NHL Player News

Shepard was recalled from AHL Belleville on Thursday.

Shepard was sent to the AHL in late January, but he'll rejoin the Senators ahead of their final game before the Olympic break since Linus Ullmark (illness) will be unavailable. James Reimer will serve as the starter during Thursday's road matchup against Philadelphia, while Shepard will serve as the backup before presumably returning to the minors.

Reimer will defend the road crease against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Reimer struggled on the road against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, allowing four goals on 19 shots (.789 save percentage) in a 4-3 regulation loss. However, he'll draw a second consecutive start leading up to the Olympic break since Linus Ullmark (illness) will be unavailable, while Hunter Shepard was recalled from AHL Belleville to serve as the backup netminder. The Flyers are tied for 21st in the NHL with 2.93 goals per game this year.

Ullmark has been ruled out for Thursday's road game against Philadelphia due to flu-like symptoms.

Ullmark returned from a 14-game absence in late January and has picked up wins in each of his two starts since getting back on the ice, posting a 1.50 GAA and .930 save percentage during that time. However, he'll be unavailable for the Senators' final game before the Olympic break, while James Reimer will draw the start. Hunter Shepard was called up by Ottawa to provide additional depth Thursday, but Ullmark will presumably be able to return when the Senators resume play Feb. 26 against Detroit.

Forsberg is expected to start on the road against Vegas on Thursday, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site.

Forsberg has a 9-6-5 record, 2.50 GAA and .910 save percentage in 21 outings with the Kings in 2025-26. He stopped 31 of 34 shots en route to a 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina on Sunday. Vegas earned a 5-2 win over Vancouver on Wednesday, which ended the Golden Knights' five-game losing streak (0-3-2).

Blackwood stopped 23 of 25 shots in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.

Blackwood will enter the Olympic break on a high note following this win, and even though his recent record is subpar, it seems the 29-year-old is turning things around. Despite going 3-4-0 over his last seven starts, Blackwood has allowed two or fewer goals in four of his last five appearances while posting a 1.42 GAA and a .947 save percentage over that stretch.

Askarov stopped 38 of 41 shots in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Avalanche. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Askarov continues to struggle when called upon, but to be fair, the Avalanche have one of the top offenses in the league. The 23-year-old enters the Olympic break on a sour note since he's gone 2-5-1 with a 4.09 GAA and a subpar .858 save percentage in his last nine appearances.

Saros stopped 38 of 44 shots in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Wild.

Saros was busy throughout the game and let six shots past him, which was his 11th straight game allowing three or more goals. The 30-year-old netminder enters the Olympic break in the midst of a cold spell, posting a 6-5-2 record with a 3.81 GAA and an .881 save percentage in 14 appearances since the beginning of January. The Predators play Thursday against the Capitals, but Justus Annunen is slated to get the nod for that contest, according to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean.

Gustavsson stopped 30 of 35 shots in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Predators.

Gustavsson didn't have his best performance in this contest, but he still managed to extend his undefeated streak in regulation to nine games, going 6-0-2 with a 3.15 GAA and an .888 save percentage over that span. Gustavsson should remain the Wild's No. 1 goaltender once the league resumes following the Olympic break.

Bjorklund was sent down to AHL Hershey on Thursday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

The Capitals activated Logan Thompson (upper body) from injured reserve in a corresponding move. Bjorklund was the backup goaltender in all three games since his recall Jan. 31. He was 4-5-2 with a 3.43 GAA and an .879 save percentage across 11 AHL appearances before being recalled.

Thompson (upper body) has been activated off injured reserve and is expected to tend the twine at home against Nashville, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Thompson will suit up for the first time since Jan. 27 against the Kraken, a game in which he gave up five goals on 32 shots in a losing effort. The backstop's return to action Thursday should clear the way for him to join Team Canada in Milan for the Olympics.