NHL Hockey Player News

The Blues have predominantly relied on Joel Hofer in recent weeks as they've made their late-season push for a playoff spot, but after a poor performance in Monday's 5-4 loss to the San Jose Sharks, the team will revert to their veteran netminder, Jordan Binnington. The 32-year-old Binnington was solid in his most recent outing, albeit lightly tested, saving 12 of 13 shots (.923 SV%) in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He had an impressive 1.62 GAA and .921 SV% in five games (4-1-0) in March. The Blues enter Wednesday's contest as +124 road underdogs against a Los Angeles Kings team that is also battling for a Wild Card spot despite losing five of their last six games (1-2-3).

Mangiapane has not played in nearly two weeks, but could be an option during Chicago's upcoming three-game road trip. The Edmonton Oilers signed Mangiapane in the off-season to provide some depth scoring, but after tallying just 14 points (7G / 7A) and a -19 plus/minus in 52 games, he was dealt to the Blackhawks in a trade. Through seven games with Chicago, the 29-year-old Mangiapane has two points (1G / 1A) and a -3 plus/minus.

Gudas returned from a one-game absence due to an injury on Monday, playing 7:05 time-on-ice and recording 17 penalty minutes in a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he will return to the sidelines on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. The 35-year-old Czech defenseman is averaging 16:18 time-on-ice, recording 13 points (2G / 11A), and 160 hits in 55 games this season.

With Cutter Gauthier (upper body) out of the lineup on Wednesday, the Ducks will turn to Gaucher to draw in for his NHL debut. The 22-year-old Gaucher was drafted 22nd-overall by the Ducks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He has 26 points (12G / 14A) in 57 games this season with the San Diego Dulls (AHL).

With Victor Mancini (undisclosed) sidelined on Wednesday, Joseph will re-enter the lineup. The 26-year-old Joseph is averaging 13:26 time-on-ice and has five points (1G / 4A) in 27 games this season.

With Evander Kane (undisclosed) out of the lineup on Wednesday, Sasson will re-enter the lineup. The 25-year-old Sasson is averaging 11:36 time-on-ice and has 15 points (11G / 4A) in 60 games this season.

Askarov has battled through injuries recently and completed his first full game in nearly three weeks on Tuesday, saving 22 of 26 shots (.846 SV%) in a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. Askarov was far from stellar in his return to action, but came up big when called upon, helping the Sharks stay within reach of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Sharks will need Askarov to make timely saves again on Wednesday, entering the action as slight -103 home underdogs against an Anaheim Ducks team on a two-game losing streak (0-1-1).

Mancini only played 10:54 time-on-ice in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and will be sidelined on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche due to an undisclosed injury. The 23-year-old defenseman is averaging 13:48 time-on-ice and has one assist in 21 games this season.

Kane missed a few games in March and will return to the sidelines due to an undisclosed ailment on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche. The 34-year-old Kane scored a goal in Vancouver's previous game, giving him 31 points (13G / 18A) in 70 games this season.

The low-scoring, defensively challenged Vancouver Canucks have not made life easy for Lankinen between the pipes, but he has played serviceably in recent outings. The 30-year-old Finnish goalie has quality starts in six of his last eight games (1-6-1), posting a 2.87 GAA and a .898 SV%. That said, the Canucks enter Wednesday's contest as significant +370 road underdogs against a first-place Avalanche team coming off a dominant 9-2 win over the Calgary Flames.

Nicholl was a seventh-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft that was just rewarded with a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old forward scored 26 points (15G / 11A) this season in 32 games with the London Knights (OHL).

Marchment collided with a teammate in Tuesday's game and gingerly left the ice before returning. It's unclear if this is related to what is currently troubling Marchment, but his status for Thursday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes is uncertain. The 30-year-old Marchment has been excellent since joining Columbus, scoring 27 points (14G / 13A) in 33 games.

Chernyshov recently made his return from a multi-game absence due to concussion, but could return to the sidelines on Wednesday due to an illness. The 20-year-old Chernyshov has been productive in a small sample size during his first NHL season, scoring 14 points (5G / 9A) in 20 games.

With an impending first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars all but a certainty, the Minnesota Wild will turn to Gustavsson, hoping he can find his form against the low-scoring Vancouver Canucks. The 27-year-old Swedish goalie is coming off a forgetful outing, where he allowed five goals on 30 shots (.833 SV%) in a 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins. He has allowed three or more goals in four of his last five games (2-3-0), posting a concerning 3.45 GAA and .865 SV%.

Dostal has played well lately, but is coming off a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers despite saving 30 of 33 shots (.909 SV%). The 25-year-old Czech goalie will look to begin April the way he ended March, with a solid 2.60 GAA and .914 SV% in his last five games (3-1-1). The Ducks enter Wednesday's contest as slight -107 road favourites against a San Jose Sharks team that has gone 2-0-1 in its last three games, keeping itself within reach of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

The low-scoring, defensively challenged Vancouver Canucks have not made life easy for Lankinen between the pipes, but he has played serviceably in recent outings. The 30-year-old Finnish goalie has quality starts in six of his last eight games (1-6-1), posting a 2.87 GAA and a .898 SV%. That said, the Canucks enter Wednesday's contest as significant +370 road underdogs against a first-place Avalanche team coming off a dominant 9-2 win over the Calgary Flames.

Makar recorded three assists in Monday's 9-2 one-sided win over the Calgary Flames, but exited the game during the second intermission due to an upper-body injury. TSN's Pierre Lebrun reported on Tuesday that Makar will likely miss multiple games in order to be at full health for the playoffs, suggesting the Avalanche don't anticipate it being a long-term injury, but he remains without a definitive timeline for his return.

Hurtig was a seventh-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft that has just been rewarded with a three-year, entry-level contract. The 20-year-old defenseman scored 19 points (6G / 13A) this season in 64 games with the Calgary Hitmen (WHL).

With Cale Makar (upper body) expected to miss a few games, Blankenburg will return to Colorado's lineup for the first time in over two weeks. The 27-year-old Blankenburg is averaging 9:08 time-on-ice and has zero points through three games with the Avalanche.