NHL Hockey Player News

Linus Ullmark (personal) returned as a backup to Mads Sogaard in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, and will return to that role on Wednesday, backing up James Reimer against the Colorado Avalanche. The 37-year-old Reimer has kept his team in most games since making his debut two weeks ago, but had a poor showing in his most recent outing, allowing four goals on 19 shots (.789 SV%) in a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Senators enter Wednesday's contest as +122 home underdogs against the league-leading Avalanche, who are in their worst stretch of the season, losing six of their last 10 games (4-4-2).

Bourgault was a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut earlier this season, playing one game with Ottawa. The 23-year-old forward has 37 points (14G / 23A) in 43 games with Belleville (AHL) this season.

Merzlikins has not played in over a week but has seen more action lately, after playing only three times in the previous month. The 31-year-old Merzlikins has played better since Rick Bowness took over as the Blue Jackets' new Head Coach, saving 64 of 70 shots (.914 SV%) in three games (2-1-0), but consistency has been a significant issue for the Latvian goalie. The Blue Jackets enter Wednesday's contest as -135 home favorites against a Philadelphia Flyers team that is coming off a 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders.

Rittich has been reliable in a supporting role for most of the season, but suddenly finds himself battling some adversity. The 33-year-old Czech goalie has allowed three or more goals in four of his last five games (1-3-1), posting an ugly 3.51 GAA and .832 SV%. He will look to return to the form he showcased in his first 16 games of the season (10-4-2), posting a 2.39 GAA and .918 SV%. The Islanders enter Wednesday's contest as -125 home favorites against a New York Rangers team that is coming off a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins.

Philp is an undrafted 27-year-old who made his NHL debut last season after some success at the AHL level. He scored three points (2G / 1A) in 15 games with the Oilers this season before being placed on waivers and ultimately claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes. He has zero point in two games with Carolina and has not played since suffering a concussion on January 6th.

Gostisbehere has missed several multi-week stints this season, most recently being sidelined since January 13th because of a lower-body injury. That said, when healthy, the 32-year-old Gostisbehere has been one of the most productive blueliners this season, scoring 32 points (6G / 26A) in 35 games. He hopes to return to lineup when Carolina returns to action on Thursday against the Utah Mammoth.

Ritchie was a surprise scratch on Monday, with the Islanders not announcing his absence prior to warmups, and will remain out of the lineup on Wednesday. The former first-round pick has seven goals and eight assists in 40 games this season.

Pulock has not played in a week, but could return to the lineup as soon as Wednesday against the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old Pulock is averaging 21:09 time-on-ice and has 21 points (2G / 19A) in 50 games this season.

Soucy appeared in 62 games over the last two seasons during his brief tenure with the Rangers, tallying four goals and 11 assists while playing just under 17 minutes a night. Soucy now joins a crowded Islanders blue-line that already includes the likes of Matthew Schaefer, Adam Pelech, Tony DeAngelo, and Ryan Pulock, though Pulock is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury.

With Simon Holmstrom returning from an illness, Shabanov will be the odd-man out of the lineup as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Shabanov has 15 points (4G / 11A) in 38 games in his first NHL season, but has been held off the scoresheet in eight consecutive games.

Holmstrom did not play in New York's previous game because of an illness, but will return to the lineup on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Swedish forward has 24 points (12G / 12A) in 50 games this season.

Svechkov only played four shifts in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, exiting the game in the first period because of an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old Svechkov is averaging 12:03 time-on-ice and has nine points (2G / 7A) in 49 games this season.

Luukkonen was having a rough performance on Tuesday, allowing two goals on five shots (.600 SV%) and did not get the chance to redeem himself, exiting the game midway through the first period because of a lower-body injury. Colten Ellis entered the crease as Lukkonen's replacement, but expect Alex Lyon to see most of the action if Luukkonen misses any time.

Glass was limited to 6:44 time-on-ice in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, exiting the game in the second period because of an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old forward has 18 points (13G / 5A) in 42 games this season.

Already without top-six forwards Robert Thomas (lower body) and Dylan Holloway (ankle), the Blues' injury woes worsened in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, with Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) both exiting the game early. The 23-year-old Neighbours has 21 points (12G / 9A) in 41 games this season, but has struggled lately, with only one assist in his last five outings.

Already without top-six forwards Robert Thomas (lower body) and Dylan Holloway (ankle), the Blues' injury woes worsened in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, with Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) both exiting the game early. The 27-year-old Kyrou has had a disappointing season, with only 24 points (11G / 13A) through 43 games. Over his previous four seasons, Kyrou was nearly a point-per-game player, with 285 points in 317 games (0.9 PTS/GP).

Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators and exited the game in the second period. The 31-year-old has been a strong offensive contributor in recent weeks, and his status is unclear heading into Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindholm has 14 points (6G / 8A) in his last 14 games.