NHL Hockey Player News

Sasson's extension means he will no longer become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. The 25-year-old forward has appeared in 29 games for the Canucks this season, logging six goals and two assists while featuring primarily in Vancouver's bottom-six.

Hofer was solid in his most recent game, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, and will return to the crease on Monday against the Nashville Predators. The Blues have struggled between the pipes this season, but Hofer has been slightly more reliable than Jordan Binnington and has seen an uptick in deployment over the past few weeks as a result. The 25-year-old Hofer has a 3.10 GAA and .893 SV% in 17 appearances this season (5-6-2). The Blues enter the action on Monday as slight -106 home favorites against a Predators team that handily defeated them 7-2 less than a week ago.

The Kings have lost six of their last 10 (4-2-4), but largely credit Kuemper's strong play for helping the team collect points in four of those losses. Kuemper has been outstanding in December, posting a tremendous 1.62 GAA and .944 SV% in five games (2-2-1). The 35-year-old Kuemper has a 2.21 GAA and .916 SV% in 22 games this season (10-6-6). The Kings enter Monday's contest as +116 road underdogs against a Dallas Stars team that has been outscored 9-2 during a two-game losing skid.

Ullmark has allowed three or fewer goals in three of his last four games (2-2-0), but does not have the results to show for it, posting a 2.80 GAA and .891 SV%. The 32-year-old Ullmark has had a rocky season between the pipes for the Senators, showcasing a career-worst 3.05 GAA and .877 SV% in 23 games (11-8-4). The Senators enter Monday's contest as +115 road underdogs against a struggling Winnipeg Jets team hoping to shift its fortunes after a dominant 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

Helleson will take a seat on Monday in favour of Pavel Mintyukov. Helleson has two goals and seven assists in 32 games this season.

Mintyukov will slot right back into Anaheim's lineup after sitting out the Ducks game in New Jersey on Saturday. Drew Helleson will sit in his place.

Rempe has not played since October 23rd, injured in a fight with San Jose's Ryan Reaves, but will return to the lineup on Monday against the Anaheim Ducks. The 23-year-old Rempe had one goal and 30 hits in nine games with the Rangers before his injury.

Shesterkin has played well over the past month, but is coming off of one of his worst outings of the season, salvaging a 5-4 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens despite allowing four goals on 17 shots (.765 SV%). The 29-year-old Shesterkin has a 2.53 GAA and .909 SV% in 26 games this season (13-10-3). The Rangers enter the action on Monday as -122 home favorites against an Anaheim Ducks team that has been outscored 9-3 during a two-game losing skid.

Dunn has continued to be a productive presence from Seattle's blueline, regularly quarterbacking their top powerplay unit. The 29-year-old defenseman has 18 points (5G / 13A) in 30 games this season, including six points (2G / 4A) in his last eight games.

Kakko was acquired by Seattle in the offseason and has not panned out the way they had hoped. The 24-year-old second-overall pick from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft has yet to live up to his draft value and has seemingly taken a step back with the Kraken, scoring three points (1G / 2A) in 14 games this season.

Backlund exited Saturday's 2-1 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings in the second period due to an undisclosed injury. He was not at practice on Monday and the team has not yet given an update on his status. The 36-year-old forward has 16 points (5G / 11A) in 33 games this season.

Lauzon has not played since November 15th, but appears to be nearing a return after practicing on Monday. The 28-year-old is in his first season in Vegas and has four assists, 28 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus in 17 games before his injury.

Kuzmenko has regularly been in and out of the lineup lately, but draws back in to replace Quinten Byfield (illness). The 29-year-old Kuzmenko was excellent with the Kings after being acquired before the trade deadline in 2024-25, scoring 17 points (5G / 12A) in 22 games, but has not been able to replicate that success in 2025-26. He played a season-low 6:58 time-on-ice in the Kings' most recent game and has just one point (1G / 0A) in his last 13.

The Kings have lost six of their last 10 (4-2-4), but largely credit Kuemper's strong play for helping the team collect points in four of those losses. Kuemper has been outstanding in December, posting a tremendous 1.62 GAA and .944 SV% in five games (2-2-1). The 35-year-old Kuemper has a 2.21 GAA and .916 SV% in 22 games this season (10-6-6). The Kings enter Monday's contest as +116 road underdogs against a Dallas Stars team that has been outscored 9-2 during a two-game losing skid.

Cardwell scored a goal while playing four games for the Sharks this season, but has spent most of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. The 23-year-old forward has nine points (3G / 6A) in 14 games the Barracuda (AHL) this season.

Chernyshov was drafted 33rd overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old forward has never played an NHL game, but has been solid in the AHL this season, scoring 23 points (11G / 22A) in 25 games with the San Jose Barracuda.