NHL Player News

Demko allowed four goals on 18 shots in Wednesday's 5-0 loss to the Kraken. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

This was essentially a must-win game for the Canucks, but the whole team fell flat. Demko is now 2-2-0 with 12 goals allowed over his last four outings since returning from a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old is 8-8-3 with a 2.90 GAA and an .888 save percentage over 21 starts this season. The Canucks aren't mathematically out of the playoff race yet, but they're eight points back with one game in hand after this contest. Demko could be rested once they're eliminated, as he's had a rough season between poor performance and injuries. He'll likely start one of the next two games, as the Canucks host the Ducks on Saturday and the Golden Knights on Sunday.

Knight stopped 29 of 31 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Avalanche.

Knight had a shutout going through two periods, but he gave up goals to Cale Makar and Martin Necas in the third. The 23-year-old Knight then yielded two tallies on three attempts in the shootout. On the bright side, he allowed fewer than four goals for the first time in four games, but he's still 1-6-1 over his last eight outings. Knight is at 15-14-2 with a 2.62 GAA and a .902 save percentage over a career-high 33 appearances this season. The Blackhawks have a tough matchup Friday against the Capitals, so the netminder should probably be avoided in fantasy until Sunday's game versus the Penguins, assuming he gets that start.

Wedgewood stopped 22 of 24 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 shootout win over the Blackhawks.

Things weren't looking good for the Avalanche -- they trailed 2-0 after two periods. Goals by Cale Makar and Martin Necas erased the deficit, and Wedgewood stopped two of three shootout attempts to come away with his sixth win in seven outings. The 32-year-old netminder is up to 12-6-2 with a 2.35 GAA and a .909 save percentage across 22 appearances. This was Wedgewood's second start in a row, but there's been no indication from the Avalanche that Mackenzie Blackwood is unavailable even after the team recalled Kevin Mandolese on Wednesday. Head coach Jared Bednar did not reveal his starter for Thursday's game in Columbus after Wednesday's contest.

Bobrovsky stopped 23 of 26 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Bobrovsky has lost consecutive starts in regulation for the first time since Jan. 13-16. He's allowed six goals on 48 shots over his last two outings, so he's not really slumping as much as he's just not getting enough goal support. The 36-year-old netminder has been strong this season with a 31-17-2 record, a 2.45 GAA and a .906 save percentage across 50 starts. The Panthers finish off this road trip with another back-to-back with stops in Ottawa on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday. Look for Bobrovsky and Vitek Vanecek to split those starts.

Stolarz stopped 29 of 31 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Panthers.

Stolarz won his fourth start in a row, a span in which he's given up just eight goals on 116 shots. The 31-year-old gave up the first and last goals in this contest, but the Maple Leafs did enough in between to win and secure their playoff berth. Stolarz has played in a career-high 30 games this season, and he set a personal best with his 17th victory. He's at 17-8-3 with a 2.34 GAA and a .920 save percentage. Stolarz and Joseph Woll have shared the goaltending duties lately, and if that pattern holds, Woll would play Saturday versus the Blue Jackets while Stolarz would get to face his former team again in a rematch with the Panthers on Tuesday.

Askarov (lower body) did not dress for Wednesday's AHL game between San Jose and Ontario, Josh Frojelin of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

All signs pointed to Askarov suiting up after he took warmups, but he was a late scratch. Nonetheless, he's close to a return and may start one of the Barracuda's two games versus AHL Colorado on Friday or Saturday.

Askarov (lower body) is backing up Gabriel Carriere in AHL San Jose's game Wednesday versus AHL Ontario, Josh Frojelin of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Askarov will dress for the first time since Feb. 19, but he won't be the starter in his return to action. However, it looks like he's close to getting back between the pipes in a game. Given how much time he's missed, it wouldn't be surprising for Askarov to close out 2024-25 in the AHL before competing for an NHL job in training camp.

Daccord will protect the road goal versus the Canucks on Wednesday, Jeff Paterson of CanucksArmy.com reports.

Daccord will attempt to get back on track after going 1-2-1 with 13 goals allowed over his previous four games. He won his only other start versus the Canucks this season, stopping 28 of 31 shots in a 6-3 win March 1. The 28-year-old will have to contend with a team desperate for points in the playoff race, though the Canucks are just 2-2-2 over their last six contests.

Thompson (upper body) is doubtful to return to Wednesday's game versus the Hurricanes.

Thompson was tagged for three goals on 12 shots in the first period before exiting the contest. It's possible the Capitals are taking a cautious approach here since they entered Wednesday 11 points clear of every other team in the Eastern Conference. More information on Thompson's status should be known prior to Friday's game versus the Blackhawks. Charlie Lindgren took over in goal and will likely see a starter's workload should Thompson miss additional time.

Skinner (head) is not expected to play during the Oilers' upcoming three-game road trip, Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels reports Wednesday.

Skinner's continued absence means opponents should see a heavy dose of Calvin Pickard ahead of the postseason. In fact, if Pickard is in peak form heading into the playoffs, the 26-year-old Skinner may be hard-pressed to steal back the starting job. Over his last 10 outings, Skinner has underwhelmed with a 4-4-0 record and 3.21 GAA.