NHL Hockey Player News

Holtby will start Friday in Pittsburgh.

Holtby gave up three goals on 30 shots in the Capitals win over the Flyers on Wednesday. Holtby has won his last two starts while stopping 59 of the 64 shots (.922 SV%) he has faced. The 28-year-old netminder has gone 1-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .938 SV% in his first two starts against the Penguins this season.

Braden Holtby
The Hurricanes will not hold a morning skate on the tail-end of a back-to-back so their starting goalie won't be revealed until warmups.

Head coach Bill Peters would not disclose his starting goalie this morning so we will have to wait until warmups at 6:30 pm ET to figure out if they will go back to Cam Ward or roll with Scott Darling. Darling was on the ice with a handful of players this morning, which suggests it will be Ward, who stopped all 27 shots that he faced in a 2-0 shutout win over Montreal last night.

Cam Ward
Rowney (upper-body) will be a game-time decision on Friday.

Rowney has been out since January 2nd but could be back in tonight vs. the Capitals. Rowney has been an effective piece in the Penguins bottom-6 but doesn’t have any fantasy relevance having picked up just four points (2G / 2A) in 27 games this season.

Carter Rowney
Niederreiter (lower-body) will return to the Wild lineup on Friday.

Niederreiter has missed the last eight games but will draw back in tonight vs.the Golden Knights. Injuries have limited Niederreiter to just 31 of a possible 50 games this season, but he has played well when healthy, scoring at a 34-goal, 16-assist (50 points) per 82-game pace. Niederreiter will start on the second line with Eric Staal and Tyler Ennis.

Nino Niederreiter
Jones will start Friday in Columbus.

Jones allowed one goal on 44 shots in the Sharks’ shootout loss to the Red Wings on Wednesday. Jones was excellent in Detroit but got beat up on pretty back in the shootout to give him three straight losses. Tonight he makes his third start in four nights and will be facing a Blue Jackets team that has lost four of six.

Martin Jones
Jones is in the starter's crease at the Sharks morning skate.

Jones allowed one goal on 44 shots in the Sharks’ shootout loss to the Red Wings on Wednesday. Jones was excellent in Detroit but got beat up on pretty back in the shootout to give him three straight losses. Tonight he makes his third start in four nights and will be facing a Blue Jackets team that has lost four of six.

Martin Jones
Dubnyk will start Friday vs. the Golden Knights.

Dubnyk allowed two goals on 30 shots in Minnesota’s win in Columbus on Tuesday. Dubnyk has won four of his last six starts (4-1-1) while posting a 2.31 GAA and .922 SV%. He catches a break with the Golden Knights in town on the tail-end of a back-to-back but it still won’t be an easy test.

Devan Dubnyk
The Blue Jackets have recalled Markus Hannikainen from Cleveland (AHL).

Hannikainen has spent the majority of the year with the Blue Jackets, where he has two goals and two assists in 27 games. During his time Cleveland, the 24-year-old winger registered three assists in seven games. He is not expected to draw into the lineup on Friday.

Markus Hannikainen
Bobrovsky is expected to start Friday vs. the Sharks.

Bobrovsky allowed two goals on 43 shots in the Blue Jackets shootout loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. Bobrovsky bounced back from a difficult December to finish 4-4-1 with a 2.30 GAA and .932 SV% in nine January starts. He will look to keep things rolling into February, starting tonight with the Sharks, who are in town as losers of four in a row.

Sergei Bobrovsky
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Devils have sent Jimmy Hayes to Binghamton (AHL) on a conditioning stint.

Hayes was a healthy scratch for the last two games as the Devils went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Hayes has just nine points (3G / 6A) in 26 games this season and will play in the AHL for the first time since 2013-14.

Jimmy Hayes
The Devils have recalled John Quenneville from Binghamton (AHL).

Quenneville, 21, has recorded 10 goals and 11 assists (21 points) in 31 AHL games this season. Quenneville has four points (1G / 3A) in 12 career NHL games (all in 2016-17) and could make his season debut vs. the Penguins on Saturday.

John Quenneville
The Devils have assigned Steven Santini to Binghamton (AHL).

Santini has not played in the last nine games and with the return of Mirco Mueller, Santini became their eighth defenseman. Santini has 10 points (2G / 8A) in 36 games with the Devils this season and will likely make his AHL season debut this weekend.

Steven Santini
Raanta was held out of Thursday’s game after being involved in a car accident on his way to the arena.

Raanta was scheduled to start vs. the Stars but turned the duties over to Scott Wedgewood after getting involved in an auto incident prior to puck-drop. This was a tough break for Raanta owners because the netminder came in playing extremely well. Raanta was held out for precautionary reasons and should be fine for Saturday’s game in Los Angeles.

Antti Raanta
Quick led the Kings onto the ice for warmups.

Quick was pulled after giving up five goals on 19 shots in the Kings loss in Vancouver last Tuesday. Quick is hoping for a better month in February after going 2-6-0 with a 3.15 GAA and .894 SV% in January—by far his worst month of the season so far. Quick allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Predators on January 6th.

Jonathan Quick
Rinne led the Predators onto the ice for warmups.

Rinne stopped all 27 shots that he faced in the Predators shutout win in New Jersey last Thursday. Rinne is riding a five-game winning streak while posting a 1.78 GAA, .940 SV% and one shutout. One of those wins came against the Kings, who he’ll face again tonight—he stopped 26 of 29 shots in a 4-3 win in Los Angeles.

Pekka Rinne

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.

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