NHL Hockey Player News

Gibson has been one of the best goalies in the NHL since the beginning of December, but he has lost two straight (0-1-1), allowing five goals on 44 combined shots (.886 SV%). Still, the 32-year-old American goalie boasts an impressive 2.04 GAA and .927 SV% in his last 21 games (17-3-1). He will tend the twine on Saturday against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, who are currently fighting themselves out of a rut, going 4-5-3 in their last 12 games.

Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators and exited the game in the second period and has not played since. His next chance to return will be on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers. The 31-year-old has been a strong offensive contributor in recent weeks, scoring 14 points (6G / 8A) in his last 14 games.

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. His next chance to return to the lineup will be on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers.

The Blue Jackets' new Head Coach Rick Bowness continues to show his trust in Elvis Merzlikins, who will return to the crease for the fifth time in eight games since the coaching change. The 31-year-old Latvian goalie has also played better with his uptick in deployment, posting a 2.63 GAA and .907 SV% in his last four outings (3-1-0). The Blue Jackets enter the action on Friday as -147 road favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks team on a four-game losing streak (0-2-2).

Jake Christiansen will draw back into the Blue Jackets' lineup on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, resulting in Zamula being a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Zamula is averaging 14:31 time-on-ice and has one assist in nine games with the Blue Jackets.

Egor Zamula will be a healthy scratch on Friday, allowing Christiansen to re-enter the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 26-year-old Christiansen is averaging 10:17 time-on-ice and has two assists in 31 games this season.

Halliday has not played since a tremendous outing on Sunday in a 7-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, scoring a career-high three points (2G / 1A) before exiting the game after just 7:39 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury. The 23-year-old Halliday has 10 points (3G / 7A) in 21 games and is hopeful to play on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

Despite losing four of his last five (1-3-1), Hellebuyck has played better lately, posting a 2.40 GAA and .913 SV%. That said, he has not played up to the elite form that has become expected of the three-time Vezina Trophy winner, allowing three or more goals in nine of his last 12 games (4-5-3) while posting a subpar 3.09 GAA and .895 SV%. He will likely return to the crease on Saturday against a Florida Panthers team that he saved 19 of 20 shots (.950 SV%) against in a 2-1 shootout loss two weeks ago.

Glass was limited to 6:44 time-on-ice in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, exiting the game in the second period because of an undisclosed injury. He did not play on Thursday but appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. The 26-year-old forward has 18 points (13G / 5A) in 42 games this season.

The Blue Jackets' new Head Coach Rick Bowness continues to show his trust in Elvis Merzlikins, who will return to the crease for the fifth time in eight games since the coaching change. The 31-year-old Latvian goalie has also played better with his uptick in deployment, posting a 2.63 GAA and .907 SV% in his last four outings (3-1-0). The Blue Jackets enter the action on Friday as -147 road favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks team on a four-game losing streak (0-2-2).

Foligno suffered an undisclosed injury early in the first period of Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his status for Friday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets is uncertain. The 38-year-old Foligno is averaging 12:55 time-on-ice and has 10 points (2G / 8A) in 32 games this season.

Luff played five games with the Blues earlier this season, scoring one goal, but has spent most of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. The 28-year-old forward has 33 points (13G / 20A) in 33 games this season with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL).

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).