NHL Hockey Player News

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Sharks 3-1 less than a week ago, and they will meet again for a rematch on Thursday. Nedeljkovic is coming off his first win of the season in a rollercoaster 6-5 overtime win against the New York Rangers when he allowed five goals on 28 shots (.821 SV%). The 29-year-old goalie has a 4.00 GAA and .875 SV% in four games this season (1-2-1). The Sharks enter Thursday's contest as +192 home underdogs against a Devils team tied for first place in the NHL, sporting an 8-2-0 record.

Gaudette was limited to only 6:39 time-on-ice in San Jose's 6-5 win over Minnesota on Sunday, exiting the contest due to an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old Gaudette did not play on Tuesday and will miss at least a week after being placed retroactively on Injured Reserve. Gaudette has four points (3G / 1A) in nine games this season. His injury is considered more than day-to-day.

The Canucks are off to a 5-6-0 start to the season, a record that has suffered as a result of inconsistent play from netminder Kevin Lankinen, who will likely return to the crease on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The 30-year-old Lankinen is sporting an ugly 3.74 GAA and .873 SV% through four games this season (1-3-0). He has allowed four or more goals in three of his four outings. The Canucks enter Thursday's contest as +132 road underdogs against a Blues team that has been among the worst in the league defensively, being outscored 44-29 through 10 games (3-6-1).

Ersson has taken a backseat to Dan Vladar early in the 2025-26 season, due to Vladar's strong play. The 26-year-old Ersson is not expected to miss significant time, but his absence will further allow Vladar to make his case to be the starting goalie in Philadelphia. Erson has a 3.08 GAA and .876 SV% in four games this season (2-1-1). The Flyers have recalled Aleksei Kolosov from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) in a corresponding move.

Kolosov made his NHL debut with Philadelphia last season, posting a 3.59 GAA and .867 SV% in 17 games (5-9-1). The 23-year-old Belarusian goalie has started the season strong with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL), posting a 2.60 GAA and .918 SV% in five games (3-2-0). He will likely serve as the backup to Dan Vlader while he is with the Flyers until Samuel Ersson returns from an undisclosed injury.

Necas was acquired by Colorado in a surprising mid-season trade in 2024-25, sending Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 26-year-old Necas has gelled seamlessly with his new team, playing almost exclusively alongside Nathan MacKinnon, scoring 41 points (18G / 23A) in 41 games since joining the team last January.

The Penguins are off to an impressive 7-2-2 start to the season and will continue their goalie rotation, turning to Jarry between the pipes on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. After a horrendous 2024-25 campaign, posting an ugly 3.12 GAA and .892 SV% in 36 games (16-12-6), Jarry is off to his best start in years, posting a 2.62 GAA and .916 SV% in five contests (4-1-0). Still, the Penguins enter Thursday's contest as +149 road underdogs against a struggling 3-5-3 Wild team.

The Blackhawks have relied on Knight in seven of 10 games to start the 2025-26 season (5-3-2), and will roll with him again on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 24-year-old Knight has been excellent in his first full season with the Blackhawks, posting a stellar 2.11 GAA and .930 SV% in seven games (4-2-1). Still, the Blackhawks enter Thursday's contest as +187 road underdogs against a 7-3-0 Jets team.

Minnesota has been abysmally defensive lately, outscored 20-11 during a four-game losing streak (0-2-2). The team hopes for a heroic performance out of Gustavsson when he returns to the crease on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 27-year-old Gustavsson had a 26-save shutout in his first game of the season, but has struggled saving the puck since, posting a 3.90 GAA and .876 SV% in his subsequent seven outings (1-5-1). Still, Minnesota enters Thursday's contest as a -166 home favorite against a Pittsburgh team with points in seven straight games (5-0-2).

The Oilers are coming off a 6-3 win over the Utah Mammoth, and they will roll with Skinner again after he saved 20 of 23 shots (.870 SV%) in the winning effort. The 26-year-old Skinner has had an up-and-down 2025-26 season, mirroring the Oilers' early-season efforts, posting a 2.41 GAA and .898 SV% in seven games (3-3-1). The Oilers enter Thursday's contest as -155 home favorites against a New York Rangers team they defeated 2-0 on October 14th, a 30-save shutout for Skinner.

Fedor Svechkov returns to Nashville's lineup on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, returning Jost to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old Jost has one point (1G / 0A) and a -3 plus/minus in 10 games this season.

Tyson Jost will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, allowing Svechkov to re-enter the lineup. The 22-year-old Svechkov has struggled in his second NHL season, recording zero points, 19 shots, and a -5 plus/minus through nine games.

Blankenburg made his season debut for Nashville on October 18th, recording a +1 plus/minus in 12:04 time-on-ice, but has been sidelined since. The 27-year-old Blankenburg played a career-high 60 games with Nashville last season and recorded 16 points (4G / 12A). He draws into the lineup for an injured Adam Wilsby (lower body).

Zayne Parekh (undisclosed) will not play on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, allowing Pachal to re-enter the lineup. The 26-year-old Pachal played a career-high 76 games with the Flames last season, but has been used sparingly in 2025-26, playing in only four of the team's 11 contests.

Connor Zary will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, allowing Klapka to re-enter the lineup. The 25-year-old Klapka, a bruting 6-8, 235lb forward, has 34 hits, 25 penalty minutes, and three points (1G / 2A) in 10 games this season.

Romanov has only played four games this season, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 25-year-old Romanov was averaging 18:12 time-on-ice, with 12 block and 15 hits in four games before his injury.

Adam Klapka will draw back into Calgary's lineup on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, sending Zary to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. Zary had an impressive 2024-25 season, scoring 27 points (13G / 14A) in 54 games, but has not been able to discover his scoring touch early in 2025-26, limited to only two points (1G / 1A) in 11 games.

Flames' head coach Ryan Huska indicated that Parekh is a little "banged up" and will not play on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. The 19-year-old first-year defenseman is averaging 15:53 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in nine games this season.

The Stars are riding a three-game winning streak and have been stingy offensively in the process, outscoring their opposition 7-4. Oettinger is coming off his best performance of the season, saving all 24 shots he faced for his first shutout in a 1-0 win over the Washington Capitals. The 26-year-old Oettinger has a 2.61 GAA and .909 SV% in eight games this season (5-2-1). The Stars enter Thursday's contest as +129 road underdogs against a Lightning team also on a three-game winning streak.