NHL Hockey Player News

After a tremendous start to his Flames' tenure, posting a stellar 2.27 GAA and .923 SV% in his first 22 appearances (7-11-4), Cooley has struggled in recent games and will hope to rebound on Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues. The 28-year-old goalie is coming off consecutive poor-quality starts for the first time this season, allowing nine goals on 38 combined shots (.763 SV%) in his last two games (0-2-0). The Flames enter Wednesday's contest as +110 home underdogs against a Blues team whose seven-game point streak (6-0-1) ended on Sunday in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

Brandon Bussi, the 27-year-old rookie goalie and feel-good story of the 2025-26 season, has struggled lately, opening the door for Andersen to reclaim the Carolina crease. As such, Andersen has won three straight but has failed to impress, posting subpar numbers of 2.94 GAA and .857 SV%. The 36-year-old veteran goalie has a 2.57 GAA and .879 SV% in five games since returning from the Olympic break (4-1-0). The Hurricanes enter Wednesday's contest as -141 home favourites against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that will welcome Sidney Crosby (lower-body) back from a multi-week absence.

Already without Dylan Larkin (lower body), the Red Wings' depth at center has struggled even more with Copp sidelined for the last week. That said, Red Wings' Head Coach Todd McLellan had reassuring news on Wednesday, indicating that Copp could be ahead of his original recovery schedule and could possibly play on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Penguins have alternated goalies pretty evenly in recent weeks and will continue that trend on Wednesday, turning to Skinner against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 27-year-old Skinner snapped a five-game losing streak (0-1-4) in his most recent outing, saving 26 of 29 shots (.897 SV%) in a 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth. The Penguins, welcoming their leader, Sidney Crosby (lower body), back into the lineup after a multi-week absence, enter Wednesday's contest as +127 road underdogs against a Hurricanes team that defeated them 5-4 in a shootout less than two weeks ago.

Anderson is an undrafted defenseman that has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars after completing his college-hockey career. The 23-year-old scored 33 points (11G / 13A) in 39 games with Michigan Tech (CCHA) this season.

Crosby suffered a lower-body injury while representing Team Canada at the Olympics and has been sidelined since the NHL resumed action in late February. In 11 games without Crosby, which also included a five-game stretch without Evgeni Malkin (suspension), the Penguins performed admirably well, staying afloat with a solid 5-3-3 record. The 38-year-old Crosby leads Pittsburgh with 59 points (27G / 32A) through 56 games and is pacing for the 21st point-per-game season of his 21-year career.

The Penguins have alternated goalies pretty evenly in recent weeks and will continue that trend on Wednesday, turning to Skinner against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 27-year-old Skinner snapped a five-game losing streak (0-1-4) in his most recent outing, saving 26 of 29 shots (.897 SV%) in a 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth. The Penguins, welcoming their leader, Sidney Crosby (lower body), back into the lineup after a multi-week absence, enter Wednesday's contest as +127 road underdogs against a Hurricanes team that defeated them 5-4 in a shootout less than two weeks ago.

The Senators have been one of the NHL's hottest teams over the past few weeks, largely thanks to Ullmark's improved play. Since returning from a prolonged personal leave of absence in late January, the 32-year-old Swedish goalie has just one regulation loss in 10 games (7-1-2), posting a serviceable 2.40 GAA and .897 SV%. The Senators enter Wednesday's contest as -125 road favourites against a Washington Capitals team that has struggled offensively, scoring two or fewer goals in six of their last seven games (2-4-1).

The Capitals are desperately trying to stay within reach of playoff contention and will turn to Thompson on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators, a team they are trying to catch in the standings. The 29-year-old Thompson was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 32 of 34 shots (.941 SV%), but came up short in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins. That said, Thompson has battled some adversity lately, compounded by his team's inability to produce offensively, losing four of his last five (1-3-1) while posting a 2.61 GAA and .902 SV%. The Capitals enter Wednesday's contest as +113 home underdogs against a Senators team that is 5-1-0 in their last six games.

Hutson was a second-round pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and signed an entry-level, three-year contract with the team over the weekend after completing his collegiate career. The talented 19-year-old defenseman scored an impressive 80 points (24G / 56A) in 74 games combined over two seasons with Boston University. With the recent departure of long-time Capitals defenseman John Carlson, Hutson could find himself with immediate powerplay deployment upon his NHL debut on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.

The Rangers are well above .500 when Igor Shesterkin starts (22-13-6) and would likely be in playoff contention if not for a prolonged injury, but they will likely turn to Quick on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. Despite Quick's struggles, he was excellent in his most recent outing, saving all 21 shots he faced in a 4-0 shutout victory over the Calgary Flames last week, only his second win in his last 18 games (2-14-2). The Rangers enter Wednesday's contest as +104 home underdogs against a Devils team that is 6-2-0 in their last eight games.

Markstrom has been relied upon heavily since returning from the Olympic break, and will return to the crease for the ninth time in New Jersey's last 10 games. The Devils are well outside of a Wild Card spot, but can largely credit Markstrom's improved play for at least staying within reach. The 36-year-old goalie has a 2.59 GAA and .902 SV% in his last 10 games (6-4-0). The Devils enter Wednesday's contest as -115 road favourites against the New York Rangers, a team they defeated 6-3 less than two weeks ago.

Melanson will draw in for Eeli Tolvanen, who is out with an undisclosed injury. Melanson has two goals and three assists in 29 games this season.

Tolvanen was absent from morning skate on Tuesday and was a game-time decision vs. Tampa Bay. The 26-year-old Tolvanen has struggled offensively lately, with only three points (1G / 2A) in his last 12 games.

Vasilevskiy will take to the ice for the 46th time this season when the Lightning travel to Seattle on Tuesday. The Vezina Trophy favourite was unfortunate not to come away with the victory in his last start, allowing just three goals on 34 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Sunday. Vasilevskiy leads the NHL with 30 wins on the season and owns a .913 SV% and 2.30 GAA. He's a good bet to get back in the win column on Tuesday, as the Lightning enter action at -190 on the money line.

Schenn will take a seat on Tuesday as Mattias Samuelsson returns from an undisclosed injury. Schenn has appeared in two games for the Sabres since being acquired from the Jets, registering zero points, two blocked shots, and five hits.

Samuelsson will draw right back into the Sabres lineup after sitting out Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs with an undisclosed injury. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 23:07 time-on-ice, recording 36 points (12G / 24A), 109 hits, and 130 blocks in 64 games this season.

Kozak will slot in for Alex Tuch, who is out with an illness. Kozak has appeared in 39 games this season, tallying two goals and two assists.

Tuch is dealing with an illness and is unavailable for Tuesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old Tuch is having an excellent season with Buffalo, scoring 57 points (28G / 29A) through 65 games despite seeing very little deployment on the team's top powerplay unit. He has nine points (6G / 3A) in his last eight games.