NHL Player News

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.

Rittich will defend the visiting cage against Calgary on Saturday, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.

Rittich spent parts of his first five seasons in the NHL with the Flames. He is having a terrific season, posting an 11-5-3 record with two shutouts, a gaudy 2.39 GAA and a .910 save percentage across 19 appearances. Calgary ranks 31st in the NHL with 2.55 goals per game this campaign.

Kuemper stopped 26 of 28 shots in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Ducks.

The Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the second period, but just 3:23 after Joel Armia's tally, the Ducks had tied the game. Kuemper recovered from that quick attack, but he allowed two shootout attempts to go in, sending him to his fifth straight defeat (0-2-3). The 35-year-old goalie is at a 12-9-9 record with a 2.48 GAA and a .905 save percentage over 31 starts this season. Anton Forsberg seems likely to get the nod for Saturday's rematch in Anaheim.

Dostal stopped 26 of 28 shots in Friday's 3-2 shootout win over the Kings.

Dostal gave up the first two goals of the game, but he settled in after that. This was his second win in a row as he continues to put distance between him and his eight-game winless skid. The 25-year-old netminder is up to 15-12-2 with a 3.12 GAA and an .890 save percentage over 31 appearances. Dostal still has trust to rebuild with fantasy managers, and the Ducks' depleted lineup shouldn't inspire much short-term confidence. Ville Husso is likely to get the nod for Saturday's rematch versus the Kings in Anaheim.