NHL Hockey Player News

Jared Spurgeon (upper body) and Olli Maatta will re-enter Minnesota's lineup on Thursday, sending Matt Kiersted and David Spacek to the press box as healthy scratches. The 23-year-old Spacek is averaging 13:02 time-on-ice, recording zero points and a -1 plus/minus in six games.

Jared Spurgeon (upper body) and Olli Maatta will re-enter Minnesota's lineup on Thursday, sending Matt Kiersted and David Spacek to the press box as healthy scratches. The 28-year-old Kiersted is averaging 11:51 time-on-ice and has a +2 plus/minus in three games.

David Spacek will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Maata to re-enter the lineup from an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old Maata is averaging 21:24 time-on-ice and has two assists in six games.

Spurgeon has missed the past few games for Minnesota, but will return to the lineup on Thursday, bolstering an injury-depleted blueline. The 36-year-old defenseman has five points (1G / 4A) in six games. Matt Kiersted will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Spurgeon's return.

Impressive early-season performances from Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson made Connor Hellebuyck's (suspension) absence an afterthought, but recent struggles are keeping Winnipeg's crease uncertain. That said, even in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues in his previous game, Skinner played well, stopping 26 of 28 shots (.929 SV%). The 27-year-old Canadian goalie has a 2.65 GAA and .910 SV% in six games (3-1-2). The Jets enter Thursday's game as +174 road underdogs against a Dallas Stars team with points in six of its last seven games (5-1-1).

Mangiapane suffered a lower-body injury in Chicago's season-opening game and has not played since. The 30-year-old forward was traded to Chicago last season after struggling with the Edmonton Oilers. He ended the 2025-26 season with 16 points (8G / 8A) in 62 games combined between the Blackhawks and Oilers.

Wallstedt has been busy with Filip Gustavsson (hip) sidelined and will return to the crease for the 10th time in Minnesota's first 11 games. The 23-year-old Swedish goalie has given Head Coach John Hynes no reason to deviate, posting a solid 2.20 GAA and .915 SV% in nine games (6-1-2). That said, he is coming off his weakest performance of the season, allowing four goals on 32 shots (.875 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Minnesota enters Thursday's contest as significant -202 road favourites against a Calgary Flames team coming off an impressive 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Byram hasn't fully adjusted to Chicago's playing style, with just one assist in six games, which has likely been a result of not being able to stay in the lineup. The 25-year-old defenseman has missed three of the team's first nine games, but he appears to be nearing a return to the lineup.

Carolina announced Wednesday that star forward Seth Jarvis has been activated from the injured non-roster list. The 24-year-old only missed 11 of the Hurricanes games due to his offseason shoulder surgery. He will add a massive spark to an already rolling Hurricanes' offence after putting up 32 goals, 66 points and 224 SOG in 71 GP last season.

Brayden Yager will draw into Winnipeg's lineup on Thursday for his season debut, resulting in Koepke being a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old Koepke is averaging 9:44 time-on-ice and has one goal in seven games this season.

Yager was drafted 14th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, but has yet to make a full-time jump to the NHL. The 21-year-old made his NHL debut last season, playing three games with the Jets and scoring zero points. He has nine points (5G / 4A) in six games this season with Manitoba (AHL).

Mikael Backlund (upper body) will not play on Thursday, allowing Jones to make his season debut against his former team. Jones played a career-high 28 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, scoring three points (1G / 2A), but has spent most of his career in the AHL. The 27-year-old forward has nine points (7G / 2A) this season in seven games with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL).

Backlund has two points (1G / 1A) and 24 shots in eight games, but was absent from practice on Tuesday and will not play on Thursday. Ben Jones will slot into Calgary's lineup to replace Backlund.

Cooley had a terrific first season as a full-time NHLer, serving primarily as Dustin Wolf's backup, posting a solid 2.69 GAA and .909 SV% in 31 appearances (10-10-6) for a poor Calgary Flames team. The 29-year-old Cooley struggled in his first two 2026-27 outings, but was excellent in his most recent game, saving 34 of 36 shots (.944 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He has a 4.01 GAA and .868 SV% in three games (1-2-0). The Flames enter Thursday's action as +180 home underdogs against a Minnesota Wild team on a three-game winning streak.

Hill saw limited action in the latter half of last season and into the playoffs as Carter Hart became the team's go-to guy between the pipes, but Hill returns to the crease Thursday for his fifth start in 10 games. The 30-year-old Hill has been solid when called upon, posting a 2.21 GAA and .906 SV% in four games (4-0-0). He saved 22 of 24 shots (.917 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Golden Knights enter Thursday's contest as -126 road favourites against a St. Louis Blues team that has scored just four goals in their last two games (1-1-0).

Samuel Ersson was likely always starting in the tail end of a back-to-back on Thursday, but with Linus Ullmark (lower body) on IR, he is likely due for more starts than expected in the interim. Ersson only had to make one save in relief of Ullmark last night, playing the final 16 minutes of a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers. The 27-year-old Swedish goalie hasn't seen much action this season, but has an ugly 4.70 GAA and .831 SV% in four appearances (0-2-0). The Senators enter Thursday's game as -124 home favourites against a San Jose Sharks team coming off an impressive come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Oilers were turning to a goaltending tandem of Frederik Andersen and Tristan Jarry, but an injury to Andersen created an opening for Levi, who is making the most of his opportunity. Levi is coming off a strong performance, saving 37 of 30 shots (.900 SV%) in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. The 24-year-old goalie has a 2.00 GAA and .931 SV% in his last five games (4-1-0). The Oilers enter Thursday's contest as slight +106 home underdogs against a Carolina Hurricanes team that is 8-1-0 in their last nine games.