NHL Player News

Kuemper is expected to get the starting nod at home versus the Caps on Tuesday.

Kuemper is undefeated in regulation over his last three outings, posting a 1-0-2 record, 2.25 GAA and .918 save percentage. The veteran backstop figures to reach the 50-game mark this year, which would set him up to reach the 20-win threshold for the fourth time in the last five years.

Hart was the first goalie to leave the ice Tuesday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, indicating he'll tend the twine at home versus Chicago.

Hart will suit up in an NHL game for the first time in nearly two years, having last played for the Flyers back in January of 2024. While Akira Schmid should continue to see the bulk of the workload for the Golden Knights, some good performances could see Hart force his way into a split share.

Lankinen will guard the road goal against Colorado on Tuesday, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports.

Lankinen is coming off a 21-save effort in Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Kings. He has a 4-7-3 record this season with a 3.50 GAA and an .881 save percentage through 14 appearances. Colorado ranks first in the league with 4.12 goals per game this campaign.

Thompson is scheduled to start in Los Angeles on Tuesday, per Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post.

Thompson has excelled during his current three-game winning streak, surrendering a total of just four goals on 76 shots (.947 save percentage) in victories over the Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs and Islanders. The 28-year-old netminder will kick off Washington's three-game road trip out west against a Los Angeles team that ranks 27th in the NHL with 2.68 goals per game this season. The Kings haven't lost in regulation since they squared off against the Caps on Nov. 17, as they're 2-0-3 in their last five games.

Vanecek stopped 18 of 21 shots in relief of Karel Vejmelka in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Sharks.

Vanecek ended up with the loss since the Mammoth were able to cover the damage Vejmelka left behind in the first period. This was a fifth straight loss for Vanecek (0-4-1), and he's allowed at least three goals in each appearance. On the year, he's 2-5-1 with a 3.11 GAA and an .869 save percentage, numbers that have prevented him from carving out a larger role in Utah's crease even with Vejmelka playing noticeably below his potential. The Mammoth are in Anaheim on Wednesday and then have a back-to-back (Friday in Vancouver, Saturday in Calgary) to close out their current road trip, which should allow both goalies to get game action within the next week.

Vejmelka stopped six of nine shots before he was pulled from Monday's 6-3 loss to the Sharks.

Vejmelka was spared the loss since the Mammoth were able to cover the three goals he allowed, but this was an ugly performance. The 29-year-old has allowed three-plus goals in three of his last six appearances. He remains at 10-7-2 on the year, but his GAA is up to 2.87 while his save percentage slipped to .882 after the poor outing. Vitek Vanecek didn't exactly impress in relief, stopping 18 of 21 shots, but Vejmelka's recent inconsistency could open the door for more of a timeshare in the crease. The Mammoth's road trip continues in Anaheim on Wednesday.

Swayman will occupy the road crease Tuesday against the Red Wings.

Swayman has won back-to-back outings and three of his past four, posting a 1.46 GAA and a spectacular .955 save percentage during that span. The Alaska native has allowed two goals or less in five of his last six appearances, and he'll go up against a Detroit club that is tied for 22nd in the league with 2.88 goals per game in 2025-26. Swayman owns a 7-4-0 record, .911 save percentage and 2.20 GAA over 11 career matchups against the Red Wings.

Askarov stopped 31 of 34 shots in Monday's 6-3 win over the Mammoth.

Askarov earned his fifth win in his last six outings. The teams traded five goals in the first period, with the Sharks leading 3-2 before piling on three more in the second to give Askarov more than enough support. The 23-year-old has allowed 15 goals over that six-game hot stretch, and he continues to cement his status as the team's No. 1 option in net over Alex Nedeljkovic. Askarov is up to a 10-6-1 record with a 2.96 GAA and a .908 save percentage through 17 appearances. The Sharks host the Capitals on Wednesday before embarking on a five-game road trip.

Hofer stopped 19 of 20 shots in relief of Jordan Binnington in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Ducks.

Hofer entered the game midway through the first period after Binnington was pulled following the Ducks' second goal. Hofer did well to keep things close, but the Blues' offense couldn't give him any support. Hofer was able to avoid the loss, as Binnington was responsible for the decisive goal. For the season, Hofer is 3-5-2 with a 3.29 GAA and an .882 save percentage over 13 appearances. Inconsistency from both goalies has prevented either from breaking away with the starting job, though Binnington has had an edge in starts. The Blues begin a three-game road trip in Boston on Thursday, and a back-to-back over the weekend in Ottawa on Saturday and Montreal on Sunday should allow both goalies to get playing time soon.

Binnington was pulled from Monday's 4-1 loss to the Ducks after allowing two goals on five shots.

Head coach Jim Montgomery clearly wanted to send a message to his team by pulling Binnington early. It didn't work, as the Blues failed to get another goal, leaving Binnington with the loss despite his early exit. This was his first regulation loss since Nov. 5 versus the Capitals. On the year, Binnington is 6-6-5 with a 3.20 GAA and an .878 save percentage through 18 appearances. He's maintained a slight edge over Joel Hofer for starts, but it's not yet clear who will get the nod in Boston on Thursday for the start of a three-game road trip.