Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have returned Josh Leivo to the Mariles (AHL).
Leivo was a minus-1 in 7:40 while replacing Joffrey Lupul last night.
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NHL Hockey Player News
Goalie Start
Bishop starts tonight vs. Buffalo.
Bishop was busy on Thursday, facing 43 shots - he stopped 38 of them. Despite allowed five goals to the Blackhawks, he had a ton of goal support winning 6-5 in OT. He should be in for an easier game tonight with the Sabres in town. Buffalo's 1.42 G/G and 25.3 shots/G are the lowest in the NHL
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have recalled Carter Ashton from Toronto (AHL).
Ashton has one assist while averaging 6:06 TOI in seven games with the Leafs.
Goalie Start
Jonathan Bernier the lone goaltender on the ice for today's optional skate. Leads one to believe that James Reimer will start tonight.
Reimer hasn't started since being run into by a teammate on October 17th. In his last full start he allowed just one goal on 37 shots in a win vs. Minnesota. He will be in tough tonight against a great Penguins team.
Line Change
Based on the Stars morning skate it appears that Goligoski will draw back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Thursday.
Dallas came out on the wrong end of the deal in 2011 when they sent James Neal and Matt Niskanen to Pittsburgh for Goligoski. He has really come out of the gate on a sour note posting no point and a minus-10 rating through eight contests. He will be paired with Jordie Benn this evening.
Goalie Start
Rask will start vs. the Devils
Rask extended his winning streak to three with a 38 save performance in a 2-1 win over the Sharks on Thursday. The Bruins were outshot 39-17 but Rask stood on his head to earn his sixth win of the year. He will make for another good start tonight against a 1-5-4 Devils team.
Call up / Send down
Keith Kinkaid recalled by Devils. Cory Schneider apparently not available today.
Kinkaid is 2-1-1 with a 1.97 GAA and .912 SV% with Albany (AHL), he will back-up Martin Brodeur today.
Weber left Friday's with a thumb injury.
Weber was spotted walking around the Sabres facility with his left thumb wrapped--up. No update yet on how long he will be out. He has no points and a minus-12 rating in 11 games.
Maple Leafs' head coach Randy Carlyle says that Joffrey Lupul has a bone bruise is "questionable for tonight".
Lupul missed Friday's contest and is in jeopardy of missing tonight's game with the Penguins. The Maple Leafs struggled against the Blue Jackets so they would like to get Lupul back for a tougher test with Pittsburgh in town. He has six goals and four assists.
Goalie Start
Smith is expected to be back in the Coyotes net this afternoon.
Smith was pulled on Thursday after giving up four goals on 15 shots in a loss to the Kings. It was Smith's first bad outing in his last four starts, he will look to jump back into the win column today vs. an up-and-down Oilers team.
Goalie Start
Poulin likely to start for the Islanders.
Saturday will be Poulin's second start of the season, he hasn't played since October 11th. With the Islanders in the second game of a back-to-back Poulin will likely face a struggling Flyers squad who rank 29th in the NHL in scoring - He is a solid spot start candidate.
Goalie Start
Mason is expected to get the nod in goal for the Flyers.
Mason turned aside 30 of 31 shots in a 2-1 win over the Rangers on Thursday. It was just his second win of the season, despite having a 2.17 GAA and .930 SV%. He will face the Islanders who are on the tail-end of a back-to-back and are expected to start their backup, Kevin Poulin. Mason should be a fine start tonight.
Cold Streak
Giroux is still searching for his first goal.
Giroux has just three assists and a minus-5 rating in nine games so far. The Islanders might give him reason to have hope that it could come Saturday. He has seven goals and 21 assists in 25 career games against them, his best point-per-game average against any NHL team.
Goalie Start
Miller starts vs. Tampa Bay.
Miller gave up five goals on 34 shots in a loss to the Bruins on Wednesday. After a strong start, Miller has lost his last three starts while giving up 12 goals. His GAA has inflated to 3.01 and SV% sits at .918. The Lightning rank third in the NHL in scoring (3.44 G/G) so Miller isn't an ideal start tonight.
Ducks winger Dustin Penner is free of concussion symptoms and may join up with team in Columbus.
Penner is missing his third straight game tonight after suffering a concussion on Sunday. He could be in the lineup on Sunday vs. the Blue Jackets. The 31-year-old has two goals and two assists in six games.
The Anaheim Ducks have announced a two-year contract extension for tonight's starting goaltender, Frederik Andersen. Deal begins next season.
Andersen gets an extension before he even makes his first career start - which comes tonight.
Line Change
Teemu Selanne out; Kyle Palmieri in.
As expected Selanne is out for the tail-end of a back-to-back. The Ducks announced at the start of the season that the veteran will likely sit in one of two games of the back-to-back in order to keep him fresh.
Goalie Start
Andersen starts for the Ducks.
Anderson stopped all 24 shots he faced in a relief effete on Sunday. Tonight he will make his first NHL start when the Ducks take on the Senators. It is a decent matchup, but it would be a risky spot start.
Frazer McLaren officially taken off IR and will suit up tonight vs. Columbus.
McLaren will be reunited on the fourth line with fellow tough-guy Colton Orr. He has no fantasy value.
Goalie Start
As expected Bernier starts for the Maple Leafs.
Bernier allowed two goals on 25 shots in a 4-2 win over the Ducks on Tuesday. He is 5-3-0 with a 2.12 GAA and .936 SV%. Bernier has a solid matchup vs. a Blue Jackets team that ranks 21st in the NHL in scoring.
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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.
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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.
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