NHL Hockey Player News

Bussi had a surprising breakout last season as a 27-year-old rookie, ultimately leading the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup Championship. However, early-season struggles and outstanding play from counterpart Pytor Kochetkov have made Bussi a secondary option in 2026-27. The 28-year-old Bussi has not played since October 22nd, when he allowed five goals on 21 shots (.762 SV%) in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers. In six games this season, he has a 3.27 GAA and .865 SV%. The Hurricanes enter Thursday's game as -197 road favourites over the New York Islanders.

Hall hasn't played since suffering an upper-body injury on October 13th. He has been a full participant at practice over the past week and should re-enter the lineup on Thursday. The 34-year-old Hall has five points (3G / 2A) in eight games this season and hopes to continue as an effective depth contributor for the Hurricanes.

Andrae has not played since October 20th and will head to Cleveland (AHL) after clearing waivers. The 24-year-old Swedish defenseman averaged 10:33 time-on-ice and tallied two assists in five games with Columbus.

Heinen has played 622 NHL games, but has spent most of the past few seasons in the AHL. The 31-year-old forward has zero points in 10 games with Columbus this season.

The Oilers have leaned on Jarry since Devon Levi suffered a lower-body injury two weeks ago, but they will turn to Matt Tomkins on Thursday, as Jarry is battling an illness. The 31-year-old Jarry will still serve as the backup. He has a 2.57 GAA and .902 SV% in eight games (4-1-3).

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).

On the tail end of a back-to-back, the Blackhawks will turn to Soderblom on Thursday for just his fourth game of the season. The 27-year-old Swedish goalie last played on October 31st, when he allowed five goals on 32 shots (.844 SV%) in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. In three games this season (0-2-1), Soderblom has an ugly 4.66 GAA and .829 SV%. The Blackhawks enter Thursday's contest as massive +366 road underdogs against a Tampa Bay Lightning team averaging 4.8 goals per game over its past eight outings (5-1-2).

Brossoit returned last season after nearly a two-year injury absence and has mostly played in the AHL since, but is currently getting a look in the Ducks' crease. Amid struggles from Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso, Brossoit will tend the twine for a third consecutive game. Brossoit has been far from stellar, posting a 3.50 GAA and .848 SV%, but has yet to lose, with a 2-0-0 record. The Ducks enter Thursday's game as +165 road underdogs against an Edmonton Oilers team that defeated them 5-2 earlier this season.

Olofsson has not played in nearly fours weeks, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 31-year-old Swedish forward was off to a strong start to the 2026-27 season, scoring five points (4G / 1A) in four games, including deployment on the team's top powerplay unit.

Douglas dd not practice on Tuesday due to an upper-bod injury, and has retroactively been placed on Injured Reserve. The 26-year-old Douglas is averaging 5:53 time-on-ice, recording seven penalty minutes and 10 hits in four games. Jagger Firkus was recalled from Coachella Valley (AHL) in a corresponding move.

Firkus was drafted 35th overall by Seattle in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and has yet to make his NHL debut. The 22-year-old forward has 12 points (4G / 8A) in 12 games this season with Coachella Valley (AHL). Curtis Douglas (lower body) was placed on IR in a corresponding move.

Merilainen boasts an ugly 3.31 GAA and .897 SV% through 11 appearances (2-5-1), yet has unfortunately been the unquestionably most reliable Vancouver goalie this season, outplaying a struggling Kevin Lankinen. The 24-year-old Merilainen allowed three goals on 27 shots (.889 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canucks enter Thursday's game as +179 road underdogs against a Winnipeg Jets team coming off an impressive come-from-behind 5-4 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Cooley was riding a four-game winning streak, arguably amid the best stretch of his career, before suffering a lower-body injury that will forced him miss the last week and a half. The 29-year-old Cooley has a 2.69 GAA and .914 SV% in seven games (4-3-0) and should get an opportunity to prove himself between the pipes again.

With Devin Cooley (lower body) activated from Injured Reserve, Sergeev will head back to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL). The 23-year-old Sergeev struggled in his only game with the Flames, allowing five goals on 34 shots (.853 SV%) in a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

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.