NHL Hockey Player News

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was originally expected to start but has been diagnosed with a lower-body injury so Eric Comrie will get his first start since December 5th, 2023. The 28-year-old will look to improve on his horrific overall season numbers as he is 1-5-0 with a 4.61 GAA and .863 SV%. He will host the red-hot Florida Panthers at home Thursday, who have won seven of their last eight games and lead the NHL in shots per game (34.1).

Gibson will be back between the pipes for the Ducks when they travel to Ottawa on Thursday after Lukas Dostal got the nod in Tuesday's 5-0 defeat to the Canadiens. Gibson was forced to leave his last start on February 9th against the Oilers due to a lower-body injury, allowing two goals on 21 shots before giving way to Dostal. Gibson had been enjoying a nice stretch of form prior to the injury, posting a 2-0-1 record and a .919 SV% across his last four appearances. He'll be hard-pressed to come away with a victory on Thursday as the Ducks find themselves as +195 underdogs in Ottawa.

Korpisalo had the night off on Tuesday, a 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but will return to the crease on Thursday as the Senators attempt to extend their four-game winning streak. Korpisalo has been excellent lately, winning three straight while allowing three or fewer goals in each and posting a .935 SV%. The Senators are sizeable -202 home favourites against an Anaheim Ducks squad that was limited to only 13 shots on goal in their last contest, a 5-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Phillips has yet to score through 29 games this season and has six assists and an ugly -22 plus/minus and finds himself the odd man out of the Blackhawks' lineup on Thursday. He will be replaced by Jarred Tinordi who is coming off a groin injury.

Tinordi has missed the last two games due to a groin injury but will draw back into the lineup on Thursday as he replaces Isaak Philips. The 31-year-old towering defenseman has yet to score this season but has six assists, 40 PIMs, 21 SOG and a -6 plus/minus through 30 games played.

Johnson dressed for the first time in three games on Tuesday in Vancouver but will head back to the press box as a healthy scratch on Thursday as Connor Bedard (jaw) draws back into the lineup. The 25-year-old Johnson has struggled offensively in a bottom-six role this season, with two goals, three points, 42 SOG and a -19 plus/minus through 34 games played.

Bedard has not played since the beginning of January after taking a heavy open-ice hit from the Devils' Brendan Smith, forcing him to leave the game. The 18-year-old Bedard was having a solid rookie campaign with 33 points (15G / 18A) in 39 games and was well on track to capturing the Calder Trophy before his injury. Bedard will return to receiving top-line and top-powerplay deployment immediately when he returns to the Blackhawks' lineup on Thursday.

Soderblom will make his first start since January 24th as he takes on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. The 24-year-old has been historically horrendous this season, with his 2-15-1 record, 4.07 GAA and .874 SV%. He will face the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are on the back half of a back-to-back and have lost three straight games after getting news Thursday that their leading scoring Jake Guentzel will now miss the next four weeks.

Jake Guentzel (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve on Thursday which cleared up space for Valtteri Puustinen to be recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). The 24-year-old shifty winger will return to the Penguins where he thrived earlier in the season with eight points (1G/7A) in 21 appearances

Hinostroza returns to Pittsburgh yet again after appearing in 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) and picking up eight goals and 17 points. The 29-year-old returns to the Penguins' as a replacement for the injured Jake Guentzel (upper body) and will hope to add to the three points (1G/2A) that he had in 14 games played with the Penguins' previously.

With Jake Guentzel (upper body) being placed on Injured Reserve on Thursday, Jonathan Gruden has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) for the second time this season. The 23-year-old left-winger has enjoyed a strong fourth AHL season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, with 11 goals, eight assists, 34 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 38 games this year.

Guentzel left Wednesday's contest vs. Florida late in the third period after 18:30 TOI due to an upper-body injury and will now miss up to four weeks after being placed on the Injured Reserve on Thursday. The 29-year-old was one of the Penguins' top trade pieces coming into the March deadline so this is a massive loss for the team. He is currently tied for the Penguins' lead in points with 52 (22G/30A) in 50 games played this season.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was originally expected to start but has been diagnosed with a lower-body injury so Eric Comrie will get his first start since December 5th, 2023. The 28-year-old will look to improve on his horrific overall season numbers as he is 1-5-0 with a 4.61 GAA and .863 SV%. He will host the red-hot Florida Panthers at home Thursday, who have won seven of their last eight games and lead the NHL in shots per game (34.1).

Luukkonen was originally expected to start after occupying the starter's crease at Thursday's morning skate but is now considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will not dress. The 24-year-old netminder has taken over the Sabres' starting crease this season with his strong play and 13-13-2 record, 2.51 GAA and .913 SV%.

Quinn is two weeks into his eight-week diagnosis of a lower-body injury and was placed on the Injured Reserve on Thursday as the Sabres recalled Dustin Tokarski from Rochester (AHL). The 22-year-old Quinn is likely close out his 2023-24 season with 12 points (5G/7A) in 17 games played.

Tokarski was surprisingly called up from Rochester (AHL) on Thursday and will wait to see what it means for the rest of the Sabres' crease as they take on Florida. The 34-year-old has struggled in the AHL this season, with his 7-7-2 record, 3.47 GAA and .888 SV%. He last appeared in the NHL with Pittsburgh in 2022-23 and had a 1-2-0 record with a .897 SV%.

The veteran winger has not played a game yet this season after being placed on injured reserve in mid-October. After several down seasons, Arvidsson has refound his game as a Los Angeles King, scoring 108 points (46G / 62A) in 143 games over the previous two seasons. He returned to practice last week and will make his season debut on Thursday night after being activated off the Injured Reserve earlier in the day.

Beckman failed to pick up a point in any of the nine games he appeared for the Wild this season and has been reassigned to Iowa (AHL) on Thursday. The 22-year-old forward returns to the minors, where he had 10 goals, 20 points and 18 PIMs in 39 games played before his call-up.

Shaw will join the Wild in practice on Friday after signing a two-way contract worth $775,000 for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. The 25-year-old has appeared in nine games for the Iowa Wild (AHL) this season and had four goals, three assists, 13 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus during his brief showing after joining the team late post ACL-injury.

Husso left Tuesday's matchup vs. Edmonton due to a lower-body injury and is now expected to be out week-to-week as his season to forget continues. The 29-year-old has struggled when rarely called upon this season with his 9-5-2 record, 3.55 GAA and .892 SV%. Alex Lyon will continue to see the majority of Red Wing starts in his absence as veteran James Reimer backs him up.