NHL Hockey Player News

Garrison left Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

Tampa Bay did not provide any details on Garrison’s injury, so the nature and severity of the injury are a complete mystery. The Lightning are off until Tuesday, so monitor his status leading up to that game vs. the Penguins.

Jason Garrison
The Canadiens sent Joey MacDonald back to Hamilton (AHL) on Saturday night.

MacDonald served as Carey Price’s back-up in the Canadiens win over the Senators on Saturday. Montreal is off until Tuesday, so either MacDonald or Dustin Tokarski will be recalled to serve as Price’s backup vs. the Islanders.

Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have sent Justin Shugg back to Charlotte (AHL).

Shugg, 22, did not record a point and had two penalty minutes in three games with Carolina during the first recall of his career. He heads back to Charlotte, where he has nine goals and two assists (11 points) in 17 games.

Justin Shugg
The Hurricanes have activated Alex Semin (lower-body) from injured reserve.

Semin has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury, but will be back in the lineup on Sunday in New York. It has been a struggle all year for Semin, who has just six points (1G / 5A) and a minus-9 rating in 21 games. The Hurricanes sent Justin Shugg back to the minors to make room for Semin.

Alexander Semin
Lehtonen is expected to get a sixth straight start.

Lehtonen stopped 21 of 22 shots in the Stars’ 2-1 victory over the Flames on Friday. This had to be coming sooner or later—Lehtonen has finally gotten hot for the Stars, winning four of his last five with a 1.80 GAA and .930 SV%. He started the year 9-6-5 and now sits at a nice 13-7-5 as we near the Christmas break. Look for things to continue tonight in Edmonton vs. a disastrous Oilers team.

Kari Lehtonen
Reimer is expected to start Sunday for Toronto.

Reimer stopped the only shot that he faced after replacing Jonathan Bernier in the Maple Leafs blowout loss to the Flyers on Saturday night. Heading into tonight, Reimer has won each of his last two starts in shootouts, while posting a 1.85 GAA and .949 SV%. There are better spot-start option than him tonight, with the Leafs in Chicago to take on the Hawks.

James Reimer
Pickard will start all three games this week.

Pickard stopped 28 of 29 shots in the Avs’ 5-1 win over the Sabres last night. Head coach Patrick Roy made the decision at the start of the week to start Pickard in all three games this week—after two games, it looks like it was a great plan. He has stopped 75 of 77 shots (.974) and gone 1-0-1. Tonight he faces a Red Wings team who have averaged just 1.00 goals per game on a six-game losing skid.

Calvin Pickard
Bobrovsky starts for the Blue Jackets.

Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 36 shots in the Blue Jackets OT loss to the Capitals on Thursday. The loss snapped his seven game winning streak. He will look to get back in the win column tonight, but it won’t be easy with the Blackhawks in town. Chicago comes into town having won 10 of their last 11 contests.

Sergei Bobrovsky
Fleury leads the Penguins onto the ice for warmups.

Fleury stopped all 29 shots that he faced in the Penguins 1-0 OT win over the Avalanche on Thursday. Fleury has won three straight and four of his last five with a 1.77 GAA and .938 SV%. Tonight he will go up against the 14-8-8 Panthers at home, where he is 12-3-1 on the year.

Marc-Andre Fleury
Luongo will face the Penguins on Saturday.

Luongo allowed one goal on 26 shots in the Panthers win over the Flyers on Thursday. He has won three in a row while allowing just four goals on 81 shots (.951 SV%). He has been red-hot in December (5-1-1) and catches a break when he faces the Penguins tonight. The Pens have three regular defenseman missing as well as a couple forwards.

Roberto Luongo
Quick leads the Kings onto the ice for warmups.

Quick allowed four goals on 28 shots in the Kings 6-4 win over the Blues on Thursday. Quick has been victorious in just two of his last six starts with a 2.82 GAA and .885 SV%. It has been a very non-Quick-like stretch of games, but he draws a great matchup today vs. Arizona—Quick enters play at 11-3-1 with a 1.69 GAA and .942 SV% at home.

Jonathan Quick
Niemi is the Sharks confirmed starter.

Niemi surrendered three goals on 28 shots in a the Sharks 4-3 win over the Oilers on Thursday. It was not Niemi’s best outing, but it was enough to earn his sixth straight victory. Over the span of his six-game streak he has a 2.33 GAA and .922 SV%. He draws a tough matchup against a Blues team who has averaged 4.00 goals per game in eight games in December.

Antti Niemi

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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