NHL Hockey Player News

With Cam Ward starting several games in a row including a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday there is no real surprise that the Hurricanes will turn to Ellis tonight. Ellis is 2-1-0 with a 1.99 GAA and a .939 SV% so he has been good this season when called upon. He could make for a decent spot start against the Maple Leafs, mind you Toronto has won 4 consecutive and their last loss came vs. Carolina.

Star defenceman Erik Karlsson went down with a left Achilles injury when he was cut by a skate blade late in the second period in the Senators' 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. An achilles injury is really serious and Karlsson is going to miss the rest of the year.

Ponikarovksy had just 2 goals in 12 games with the Jets this season. He had 18 points in 33 games with New Jersey in 2011-2012.

Holtby had back to back 27 save performances during a home-and-home series with the Panthers. The only difference between those performances was one was a shutout and the other he allowed 5 goals. However both resulted in wins and Holtby has his first winning streak of the season. He has a tough matchup tomorrow against the Lightning.

Tangradi isn't fantasy relevant. The Jets add a big body upfront and adds to their thin forward depth.

This doesn't necessarily mean that they will be playing tonight however with this move it is very likely that at least Letang plays tonight. Monitor their status before game-time.

Kari Lehtonen is one of the NHL's hottest goalies right now having won his last 5 starts and only allowing 9 goals. Bachman looks like he is in line for his second start of the season because Lehtonen played last night vs. the Oilers. He is a solid spot start tonight against the Flames.

Kari Lehtonen is one of the NHL's hottest goalies right now having won his last 5 starts and only allowing 9 goals. Bachman looks like he is in line for his second start of the season because Lehtonen played last night vs. the Oilers. He is a solid spot start tonight against the Flames.

This is good news for HIller's fantasy owners, what isn't good is that Viktor Fasth is 6-0-0 and if Hiller doesn't play well when he returns he could be looking at a backup role.

This will be Giguere's second start of the season. He was victorious in his first start but the Avalanche weren't quite as depleted by injuries as they are now. Giguere isn't a great fantasy option because of the sheer volume of starts Varlamov will see this season. He also doesn't make for a good spot-start vs. the WIld. Look elsewhere.

Irving has posted a 1-1-1 record since Kipper went down with a knee injury. The injury appears to be extensive so Irving should continue to get starts. His number have not been great (2.62 GAA and .900 SV%) so he should be a spot starter at best. Don't play him against the top teams in the West. The Stars are fresh off of a 4-1 walloping of the Oilers and sit in a tie for 6th so use your judgement here.

This would be a big loss for the Avalanche as they are already banged up and Johnson is their #1 defenceman. Monitor his status going forward for a more detailed update.

Versteeg got rocked by Ovechkin yesterday and only played 13:38 (averages 17:13). There are no specifics as too what is wrong with Versteeg. Check back tomorrow for a more detailed update.

Wings general Ken Holland just confirmed that Johan Franzen will miss tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues due to a hip flexor injury. This is bad news for the Red Wings who are taking on a big physical Blues team tonight. Make sure to get Franzen out of your lineup. Consider the injury day-to-day.

Price is having a great season with a 7-3-0 record and a strong GAA (2.27) and SV% (.915). Price will be leaned on heavily by the Canadiens which makes a him a great fantasy option when he is playing the way he is right now. He is a definite must-start vs. the Panthers.

After being bought out by the Rangers and coming to the Blues, Redden scored 2 goals in his first 3 games. Since then on the Blues current 5 game losing streak, Redden has been a minus player in all 5 contests and is a -7 overall. This isn't good news for Redden. Kris Russell will assume Redden's spot on the blueline.

This is unfortunate news for Frattin and the Maple Leafs as he has been one of the NHL's hottest players since being recalled from the Toronto Marlies. He has 7 goals and 3 assists in 10 games this season as well as a +6. The procedure isn't expected to be serious and he shouldn't be out any longer than a week.

Anderson has been the best goalie in the NHL this season and is the front-runner for the Vezina right now. Anderson will get the start tonight vs. the Penguins after posting a 42-save shutout last night against the Sabres. Anderson is a must-start right now regardless of format or opponent.

With Jaroslav Halak out with an injury and Brian Elliott on a 5 game losing-streak it is Jake Allen that gets the nod tonight vs. the Red Wings. Allen is 12-16-2 with a 2.94 GAA and .903 SV% in the AHL this season.

No surprise here as the Leafs called up Jussi Rynnas today. Reimer is expected to miss at least one week, more details to come in the next couple of days.