Wednesday before being claimed by Montreal. White played 11 games with Pittsburgh this season and failed to register a point. He will make his debut for the Canadiens on Thursday against the team that waived him.

Lizotte has been out of the lineup since January 15th with a lower-body injury but is set to return on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. The 26-year-old Lizotte had been held without a point in 11 straight games before his injury.

Howden most recently played on a line with William Karlsson and Grigori Denisenko but will not play on Thursday due to an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old Howden has 13 points (5G / 8A) in 54 games this season and is considered day-to-day with his latest ailment.

Di Giuseppe will be the odd man out of the lineup on Thursday due to personal reasons, allowing Sam Lafferty to draw back in. Di Giuseppe had played in seven straight games for the Canucks, averaging under 10 minutes per night and registering zero points, 17 penalty minutes, two shots, and 17 hits.

Phil Di Giuseppe will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Lafferty to re-enter the lineup. Before being a healthy scratch on Tuesday, Lafferty played in four straight for the Canucks, registering zero points, a -2 plus minute, four shots, and four hits.

Demko will likely return to the crease for the second straight game as the Canucks look to snap a three-game losing skid where they have been outscored 17-10. That said, the California-born netminder played well in a 3-1 losing effort on Tuesday, saving 24 of 26 shots (.923 SV%). The Canucks are -126 road favourites in a tilt against their division rivals, the Seattle Kraken.

Barre-Boulet has been a healthy scratch most of the season for Tampa Bay but suddenly played in four of the last seven games. In his last outing, Barre-Boulet played 7:42 time-on-ice, recording one shot and three hits.