NHL Hockey Player News

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).

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.

Vikman was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, but has yet to make his NHL debut. The 23-year-old Swedish goalie had a 3.41 GAA and .866 SV% in 18 games (8-7-3) this season with the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL).

Lizotte is battling a lower-body injury did not play on Tuesday, but should be ready for Thursday's game against the Buffalo Sabres. The 28-year-old Lizotte is averaging 13:47 time-on-ice and has 19 points (7G / 12A) in 49 games this season.

While Stuart Skinner has been serviceable for the Penguins, Silovs has quietly taken the reins in their crease and will look to continue his stellar play on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 24-year-old Silovs saved all 22 shots he faced in his most recent outing, a 5-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, for his second shutout of the season. Silovs has won five of his last six games (5-1-0) while boasting a tremendous 1.68 GAA and .939 SV%. The Penguins enter Thursday's contest as slight -101 home underdogs against a surging Sabres team riding a four-game winning streak.

Stone exited Sunday's 5-0 blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins after only 6:06 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury. Fortunately for the Golden Knights, the oft-injured Stone is not expected to be out for an extended time, but he will miss, at minimum, one more game before he is eligible to be activated from Injured Reserve. The 33-year-old forward has been having a tremendous season, producing at a career-best rate with 60 points (21G / 39A) through 43 games.

The Sabres have received stout netminding regardless of who tends the twine lately, and they will continue their goalie rotation on Thursday, turning to Luukkonen against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 26-year-old Finnish goalie was outstanding in his previous outing, saving 36 of 38 shots (.947 SV%) in a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has an excellent 1.51 GAA and .955 SV% in two games since returning from the Olympic break (2-0-0). The Sabres enter Thursday's contest as -109 road favourites against a Penguins team that defeated them 5-2 last month.

The Flyers are on the outside looking in, battling for a Wild Card spot, with Vladar doing everything in his power to help his team. The 28-year-old Czech goalie has returned from representing Team Czechia at the Olympics with a vengeance, doing what he has for most of the season, posting a stellar 1.64 GAA and .942 SV% in three games (2-1-0). He has allowed two or fewer goals in five straight games (3-1-1). The Flyers enter Thursday's contest as +113 home underdogs against a Utah Mammoth team coming off a 3-2 win against the Washington Capitals.

James exited Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres late due to a leg injury and has not played since. He underwent successful surgery to address his injury and will effectively be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. The 23-year-old James is averaging 12:14 time-on-ice and has 15 points (7G / 8A) in 43 games this season.

Goncalves was limited to 8:17 time-on-ice in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, exiting the game with an undisclosed injury and has not played since. The 25-year-old forward is averaging 12:11 time-on-ice and has 20 points (7G / 13A) in 54 games this season.

The Flyers are on the outside looking in, battling for a Wild Card spot, with Vladar doing everything in his power to help his team. The 28-year-old Czech goalie has returned from representing Team Czechia at the Olympics with a vengeance, doing what he has for most of the season, posting a stellar 1.64 GAA and .942 SV% in three games (2-1-0). He has allowed two or fewer goals in five straight games (3-1-1). The Flyers enter Thursday's contest as +113 home underdogs against a Utah Mammoth team coming off a 3-2 win against the Washington Capitals.

While Stuart Skinner has been serviceable for the Penguins, Silovs has quietly taken the reins in their crease and will look to continue his stellar play on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 24-year-old Silovs saved all 22 shots he faced in his most recent outing, a 5-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, for his second shutout of the season. Silovs has won five of his last six games (5-1-0) while boasting a tremendous 1.68 GAA and .939 SV%. The Penguins enter Thursday's contest as slight -101 home underdogs against a surging Sabres team riding a four-game winning streak.

Shesterkin is coming off one of his worst outings of the season, allowing five goals on 29 shots (.828 SV%) in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It marked the first time that Shesterkin has allowed more than four goals in a game since October. That said, before his most recent blip, the 30-year-old Shesterkin remained a reliable presence for an otherwise disappointing and inconsistent Rangers team, posting a stellar 2.12 GAA and .929 SV% in his previous nine appearances (5-1-2). The Rangers enter Thursday's contest as -128 home favourites against a reeling Toronto Maple Leafs team that suffered a 4-3 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils last night to extend their post-Olympic losing streak to five games (0-3-2).