NHL Player News

Askarov was the first goaltender off the ice at morning skate and is slated to defend the home crease versus Tampa Bay on Thursday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.

Askarov is 1-2-2 with the Sharks this season, surrendering 13 goals on 153 shots (.915 save percentage) as he is making his case to take over the top job in San Jose. The 22-year-old was selected 11th overall in 2020 by Nashville and was dealt to San Jose in the offseason. Askarov has a tough matchup, as the Lightning are averaging a league-high 3.94 goals per game this season.

Gibson is slated to serve as the starting netminder for Thursday's road game against Winnipeg, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Gibson didn't appear in any of the Ducks' last three games, but he'll be in the net for the team's first game in the new calendar year. The 31-year-old made six appearances in December and went 1-4-0 with a 3.45 GAA and .896 save percentage. While Gibson has had a limited sample recently, he'll likely have his hands full Thursday, as the Jets rank third in the NHL with 3.64 goals per game.

Wedgewood will defend the home crease versus Buffalo on Thursday, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.

Wedgewood has been stellar since his trade from Nashville, going 4-2-0 with a 1.94 GAA and a .932 save percentage over six outings with his new team. Wedgewood will face the Sabres, who are averaging 3.03 goals per game in 2024-25, which is tied for 18th in the NHL.

Montembeault will serve as the starting goaltender for Friday's road game against Chicago, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Montembeault has picked up wins in his last two starts, posting a 2.00 GAA and .923 save percentage during that time. He'll draw the start in a third consecutive game and will have a favorable matchup despite being on the road, as Chicago is generating 2.50 goals per game this season, which is the third-worst mark in the league.

Forsberg (lower body) was activated from injured reserve Thursday and will be the backup goaltender in Dallas, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.

Forsberg has missed the last nine games. He is 4-6-0 with a pair of shutouts, a 2.95 GAA and an .889 save percentage across 11 outings this season. He will back up Leevi Merilainen on Thursday and will get the majority of starts until Linus Ullmark returns to action from a back injury.

Merilainen will tend the twine for Thursday's road game against Dallas, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports.

Merilainen has been inconsistent over his last few appearances, going 2-1-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .900 save percentage across his last three outings. Although he'll draw the start for the third time in the Senators' last five games, head coach Travis Green said that Anton Forsberg (lower body) will dress as the backup for Thursday's matchup, so Merilainen's opportunities will likely decrease soon.

Vladar will operate as the starting goaltender during Thursday's home game against Utah, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Vladar will start for just the third time over the Flames' last eight games. He's been in a bit of a slump recently, going 0-2-1 with a 4.37 GAA and .857 save percentage across his last three outings. The 27-year-old will have a favorable opportunity to bounce back Thursday, as Utah is averaging 2.86 goals this year, which is the 11th-worst mark in the NHL.

Woll will start on the road versus the Islanders on Thursday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Woll turned aside 30 shots Tuesday in a 3-1 home win versus the Islanders, boosting his record to 11-6-0 with a 2.48 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 17 starts this season. The Islanders have scored only 100 times in 38 games (2.63 goals per game) this season.

Oettinger was the first goalie to leave the ice Thursday, Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine reports, indicating he'll guard the cage at home versus Ottawa.

Oettinger has appeared in just two of the Stars' last four outings, which is a significant shift considering he had made eight straight appearances prior to that. With 17 wins in 27 outings this year, the 26-year-old Minnesota native is well on pace to reach the 50-game threshold for the third consecutive season and the 30-win mark for the fourth straight year.

Talbot will be in the opposing crease in Columbus on Thursday, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.

Talbot has lost five straight starts dating back to Nov. 29, allowing 21 goals on 151 shots, which included a relief appearance against Vancouver on Dec. 1. Overall, Talbot is 6-9-2 with a 2.98 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 19 outings this season. The Blue Jackets are averaging 3.29 goals in 2024-25.