NHL Hockey Player News

Vesey will make his Avalanche debut vs. San Jose on Thursday.

Colorado acquired Vesey in a trade from the New York Rangers last week and he will suit up for his team debut on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. The 31-year-old Vesey averaged 10:40 time-on-ice and scored six points (4G / 2A) in 33 games with the Rangers this season.

Jimmy Vesey
Stecher will draw back into Edmonton's lineup on Thursday vs. Montreal.

With John Klingberg (undisclosed) and Mattias Ekholm (illness) out of the lineup on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, Troy Stecher will re-enter the lineup. The 30-year-old Stecher is averaging 13:48 time-on-ice and has six points (3G / 3A) in 47 games this season.

Troy Stecher
Skinner will be a healthy scratch vs. Montreal on Thursday.

Skinner has regularly been in and out of the Oilers' lineup lately, and will return to the sidelines as a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 32-year-old Skinner is averaging 12:28 time-on-ice and has 21 points (11G / 10A) in 53 games this season.

Jeff Skinner
Dineen will make his season debut on Thursday vs. Montreal.

With John Klingberg (undisclosed) and Mattias Ekholm (illness) out of the lineup on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, Dineen will enter the lineup for his season debut. The 26-year-old defenseman has played 34 career NHL games, all in the 2021-22 season with the Arizona Coyotes. He has 29 points (5G / 24A) in 45 games with the Bakersfield Condors this season.

Cam Dineen
Ekholm (illness) is out on Thursday vs. Montreal.

Ekholm played only 17:59 time-on-ice in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, a significant decrease from the 22:36 he is averaging this season, and will miss Thursday's game against the Montreal Canadiens due to an illness. The 34-year-old Ekholm has 27 points (8G / 19A) in 60 games this season.

Mattias Ekholm
Daccord is the first goalie off the ice at Seattle's morning skate.

Daccord has allowed 12 goals in his last three games (1-2-0), posting an ugly .833 SV%, but he will likely return to the crease on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. The 28-year-old Daccord has a 2.60 GAA and .911 SV% in 42 games this season (21-16-3). Seattle enters the action on Thursday as +113 road underdogs against a Nashville team that has scored two or fewer goals in five of their last seven games (3-4-0).

Joey Daccord
Jones will make his Oilers' debut vs. Montreal on Thursday

The Oilers acquired Trent Frederic and Max Jones in a three-way trade with the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Jones has spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL but is no stranger to the NHL. The 27-year-old forward has 62 points (31G / 31A) in 265 career games.

Max Jones
Bunting (appendix) is considered day-to-day.

Bunting was acquired by the Predators in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday but will have to wait a little longer before making his debut with the team as he continues recovering from an appendectomy. The 29-year-old Bunting had 29 points (14G / 15A) and a -18 plus/minus rating in 58 games with Pittsburgh this season.

Michael Bunting
Vladar is in the starter's crease at Calgary's morning skate.

The Flames snapped a three-game losing skid in their previous outing, a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers with Dustin Wolf between the pipes, but they will turn to Vladar on Thursday against the Dallas Stars. The 27-year-old Vladar was solid in his previous outing, saving 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in a 3-0 loss to the Florida Panthers. The Czech netminder has a 2.98 GAA and.894 SV% in 24 appearances this season (8-11-5). The Flames enter Thursday's contest as +205 road underdogs against a Stars club on a three-game winning streak.

Dan Vladar
Blackwood will start vs. San Jose on Thursday.

Colorado has outscored their opposition 14-4 during a three-game winning streak and will turn to Blackwood between the pipes in a meeting against his former club, the San Jose Sharks. The 28-year-old Blackwood has been excellent since joining Colorado, posting a 2.12 GAA, .921 SV%, and two shutouts in 25 games (16-7-2). Colorado enters the action on Thursday as enormous -396 home favorites against a Sharks team on a rare two-game winning streak.

Mackenzie Blackwood
Oettinger will start vs. Calgary on Thursday.

The red-hot Stars have won three straight and 11 of their last 14 (11-2-1) and will roll with Oettinger between the pipes on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Oettinger was solid in his most recent outing, saving 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. That said, Oettinger has not impressed lately, posting a pedestrian 3.01 GAA and .900 SV% in his last 10 contests (6-3-1). The Stars enter Thursday's contest as sizeable -223 home favorites against a Flames squad coming off a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Jake Oettinger
Luukkonen is expected to start in Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The Sabres have lost four straight and will hope for a better result on Thursday, likely turning to Luukkonen between the pipes against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Luukkonen had a forgetful performance in his most recent outing, allowing five goals on 27 shots (.815 SV%) in a 6-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. The 25-year-old Finnish goalie has a 3.06 GAA and .892 SV% in 44 games this season (20-18-2). The Sabres enter Thursday's contest as significant +203 road underdogs against a Lightning squad coming off a dominant 6-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Comrie will start in Philadelphia on Thursday.

After an impressive 11-game winning streak, the Jets have lost three straight and will turn to Comrie between the pipes on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Comrie was solid in his most recent outing despite being on the wrong end of a 2-1 score against the Nashville Predators, saving 29 of 31 shots (.935 SV%). The 29-year-old Comrie has a 2.56 GAA and .912 SV% in 15 games this season (6-8-1). The Jets enter Thursday's contest as -142 road favorites against a Flyers squad that defeated them 2-1 less than a week ago.

Eric Comrie
Saros will start vs. Seattle on Thursday.

The Predators are coming off a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins, where Saros saved 18 of 21 shots (.857 SV%), and will roll with him between the pipes on Thursday against the Seattle Kraken. The 29-year-old Saros is amid the worst season of his career, posting a 2.96 GAA and .897 SV% in 46 games (14-25-6). The Predators enter the action on Thursday as -124 home favorites against a Kraken team that traded away two key offensive players, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde, to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

Juuse Saros
Oettinger was the first goalie off the ice at Dallas' morning skate.

The red-hot Stars have won three straight and 11 of their last 14 (11-2-1) and will likely roll with Oettinger between the pipes on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Oettinger was solid in his most recent outing, saving 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. That said, Oettinger has not impressed lately, posting a pedestrian 3.01 GAA and .900 SV% in his last 10 contests (6-3-1). The Stars enter Thursday's contest as sizeable -223 home favorites against a Flames squad coming off a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Jake Oettinger
Korpisalo is in the starter's crease at Boston's morning skate.

The Bruins' only win in their last eight games came with Korpisalo between the pipes, and they will turn to him again on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Korpisalo was solid in his most recent outing, saving 31 of 33 shots (.939 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 30-year-old Korpisalo has a 2.81 GAA and .895 SV% in 20 appearances this season (10-6-2). The Bruins enter the action on Thursday as sizeable +268 road underdogs against a Hurricanes squad that has only scored five goals in their previous three games (2-1-0).

Joonas Korpisalo
Samberg (personal) is expected to return to Winnipeg's lineup on Thursday vs. Philadelphia.

Samberg did not play the previous game for the Jets due to personal reasons, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 26-year-old Samberg is averaging 21:14 time-on-ice and has 13 points (4G / 9A) in 40 games this season.

Dylan Samberg

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.

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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.

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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.

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