NHL Hockey Player News

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki will draw into St. Louis' lineup on Thursday, sending Berggren to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Berggren is averaging 14:22 time-on-ice and has five points (2G / 3A) in 15 games this season.

Jonatan Berggren will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Kaskimaki to re-enter the lineup. The 22-year-old Kaskimaki is averaging 11:48 time-on-ice and has two points (1G / 1A) in six games.

Blackwood has deservedly earned the trust of Head Coach Jared Bednard early in the 2026-27 season, outplaying counterpart Scott Wedgewood, and will return to the crease for the 12th in 17 games. The 29-year-old Blackwood was solid in his last start, saving 21 of 23 shots (.913 SV%) in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. He has a 2.80 GAA and .894 SV% in 12 appearances (8-3-0). Colorado enters Thursday's game as a sizeable -209 home favourite against a Nashville Predators team coming off an impressive 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Oilers have leaned on Tristan Jarry since Devon Levi (lower body) was injured, but they will turn to Tomkins on Thursday. The 32-year-old Tomkins has limited NHL experience, but was excellent in his only outing this season, saving 27 of 28 shots (.964 SV%) in a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers. The Oilers enter Thursday's contest as -180 home favourites against an Anaheim Ducks team that has scored five or more goals in five straight games (3-1-1).

With Sam Steel (personal) not playing on Thursday, Blackwell will re-enter the lineup. The 33-year-old Blackwell is averaging 9:58 time-on-ice and has one assist in 12 games.

Heiskanen was limited to 9:41 of ice time in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Washington Capitals and left with an upper-body injury. While Heiskanen is sidelined, expect Thomas Harley to be the main beneficiary, with deployment on the top power-play unit.

With Miro Heiskanen (upper-body) out, Taylor will re-enter the lineup. The 24-year-old Taylor made his NHL debut earlier this week, playing 10:44 time on ice and scoring zero points.

DeSmith has played about a third of games over the past two seasons as Jake Oettinger's backup, but has had a lighter workload at the start of 2026-27, starting only three of 15 games. The 35-year-old DeSmith, typically dependable between the pipes, is coming off a poor performance, allowing five goals on 27 shots (.815 SV%) in a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He has a 2.94 GAA and an .888 SV% in three games (1-2-0). The Stars enter Thursday's game as -125 road favourites against a Columbus Blue Jackets team they defeated 3-1 less than a week ago.

Vasilevskiy is coming off a solid 2025-26 season, winning his second Vezina Trophy, but he hasn't needed to be spectacular to start the 2026-27 season. That said, Vasilevskiy played well in his most recent outing, saving 19 of 21 shots (.905 SV%) in a 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The 32-year-old goalie has allowed three or more goals in six of his last eight games (5-2-1). Tampa Bay enters Thursday's outing as enormous -429 home favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks team whose losing streak extended to four games after losing 5-3 to the Florida Panthers last night.

Cossa had a shaky start to the season, but has strung together some quality performances that could help him secure more playing time, especially if his counterpart, Karel Vejmelka, continues to struggle. The 23-year-old Cossa was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has won three straight games. The Mammoth enter Thursday's game as slight -111 road favourites against a Montreal Canadiens team that has scored four or more goals in three straight games (0-2-1).

Colton Parayko (upper body) will return to the lineup on Thursday, sending Lindstein to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 21-year-old Lindstein is averaging 13:33 time on ice and has two assists in six games this season.

Parayko has been sidelined for a week with an upper-body injury, but will return to the lineup on Thursday. The 33-year-old defenseman is averaging 20:49 time-on-ice and has four assists in 13 games. Theo Lindstein will be a healthy scratch to accommodate the lineup change.

Binnington has appeared in at least half of the Blues' games since his rookie season in 2018-19, but ongoing struggles have limited him to just four starts through 15 games in 2026-27. That said, the 33-year-old Binnington is coming off his best performance of the season, saving 19 of 21 shots (.906 SV%) in a 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Still, he has an ugly 4.11 GAA and .846 SV% in four games (1-3-0). The Blues enter Thursday's game as +187 road underdogs against a thriving New Jersey Devils team that is 6-1-0 in their last seven games.

Durzi has not played since October 26th and will likely miss at least a couple more games before he returns from an undisclosed injury. The 28-year-old Durzi is averaging 19:52 time-on-ice and has five points (2G / 3A) in 14 games this season.

Korpisalo joined the Rangers in the offseason but suffered a lower-body injury before he could make his season debut and has been sidelined since. The 32-year-old Finnish goalie posted a 3.15 GAA and .894 SV% in 31 games last season with the Boston Bruins (14-9-6). Rookie Dylan Garand has led the way between the pipes for the Rangers since Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury. That said, Korpisalo should see a decent workload when he returns to action. Korpisalo is currently on a conditioning loan with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), where he has a 3.10 GAA and .919 SV% in one game (0-1-0).

Faber suffered a scary skull fracture in the Wild's final preseason game and has been sidelined since. The 24-year-old defenseman excelled last season as part of Minnesota's top defensive pair alongside superstar Quinn Hughes, scoring 51 points (15G / 36A) in 80 games. Head Coach John Hynes said Faber's absence will extend beyond the weekend, but his return to practice is an encouraging sign that he is nearing a return.

Woll had a chance to earn more playing time after a poor start to Dan Vladar's season, but he has struggled in recent outings, while Vladar has turned things around. The 28-year-old Woll allowed four goals on 29 shots (.862 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. He has a 3.13 GAA and .899 SV% in eight games (1-5-2) and has allowed four or more goals in three of his last five games (1-4-0). The Flyers enter Thursday's game as +128 road underdogs against a New York Rangers team that snapped a four-game losing streak in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.