NHL Player News

Vejmelka allowed four goals on 24 shots in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Rangers. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Vejmelka has lost four of his last five outings, and this was the second game in a row he's given up at least four goals. This is a poor time for his performance to dip, as Connor Ingram could provide a much larger challenge for starts than Jaxson Stauber did over much of the previous two months. Vejmelka is now 10-13-3 with a 2.54 GAA and a .910 save percentage over 28 appearances. Utah's next game is at home versus the Blues on Saturday.

Markstrom made 37 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to Toronto on Thursday.

The Leafs tend to come in waves, and that's exactly what happened Thursday. Markstrom was magnificent at the time, but so were Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who each had two goals. He's been battling since the end of 2024, delivering a 2-2-3 record in his last seven starts. The Devils had a few breakdowns that cost them Thursday, and Markstrom paid the price. Still, the netminder is a great fantasy play with a sparkling 2.40 GAA, fifth-best in the NHL.

Oettinger allowed two goals on 23 shots in Thursday's 3-1 loss to Montreal.

It's the second time in the last week these two teams were involved in a goalie duel. Oettinger won the battle last Saturday but fell to Montreal's rookie netminder, Jakub Dobes, who stopped 32 of 33 shots. The loss snapped a six-start win streak for Oettinger, who sports a 2.20 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. His 22 wins are second in the NHL behind only Connor Hellebuyck. The Stars play next in Colorado on Saturday then are at home Sunday against the suddenly pesky Red Wings.

Shesterkin stopped 28 of 31 shots in Thursday's 5-3 win over Utah.

Shesterkin allowed a goal early in each of the first two periods and allowed Utah to generate a trio of one-goal leads. Despite the ugly start, Shesterkin settled in and the Rangers rallied for the win with a three-goal third period. He's won three of his last four starts while allowing a total of nine goals in that span. For the season, Shesterkin is 14-15-2 with a 2.97 GAA and a .907 save percentage through 31 appearances. The Rangers have a back-to-back up next, with a home game versus the Blue Jackets on Saturday before heading to Montreal on Sunday.

Woll made 21 saves Thursday in a 4-3 overtime win over New Jersey.

It was his first win in three games, a span in which he hadn't recorded a save percentage (by game) of more than .875. Woll is talented, but the workload in Toronto is heavy without Anthony Stolarz (knee) to provide balance, and it's starting to show in Woll's performance. Stolarz was on the ice Thursday doing some movement exercises, but there's still no timetable for his return. Woll is a solid option in your net, but watch the fatigue factor. He has 23 starts this season and has never had more than 32 starts as a pro. His college career saw him log just 30-37 games per season.

Daccord gave up two goals on 36 shots in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Jets.

The Jets controlled play for much of the game, but Daccord was up to the challenge. He allowed a game-tying goal to Mark Scheifele in the second period, but it was Dylan DeMelo's tally in the final minute of the third that left the Kraken empty-handed. There's no fault in Daccord's performance -- he has allowed a total of nine goals over five appearances (three starts) since he returned from an upper-body injury. He's 14-10-2 with a 2.45 GAA and a .915 save percentage over 28 appearances. The Kraken return to Seattle for a four-game homestand that begins Saturday versus the Kings.

Hellebuyck stopped 18 of 19 shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Kraken.

Hellebuyck had no margin for error in this one, but he kept it tied at 1-1 for 30 minutes before Dylan DeMelo scored with 27 seconds left in regulation. During his four-game winning streak, Hellebuyck has given up just four goals on 93 shots. He's up to 28-6-2 with a 1.97 GAA and a .929 save percentage over 36 starts. The Jets have often avoided having Hellebuyck start more than four games in a row -- if he gets the nod Saturday at home versus the Flames, that would be his fourth straight game between the pipes.

Dobes stopped 32 of 33 shots in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Stars.

Dobes let a juicy rebound escape that Jason Robertson put behind him early in the first period, but that was it. Falling behind is no longer the death sentence it used to be for the Canadiens, whose .833 point percentage since the NHL returned from its holiday break ranks second in the league. The lines have been resilient and goaltending elite (2.11 goals allowed per game), including the unflappable Dobes. Dallas poured it on the final two periods, outshooting the Canadiens, 26-13, but Dobes was impressive once again. He's won all four starts to begin his NHL career, and they haven't been cheapies. The rookie has taken down Florida, Colorado, Washington and now Dallas. The Habs have a back-to-back set at home this weekend with games Saturday (Maple Leafs) and Sunday (Rangers). Dobes should get one of those starts.

Merilainen turned aside 27 of 28 shots faced during Thursday's 1-0 home loss to the Capitals.

Merilainen stood tall against the vaunted Capitals before surrendering Alex Ovechkin's 874th career goal in overtime. The 22-year-old Finn looks to have edged out Anton Forsberg as the replacement for Linus Ullmark (back) while the latter is on the injured list, so fantasy managers should consider adding Merilainen if he's still available.

Thompson turned aside all 25 shots faced during Thursday's 1-0 road victory over the Senators.

Thompson has stopped 76 of 77 shots faced over his last three games - all victories. The 27-year-old is expected to start regularly with Charlie Lindgren (upper body) on the injured list so fantasy managers should make the most of the heavy workload and keep him fixed in their lineups.