NHL Player News

Wedgewood stopped 23 of 24 shots in Saturday's 9-1 win over the Oilers.

Wedgewood got plenty of help, as four different Avalanche skaters had two goals in Saturday's contest. He has posted four straight wins, and that's come over a five-game span for the Avalanche, which suggests he's still got at least a timeshare with Mackenzie Blackwood. Wedgewood is up to 9-1-2 with a 2.37 GAA and a .906 save percentage over 13 starts this season. Blackwood is likely to get the start in Vancouver on Sunday, but it remains to be seen how the workload will be divided moving forward. Head coach Jared Bednar could opt to go with the hot hand outside of back-to-back sets.

Swayman made 30 saves in a 5-3 win over Toronto on Saturday.

It was Swayman's third straight win and fourth in his last five contests (4-1-0). He's been working to improve the subpar look of his overall numbers this season, which include a 6-4-0 record with a 3.09 GAA and an .899 save percentage.

Merzlikins stopped 21 of 25 shots in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks.

Merzlikins took his second straight loss, and this was the third time in seven outings that he's allowed four goals. The 31-year-old was playing from behind for a large part of this contest, including most of the third period. He's now 4-3-0 on the year, but his 3.14 GAA and .909 save percentage indicate some volatility in trusting him for fantasy. The Blue Jackets have alternated goalies all year, and if that pattern holds, Jet Greaves would start Monday in Edmonton while Merzlikins would get Tuesday's game in Seattle.

Hildeby made 19 saves on 20 shots in Saturday's 5-3 loss to Boston.

Hildeby entered the game early in the second period after Anthony Stolarz got the hook. The 24-year-old Hildeby will be with the Leafs until Joseph Woll (personal) shakes the rust off in the AHL.

Stolarz was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots in Saturday's 5-3 loss to Boston.

 Dennis Hildeby entered the game early in the second period. Stolarz won four straight contests going into Saturday's outing. He has struggled this season while carrying the load, but Joseph Woll (personal) is shaking off the rust in the AHL and could be nearing a return to the lineup. Woll's return should help Stolarz stabilize his game.

Lankinen stopped 29 of 32 shots in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets.

The teams traded two goals apiece in the second period, and the third was close as well. Lankinen did just enough for the win, making a Brock Boeser tally with 5:45 to go in regulation stand as the game-winner. Lankinen has allowed at least three goals in six of seven outings, so he's been far from his best behind a team that's been battered by injuries. He's now 3-4-0 with a 3.54 GAA and an .884 save percentage in seven starts. Thatcher Demko (undisclosed) is questionable for Sunday versus the Avalanche, and it's possible the Canucks turn back to Lankinen rather than give Jiri Patera a start against an incredibly tough opponent. However, no plans have been announced yet.

Tarasov stopped 20 of 22 shots in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Sharks. The third goal was an empty-netter.

Tarasov remains winless through four outings, though the Panthers have given him just six goals of support in his appearances. Goals by Macklin Celebrini and Adam Gaudette were enough to send Tarasov to his third regulation loss of the campaign. The 26-year-old netminder has allowed a modest 10 goals on 80 shots -- he hasn't been anywhere near his best, but he hasn't let any game get too far out of reach. Expect Sergei Bobrovsky to get the nod for Monday's road-trip finale in Vegas.

Askarov stopped 37 of 38 shots in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Panthers.

Askarov extended his winning streak to three games with another stellar performance. He's allowed just four goals on 106 shots over those three wins, which is part of a larger 5-0-1 stretch for the Sharks. Askarov has improved to 4-4-1 with a 3.56 GAA and an .888 save percentage over nine outings, though he's clearly trending in the right direction. There may still be some volatility with a young Sharks team, but the 23-year-old netminder getting a taste of success should be beneficial in the big picture. If the Sharks continue alternating goalies, Alex Nedeljkovic will start Tuesday in Minnesota, while Askarov would get Thursday's game in Calgary.

Thompson made 16 saves in a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday.

He'd like the third goal back. Thomspon was handcuffed by Brandon Hagel's shot from the high slot in the third period. Thompson is 1-3-0 in his last four starts despite allowing just seven goals in that span. His ratios still sparkle -- he has a 1.61 GAA and a .930 save percentage in 10 starts.

Vasilevskiy made 29 saves Saturday in a 3-2 win over Washington.

Vasy has turned the corner after a bad start to the season, putting up a 5-1-0 record after going 0-3-2 across his first five outings of the campaign. Overall, Vasilevskiy has improved his GAA to 2.64 and save percentage to .908.