NHL Hockey Player News

After a disappointing trip to Finland as part of the NHL Global Series, losing both games to the Florida Panthers, the Stars will return to Oettinger between the pipes on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Oettinger was victorious against the Blackhawks on October 26th, saving 22 of 24 shots (.917 SV%), and has a solid 2.44 GAA and .917 SV% through seven games this season (5-2-0). The Stars enter Thursday's contest against the Blackhawks as gargantuan -335 home favorites.

Peeke was injured on Tuesday after taking a hard hit from Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty was originally assessed a five-minute major on the play but the penalty was rescinded after review. The 26-year-old Peeke has two points (0G / 2A) in 13 games this season.

After serving as the backup to Ilya Sorokin for three straight games (2-1-0), Varlamov will likely return to the crease for the Islanders on Thursday. The 36-year-old Varlamov, a 17-year veteran, has an excellent 2.65 GAA and .916 SV% over his career but has a far less impressive 3.21 GAA and .876 SV% through five games this season (1-3-1). The Islanders enter the action on Thursday as +120 road underdogs against an Ottawa Senators club that has only scored five combined goals in their previous three games (1-2-0).

The Jets will likely turn to Hellebuyck between the pipes for a third straight game on Thursday against division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche. After slightly faltering from his Vezina-caliber campaign, allowing four or more goals in two of three games, Hellebuyck responded with a 21-save shutout victory in his previous outing, his second this season. The 31-year-old Hellebuyck has a tremendous 2.10 GAA and .923 SV% through 10 games (9-1-0). The Jets enter the action on Thursday as -137 home favorites against an Avalanche club that will have Alexandar Georgiev in net for only the second time in the past three weeks.

Michkov is among the rookie scoring leaders, with 10 points (4G / 6A) in 13 games, but will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Anthony Richard to make his season debut. Michkov recorded an assist in his previous outing but was held off the scoresheet in four straight before that.

Richard played nine games with the Boston Bruins last season, scoring three points (1G / 2A), but has primarily been an AHL player since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators. The 27-year-old Richard has nine points (4G / 5A) in seven games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) this season). Rookie phenom Matvei Michkov will be a healthy scratch on Thursday to accommodate Richard's entry into the Flyers lineup.

The Senators, fresh off a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, will switch to Forsberg between the pipes on Thursday against the New York Islanders. The 31-year-old Forsberg has a solid 2.65 GAA and .910 SV% in six games (3-2-0), stats greatly skewed by two impressive shutouts in his last three games. The Senators enter the action on Thursday as -137 home favorites against an Islanders club averaging only 2.46 goals per game, bottom-five in the NHL.

The Devils, winners of three of their last four (3-1-0), will return to Markstrom between the pipes after giving him the night off in their previous outing, a 3-0 shutout win for Jake Allen over the Edmonton Oilers. The 34-year-old Markstrom has turned his season around, allowing two or fewer goals in three straight (2-1-0) and posting a stellar .948 SV%, after a forgetful start where he allowed three or more in five of seven (3-3-1) and posted a .891 SV%. The Devils enter the action on Thursday as huge -308 home favorites against a Montreal Canadiens club with a league-worst -18 goal differential through 13 games (4-7-2).

The Senators, fresh off a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, will likely switch to Forsberg between the pipes on Thursday against the New York Islanders. The 31-year-old Forsberg has a solid 2.65 GAA and .910 SV% in six games (3-2-0), stats greatly skewed by two impressive shutouts in his last three games. The Senators enter the action on Thursday as -137 home favorites against an Islanders club averaging only 2.46 goals per game, bottom-five in the NHL.

In their first game back in Florida after a two-game stint against the Dallas Stars in Finland as part of the NHL Global Series, the Panthers, riding a five-game winning streak, will turn to Bobrovsky between the pipes. The 36-year-old Bobrovsky hasn't been spectacular, posting a 3.08 GAA and .892 SV%, but has come up big when it's mattered most, translating to a solid 6-2-1 record. The Panthers enter the action on Thursday as -196 home favorites against a Nashville Predators club outscored 6-2 during a two-game losing streak.

Tampa Bay, amid a three-game losing skid, will likely turn to Vasilevskiy between the pipes on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 30-year-old Vasilevskiy has had an up-and-down start to the 2024-25 campaign, posting a 2.59 GAA and .903 SV% in 11 games (6-5-0). That said, Tampa Bay has a favorable matchup on Thursday, entering the action as -193 home favorites against a Philadelphia club with a -15 goal differential through 13 games (4-8-1).

The Rangers will roll with Shesterkin in the crease for a fourth straight game on Thursday when they host the Buffalo Sabres. Shesterkin is amid another Vezina-caliber season. The 28-year-old Shesterkin has allowed two or fewer goals in six of nine games (6-2-1), translating to an impressive 2.22 GAA and .933 SV%. The Rangers enter the action on Thursday as -195 home favorites against a Sabres club that has lost three of their last four.

Artem Zub (concussion) will make his return from a nine-game absence on Thursday against the New York Islanders, resulting in Bernard-Docker being a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Bernard-Docker averaged 14:17 time-on-ice and scored two points (0G / 2A) in nine games.

Zub has not played since suffering a concussion in the third game of the season but is expected to make his return from a nine-game absence on Thursday against the New York Islanders. The 29-year-old hard-hitting defenseman has battled injuries the last two seasons, limited to 53 and 69 games respectively. Jacob Bernard-Docker will be the odd man out of the lineup to welcome Zub's return.

With Frederik Andersen (lower body) still sidelined, the Hurricanes will likely turn to Kochetkov between the pipes for a fifth straight game. The 25-year-old Kochetkov has a pedestrian 2.72 GAA and .878 SV%, partly due to the Hurricanes' elite shot suppression, which has translated to an excellent 6-1-0 record. The Hurricanes own a league-best seven-game winning streak and enter the action on Thursday as significant -262 home favorites against a Pittsburgh Penguins club they defeated 4-1 less than three weeks ago.

Perron has been away from the team since October 21st but made his return to morning skate on Thursday. The 36-year-old veteran has had trouble establishing himself in his first season with the Senators, scoring zero points and recording a -4 plus/minus through five games of playing predominantly on the third line.

In their first game back in Florida after a two-game stint against the Dallas Stars in Finland as part of the NHL Global Series, the Panthers, riding a five-game winning streak, will likely turn to Bobrovsky between the pipes. The 36-year-old Bobrovsky hasn't been spectacular, posting a 3.08 GAA and .892 SV%, but has come up big when it's mattered most, translating to a solid 6-2-1 record. The Panthers enter the action on Thursday as -196 home favorites against a Nashville Predators club outscored 6-2 during a two-game losing streak.

Hutton will draw into the lineup in place of Nicolas Hague (undisclosed). Hutton finished the 2023-24 season with two goals and eight assists in 41 games with the Golden Knights.

Hague's injury will make room for Ben Hutton's season debut. Hague has one goal and zero assists in nine games this season.