NHL Player News

Merzlikins will defend the road net against the Penguins on Saturday, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.

Merzlikins is coming off a 30-save performance in Thursday's 4-1 win over Vancouver. He has gone 7-7-1 with a 3.84 GAA and an .882 save percentage across 16 appearances this campaign. Pittsburgh sits 14th in the league with 3.17 goals per game this season.

Silovs will guard the home cage versus Columbus on Saturday, according to Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff.

The Penguins have been alternating Silovs and Stuart Skinner for the last 14 games, and Saturday will be Silovs' turn between the pipes. Silovs is 8-6-7 with a 3.06 GAA and an .890 save percentage over 21 appearances this campaign. The Blue Jackets are generating 2.98 goals per game this season, which ranks 21st in the NHL.

Askarov turned aside 21 of 24 shots in Friday's 4-2 loss to Detroit, with the Red Wings' final goal getting scored into an empty net.

The Sharks actually grabbed a 2-1 lead early in the second period, but Askarov couldn't make it stick. The 23-year-old netminder hasn't allowed fewer than three goals in a start since late November, and over his last 14 outings, he's gone 7-6-0 with a rough 4.27 GAA and .866 save percentage.

Merilainan will be between the home pipes versus Montreal on Saturday, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports.

Merilainen has won two straight games despite allowing five goals on 42 shots. He has been mediocre since the start of December, posting a 5-7-0 record with a 3.35 GAA and an .864 save percentage. Merilainen will have a tough matchup as the Canadiens are fifth in league scoring, generating 3.33 goals per game in 2025-26.

Gustavsson will guard the road goal against Buffalo on Saturday, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Gustavsson has gone 0-1-1 in his last two starts, allowing seven goals on 59 shots during that span. He has a 14-9-5 record with a 2.50 GAA, a .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 29 appearances this season. Buffalo ranks 10th in the league with 3.26 goals per game this campaign.

Bussi made 15 saves in Friday's 9-1 rout of the Panthers.

Uvis Balinskis spoiled his shutout bid early in the second period while the outcome was still in doubt, but Bussi never faced more than eight shots in any frame during what proved to be a laugher. The 27-year-old rookie has won four of his last five starts, posting a 2.01 GAA and a .910 save percentage during that hot streak as he holds down the top spot in the Carolina crease.

Bobrovsky gave up a career-worst nine goals on 35 shots in Friday's 9-1 loss to the Hurricanes.

Carolina dominated play most of the game, outshooting Florida 35-16, but Bobrovsky actually kept things close through two periods before the 'Canes erupted for six goals in the final frame. The outing continues a rough January for the veteran netminder, and Bobrovsky is 2-4-0 over six starts this month with a brutal 4.42 GAA and .810 save percentage.

Thompson will patrol the home crease against Florida on Saturday, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reports.

Thompson is coming off a 23-save effort in Thursday's 3-2 loss to San Jose. He has a 17-13-4 record this season with a 2.36 GAA, a .915 save percentage and two shutouts through 34 appearances. Florida ranks 20th in the league with 3.00 goals per game during the 2025-26 campaign.

Hellebuyck will protect the home net against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Hellebuyck has made 79 saves on 88 shots during his three-game winning streak. He has a 12-12-4 record this campaign with a 2.73 GAA and a .901 save percentage through 28 appearances. The Maple Leafs rank fourth in the league this season with 3.36 goals per game.

Kolosov will patrol the home crease against the Rangers on Saturday.

Kolosov has gone 0-2-0 in three NHL appearances this season while stopping 39 of the 44 shots he has faced. The Rangers sit 29th in the league with 2.58 goals per game this campaign. Kolosov made 24 saves in an 8-5 win over the Rangers last April.