NHL Hockey Player News

Guenther was a surprise absence on Tuesday, with the Mammoth not announcing his absence prior to warmups. Liam O'Brien will draw into the lineup in his place.

Middleton played a career-high 41 games with the Avalanche last season, but has spent the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. The 27-year-old defenseman has nine points (2G / 7A) in 39 games with the Eagles (AHL) this season.

Hebig is an undrafted 29-year-old forward that has yet to play an NHL game. He has exclusively spent the past eight seasons in the AHL, including scoring 33 points (15G / 18A) through 35 games with Tucson this season.

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).

Askarov has lost four of his last five (1-4-0), posting an ugly 3.65 GAA and .836 SV%. The 23-year-old goalie continues a frustrating stretch, having allowed three or more goals in 15 consecutive games (7-8-0), while posting a concerning 3.50 GAA and .864 SV%. Still, the Sharks enter Tuesday's contest as -120 road favorites against a Vancouver Canucks team on a two-game losing streak (0-2-0).

Boeser will miss at least a week before he is eligible to be activated from Injured Reserve. He suffered the injury in the final seconds of Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins after an illegal hit to the head by Bryan Rust, who has been suspended for three games. The 28-year-old Boeser has three points (2G / 1A) in his last three games, but has had a disappointing season, with 25 points (12G / 13A) through 50 games.

Lankinen will return to the crease on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks and, with the recent announcement that Thatcher Demko (hip surgery) will miss the remainder of the season, should continue to see a heavy workload for the foreseeable future. The 30-year-old Lankinen has lost 10 of his last 13 games (3-9-1) while posting a 3.23 GAA and .886 SV%. The Canucks enter Tuesday's action as +110 home underdogs against a Sharks team that defeated them 6-3 last month.

Buium exited Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period after taking a puck to the face. He was placed on Injured Reserve on Monday, meaning he is not eligible to return for at least one week. Still, early indications are that he will be sidelined for significantly longer. The 20-year-old defenseman has six points (2G / 4A) in 20 games with the Canucks this season.

Foegele did not play in the Kings' previous game, but he will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 29-year-old Foegele had a tremendous first season with Los Angeles in 2024-25, scoring a career-high 46 points (24G / 22A) in 82 games, but has followed it up with a sluggish 2025-26, scoring only eight points (6G / 2A) through 41 games.

Forsberg was tremendous in his previous outing, replacing an injured Darcy Kuemper (upper body), saving 27 of 28 shots (.964 SV%) in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Kuemper has returned from injury, but Forsberg will return to the crease on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 33-year-old Forsberg has been excellent in recent weeks, posting a 2.12 GAA and .926 SV% in his last eight games (4-3-1). The Kings enter Tuesday's contest as +104 road underdogs against a Red Wings team with points in five straight games (4-0-1).

Knight had a rough outing on Saturday against his former team, the Florida Panthers, allowing four goals on 24 shots (.833 SV%) in a 5-1 loss. That said, he has been a stabilizing factor between the pipes for the Blackhawks in recent weeks, posting a solid 2.44 GAA and .919 SV% in his last seven games (4-3-0). That said, the Blackhawks enter Tuesday's contest as +175 road underdogs against a Minnesota Wild team that has lost four of its last eight games (4-2-2).

Lankinen will likely return to the crease on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks and, with the recent announcement that Thatcher Demko (hip surgery) will miss the remainder of the season, should continue to see a heavy workload for the foreseeable future. The 30-year-old Lankinen has lost 10 of his last 13 games (3-9-1) while posting a 3.23 GAA and .886 SV%. The Canucks enter Tuesday's action as +110 home underdogs against a Sharks team that defeated them 6-3 last month.

Despite a 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in his most recent game, Grubauer played well, saving 27 of 30 shots (.900 SV%) to continue his resurgent 2025-26 season. The 34-year-old German goalie has an excellent 2.11 GAA and .932 SV% in his last 10 games (6-2-2). The Kraken enter the action on Tuesday as +108 home underdogs against a Washington Capitals team that has lost five of its last six games (1-4-1).

Rust delivered an illegal check to the head of Vancouver's Bryan Rust in the final seconds of a 3-2 win on Sunday. The 33-year-old Rust was only issued a two-minute penalty on the play, but has subsequently been given a three-game suspension. Rust has struggled lately, with just three points (2G / 1A) in his last nine games, and will not be eligible to return until February 3rd against the New York Islanders.

Lyubushkin exited Friday's 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues in the second period because of an undisclosed injury and will not play on Tuesday. The 31-year-old defenseman is averaging 16:10 time-on-ice and has seven points (1G / 6A) in 39 games this season. Kyle Capobianco will draw into the lineup as Lybushkin's replacement.

Ilya Lyubushkin will not play on Tuesday due to an undisclosed injury, allowing Capobianco to re-enter the lineup as his replacement. The 28-year-old Capobianco is averaging 12:10 time-on-ice and has five points (2G / 3A) in 26 games this season.