Injury
Pysyk is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
NHL Hockey Player News
Ennis is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Goalie Start
Kinkaid will start Thursday vs. the Hurricanes.
Kinkaid allowed four goals on 26 shots in the Devils’ loss in Edmonton on November 20th. In four starts this season, Kinkaid is 1-3-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .881 SV%. He has struggled behind Cory Schnieder this season, but draws a strong matchup against a Hurricanes team that has lost eight of their last 10 games. Kinkaid has allowed a combined eight goals in two road games.
Goalie Start
Reimer (lower-body) will return to the Maple Leafs' crease on Thursday.
Reimer gave up three goals on 29 shots in the Maple Leafs loss to Boston on November 23rd. Reimer has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury, but served as Garret Sparks’ backup last night, suggesting he is good to go tonight. Reimer had been playing great before getting hurt—he went 6-2-3 with a 1.68 GAA and .949 SV% in the month of November.
Downie (upper-body) returns to the Coyotes lineup on Thursday.
Downie has missed the last 10 games with an upper-body injury, but will be back in the lineup tonight in Detroit. With Downie back, the Coyotes have sent Craig Cunningham back to Portland (AHL). Donnie has one goal and two assists in 14 games this season.
Doan (lower-body) will not play on Thursday; could play Friday.
Doan was on the ice for the Coyotes’ morning skate, but will miss his fifth consecutive game with a lower-body injury. According to head coach Dave Tippet, Doan is “close,” so he could be back on Friday vs. the Sabres.
$125 Waivers
The Predators have placed Steve Moses on unconditional waivers; expected to go back to the KHL.
Moses scored 36 goals with 21 assists (57 points) in 60 games with Jokerit (KHL) last season. That earned him a one-year, $1 million deal with the Predators this season. He was cut in training camp and only had eight points (2G / 6A) in 16 games with Milwaukee (AHL). The 26-year-old is likely headed back to the KHL.
Goalie Start
Smith will get the nod in Detroit on Thursday.
Smith surrendered four goals on 40 shots in the Coyotes’ loss in Nashville on Tuesday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Coyotes’ netminder. Smith has gone 5-4-1 with a 2.91 GAA and .907 SV% in 10 starts on the road this season. He draws a fairly tough matchup against a Red Wings team that is 4-0-2 in their last six games.
Goalie Start
Kinkaid is in the starter's crease this morning.
Kinkaid allowed four goals on 26 shots in the Devils’ loss in Edmonton on November 20th. In four starts this season, Kinkaid is 1-3-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .881 SV%. He has struggled behind Cory Schnieder this season, but draws a strong matchup against a Hurricanes team that has lost eight of their last 10 games. Kinkaid has allowed a combined eight goals in two road games.
Goalie Start
Varlamov will start Thursday in New York,
Varlamov allowed four goals on 27 shots in Colorado’s loss in Brooklyn on Monday. Since returning from his injury, Varlamov has gone 2-2-0 with a 3.33 GAA and .879 SV%. Tonight he will take on a Rangers team that has struggled recently—New York is 1-3-1 in their last five games, averaging just 1.80 goals per game over that span.
Goalie Start
Reimer will likely start Thursday in Minnesota.
Reimer gave up three goals on 29 shots in the Maple Leafs loss to Boston on November 23rd. Reimer has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury, but served as Garret Sparks’ backup last night, suggesting he is good to go tonight. Reimer had been playing great before getting hurt—he went 6-2-3 with a 1.68 GAA and .949 SV% in the month of November.
Goalie Start
Dubnky is expected to start Thursday vs. the Maple Leafs.
Dubnyk stopped 30 of 31 shots in the Wild’s 2-1 win in Chicago on Tuesday. Entering Tuesday, Dubnyk had lost five of his last six, so it was a big win for the Wild netminder. He draws an excellent matchup vs. a Maple Leafs team playing in the second night of a back-to-back. Dubnyk has gone 8-3-0 with a 2.11 GAA and .922 SV% at home and the Leafs are 4-7-2 on the road.
Call up / Send down
The Coyotes have sent Craig Cunningham to Portland (AHL).
Cunningham had no points, 11 shots and a minus-1 rating in six games with the Coyotes during his call-up. His assignment to the minors suggests that Steve Downie will come off of IR and return to the lineup in Detroit.
Goalie Start
Varalamov was the first goalie off of the ice at the Avs' morning skate.
Varlamov allowed four goals on 27 shots in Colorado’s loss in Brooklyn on Monday. Since returning from his injury, Varlamov has gone 2-2-0 with a 3.33 GAA and .879 SV%. Tonight he will take on a Rangers team that has struggled recently—New York is 1-3-1 in their last five games, averaging just 1.80 goals per game over that span.
Tarasenko (illness) returned to practice on Thursday.
Tarasenko missed Wednesday's practice session with an illness, but was back on the ice this morning. The Blues don't play until Friday, so his return to practice today is a good sign that he will be in the lineup tomorrow.
Zibanejad (head) will not play on Thursday.
Zibanejad suffered a head injury on Tuesday and will be held out of the lineup on Thursday. With Zibanejad and Milan Michalek out, the Senators will be forced to go with six defensemen. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Shane Prince will play in the top-6.
Goalie Start
Bishop leads the Lightning onto the ice for warmups.
Bishop allowed three goals on 22 shots in the Lightning’s loss to the Islanders on Saturday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Tampa Bay netminder. Bishop was 4-3-1 with a 1.60 GAA and .941 SV% in eight starts in the month of November. Bishop’s numbers on the season are very strong, but the Lightning are still struggling offensively—they’ve averaged just 2.20 goals per game over their last 10.
Letestu (undisclosed) is on the ice for warmups; expected to play vs. Boston.
Goalie Start
Rask leads the Bruins onto the ice for warmups.
Rask allowed three goals on 27 shots in the Bruins win over the Rangers last Friday. With four days off in between games and Rask riding a three-game winning streak, he makes for a strong start tonight in Edmonton. Over his three-game winning streak he has posted a stellar 1.95 GAA and .934 SV%. His season numbers continue to climb closer to Tuukka Rask-type numbers.
Suspension
The NHL has suspended Radko Gudas for three games for his hit on Mika Zibanejad on Tuesday.
Gudas will miss this week’s Friday-Saturday back-to-back and then next Tuesday’s game vs. the Islanders. He is eligible to play next Thursday in St. Louis. Expect Nick Schultz (upper-body) to play tomorrow if he is healthy.
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.
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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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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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