NHL Hockey Player News

Gibson will start for the Ducks on Monday as Greg Cronin and the coaching staff seem intent on continuing their even rotation between him and Lukas Dostal. Thus far, Dostal has outperformed Gibson but even so, Gibson has put together a respectable 2.81 GAA and .905 SV% through four games (1-3-0), both better totals than he has amassed in the past five seasons. Gibson and the Ducks will try to hold things together defensively as +211 road underdogs against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that is 3-5-0 this season.

Johansson is quietly and surprisingly putting together one of the premiere early-season performances among NHL goaltenders. Coming off back-to-back shutouts, Johansson has a 7-4-1 record and has done his part filling in for the injured Andrei Vasilevskiy, with an impressive 2.56 GAA and .925 SV%. The 28-year-old journeyman has only started eight or more games in a season twice in his career, a number he will match tonight if he gets the nod against the Seattle Kraken and their fifth-worst ranked offence (2.22 GF/GP).

Glass has missed the Predators' previous three games due to a lower-body injury and was placed on the injured reserve Monday with expectations he will be out for 1-2 more weeks. The 24-year-old centre has yet to pick up a point in 2023-24 through five games played but has nine SOG and two PIMs. Marc Del Gaizo was recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) to take his roster spot.

Heinen has been at camp with Boston on a PTO since the preseason and has finally signed a one-year, $775,000 contract Monday. The 28-year-old left-winger had eight goals, 14 assists, 96 SOG, 12 PIMs, and a -5 plus/minus in 65 games with Pittsburgh in 2022-23. He is entering his eighth NHL season and returns to Boston where he spent the first four years of his career.

Grubauer will return to the crease for the Kraken on Monday after serving as backup to Joey Daccord for the last three games. Through four games (0-4-0), Grubauer has a 3.04 GAA and .896 SV%, totals that are disappointing but on par with expectations since he joined the Kraken. In his first nine NHL seasons, Grubauer put together a tremendous 2.34 GAA and .920 SV% in 241 games (109-61-21). In his third season now with the Kraken, he has amassed an ugly 3.04 GAA and .891 SV%.

Katchouk will be the odd man out of the Blackhawks' lineup on Tuesday vs. Arizona as Andreas Athanasiou draws back in. The 25-year-old has done little offensively this season as he has no goals, an assist, seven SOG, two PIMs and a +1 plus/minus in eight games played.

Athanasiou was a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks' previous game vs. Vegas but will draw back into the lineup for Boris Katchouk on Monday in Arizona. The 29-year-old has struggled out of the gate this season as he has no goals, three assists, 14 SOG, and a -2 plus/minus in seven games played.

Phillips has been a healthy scratch for all eight of Chicago's games so far in 2023-24 but will make his season debut Monday vs. Arizona. The 22-year-old defenseman is Chicago's 2020 fifth-round pick (141st overall) and had a goal, four assists, 16 SOG, five PIMs, and a -10 plus/minus in 16 games played in 2022-23.

Soderblom was shelled in his previous start vs Vegas after allowing five goals on 24 shots (.792 SV%) but will take the crease Monday in Arizona. The 24-year-old has been solid this season besides the last game, as he has a 1-2-0 record, .913 SV% and 2.68 GAA. He heads to Arizona to take on the Coyotes on Monday, who are coming off back-to-back losses to Los Angeles and are 23rd in the NHL in goals per game (2.71).

Matheson left the Canadiens' previous game vs. Winnipeg after 16:15 TOI due to a lower-body injury and will be a game-time decision on Monday vs. Vegas after practicing earlier in the day. The 29-year-old veteran defenseman is having a strong start to 2023-24 as he has two goals, four assists, 22 SOG, six PIMs and a -1 plus/minus in eight games.

Montembeault stopped 33 of 36 shots (.917 SV%) for his second victory of the season as he beat Columbus in his previous start. The 27-year-old World Championship winner is 2-1-0 so far in 2023-24, with a .901 SV% and 3.29 GAA. He will take on the surging Vegas Golden Knights, who had an eight-game winning streak snapped with an overtime loss last game and are sixth in the NHL in goals per game (3.67).

Solovyov had two PIMs, one SOG, and a -3 plus/minus in his first two career games with the Flames but has been reassigned to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) on Monday. The 23-year-old defenseman returns to the Wranglers, where he had a goal, an assist, and two PIMs in four games prior to his promotion. Solovyov heads down due to Rasmus Andersson returning from a four-game suspension.

Del Gazio has an assist and two PIMs in five games with Milwaukee (AHL) in 2023-24 so far and has earned his first career call-up to Nashville on Monday. The 24-year-old defenseman was the Predators' 2019 fourth-round pick (109th overall) and has played four seasons in the AHL prior to his promotion.

Hill suffered his first loss of the season on Friday, a 4-3 overtime loss at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks, and will look to rebound on Monday night as he is the likely starter against the Montreal Canadiens. In five games this season (4-0-1), Hill is sporting a respectable 2.16 GAA and .915 SV%. Hill and the Golden Knights are -221 home favourites against a Montreal Canadiens team that has won four of their last five games.

Grubauer will likely return to the crease for the Kraken on Monday after serving as backup to Joey Daccord for the last three games. Through four games (0-4-0), Grubauer has a 3.04 GAA and .896 SV%, totals that are disappointing but on par with expectations since he joined the Kraken. In his first nine NHL seasons, Grubauer put together a tremendous 2.34 GAA and .920 SV% in 241 games (109-61-21). In his third season now with the Kraken, he has amassed an ugly 3.04 GAA and .891 SV%.

Liljegren left the Maple Leafs' previous game Saturday after just 11:45 TOI due to an upper-body injury but will play Tuesday vs. Los Angeles. The 24-year-old defenseman has taken a positive stride forward in 2023-24 as he's averaging nearly a minute and a half more than his previous career-high TOI with his 19:12 TOI nightly and has an assist, and five SOG in eight games this season.

Talbot is the likely starter for the Kings on Tuesday as they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. Talbot, who has a 2.72 GAA and .905 SV% through six games (3-2-1), has been the clear favourite between the pipes for the Kings as backup Phoenix Copley has struggled tremendously with a horrid 4.98 GAA and .788 SV% through three games (1-0-1). The Kings are +140 road underdogs against a Maple Leafs team that has points in four straight games (3-0-1).

Korczak will return to the lineup and replace Brayden Pachal after being a healthy scratch on Saturday. Korczak has four points (1G / 3A), four blocks, and 10 hits in five games this season.

Pachal will be scratched for the second time in the last three games, making room for Kaedan Korczak to draw back into the lineup. Pachal had a -2 plus/minus rating while only playing 9:54 in his last game. He has one goal, 11 blocks, and 15 hits in eight games this season.

Woll is the confirmed starter for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday when they host the Los Angeles Kings. Woll has appeared in three of the last four games for the Maple Leafs, posting a 3-0-0 record along with a dazzling .979 SV%. Woll's play has been remarkable to start the season as he is doing everything in his ability to solidify himself as the go-to guy between the pipes for the Maple Leafs. He has given them a chance to win every night but will have his ability put to the ultimate test on Tuesday against the Kings' league-best offence (4.38 GF / GP).