NHL Hockey Player News

Gaborik (collarbone) has officially been cleared to play and will be in the lineup on Thursday.

Gaborik is expected to start out on the fourth line with Derek MacKenzie and Mark Letestu, but also be featured on the top power-play unit with Nathan Horton and Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets are going to ease Gabo back into action, but don't be surprised if he is off of that fourth line and bumped up within a few shifts. Gaborik is a game changer who is only owned in 73% of Yahoo! leagues, if you're in one of those 27% of leagues where he is not, better rush to the waiver wire.

Marian Gaborik
Lundqvist will start on Saturday.

Lundqvist will get the night off on Thursday after leading Sweden to a silver medal, but he will be back in the crease on Saturday vs. Philadelphia. Lundqvist won his last five starts before the Olympics and sits at 22-18-3 with a 2.44 GAA and .918 SV% on the season. 'King Henrik' stopped 37 of 38 shots in a 4-1 win vs.the Flyers on Jan. 12.

Henrik Lundqvist
Lehtonen is expected to start on Thursday.

Lehtonen allowed one goal on 27 shots in win over the Coyotes in his last start before the Olmypics and then went 1-1 in Sochi for Finland. Lehtonen is 22-15-10 with a 2.48 GAA and .916 SV% this season and looks to make his first start of the season vs. Carolina on Thursday.

Kari Lehtonen
St. Louis requested a trade last month according to multiple sources.

There had been rumours that the Rangers are inquiring about St. Louis, but it seemed unlikely that he would be dealt because he is the captain of the Lightning and has been with the team since 2000-01. There is no word whether his trade request is associated with originally being snubbed from Team Canada by GM Steve Yzerman (a team he was later named to and won a gold medal with). There is no guarantee that St. Louis will be dealt, but with the Lightning poised to make a playoff run, they will want NHL ready and likely proven playoff performer(s) in return. St. Louis has 25 goals and 31 assists (56 points) with a plus-15 rating in 58 games.

Martin St. Louis
Franzen (concussion) will be a game-time decision tonight.

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock says he thinks that Franzen is good-to-go, but he will wait until pre-game warmups to determine whether he is in or not. If he does play, he will skate on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi.

Johan Franzen
Howard gets the start vs. Montreal.

Howard did not play a game for Team USA in the Olympics, but that was expected. Heading into the Olympics he won three of five games with a 2.72 GAA and .895 SV%. With 24 games remaining, the Red Wings need him to be more consistent down the stretch if they are going to make the playoffs. Tonight vs. Montreal is a huge game for Detroit.

Jimmy Howard
van Riemsdyk (undisclosed) did not skate again today, but has been cleared to play Thursday.

Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle said that he expects van Riemsdyk to play on Thursday after being cleared medically on Wednesday. JVR has not skated with the Leafs since returning from the Olympics. In Sochi the line of JVR-Pavelski-Kessel was the USA's most dangerous in the preliminary round, the Leafs hope that JVR and Kessel will be able to bring that back with them as they get back underway tomorrow. van Riemsdyk has 24 goals and 23 assits (47 points) in 38 games this season.

James van Riemsdyk
Bolland took "a step back" on Tuesday says Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle.

Carlyle went on to say it is "not a positive step" but Bolland will still make the trip to Long Island as the Leafs prepare to take on the Islanders on Thursday. Bolland seems extremely unlikely to play on Thursday.

Dave Bolland
The Canadiens have recalled Dustin Tokarski from Hamilton (AHL).

Carey Price is out for the next two games with a lower-body injury, so Tokarski has been recalled to serve as Peter Budaj's backup tonight vs. Detroit and could potentially draw the start tomorrow in Pittsburgh. Tokarski is 17-13-2 with a 2.34 GAA and .919 SV% in 34 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs this season.

Dustin Tokarski
Price (lower-body) will not play in the Habs next two games.

Price re-injured himself during the Olympics, but still led Canada to the Gold medal. Peter Budaj was already scheduled to start tonight, but now Price will not travel to Pittsburgh for tomorrow's game. Dustin Tokarski has been recalled from Hamilton (AHL). At this point, there is no word whether Price will miss more than just two games.

Carey Price
Halak starts in goal for the Blues.

Halak had an ugly Olympics, but with that behind him, he will look to pick-up where he left off with St. Louis. He had won four of his last six while posting a 2.00 GAA and .938 SV%. He lost his only other start vs. the Canucks this season, 3-2 in OT way back on Oct. 25.

Jaroslav Halak
Franzen (concussion) will play tonight, barring a setback at the morning skate.

Franzen was medically cleared to play on Tuesday, but GM Ken Hollland confirmed that he will play vs. the Canadiens, unless something unforeseen happens in the morning skate. Franzen has missed 23 of the last 24 games and will be vital to the Red Wings success down the stretch.

Johan Franzen
Datsyuk (knee) will play tonight vs. Montreal.

There was some concern that Datsyuk would miss tonight's game because of lingering pain, but he will play. After tomorrow's game vs. Ottawa the Red Wings are off until next Tuesday, which will be a great time for Datsyuk to get his knee rested up and healthy for a playoff push. There is still no word on who his linemates will be.

Pavel Datsyuk
Tallinder will be back in the Sabres lineup tonight.

Tallinder was given the night off on Tuesday, but will play tonight and will likely replace John Scott on the blueline. Tallinder has two goals and five assists to go with a minus-15 rating this season. He is a potential deadline target for teams in need of blueline depth.

Timonen may rest Thursday vs. San Jose.

Timonen returned to practice with the Flyers on Wednesday, but skated on the extra pair with Hal Gill. Skating with Gill suggests that the Flyers may elect to give Timonen the night off on Thursday after playing six games with Finland at the Olympics. Monitor his status during Thursday's morning skate. The Flyers D-pairs will be: Meszaros-Streit, Coburn-Grossmann, Gustafsson-L. Schenn.

Kimmo Timonen
Bolland (achilles) left practice early on Tuesday and is skating as an extra today.

Bolland had been making great strides in his return from a severed achilles, but leaving the ice early yesterday and returning as an extra today suggests that he may have suffered a setback. He had been skating on a regular line and there was talk that he could return on Thursday, but now that looks nearly impossible. A setback is not confirmed, we will update when the Maple Leafs release an official update on Bolland's status.

Dave Bolland

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!