NHL Hockey Player News

McIlrath will take a seat on Thursday in order to make way for the return of John Carlson. McIlrath has appeared in four games this season and is yet to register a point.

Leddy will take a seat on Thursday after featuring in each of San Jose's last three games. Shakir Mukhamadullin will play in his place.

Ostapchuk will take a seat on Thursday after featuring in each of San Jose's last three games. Jeff Skinner will draw into the lineup in his place.

Skinner will slot right back into the Sharks lineup after sitting out Tuesday's game in Philadelphia. Zack Ostapchuk will sit in his place.

Carlsson has not played since December 2nd, regularly a game-time decision in games since, but will to the lineup on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 35-year-old Carlsson was putting together an impressive campaign before his injury, with 23 points (6G / 17A) in 26 games.

Cooley has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on December 5th, and now seems unlikely to return prior to the Olympic break in February. The 21-year-old Cooley had been held off the scoresheet in four straight games. He has a solid 23 points (14G / 9A) in 29 games this season, but has benefitted from a few big-game performances, resulting in him being held without a point in 15 games.

The Islanders have won four of their last five (4-1-0), with Ilya Sorokin tending the twine in each of the victories, but they will turn to Rittich on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks. The 33-year-old Rittich allowed three goals on 29 shots (.897 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers. Rittich has a 2.65 GAA and .901 SV% in 10 games this season (6-3-1). The Islanders enter Thursday's contest as -124 home favorites against a Ducks team on a three-game winning streak.

Husso stopped 44 of 47 shots in the Ducks shootout win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Husso has won three straight starts while stopping 81 of the 88 shots that he's faced, filling in admirably for the injured Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek. Tonight, he will face the Islanders, where the Ducks are +111 road underdogs. With 13 games on the schedule on Thursday, you probably don't need to risk streaming Husso against an Islanders team that has won four of their last five games.

Joseph Woll (lower body) is nearing a return, but is not eligible to be activated from Injured Reserve yet, leaving the Maple Leafs' crease to Hildeby on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. The 24-year-old Hildeby has been sensational while filling in as the team's de facto starting goalie and is coming off his first career shutout, a 29-save performance in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has a 2.15 GAA and .936 SV% in nine appearances this season (2-2-2). The Maple Leafs enter the action on Thursday as sizable -193 home favorites against a Sharks team that has scored fewer than two goals in three of their last four games (1-3-0).

With Andrei Vasilevskiy still considered day-to-day with an injury. Jonas Johansson will take over Tampa Bay's crease for a fifth straight start as they head to New Jersey on Thursday. The 30-year-old back up netminder has filled in admirably in Vasilevskiy's absence, with his 6-5-0 record, 2.53 GAA And .907 SV%. He will head to New Jersey to take on the Devils on Thursday, who snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Ottawa their last time out on Tuesday.

St. Ivany was battling a lower-body injury that kept him sidelined for several months. He made his 2025-26 debut while on a conditioning loan with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) last week, scoring five points (1G / 4A) in five games.

Coming off a 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth yesterday, the Panthers will turn to Tarasov on the tail end of a back-to-back on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche. Tarasov has had an up-and-down season, but is coming off arguably his best performance as a Panther, saving 20 of 21 shots (.952 SV%) in a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders. The 26-year-old goalie has a 2.47 GAA and .911 SV% in nine appearances this season (3-4-1). The Panthers enter the action on Thursday as significant +201 road underdogs against an Avalanche team that sits atop the NHL with only two regulation losses (21-2-7).

The Capitals have skyrocketed to the top of the Eastern Conference, 8-1-1 in their last 10, and will roll with Thompson on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 28-year-old Thompson has been outstanding lately and is coming off an impressive 39-save performance in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets for his second shutout of the season. He has a 1.96 GAA and .925 SV% in 21 games this season (13-6-2). Still, the Capitals enter Thursday's contest as slight +102 home underdogs against a Hurricanes team they defeated 4-1 last month.

Walman returned to practice last week, seemingly nearing a return, but was placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve, guaranteeing he will be out of the lineup for at least 10 more days. The 29-year-old defenseman has not played more than 65 games in a season since becoming an NHL regular in 2021-22. He has 10 points (3G / 7A) in 17 games this season.

Clattenburg made his NHL debut last month and has one goal in five games with the Oilers. He will sidelined indefinitely due to an eye injury.

Frederic exited practice with an apparent upper-body injury on Wednesday and did not return. He has struggled making his presence felt since joining the Oilers last season, but is showcasing his grit and toughness, suiting up on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 27-year-old Frederic has only three points (2G / 1A) in 30 games this season.

Jones has 64 points (32G / 32A) in 284 career NHL games, but has spent most of the previous two seasons in the AHL. The 27-year-old forward has seven points (5G / 2A) in 17 games this season with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL).

Lyon unexpectedly entered Buffalo's most recent game late in the first period after Colten Ellis suffered an injury. The 33-year-old Lyon went on to save 21 of 24 shots (.875 SV%) in an eventual 4-3 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers. The 33-year-old Lyon has a 3.22 GAA and .899 SV% in 15 appearances this season (4-6-3). The Sabres enter Thursday's contest as slight -111 road favorites against a struggling Canucks team coming off a 4-0 shutout loss to the Detroit Red Wings.