NHL Player News

Fowler stopped 32 of 34 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Senators.

Fowler made his first NHL appearance since Jan. 15 and delivered a good performance. He allowed a pair of goals to Drake Batherson late in the first period but didn't bend again, allowing the Canadiens to pull off the comeback win. Fowler improved to 5-4-2 with a 2.56 GAA and a .906 save percentage over his first 11 NHL contests. The 21-year-old could be in the mix for another start over the weekend if he stays on the Montreal roster -- he'd either face the Sharks on Saturday or the Ducks on Sunday in that case, though Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault are also in the mix.

Thompson stopped 18 of 21 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Flyers. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Thompson has lost three of his last four outings, but he's gone seven games without allowing more than three goals. The 29-year-old's rough patch isn't helping the Capitals' fading playoff hopes. He's down to 22-19-4 with a 2.44 GAA and a .911 save percentage across 45 contests, one shy of his career high from 2023-24. The workload may be catching up to Thompson, but he's still providing steady ratios even if the wins don't follow. The Capitals will likely turn to Charlie Lindgren for Thursday's tough matchup in Buffalo.

Ersson stopped 21 of 22 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Capitals.

Ersson has won his last two starts, and he's allowed just three goals on 49 shots over his three appearances since the Olympic break. The 26-year-old's improved play could make the Flyers more comfortable with giving Dan Vladar the occasional rest. Ersson is up to 10-10-5 with a 3.30 GAA and an .863 save percentage over 27 appearances, so he still carries some risk. Expect Vladar to get the nod for Thursday's road game in Minnesota.

Knight (illness) is an option to play in Thursday's road game against Utah, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com.

Drew Commesso was returned to AHL Rockford on Wednesday, which leaves Chicago with two goaltenders between Knight and Arvid Soderblom. The 24-year-old Knight has a 16-18-8 record, 2.63 GAA and .908 save percentage in 42 outings in 2025-26. He last played March 3, when Knight stopped 29 of 32 shots en route to a 3-2 overtime loss to Winnipeg.

Commesso was reassigned to AHL Rockford on Wednesday, per Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports.

Commesso stopped 23 of 25 shots in a 3-2 overtime victory over Utah on Monday. He improved to 2-1-0 with a 2.31 GAA and a .918 save percentage in three appearances with the Blackhawks in 2025-26. Commesso was with the team because Spencer Knight (illness) was unavailable, but with Knight ready to return for Thursday's rematch against Utah, Commesso is returning to the minors.

Gustavsson stopped all 25 shots he faced in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Mammoth.

Gustavsson extended his winning streak to three starts, but his excellent play goes well beyond his win-loss record. The 27-year-old goaltender has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his five appearances since the break, a stretch in which he's gone 4-1-0 with a 1.21 GAA and an impressive, yet unsustainable, .960 save percentage.

Vejmelka stopped 25 of 30 shots in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Wild.

Vejmelka had wins in each of his previous two starts, but his recent performances haven't inspired much confidence. The 29-year-old netminder has allowed at least four goals in three of his four appearances, posting a 3.72 and an .868 save percentage in that span. Even though his numbers have been trending in the wrong direction of late, he should remain a high-volume starter down the stretch for the Mammoth.

Hofer stopped 45 of 49 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders.

The Blues jumped to a 3-0 lead midway through the second period, but the Islanders rallied with four unanswered goals to hand Hofer the loss. Still, he has gone undefeated in regulation in his last five outings, going 4-0-1 with a superb 1.59 GAA and .948 save percentage over that stretch. He should remain an excellent fantasy option based on his hot play since the Olympic break.

Tarasov stopped 25 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Red Wings.

The 26-year-old netminder appeared to be heading for his 11th loss of the season, but instead he fell into his career-high ninth win when Carter Verhaeghe scored twice in the final 90 seconds of the third period. It was Tarasov's first victory since Jan. 25. He has given up at least three goals in four of his last five outings, a stretch in which he has stumbled to a 3.83 GAA and .879 save percentage.

Sorokin stopped 20 of 23 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blues.

Sorokin has won six of his last seven starts, but it's worth noting that he has allowed three or more goals in five of those outings. Over that seven-game stretch, the 30-year-old netminder has posted a 2.85 GAA and a .901 save percentage while stopping 183 of 203 shots he has faced.