NHL Hockey Player News

Holtby was the first goalie off the ice at the Capitals morning skate.

Holtby stopped 29 of 30 shots in the Capitals 2-1 victory over Carolina on Thursday. The win snapped a shot two-game losing streak and moved Holtby to 9-7-3 with a 2.42 GAA and .912 SV% on the season. Tonight he will take on the Devils, who he has gone 1-1-0 against so far.

Braden Holtby
Schneider starts in goal for the Devils.

Schneider allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Devils 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday. The win was his 10th of the year and snapped a personal four-game losing skid. His splits are strong (2.54 GAA / .916 SV%) but the Devils 22nd ranked offence limits his chance at racking up wins.

Cory Schneider
Howard starts for the Red Wings.

Howard stopped 22 of 24 shots in the Red Wings 5-2 win over the Stars on Thursday. It was a nice bounce-back performance for Howie, who has won four of his last five. He is 12-5-4 and hold the 12th best GAA (2.22) with a .916 SV%. He will take on the Rangers at home tonight—Howard is 9-3-2 at the Joe this year.

Jimmy Howard
Rinne expected to get the nod for the Predators.

Rinne gave up three goals on 32 shot in the Predators 4-3 win over the Blues on Thursday. After one loss, Rinne jumped right back on the winning train, he now sits at 17-4-1 with a 1.88 GAA and .931 SV%. He will be in tough tonight with Chicago in town, but he did stop 30 of 32 in a 3-2 win over the Hawks in October.

Pekka Rinne
Bishop is in net for the Lightning.

Bishop stopped all 13 shots that he faced in the Lightning’s 5-0 shutout win over the Sabres on Thursday. Yeah he wasn’t tested much in this one, the Lightning dominated from start to finish. Bishop has won five in a row with a 1.60 GAA and .936 SV% and draws another good matchup tonight with the banged up Blue Jackets in town.

Ben Bishop
Klinkhammer will make his Penguins debut this afternoon vs. Ottawa.

Klinkhammer was acquired from the Coyotes on Friday and will play today, likely on the third line with Brandon Sutter and Steve Downie. Klinkhammer does not bring a ton of offence and won’t see any special teams work today, but he does bring a bit of a physical edge, his 44 hits ranks fourth among Penguins forwards.

Rob Klinkhammer
Lehtonen was the first goalie off the ice at the Stars morning skate.

Lehtonen allowed five goals on 40 shots in the Stars loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. He has now lost two in a row while giving up five goals in each start. The Stars are a mess defensively, ranking dead last with a team GAA of 3.58. Tonight, he faces a skidding Habs team who have lost five of their last six.

Kari Lehtonen
Halak starts this afternoon vs. St. Louis.

Halak allowed a single goal on 21 shots in the Islanders 2-1 win over the Senators. The W marked the 11th straight win for Halak who continues to dominate for the Isles. This afternoon will be a huge game for Halak, who takes on his former team for the first time. It isn’t a great matchup, but lets be honest, you aren’t benching Halak right now.

Jaroslav Halak
Luongo gets the start for the Panthers.

Luongo allowed three goals on 20 shots in the Panthers shootout loss to the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Sergei Bobrovsky was ridiculous at the other end of the rink and Bobby Lu was unable to match him. However, tonight he faces the Sabres, who he has shutout three times in a row.

Roberto Luongo
Bernier makes his eighth straight start for Toronto.

Bernier allowed five goals on 26 shots in the Leafs 5-3 loss to the Devils on Thursday. Despite the rough outing, the Leafs refuse to turn to James Reimer, so it will be Bernier again tonight vs. the Canucks. Bernier is 7-6-0 with a 3.01 GAA and .905 SV% at the ACC this season.

Jonathan Bernier
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have recalled Brandon Kozun from Toronto (AHL).

Kozun, 24, had one assist in five game with the Maple Leafs this season. He has not played since October 17th because of a high-ankle sprain. He had one goal in three games with the Marlies during his conditioning stint.

Brandon Kozun
Varlamov leads the Avalanche onto the ice for warmups.

Varlamov allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Flames last night. It was Varlamov’s first start since November 15th, but he will go again tonight in the second game of the Avs’ back-to-back. It hasn’t been a great two months for Varly, who has missed time with injuries and posted a 4-5-5 record with a 3.01 GAA and .914 SV%.

Semyon Varlamov
Gibson is expected to be sent to the minors when he returns to full health.

The Anaheim Ducks recently brought in veteran goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov so the expectation is that Gibson will get sent down and play the remainder of the season with Norfolk (AHL). Gibson played well, going 2-2-0 with 2.28 GAA and .927 SV% before getting hurt, but it looks like the Ducks believe it will be best for his development if he heads back to the AHL. Obviously, how long he stays down there will all depend on injuries and the play of Bryzgalov and Frederik Andersen, as well as Gibson’s with Norfolk.

John Gibson

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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