NHL Hockey Player News

Hintz helped Finland capture a Bronze Medal at the Olympics, but has not played yet since the conclusion of the Olympic break, missing four consecutive games. He returned to practice for the first time on Thursday, but his status for Friday's game against the Colorado Avalanche remains uncertain. The 29-year-old Hintz has 44 points (15G / 29A) in 52 games this season and has seen his goal scoring decrease. Hintz has averaged 33 goals per 82 games over the past four seasons but is on pace for only 24 this season.

Sergei Bobrovsky's name has begun circulating in trade rumours as the trade deadline approaches, which, along with his inconsistent play between the pipes, has given Tarasov a start on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old Tarasov was excellent in his only outing since resuming from the Olympic break, saving 36 of 38 shots (.947 SV%), but did not receive enough goal support, falling 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres. The Panthers enter Thursday's contest as slight -102 road underdogs against a Blue Jackets team that is 9-1-1 in their last 11 games.

Gibson exited Monday's 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators in the first intermission due to an upper-body injury and did not suit up for Wednesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights. It's uncertain if Gibson will be ready for Friday's game against the Florida Panthers, but his presence at practice on Thursday is an encouraging sign. The 32-year-old Gibson has only lost six of his last 25 games (19-5-1), posting an impressive 2.06 GAA and .925 SV%, leading the Red Wings to a playoff spot over the past two months.

Roy has become a valuable bottom-six center in the NHL and will bring that presence to Colorado as they set their sights on a deep playoff run. The 29-year-old Roy averaged 14:45 time-on-ice, recording 20 points (5G / 15A), 32 blocks, and 61 hits in 59 games this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Larkin was the victim of a vicious cross-check late in the third period of Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and had difficulty regaining composure and exiting the ice, but seemingly avoided major repercussions after returning to the ice in overtime. That said, the 29-year-old Larkin was absent from practice on Thursday, and his status is unclear heading into Friday's game against the Florida Panthers.

Vanecek has not played in over a month and will make his post-Olympic break return to the crease on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 30-year-old Czech goalie only has one win in his last 11 outings (1-8-2), posting a subpar 3.19 GAA and .876 SV%. He has allowed three or more goals in four of his last five games (1-3-1). The Mammoth enter Thursday's contest as -120 road favourites against a Flyers team on a three-game winning streak.

Sergei Bobrovsky's name has begun circulating around trade rumours as the trade deadline approaches, which, along with his inconsistent play between the pipes, has opportuned Tarasov with a start on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old Tarasov was excellent in his only outing since resuming from the Olympic break, saving 36 of 38 shots (.947 SV%), but did not receive enough goal support, falling 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres. The Panthers enter Thursday's contest as slight -102 road underdogs against a Blue Jackets team that is 9-1-1 in their last 11 games.

Fabbro is battling an undisclosed ailment and his status for Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers is up in the air. The 27-year-old Fabbro is averaging 15:59 time-on-ice, recording nine points (4G / 5A), 51 hits, and 88 blocks in 54 games this season.

Werenski has missed two consecutive games due to an illness and his status remains uncertain for Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers. The 28-year-old defenseman had two assists in his most recent game, giving him 13 points (2G / 11A) during a nine-game point streak. He has 65 points (20G / 45A) in 54 games this season.

The Blue Jackets are regularly winning with whoever is tending the twine, and on Thursday, they will turn to Greaves for a second consecutive outing. The 24-year-old goalie was solid in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators, saving 21 of 23 shots (.913 SV%). He has an impressive 2.34 GAA and .914 SV% in his last nine games (7-1-1). The Blue Jackets enter the action on Thursday as slight -108 home favourites against a Florida Panthers team on a three-game losing streak (0-3-0).

Jenner was a surprise scratch on Tuesday due to a lower-body injury, he will be back in the lineup on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. The 32-year-old Jenner is averaging 16:29 time-on-ice, recording 27 points (8G / 19A), 45 blocks, and 98 hits in 45 games this season.

Hellebuyck saved 17 of 19 shots (.895 SV%) in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks, his first win in six outings (1-2-3). The Jets remain nine points out of a Wild Card spot and will need Hellebuyck to showcase the Vezina-calibre goaltending he has displayed in previous seasons if they have any intentions of making a late-season push for the playoffs. The Jets enter Thursday's contest as +172 home underdogs against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that will be desperate for a win after uncharacteristically being outscored 16-7 in their last three games (0-3-0).

O'Reilly suffered a scary injury near his eye late in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the team has indicated the worst-case scenario was avoided and that he will only be out day-to-day. The 35-year-old O'Reilly is having a resurgent 2025-26 season, with 59 points (22G / 37A) in 61 games. He has only reached the 70-point plateau once in his career and is pacing to do so again this season.

Hellebuyck saved 17 of 19 shots (.895 SV%) in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks, his first win in six outings (1-2-3). The Jets remain nine points out of a Wild Card spot and will need Hellebuyck to showcase the Vezina-calibre goaltending he has displayed in previous seasons if they have any intentions of making a late-season push for the playoffs. The Jets enter Thursday's contest as +172 home underdogs against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that will be desperate for a win after uncharacteristically being outscored 16-7 in their last three games (0-3-0).

After trading defenseman Nick Blankenburg to Colorado, a spot has opened up on Nashville's blueline, resulting in Ufko being recalled from Milwaukee (AHL). The 22-year-old Ufko played one game with Nashville last season, his NHL debut, but has spent the entire 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he has 44 points (11G / 33A) in 50 games with Milwaukee.

The Predators have traded some depth forwards prior to the trade deadline, which has led to Schaefer being recalled from Milwaukee (AHL). The 22-year-old Schaefer made his NHL debut earlier this season, and has six points (2G / 4A) in 27 games with the Predators.

The Predators have traded some depth forwards prior to the trade deadline, which has led to Svechkov being recalled from Milwaukee (AHL). The 22-year-old Svechkov has spent most of the season with Nashville, where he has nine points (2G / 7A) in 49 games.

Konecny is battling an upper-body injury and will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday when the Flyers match up against the Utah Mammoth. The 28-year-old forward is coming off a two-point performance (1G / 1A) in a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins, giving him 18 points (9G / 9A) in his last 13 games.

Dowd has been an effective bottom-six forward for the course of his career and will add some stability to the Golden Knights' lineup as they continue to battle for playoff positioning. The 35-year-old Dowd averaged 15:33 time-on-ice, recording 16 points (4G / 12A), 43 blocks, and 113 hits in 55 games this season with the Washington Capitals.