NHL Player News
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Thatcher Demko G | VAN
Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Shifts to LTIR
Demko (hip) was placed on long-term injured reserve Tuesday.
Demko's move to LTIR was bound to happen after Vancouver announced he would be shut down for the season Jan. 27. The move coincided with Vancouver putting Pierre-Olivier Joseph on regular IR due to an undisclosed injury. Demko will continue to rehab his injury after going 8-10-1 with a 2.90 GAA and an .895 save percentage across 20 games this season.
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Linus Ullmark G | OTT
Senators' Linus Ullmark: Defending crease Tuesday
Ullmark will guard the road goal against Edmonton on Tuesday.
Ullmark is coming off a 21-save performance in Saturday's 5-2 win over Toronto. He has a 17-8-6 record this campaign with one shutout, a 2.80 GAA and an .885 save percentage across 32 appearances. Edmonton ranks third in the league with 3.52 goals per game during the 2025-26 season.
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Ilya Sorokin G | NYI
Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Starting Thursday against Kings
Sorokin will defend the road net against the Kings on Thursday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Sorokin will get the second half of the Islanders' back-to-back after David Rittich plays in Wednesday's road matchup against the Ducks. The 30-year-old Sorokin has stopped 103 of the 114 shots he has faced during his four-game winning streak. He has a 22-13-2 record this season with six shutouts, a 2.47 GAA and a .915 save percentage through 37 appearances. The Kings sit 29th in the league with 2.52 goals per game this campaign.
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David Rittich G | NYI
Islanders' David Rittich: Set to start Wednesday
Rittich will defend the road crease in Wednesday's clash with the Ducks, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
With the Islanders set to play a back-to-back across Wednesday and Thursday, Rittich will take the net in the opening game before Ilya Sorokin starts Thursday. Wednesday's start will be Rittich's second in a row after turning away 29 shots on goal in the Isles' 5-4 win over Florida on Sunday. Overall, the 33-year-old netminder has a 13-8-3 record, a 2.63 GAA and an .899 save percentage across 24 outings this season. He'll face off against the Ducks, who should post a sizable challenge with the 13th-ranked offense at 3.25 goals per game this season.
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Erik Portillo G | LA
Kings' Erik Portillo: Sent back to AHL
Portillo was loaned back to AHL Ontario on Tuesday, per John Hoven of SiriusXM NHL Network Radio.
Portillo has a 14-3-1 record, a 2.47 GAA and a .905 save percentage across 20 AHL appearances this season. His return to the minors might be an indication that Darcy Kuemper (illness) will be available for Thursday's home game against the Islanders. If Kuemper ends up needing more time, though, then Portillo might find himself back in the NHL. In the meantime, Ontario is set to host AHL Tucson on Wednesday.
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Alex Lyon G | BUF
Sabres' Alex Lyon: Expected to start
Lyon is slated to be between the pipes for Tuesday's home matchup against Vegas, per Justin Alpert of the Sabres' official site.
Lyon has won five of his last seven outings (5-2-0), including Friday's 3-2 victory over Florida. He has a 15-8-2 record this season with a 2.69 GAA and a .913 save percentage through 28 appearances. Vegas sits 10th in the league with 3.30 goals per game in the 2025-26 campaign.
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Jakub Dobes G | MON
Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Drawing start in San Jose
Dobes will guard the road cage against the Sharks on Tuesday, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet.
Dobes had a solid showing in his first start following the Olympic break, stopping 27 of 29 shots in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Capitals. The 24-year-old hasn't lost in regulation since Dec. 9 -- he's 9-0-2 with a 2.59 GAA and a .902 save percentage since then. The Sharks are 2-1-0 and have scored eight goals since the NHL resumed play last week.
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Spencer Knight G | CHI
Blackhawks' Spencer Knight: Tending twine Tuesday
Knight will guard the cage on the road versus the Jets on Tuesday, per The Hockey News.
Knight is currently riding a three-game losing streak despite having posted a 2.73 GAA over that stretch. While victories figure to be hard to come by for the backstop, given his supporting cast, he should still be capable of reaching the 20-win mark for the first time in his career.
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Yaroslav Askarov G | SJ
Sharks' Yaroslav Askarov: Set to face Montreal
Askarov was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, according to Max Miller of NHL.com, indicating he will patrol the home crease against the Canadiens on Tuesday.
Askarov is coming off a 20-save effort in Saturday's 5-4 win over Edmonton. He has gone 18-16-2 this campaign with a 3.53 GAA and an .887 save percentage across 37 appearances. Montreal sits fourth in the league with 3.49 goals per game this season.
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Lukas Dostal G | ANA
Ducks' Lukas Dostal: Tending twine at home
Dostal will occupy the home net against the Avalanche on Tuesday, according to Derek Lee of The Hockey News.
Dostal has won five straight games, though he's had a few shaky performances during that run of success, having allowed at least three goals on three occasions during his winning streak. The Czech netminder has lost just once in his last 12 appearances, a stretch in which he has posted a 2.35 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Colorado is on the second half of a back-to-back, while the Ducks last played Sunday.