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NHL Hockey Player News

Bobrovsky starts for the Blue Jackets.

Bobrovsky bounced back nicely on Wednesday. He stopped 23 of 24 shots for the win over the Flames after being pulled the night before. The Blue Jackets continue their West Coast road trip tonight against Vancouver. Bob was great against the Canucks last season, going 1-0-2 with a 0.62 GAA, .981 SV% and one shutout.

Sergei Bobrovsky
Luongo will start.

Luongo gave up two goals for the third straight game in a shootout loss to the Panthers on Tuesday. The Canucks played terrible in front of him, which led to his fourth straight loss. Tonight he takes on the Blue Jackets and their 23rd ranked offence (2.41 G/PG)

Roberto Luongo
Jones will make his season debut tonight.

Jones was recalled on Thursday after the Flames traded Tim Jackman to the Ducks, opening up a roster spot for Jones. He leads the Abbotsford Heat with a eight goals and 20 points in 16 games. Tonight he is expected to skate on the Flames fourth line with Mikael Backlund and Brian McGrattan.

Blair Jones
Bozak (hamstring) limped off of the ice at Leafs practice this morning, but says he is fine and still hopes to play Saturday against Washington.

Bozak has missed the last 11 games, but could return tomorrow. His presence has been greatly missed as the Maple Leafs have had used some patchwork lineups in recent games with injuries to Bozak and Dave Bolland along with a suspension to fellow centreman Nazem Kadri. If Bozak plays, he is expected to jump right back on the first line with James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. Monitor his status following Saturday's morning skate.

Tyler Bozak
Nelson will be a healthy scratch tonight.

Nelson goes from the first line to a healthy scratch in an instant with Thomas Vanek returning from a lower-body injury and Michael Grabner getting back in the lineup. "Brock has played extremely well and the other guys have seen that. You have to make tough decisions," Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said.

Brock Nelson
Poulin in goal for Islanders.

Poulin gave up five goals on 24 shots in a loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. With Evgeni Nabokov sidelined with a groin injury, Poulin is basically their only option. Back-up Anders Nilsson has just 218 minutes of NHL experience. Poulin and his .898 SV% and 2.79 GAA gets the call tonight against a dangerous Penguins team.

Kevin Poulin
Fleury starts Saturday in Montreal.

Fleury stopped all 18 shots he faced in a 4-0 win over the Capitals on Wednesday. It was his second shutout of the season and 25th of his career. Tomorrow he faces the Canadiens for the first time this season. Fleury was 2-0-0 with a 2.40 GAA and .933 SV% in two starts against the Habs last year.

Marc-Andre Fleury
Zatkoff going for Pens Tonight. Fleury tomorrow in Montreal.

Zatkoff stopped all 19 shots he faced for his first career shutout on November 2. Even with the shutout he still has 3.36 GAA and .865 SV% in three starts. Tonight will be his second start against the Islanders, in the first he allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 4-3 loss.

Jeff Zatkoff
Green (lower-body) will be a game-time decision tonight.

All signs point towards Green returning tonight and Steve Oleksy coming out, but head coach Adam Oates says he has to wait and see on Green and has not finalized his lineup. Green has missed the last three games, his 11 assists in 19 games will be a welcomed sight on the Capitals blueline and power-play.

Mike Green
Thomas Vanek (upper-body) will be back in the lineup tonight.

Vanek missed the last five games - really six, since he left the November 9 loss in Columbus with a strained upper-body muscle after just 30 seconds. In his first six games as an Islander, Vanek has one goal and two assists. Expect the Austrian winger to get more comfortable with his new teammates and line-mates and start filling the stat sheet soon. He is expected to skate on the first line with Jonathan Tavares and Kyle Okposo.

Thomas Vanek
Holtby starts Saturday against the Maple Leafs.

Holtby was under siege all game on Wednesday.The Penguins fired 40 shots at Holtby, he stopped 36 of them en route to a 4-0 loss. He gets the call tomorrow against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. It has been a strong month for Holtby, he is 6-2-0 with a 2.47 GAA and .932 SV% which is a huge improvment over October (4-5-0 / 3.07 / .913).

Braden Holtby
Neuvirth gets the call for Washington tonight.

Neuvirth allowed three goals on 35 shots in a loss to the Coyotes on November 9. Tonight will mark his fifth start of the season and first against Montreal. In the friendly confines of the Verizon Center, Neuvirth is 2-1-0 with a 2.77 GAA and .910 SV% this season.

Michal Neuvirth
The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Elias Lindholm from Charlotte (AHL).

Lindholm, 18, was selected fifth overall in the 2013 NHL Draft had one goal and one assist in 10 games with the Hurricanes before being sent to Charlotte. With the Checkers he posted a goal and two assists in six games. He arrives in town to help revive Carolina's struggling power-play. They rank 28th in the NHL with a 11.9% success rate on the PP. Chris Terry has been returned to the AHL to make room for Lindholm.

Elias Lindholm
Bishop starts in Anaheim.

Bishop gave up five goals on 31 shots in a loss to the Kings on Tuesday. It was his second rough outing that resulted in a loss but he will look to snap the Lightning's three game skid tonight vs. Anaheim. He stopped 24 of 25 shots in a win over the Ducks in Tampa Bay on November 14.

Ben Bishop
Howard who was scheduled to start for the Red Wings was a late scratch because of the flu.

All Red Wings beat reporters confirmed Howard to start tonight, but he came down with the flu and Jonas Gustavsson ended up getting the start. Monitor Howard's status prior to Saturday's contest vs. the Senators, it all depends how long the flu sticks around wether or not it will be Howard or 'The Monster' vs. Ottawa.

Jimmy Howard
The Flames have traded Tim Jackman to the Ducks for a 2014 6th round pick.

Jackman is 6-foot-4, 220 lbs. fourth line forward. He had one goal and 41 penalty minutes while averaging 6:23 TOI in 10 games with the Flames. The 32-year-old tough-guy has skated in 400 career NHL games and has spent the last four season with Calgary. He is not fantasy relevant but brings some toughness to the Ducks.

Tim Jackman

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!