NHL Hockey Player News

Blackwood was excellent in his previous outing, saving 23 of 24 shots (.958 SV%), but received no goal support in a 2-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. The 29-year-old Blackwood has strung together several strong outings, posting a dazzling 1.28 GAA and .953 SV% in his last four games (2-2-0). The Avalanche enter the action on Wednesday as sizeable -280 home favourites against Blackwood's former team, the San Jose Sharks, whom he recorded a 26-save shutout against in a 6-0 win in their previous meeting this season.

After a miserable stretch after the Holiday break, the Stars enter their final game before the Olympic break on a five-game winning streak. They will try to carry that momentum with Oettinger between the pipes on Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues. The 27-year-old Oettinger saved 23 of 26 shots (.885 SV%) in a 4-3 win over the Blues last week. He has won five straight games despite posting a pedestrian 2.77 GAA and .877 SV%. The Stars enter the action on Wednesday as sizable -201 home favourites against a Blues team that has lost seven of their last eight games (6-1-1).

Point has not played in over three weeks and will be sidelined for Tampa Bay's final two games before the Olympic Break, but is still hopeful to suit up for Team Canada at the tournament. The 29-year-old Point has had a down season, with 30 points (11G / 19A) in 37 games, but was starting to return to his elite production before his injury, scoring 19 points (8G / 11A) in his last 15 games.

In their final game before the Olympic Break, the Bruins will turn to Korpisalo on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers. The 31-year-old Korpisalo allowed four goals on 28 shots (.857 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Rangers, but has been solid in recent weeks, posting a stellar 1.90 GAA and .931 SV% in his last six appearances (4-1-1). The Bruins enter Wednesday's contest as +136 road underdogs against a Panthers team on a four-game losing streak (0-4-0).

Laba was limited to only 2:34 time-on-ice in the Rangers' previous game, exiting with an upper-body injury. That said, he anticipates playing on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 22-year-old Laba has 16 points (6G / 10A) in 53 games this season.

Paul scored a goal in Tampa Bay's roller-coaster 6-5 shootout win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday, but he exited the game early because of an undisclosed injury and has been ruled out for the team's final game before the Olympic Break. The 30-year-old Paul's goal on Sunday snapped a nine-game pointless skid.

Cirelli exited Sunday's game after only 6:25 time-on-ice due to an undisclosed injury and did not return to the game. He will not play in Tampa Bay's final game before the Olympic Break and has unfortunately been ruled out of Team Canada's roster for the Olympics, being replaced by Sam Bennett. The 28-year-old Cirelli has 35 points (15G / 20A) in 49 games this season.

Arber Xhekaj will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Struble to re-enter the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 24-year-old Struble is averaging 14:07 time-on-ice, recording seven points (0G / 7A), 17 blocks, and 71 hits in 38 games this season.

Jayden Struble will draw back into Montreal's lineup on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, sending Xhekaj to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Xhekaj is averaging 11:20 time-on-ice, recording two points (1G / 1A), 33 blocks, 135 hits, and 104 penalty minutes in 50 games.

Jakub Dobes has started the past several games for the Canadiens. Still, after losing 4-3 to the Minnesota Wild on Monday, Montreal will turn to Montembeault on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old Montembeault showed encouraging signs immediately after returning from a conditioning stint in Laval (AHL), but has seemingly returned to his early-season struggles, allowing three or more goals in four straight games (1-2-1), posting a 3.80 GAA and .867 SV%. The Canadiens enter Wednesday's contest with even -105 odds on the road against a struggling Jets team that has lost four of its last six games (2-2-2).

Annunen played well in relief of Juuse Saros in Monday's 6-5 win over the St. Louis Blues, saving all 13 shots he faced, and will return to the crease on Thursday in the tail end of a back-to-back. The 25-year-old Annunen has seen limited action lately, but has been serviceable when called upon, posting a 2.44 GAA and .918 SV% in nine appearances (4-2-1) since the beginning of December. The Predators enter Thursday's contest as +142 road underdogs against a Washington Capitals team whose three-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Saros had a rough performance in his previous outing, allowing five goals on 21 shots (.762 SV%) before being replaced by Justus Annunen in the second period of a game that Nashville rallied back into with a 6-5 victory. The 30-year-old Saros has improved after a miserable 2024-25 season, but is currently battling through a rough stretch, allowing three or more goals in eight consecutive games (5-2-1), posting an ugly 4.10 GAA and .877 SV%. The Predators enter Wednesday's contest as +106 home underdogs against the Minnesota Wild, who hold the best record in the NHL since the beginning of November (30-8-7).

Ilya Lyubushkin will return from a two week absence on Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues, resulting in Petrovic being a healthy scratch. The 33-year-old Petrovic is averaging 15:34 time-on-ice, recording nine points (2G / 7A), 77 blocks, and 82 hits in 50 games this season.

Alex Petrovic will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Lyubushkin to re-enter the lineup against the St. Louis Blues. The 31-year-old Lyubushkin is averaging 16:10 time-on-ice, recording seven points (1G / 6A), 54 hits, and 67 blocks in 39 games this season.

Elvis Merzlikins has become the go-to goalie for Columbus since Rick Bowness took over as the new Head Coach, but they will turn to Greaves on Wednesday in the tail end of a back-to-back. Despite the decrease in playing time, Greaves has remained reliable since the coaching change, posting a 2.46 GAA and .913 SV% in his last six games (5-1-0). The Blue Jackets enter the action on Wednesday as -147 home favourites against the Chicago Blackhawks, whom they defeated 4-2 less than a week ago.

Schaefer made his NHL debut earlier this season, tallying six points (4G / 2A) in 25 games with the Predators, but has spent the past three weeks in the AHL. The 22-year-old, a first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, has 18 points (6G / 12A) in 21 games with Milwaukee (AHL) this season.

After a miserable stretch after the Holiday break, the Stars enter their final game before the Olympic break on a five-game winning streak. They will try to carry that momentum with Oettinger between the pipes on Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues. The 27-year-old Oettinger saved 23 of 26 shots (.885 SV%) in a 4-3 win over the Blues last week. He has won five straight games despite posting a pedestrian 2.77 GAA and .877 SV%. The Stars enter the action on Wednesday as sizable -201 home favourites against a Blues team that has lost seven of their last eight games (6-1-1).

Bobrovsky's miserable season continued on Monday when he allowed five goals on 20 shots (.750 SV%) in a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The 37-year-old Bobrovsky has lost eight of his last 11 games (3-8-0), posting an abysmal 3.83 GAA and .829 SV%. Still, the Panthers, desperate to climb back into the playoff race, enter Wednesday's contest as -134 home favourites against a Boston Bruins team with points in six straight games (4-0-2).

Fox's return to practice on Wednesday is an indication that he is wrapping up his second stint on Long-Term Injured Reserve this season. Still, it is unclear whether he will play on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers in the team's final game before the Olympic Break. The 27-year-old Fox has had trouble staying healthy, but has been highly productive when in the lineup, scoring 28 points (4G / 24A) in 30 games.

Bennett exited Monday's 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the first period due to an upper-body injury, but is apparently no worse for wear and will return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Boston Bruins. The 29-year-old Bennett is having a tremendous offensive season, pacing for career highs, with 42 points (19G / 23A) through 55 games. Bennett was rewarded for his strong season on Tuesday, being announced as a late addition to Team Canada at the upcoming World Olympics to replace an injured Anthony Cirelli.