Call up / Send down
The Canadiens have recalled Darren Dietz from St. John’s (AHL).
NHL Hockey Player News
Call up / Send down
The Canadiens have recalled Charles Hudon from St. John’s (AHL).
The Oilers have activated Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (hand) from IR; expected to play on Saturday.
Goalie Start
Johnson will start Saturday afternoon vs. the Hurricanes.
Johnson stopped all 11 shots that he faced after replacing Robin Lehner in the Sabres 4-2 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday. Johnson has won his last three starts while posting a 2.60 GAA and .909 SV%. Tonight he will face the Hurricanes for the second time this season—in the first meeting he stopped 27 of 28 shots in a 4-1 win.
The Blues have signed Carl Gunnarsson to a three-year extension worth $8.7 million.
Gunnarsson, 29, has dressed in 62 games for the Blues this season, tallying seven points (2G / 5A), 27 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating. Across 427 career regular season games between the Blues and Maple Leafs, Gunnarsson has registered 105 points (19G / 86A), 121 penalty minutes and a plus-30 rating.
Goalie Start
Kinkaid starts Saturday in Los Angeles.
Kinkaid stopped all 30 shots that he faced in the Devils shutout win in San Jose on Thursday. It was a much different performance than his previous start, where he allowed six goals on 30 shots. He’ll be making his second start vs. the Kings—in the first meeting he stopped all 28 shots that he faced in a 1-0 shutout won.
Goalie Start
Allen starts Saturday in Dallas.
Allen stopped 26 of 28 shots in the Blues win over the Ducks last night. With Brian Elliott still out, Allen will go again tonight in Dallas. Allen has won his last five starts while posting a 2.13 GAA and .936 SV%. Allen has gone 2-0-0 with a 0.96 GAA and .960 SV% in two starts against the Stars this season.
Goalie Start
Lehtonen will start Friday vs. the Blackhawks.
Lehtonen allowed four goals on 28 shots in the Stars OT loss in Montreal on Tuesday. Tonight he makes his fourth consecutive start—he has gone 2-0-1 with a 2.29 GAA and .909 SV% in his last three. He won his first start vs. the Blackhawks, but is not considered a safe option tonight with the Hawks in town.
Goalie Start
Domingue is expected to start Friday in Calgary.
Domingue allowed three goals on 31 shots in the Coyotes loss in Vancouver on Wednesday. Domingue has played fairly well recently, but has lost nine of his last 10 starts dating back to February 20th. Tonight he makes his third start vs. the Flames—he has gone 2-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .962 SV% in the first two meetings.
Ekman-Larsson (upper-body) will not play on Friday.
Ekman-Larsson will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury and is still “a few days away from playing” according to head coach Dave Tippet. This is a huge blow to the Coyotes blueline and a team that will look to snap a 10-game road losing streak.
Goalie Start
Condon starts Saturday vs. the Wild.
Condon allowed two goals on 38 shots in the Canadiens win over the Sabres on Thursday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Condon, who will be making his 42 start of the season on Saturday. He lost his first start vs. the Wild and is 9-9-3 with a 2.12 GAA and .918 SV% on home ice this season.
Suspension
Wideman has had his suspension reduced to 10 games; eligible to play on Friday.
Wideman was set to sit out for the 19th of his 20 game suspension on Friday, but his suspension was reduced to 10 games, which will only save him money and could see him return tonight vs. the Coyotes. Wideman has 19 points (2G / 17A) in 48 games this season.
Brassard (flu) is doubtful to play on Saturday afternoon.
Brassard is dealing with the flu and is not expected to be in the lineup on Saturday. Brassard has two goals and two assists in his last three games, but don’t expect to see him in the lineup in Detroit.
Staal (back) will be a game-time decision on Saturday afternoon.
Staal has missed the last two games with a back injury, but is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday’s game in Detroit. Monitor his status a few hours prior to the 2 p.m. ET puck-drop. Staal has 13 points (2G / 11A) in 62 games this season.
Nash (knee) will be a game-time decision on Saturday afternoon.
Nash has been sidelined by a knee injury since January 22nd but as long as he feels good enough to play on Saturday, he will return to the lineup vs. the Red Wings. Nash has 33 points (12G / 21A) in 45 games this season. Monitor his status a few hours prior to the 2 p.m. ET puck-drop.
Pominville (lower-body) will not play on Saturday.
Pominville will miss a second straight game with a lower-body injury. He was replaced by Justin Fontaine on Thursday, but Jordan Schroeder is expected to get into the lineup for him on Saturday. Pominville remains day-to-day.
Line Change
Panik in; Mashinter out.
Panik was a healthy scratch in two of the last three games, but will replace Brandon Mashinter in the lineup tonight. Panik has five points (3G / 2A) in 21 games with the Blackhawks this season.
Goalie Start
Lundqvist starts Saturday vs. the Red Wings.
Lundqvist allowed three goals on 22 shots before leaving his March 3rd start in Pittsburgh with a neck injury. Lundqvist missed the last three games as a result, but will be back in goal vs. the Red Wings this afternoon. King Henrik posted a 22-save shutout against Detroit in their first meeting and he is 4-2-2 with a 2.29 GAA and .923 SV% in afternoon games this season.
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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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).
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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.
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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.
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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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