NHL Hockey Player News

Vasilevskiy was tremendous in his previous outing, posting his second shutout of the season with a 28-save performance in a 2-0 win over the Utah Mammoth. The 31-year-old goalie has been otherworldly in recent weeks, proving why he is regularly considered one of the NHL's top goalies, boasting a dazzling 1.41 GAA and .939 SV% in his last nine games (8-0-1). Tampa Bay enters the action on Thursday as -181 home favourites against a Winnipeg Jets team that has lost four of its last six games (2-2-2).

Hedman has had trouble staying healthy this season, missing the last 21 games, for a total of 33 games. The 34-year-old Norris Trophy winner was clearly not at his best when in the lineup this season, as evidenced by his low shot totals: averaging only 1.4 shots per game, a full shot less than the 2.4 he averaged over the previous decade. He has 12 points (0G / 12A) in 18 games this season.

Hellebuyck saved 26 of 29 shots (.897 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils, which, despite the victory, continued a trend of sub-900 SV% performances. The 32-year-old American goalie, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, has allowed three or more goals in eight of his last 11 games (4-4-3). The Jets enter the action on Thursday as +162 road underdogs against one of the NHL's hottest teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are 15-1-1 in their last 17 games.

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. That said, the team was reassured on Thursday, with the announcement that Kyrou and Neighbours could return 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.

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 could return as soon as 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. That said, the team was reassured on Thursday, with the announcement that Kyrou and Neighbours could return against the Florida Panthers. The 27-year-old Kyrou has had a disappointing season, with only 24 points (11G / 13A) through 43 games. Over his previous four seasons, Kyrou was nearly a point-per-game player, with 285 points in 317 games (0.9 PTS/GP).

Bogosian has not played since January 3rd because of a lower-body injury, but could return to the lineup as soon as Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. The 35-year-old veteran defenseman is averaging 14:52 time-on-ice and has four points (1G / 3A) in 23 games this season.

Svechkov only played four shifts in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, exiting the game in the first period because of an upper-body injury. He appears to be no worse for wear, but has been assigned to Milwaukee (AHL). The 22-year-old Svechkov is averaging 12:03 time-on-ice and has nine points (2G / 7A) in 49 games with Nashville this season.

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. The 26-year-old forward has 18 points (13G / 5A) in 42 games this season.

The red-hot Penguins, 5-0-2 in their last seven games, have received exquisite goaltending from newcome Stuart Skinner, but has continued to rotate Silovs into this mix. The 24-year-old Silovs was excellent in his previous outing, saving 30 of 32 shots (.938 SV%) in a 6-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. He has helped his team record a point in seven of his last eight games (5-1-2), posting a solid 2.66 GAA and .902 SV%. The Penguins enter Thursday's contest as -168 home favorites against a Chicago Blackhawks team that has only scored five combined goals in their last three games (0-1-2).

It's unclear if Logan Thompson is injured, but he was not at Washington's morning skate on Thursday, resulting in the team recalling Stevenson from Hershey (AHL). The 26-year-old Stevenson has a 2.57 GAA and .912 SV% in 24 games (11-8-3) with Hershey (AHL) this season.

Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators and exited the game in the second period. The 31-year-old has been a strong offensive contributor in recent weeks, scoring 14 points (6G / 8A) in his last 14 games. He will not play on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, but is not expected to be out long-term.

Colton Dach will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, sending Slaggert to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Slaggert is averaging 11:00 time-on-ice and has five points (2G / 3A) in 27 games this season.

Landon Slaggert will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, allowing Dach to re-enter the lineup. The 23-year-old Dach has not played in a full week. He has nine points (3G / 6A) in 49 games this season.

Gostisbehere has missed several multi-week stints this season, most recently being sidelined since January 13th because of a lower-body injury. That said, when healthy, the 32-year-old Gostisbehere has been one of the most productive blueliners this season, scoring 32 points (6G / 26A) in 35 games. He will return to action and resume his role as the quarterback on Carolina's top powerplay unit on Thursday against the Utah Mammoth.