Call up / Send down
The Senators have acquired Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Jason Akeson, Phil Varone and a conditional draft pick from the Sabres for Eric O’Dell, Cole Schneider, Alex Guptill and Michael Sdao.
Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA
NHL Hockey Player News
The Senators have acquired Phil Varone, Jason Akeson, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and a conditional draft pick from the Sabres for Eric O’Dell, Cole Schneider, Alex Guptill and Michael Sdao.
Varone, 25, was a fifth round pick (147th overall) in 2009. He has 32 points (13G / 19A) in 44 games with the Americans (AHL) this season and two points (1G / 1A) in five games with the Sabres.
Trade
The Senators have acquired Jason Akeson, Phil Varone, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and a conditional draft pick from the Sabres for Eric O’Dell, Cole Schneider, Alex Guptill and Michael Sdao.
Akeson, 25, has 30 points (8G / 22A) in 52 games with the Rochester Americans (AHL) this season. He has one goal and one assist in 15 career NHL games with the Flyers. Akeson is a native of Orleans, Ontario, which is a suburb of Ottawa, so this is a homecoming for the young winger.
Goalie Start
The Penguins have acquired Justin Schultz from the Oilers for a third-round pick.
Schultz, 25, has seen his offensive numbers slip since posting 27 points (8G / 19A) in 48 games in his rookie season. He lacked confidence and often served as a healthy scratch this season, posting 10 points (3G / 7A) in 45 games. He heads to Pittsburgh where he should land a regular role on their third line with Ben Lovejoy sidelined, but until we see more offence, he should remain on the waiver wire.
Parise (upper-body) will return to the Wild lineup on Sunday.
Parise missed two games with an upper-body injury but will return to the lineup on Sunday vs. the Panthers. Parise has picked up one goal and five assists in his last seven games and has 18 goals and 18 assists (36 points) in 51 games this season.
The Panthers have acquired Jakub Kindl from the Red Wings for a 2017 6th round pick; Detroit retains 15 percent of Kindl's contract.
Kindl, 29, has cleared waivers twice this season and has split his season between Detroit and Grand Rapids (AHL). He has six points (2G / 4A) in 25 games with the Red Wings and four points (3G / 1A) in 10 games with the Griffins. He provides the Panthers with blueline depth for nearly nothing.
The Panthers have acquired Teddy Purcell from Edmonton for a third round pick.
Purcell, 30, has picked up 11 goals and 21 assists (32 points) in 61 games in his second season in Edmonton. After spending four and a half years with Tampa Bay (2010-2014) he heads back to the state of Florida, with the Panthers this time around. Purcell will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Goalie Start
Lehtonen leads the Stars onto the ice for warmups.
Lehtonen allowed three goals on 20 shots after replacing Antti Niemi in the Stars loss to the Jets on Thursday. Lehtonen has gone 3-2-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .899 SV% in February and 7-4-0 with a 2.97 GAA and .900 SV% in 11 starts and three relief appearances on home ice this season.
The Panthers have acquired Jiri Hudler from the Flames for a 2016 second round pick and a 2018 fourth round pick.
Hudler, 32, has had a down season after posted a career-high 76 points (31G / 45A) in 78 games last season. He has 10 goals and 25 assists (35 points) in 53 games this season and now he heads to Florida where he will be part of a Stanley Cup bid before becoming a free agent this summer. Look for him to play on a line with Nick Bjugstad.
Goalie Start
Goalie Start
Injury
Lehtera (upper-body) will not play on Saturday.
Lehtera suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday’s game and will not play on Saturday and will likely miss Sunday’s contest as well. With Lehtera out, look for Patrik Berglund to skate on the Blues’ top line.
Weber (lower-body) is not on the ice for warmups; will miss his third straight game.
Weber remains day-to-day and the Predators have not provided a clear update on his status, but he will miss his third straight game tonight vs. the Blues. The Predators have a back-to-back coming up on Monday and Tuesday, so monitor his status during Monday’s morning skate.
Goalie Start
Allen leads the Blues onto the ice for warmups.
Allen allowed two goals on 23 shots in the Blues loss to the Rangers on Thursday. He has allowed four goals on 40 shots (.900 SV%) in two appearances since returning from a knee injury. With Brian Elliott out, Allen will start again tonight in Nashville. He is 3-0-0 with a 1.31 GAA and .962 SV% in three starts vs. the Predators this season.
Goalie Start
Rinne leads the Predators onto the ice for warmups.
Rinne allowed one goal on 39 shots in the Predators win in Chicago on Thursday. Rinne has won three of his last four games while stopping 123 of 127 shots (.969 SV%) with one shutout. He’ll look to get his first win vs. the Blues this season—he has gone 0-3-0 with a 2.37 GAA and .917 SV% in his first three starts vs. St. Louis.
The Maple Leafs have acquired Ben Smith, Alex Stalock and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick from the Sharks for James Reimer and Jeremy Morin.
Smith was acquired from the Blackhawks last season, but only appeared in 19 games with the Sharks last season and six this season. He has picked up 10 points (8G / 2A) in 14 games with the Barracuda (AHL) and was likely only a part of the trade for salary purposes.
The Maple Leafs have acquired Alex Stalock, Ben Smith and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick from the Sharks for James Reimer and Jeremy Morin.
Stalock, 28, has gone 3-5-0 with a 2.94 GAA and .884 SV% with the Sharks this season and 2-0-0 with a 1.96 GAA and .930 SV% with the Barracuda (AHL). With the Sharks looking to make a playoff run, they needed a more reliable backup netminder, so they moved Stalock in order to acquire Reimer.
The Sharks have acquired Jeremy Morin and James Reimer from the Maple Leafs for Alex Stalock, Ben Smith and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick.
Morin, 24th, is a pending restricted free agent at the end of the season, who has not appeared in an NHL games this season. He has split his season between Rockford and Toronto (AHL), collecting 11 goals and 17 assists (28 points) in 41 games.
The Sharks have acquired James Reimer and Jeremy Morin from the Maple Leafs for Alex Stalock, Ben Smith and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick.
With Alex Stalock struggling as Martin Jones’ backup, the Sharks were in search of goaltending help, so they acquired pending free agent Reimer. The 27-year-old has posted an 11-12-3 record with a 2.49 GAA and .918 SV% with Toronto this season, which is incredibly impressive when you consider the quality of team he played behind. He will undoubtably push Jones for more starts than Stalock did and becomes a stronger option now that he’s out of Toronto.
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
Get the most out of your hockey news with our in-depth coverage of the NHL with our comprehensive player news updates. Below we’ve compiled go-to destinations for player injuries, trades, signings, line combinations, and more!
- NHL Player Injury Updates and Recovery Timelines – See all the latest NHL player injury updates, timelines for their return, and impact made on each team.
- NHL Waiver Wire Moves and Implications – Check out all the latest moves made on the NHL waiver wire and their implications on the teams involved.
- NHL Latest Line Combination Changes – Bringing you every line combination from across all 32 NHL teams, check out the latest NHL line combination changes made ahead of their next tilt.
- NHL Player Signings and Contract Details – Your go-to spot during NHL free agency, check out the latest NHL player signings and contract details today.
- NHL Roster Changes and Transactions – Looking to see what the latest moves made by your favourite team were? Then check out the latest NHL roster changes and transactions here on DFO.