NHL Hockey Player News

With Thatcher Demko (undisclosed) still sidelined for the foreseeable future, Lankinen has taken the reins of the Vancouver crease and will likely start for a fifth straight game on Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 29-year-old Lankinen is riding a four-game winning streak and has a stellar 1.95 GAA and .930 SV% through five games this season (4-0-1). That said, the Canucks enter action on Monday as +113 home underdogs against a Hurricanes club with a 5-2-0 record.

Erik Brannstrom had filled in for Forbort the last four games while he was away from the team for personal reasons. In three games this season, the 32-year-old Forbort has one point (0G / 1A), five blocks, and one hit.

Utah HC will attempt to snap a season-worst three-game losing skid (0-3-0) on Monday with Ingram between the pipes. Ingram has allowed four or more goals in four of his last six games (3-2-1), posting an awful .851 SV%, but continues to hold control of the starter's crease over Karel Vejmelka in Utah. Utah enters the action on Monday as sizeable -258 home favorites against a San Jose Sharks club that has yet to win a game (0-7-2) and has a league-worst -21 goal differential.

Boqvist will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres. Despite being a constant on a lethal Panthers' top powerplay unit, Boqvist has been limited to only two points (0G / 2A) in nine games this season while averaging a lowly 11:34 time-on-ice.

The Islanders have evenly split playing time between Semyon Varlamov and Sorokin through eight games this season and will continue the trend with an incoming back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday. Varlamov will start the tail end of the back-to-back on Wednesday and look to improve on a forgetful start to the 2024-25 season, posting an ugly 3.72 GAA and .854 SV% in four outings (1-2-1). The 36-year-old netminder is well off from his career average of 2.65 GAA and .916 SV%.

The Islanders have evenly split playing time between Semyon Varlamov and Sorokin through eight games this season and will continue the trend with an incoming back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sorokin will start on Tuesday and look to improve on stellar totals early in the 2024-25 season, boasting a 1.74 GAA and .936 SV% in four outings (2-1-1). The Islanders will face off against an Anaheim Ducks club that has only scored 18 goals through eight games this season, fewest in the NHL.

In their final game before flying to Finland to meet the Dallas Stars for the NHL Global Series, the Panthers will turn the Bobrovsky between the pipes. The 36-year-old Bobrovsky has had an inconsistent start to the 2024-25 season, posting a pedestrian 3.11 GAA and .886 SV% in seven games (4-2-1), but saved 24 of 25 shots (.960 SV%) in a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers in his last outing, his best performance of the season. The Panthers enter the action on Monday as -148 road favorites against a Buffalo Sabres club with 30 goals this season, tied for eighth-most in the NHL.

Barkov has missed the last eight games due to a lower-body injury but will return to the lineup on Monday in the Panthers final contest before heading to Finland for the NHL Global Series. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are off to a fine start to the 2024-25 season, posting a 6-3-1 record, but will be overjoyed to have their captain back in the lineup. Last season, Barkov had 80 points (23G / 57A) in 73 games.

Brannstrom was recalled from the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) after being sent down via a paper transaction on Sunday. The 25-year-old Brannstrom played two games with Abbotsford (AHL) earlier this season, recording three points (0G / 3A).

Bains recorded his first career NHL goal on Saturday and has been recalled from the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) after a paper transaction on Sunday. Last season with Abbotsford (AHL), Bains was an offensive stalwart, producing 55 points (16G / 39A) in 59 games.

Nieto underwent knee surgery in May after the conclusion of the 2023-24 season and is nearly six months into his original six to seven month recovery timeline. The 31-year-old left winger appeared in 22 games with Pittsburgh in 2023-24 and had a goal, four points, 13 SOG and a +5 plus/minus in his first season with the team.

After evenly rotating between Devon Levi and Luukkonen in the first six games of the season, Luukkonen seems to have settled in as the Sabres' starting netminder and will be in the crease for a fourth straight contest on Monday night against the Florida Panthers. The 25-year-old Luukkonen was inconsistent at the start of the season but has allowed three or fewer goals in his last three outings (3-0-0), posting a solid .924 SV%. The Sabres enter the action on Monday as +134 home underdogs against the Panthers.

Pontus Holmberg will draw into the Maple Leafs lineup on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets, resulting in Robertson being a scratch for the first time this season. The 23-year-old Robertson has been limited to only one point (1G / 0A) in nine games this season.

Holmberg missed his first game of the season on Saturday but will return to the lineup on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets, replacing Nick Robertson. The 25-year-old Holmberg has one point (0G / 1A) while averaging 13:09 time-on-ice through eight games this season.

Myers made his season debut on Saturday, recording a -1 plus/minus and one hit in 12:11 time-on-ice but will serve as a healthy scratch on Monday. Conor Timmins will draw into the lineup as Myers' replacement.

Timmins missed his second game of the season on Saturday but will return to the lineup on Monday, replacing Philippe Myers. The 26-year-old Timmins has two points (0G / 2A) while averaging 15:38 time-on-ice through seven games this season.

The Maple Leafs, riding a season-worst three-game losing streak (0-2-1), will turn to Stolarz in the crease for a second consecutive outing. Before Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins when Stolarz allowed four goals on 34 shots (.882 SV%), he had allowed two or fewer goals in each of his previous five contests (3-2-0). The 30-year-old netminder has a solid 2.19 GAA and .927 SV% in six appearances. The Maple Leafs enter the action on Monday as slight -101 road underdogs against the undefeated Winnipeg Jets (8-0-0).

Aube-Kubel has not played since suffering a lower-body injury after only 5:45 time-on-ice in the opening game of the season. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Sabres in the offseason after a 2023-24 campaign with the Washington Capitals where he scored 16 points (6G / 10A) in 60 games.

Power exited Saturday's 5-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in the third period due to an illness but was back at practice on Sunday and will be in the lineup on Monday against the Florida Panthers. The 22-year-old defenseman is riding a four-game point streak, scoring six points (1G / 5A).

Tampa Bay will likely turn to Vasilevskiy between the pipes for the third straight game and the seventh time in eight contests this season. Vasilevskiy has been inconsistent this season, allowing three or more goals in four of his last five games (2-3-0), but is coming off a spectacular 32-save shutout, his first of the season, on Saturday in a 3-0 win over the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay enters action on Monday as a -131 home favorite against the Nashville Predators.