NHL Hockey Player News

Coming off a 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, the Blackhawks will hope for better fortunes on Friday when they turn to Knight to tend the twine against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 24-year-old Knight is having an excellent season in Chicago, but has allowed three or more goals in his last three games (1-1-1) while allowing 10 goals on 78 combined shots (.872 SV%). The Blackhawks enter Friday's contest as +130 home underdogs against a surging Blue Jackets team that has won seven of its last eight games (7-1-0).

Simashev started the season in Utah, making his season debut and playing 24 games, but has since been in the AHL. The 20-year-old defenseman, the sixth-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, has 20 points (5G / 15A) in 20 games with the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL).

Toffoli suffered an undisclosed injury in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and did not return. The 33-year-old Toffoli has 35 points (15G / 20A) in 52 games this season and it is unclear what his status is heading into Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames.

Marchand has only played four games since returning from an injury and has returned to the sidelines after exiting Thursday's 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The 37-year-old Marchand has been a key offensive contributor for the Panthers, scoring 50 points (25G / 25A) in 45 games. He is being evaluated, and it is unclear whether he will play in Saturday's game against the Winnipeg Jets or if this injury will affect his availability for the Winter Olympics.

Catton suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and did not play the final two periods of the game. The 20-year-old rookie has 11 points (5G / 6A) in 40 games this season and it is unclear what his status will be on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Lindgren seemingly suffered an injury toward the end of overtime, but stayed in the crease for the shootout, ultimately needing assistance leaving the ice after recording the victory. Already without Logan Thompson (upper body), who is day-to-day, it is unclear who will be tending the twine for the Capitals on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Zacha exited Thursday's 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period because of an undisclosed injury and did not return. The 28-year-old Zacha scored a goal before leaving the game, giving him 11 points (5G / 6A) in his last 13 contests. The Bruins should provide an update before they return to action on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hughes exited Thursday's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators midway through the first period and did not return due to a lower-body injury. It's unclear if he will be able to play on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. Still, Head Coach Sheldon Keefe stated that the injury does not seem serious, which is encouraging news for the oft-injured Hughes. Before Thursday's injury, Hughes was starting to get into an offensive rhythm, with 12 points (1G / 11A) in his last 10 games.

Joseph will slot into the lineup in favour of Victor Mancini, who is a healthy scratch. Joseph has zero goals and two assists in 17 games this season.

Mancini will draw back out of the Canucks lineup on Thursday in favour of Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Mancini is yet to register a point through 10 games this season.

Daccord has been outplayed in recent weeks by Phillipp Grubauer, but he is coming off a solid performance, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. The 29-year-old Daccord has a 3.34 GAA and .888 SV% in his last six games (3-3-0). Seattle enters the action on Thursday as slight -112 home favourites against a struggling Toronto Maple Leafs team on a five-game losing streak (0-4-1).

It's unclear when exactly Ersson suffered the injury, but he was not able to join his teammates for the start of the third period of Thursday's game. He surrendered five goals on 15 shots through two periods of play before exiting the contest. We should get an update on his status ahead of Philadelphia's game against the Kings on Saturday.

Hughes suffered the injury early in the first period of Thursday's game and returned for one shift before exiting the game for good. We should get an update on his status ahead of New Jersey's game in Ottawa on Saturday.

Ekholm is coming off a sensation three-goal performance in 19:58 time-on-ice in Monday's 7-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks, but is battling an undisclosed injury, making his status for Thursday uncertain. Luckily, it appears he will be available for tonight's game against the Sharks. The 35-year-old defenseman has 26 points (6G / 20A) in 54 games this season.

Joseph will take a seat on Thursday to make way for return of Oskar Sundqvist (ankle). Joseph has two goals and nine assists in 38 games this season.

Sundqvist suffered a scary injury nearly two weeks ago, a cut that narrowly missed his Achilles, which would have likely ended his season. The 31-year-old Sundqvist has missed several games, but will return on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. He is averaging 13:20 time-on-ice and has 13 points (3G / 10A) in 39 games this season.

Already without top-six forwards Robert Thomas (lower body) and Dylan Holloway (ankle), the Blues' injury woes worsened in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, with Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) both exiting the game early. Luckily for the Blues, both Kyrou and Neighbours are healthy enough to return on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. The 23-year-old Neighbours has 21 points (12G / 9A) in 41 games this season, but has struggled lately, with only one assist in his last five outings.