NHL Hockey Player News

Martin will be unavailable on Thursday due to an illness. Hudson Fasching will draw back into the lineup in Martin's place.

After a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins last night with Linus Ullmark between the pipes, the Bruins will return to Swayman for the back end of their back-to-back. Swayman has been nearly unbeatable lately, allowing only three total goals in his last three games (3-0-0), boasting a sensational .964 SV%. The Bruins are -135 road favourites against the Ottawa Senators, who have points in four straight games (3-0-1).

Korpisalo will start for the third time in the last four games when the Senators host the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. The 29-year-old Korpisalo has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his last three starts (2-0-1), posting a stellar .935 SV%. The Senators are +123 home underdogs against a Bruins club that suffered a dramatic 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes last night.

Varlamov has been out since January 2nd due to a lower-body injury but returned Tuesday to back up Ilya Sorokin and will start Thursday vs. Montreal. The 35-year-old back up has exclaimed his excitement for new Head Coach Patrick Roy, who he played under in Colorado during Roy's inaugural coaching tenure. Varlamov is positing an impressive 6-4-2 record, 2.78 GAA And .918 SV% on the season. He will take on Montreal on Thursday.

Spencer Martin was stellar in his Hurricanes debut last night, a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, but Raanta will tend the twine on Thursday, the back end of a back-to-back. After a forgettable start to the season that resulted in being placed on waivers with an atrocious .855 SV% in his first 15 games (7-5-1), Raanta has rebounded nicely, allowing three or fewer goals in six games (3-2-1), posting a still unimpressive but significantly improved .898 SV%. Despite playing last night, the Hurricanes are -155 home favourites against a struggling New Jersey Devils club

Minnesota completed a minor deal Thursday as it moved right winger Maxim Cajkovic to Pittsburgh for Will Butcher. The 29-year-old Butcher has played in a limited amount of games this season for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) but had three goals, seven points and six PIMs in 14 games prior to the trade.

Cajkovic has been dealt to Pittsburgh for Will Butcher in a minor deal Thursday. The 23-year-old right-winger has bounced from both of Iowa's minor league teams this season but played majority with the Heartlanders (ECHL) and had 12 goals and 18 points in 20 games.

Hamilton has been out of the lineups since November 28th and remains out indefinitely. The talented blueliner had five goals, 11 assists, 61 SOG, 20 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus in 20 games this season before getting hurt.

Hughes has already missed 11 games this season, eight with his current ailment, and although he still has a week-to-week prognosis, he appears to be making progress toward returning. The Devils have struggled, going 3-5 with Hughes out of the lineup.

Peeke will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Zach Werenski to make his return to the lineup. Peeke is averaging 16:19 time-on-ice and has six points (0G / 6A), 31 hits, and 32 blocks through 17 games this season.

Ruzicka had been held without a point in 10 straight games and was a healthy scratch for the Calgary Flames on Tuesday before being placed on waivers the following afternoon. The 24-year-old Slovak was the fourth-round pick of the Flames in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He has 40 points (14G / 26A) in 114 career games with the Flames.

DeSimone was a healthy scratch for the last five games for the Calgary Flames and was placed on waivers on Wednesday. The 29-year-old defenseman has five points (1G / 4A), 19 shots, 12 hits, and 21 blocks in 23 games this season.

Hayden played two games with Seattle over the past two weeks, being held off the scoresheet while averaging under seven minutes on the ice. Hayden has spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, scoring four goals with six assists (10 points) in 33 games.

Cody Glass will draw into the lineup in favour of Tomasino, who has been held off the scoresheet in three straight games while recording a -1 plus/minus and three shots on goal. Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild marks the second time in three contests that Tomasino has been a healthy scratch.

Philip Tomasino will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Glass to make his return to the lineup. Glass has been held without a point in five straight games while recording a -5 plus/minus.

Saros will start his sixth straight game on Thursday as the Predators attempt to end a two-game losing skid. Despite only winning two of his last five outings (2-3-0), Saros has played well, allowing three or fewer goals in each contest, boasting an impressive .932 SV%. The Predators are slight +102 road underdogs against a Minnesota Wild club riding a three-game winning streak.

After starting four straight, Tarasov served as the backup to Elvis Merzlikins in the last three contests but will return to the crease on Thursday night in Calgary. Tarasov has lost his last three games (0-2-1), allowing four or more goals in each, posting an abysmal .840 SV%. The Blue Jackets have been outscored 8-2 in their last two games (0-2-0) and are +168 road underdogs against the Flames.

Werenski has been out of the lineup since December 27th, missing 10 straight games, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. He has been a solid contributor for the Blue Jackets on the blueline this season, scoring 19 points, all assists, in his last 23 games before his injury. Expect Werenski to regain his position as the quarterback on the Blue Jackets' top powerplay unit. David Jiricek was reassigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL in a corresponding move.

Pickard has been limited to only one game in the last nine for the Oilers but will return to the crease on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The lack of play hasn't been an indictment on Pickard's play but rather a testament to Stuart Skinner's, as Pickard has been stellar when called upon, allowing three or fewer goals in his last three games (3-0-0), posting a serviceable .904 SV%. The Oilers, winners of 14 straight, are gargantuan -601 home favourites against a Blackhawks club defeated 6-2 by the Seattle Kraken last night.

Jiriceck has spent most of the season with the Blue Jackets, appearing in 36 games and tallying nine points (1G / 8A). The No.6 pick from 2022 will return to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, where he has three assists in three games.