NHL Hockey Player News

Rinne leads the Predators onto the ice for warmups.

Rinne stopped 31 of 32 shots in the Predators 5-1 blowout win over the Coyotes on Thursday. Tonight the Predators will wrap up a three-game road trip—so far they are 2-0 and Rinne has stopped 57 of 58 shots (.983 SV%) on the trip. It is not a great matchup, but you can’t keep this guy out of your lineup.

Pekka Rinne
Pickard leads the Avalanche onto the ice for warmups.

Pickard gave up three goals on 33 shots in the Avs’ shootout win over Winnipeg on Thursday. The 22-year-old net minder continues to impress everyone with his strong play. He now sits at 4-5-0 with a 2.36 GAA and .926 SV% this season. Despite the recent success, he draws a really tough matchup tonight with the Blues in town.

Calvin Pickard
Miller leads the Canucks onto the ice for warmups.

Miller stopped 22 of 24 shots in the Canucks 3-1 loss to Montreal on Tuesday. Given it was Jean Beliveu night in Montreal, it was tough to bet against the Habs in this one. But, now that Canucks are back at home ready to take on their former head coach and the Rangers, who are 12-10-4 on the year and have the league’s ninth best offence.

Ryan Miller
Lundqvist leads the Rangers onto the ice for warmups.

Lundqvist allowed three goals on 35 shots in the Rangers win over the Penguins on Monday. He has allowed 14 goals in his last four starts and sits with a 2.71 GAA and .906 SV% on the season. With the late confirm he likely won’t do too many people any fantasy good tonight.

Henrik Lundqvist
Lehtonen leads the Stars onto the ice for warmups.

Lehtonen was yanked after allowing three goals on 17 shots in the Stars loss to the Jets on Tuesday. The struggles continue for Lehtonen, who has posted a 4.06 GAA and .870 SV% in his last four starts. He draws a strong matchup tonight vs. the Devils who rank 25th in the league in scoring.

Kari Lehtonen
Montoya draws the start for the Panthers.

Roberto Luongo had to make 29 saves in the Panthers shootout win over the Red Wings last night, so we will see Montoya tonight in Buffalo. He stopped 21 of 23 shots in a loss to the Blue Jackets in his last start back on December 1st. He draws a nice spot-start matchup vs. the league’s lowest scoring team.

Al Montoya
Backstrom in goal for the Wild.

Backstrom allowed four goals on 19 shots but still walked away with the win over the Islanders on Tuesday. He draws a beauty matchup tonight vs. a struggling Arizona team. Backstrom is 2-2-0 with a 2.27 GAA and .901 SV% on the road this season.

Niklas Backstrom
Bishop starts for the Lightning.

Bishop allowed four goals on 34 shots in the Lightning’s loss to the Capitals on Tuesday. After getting Thursday night off, Bishop will be back in the cage tonight and get a second crack at Washington. Bishop is 16-5-2 with a 2.31 GAA and .915 SV% on the season so it is easy to expect a bounce-back performance from the 6-foot-7 net minder.

Ben Bishop
Dubnyk starts for the Coyotes.

Dubnyk allowed four goals on 24 shots in the Coyotes loss to Boston last Saturday. He has gone 5-2-1 with a 2.74 GAA and .918 SV% on the year, but continues to rotate start with the struggling Mike Smith. Tonight it looks like Dubnyk will face a Wild team who have alternated wins and losses in their last 10 contests.

Devan Dubnyk
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flames have recalled Corey Potter from Adirondack (AHL).

Potter, 30, has registered five assists in 19 games with Adirondack in his first year with the Flames organization. With Ladislav Smid on IR, Potter will serve as the Flames’ seventh defenseman.

Corey Potter
Maatta (upper-body) will miss at least a couple of weeks.

According to head coach Mike Johnston said Maatta is still being tested and is going to miss a couple more weeks. With Maatta out, Christian Ehrhoff and Paul Martin will take on bigger roles on the blue line. Expect him to be out until after Christmas.

Olli Maatta
Enroth is the Sabres confirmed starter.

Enroth stopped 42 of 45 shots in the Sabres win over the Flames on Thursday. Somehow, Enroth has managed to win five of his last six starts with a 2.11 GAA and .940 SV%. It has been extremely impressive what the 24-year-old has been able to do as of late and draws a solid enough matchup that you can actually trust him tonight.

Jhonas Enroth
Boudreau confirms that Andersen will start Saturday.

Andersen stopped 21 of 23 shots in the Ducks win over the Oilers last night. It was not an overly busy night for Andersen which will allow him to start his 18th consecutive game. Over the span of 17 straight starts, Andersen has gone 10-3-4 with a 2.86 GAA and .899 SV%. If he starts tonight, he comes in with a 8-1-2 road record.

Frederik Andersen
Coach Bruce Boudreau was noncommital on who would start, but Jason LaBarbera was on the ice this morning, suggesting Andersen will start.

Andersen stopped 21 of 23 shots in the Ducks win over the Oilers last night. It was not an overly busy night for Andersen which leads us to believe he will start his 18th consecutive game. Over the span of 17 straight starts, Andersen has gone 10-3-4 with a 2.86 GAA and .899 SV%. If he starts tonight, he comes in with a 8-1-2 road record.

Frederik Andersen
The Flames have placed Ladislav Smid (upper-body) on injured reserve.

Smid was injured on Friday on a hit from Penguins’ defenseman Simon Despres. The hit looked pretty vicious, but Despres was not assessed a penalty on the play. Smid left the game and did not return. There is no word on the severity of the injury or who will be recalled from the AHL.

Ladislav Smid
Miller is the Canucks projected starter.

Miller stopped 22 of 24 shots in the Canucks 3-1 loss to Montreal on Tuesday. Given it was Jean Beliveu night in Montreal, it was tough to bet against the Habs in this one. But, now that Canucks are back at home ready to take on their former head coach and the Rangers, who are 12-10-4 on the year and have the league’s ninth best offence.

Ryan Miller

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.

DFO’s Specialized News Categories

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