NHL Player News

Merzlikins (personal) rejoined the Blue Jackets for Wednesday's morning skate, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.

The Blue Jackets also returned Jet Greaves to AHL Cleveland, so it seems fair to believe Merzlikins will be an option Thursday versus Florida. The 30-year-old Merzlikins has a 22-18-4 record, 3.04 GAA and .896 save percentage in 44 appearances in 2024-25.

Woll will get the starting nod at home versus the Avalanche on Wednesday, Luke Fox of Sportsnet reports.

Woll will take the first game of the Leafs' back-to-back, which likely means Anthony Stolarz will be between the pipes on the road versus the Rangers on Thursday. The 26-year-old Woll has started just five of Toronto's last 11 outings but is sporting a 4-1-0 record over that stretch. While Stolarz should continue to see the bulk of the workload, Woll could play himself into a larger share of the crease heading into the final weeks of the season.

Montembeault made 22 saves in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Senators.

The 28-year-old netminder hasn't taken a regulation loss since play resumed after the 4 Nations Face-Off, and over his last eight starts Montembeault boasts a 7-0-1 record with a dazzling 2.09 GAA and .922 save percentage. That surge has carried him to his first career 25-win campaign, and it's also pushed the Habs into the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference heading into the home stretch of the schedule.

Ullmark stopped 27 of 31 shots in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Canadiens, with Montreal's final two goals getting scored into an empty net.

The Senators took a 2-1 lead into the third period, but a Lane Hutson tally through a screen early in the frame turned the momentum in the home squad's favor. It was Ullmark's first regulation loss in March, and through eight starts on the month he's gone 6-1-1 with a 2.86 GAA and .908 save percentage as Ottawa surged toward a playoff spot.

Hellebuyck stopped 16 of 21 shots in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Canucks. The sixth goal was an empty-netter.

Hellebuyck had already given up three goals by the end of the first period, but he stayed in for the whole game. He's only 3-3-1 over seven appearances in March, but this was just the third time he's allowed more than one goal. The rare misstep dropped him to 39-10-3 with a 2.05 GAA and a .924 save percentage over 53 outings this season. Hellebuyck's next chance to go for win No. 40 is Thursday in Edmonton.

Lankinen stopped 19 of 21 shots in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Jets.

The Canucks led 3-1 after one period, and that was enough for Lankinen to get the win. The 29-year-old had lost three of his previous four outings, though he hasn't faced more than 26 shots in his last five games. For the season, the Finnish netminder improved to 24-13-7 with a 2.53 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 44 appearances. The Canucks begin a six-game road trip in St. Louis on Thursday, and with no back-to-backs during their upcoming travels, Lankinen could end up seeing a heavy workload.

Stauber stopped 24 of 28 shots in relief of Karel Vejmelka in Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Oilers.

Vejmelka was blitzed for three goals on 14 shots in the first period. Stauber was marginally better, but the Oilers didn't let up over the final two frames despite a dominant lead. Stauber went 2-1-1 over his first four games of the season, but this poor outing has inflated his GAA to 2.76 while dropping his save percentage to .912 through five contests. Don't expect Stauber to get much action as long as Utah remains in contention for a playoff spot, as the team has had no hesitation in riding Karel Vejmelka as a workhorse starter.

Vejmelka stopped 11 of 14 shots in the first period of Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Oilers.

Head coach Andre Tourigny pulled Vejmelka for Jaxson Stauber at the start of the second, and Stauber was tagged for four goals on 28 shots to close out the contest. Utah was flat across the board in this contest, so it's not all Vejmelka's fault, and he'll likely benefit from getting some rest given his heavy workload -- this was his 11th start in a row. For the season, the 28-year-old has been more good than bad with a 19-18-6 record, a 2.50 GAA and a .907 save percentage through 45 appearances. Utah's next game is at home versus Buffalo, a team with a strong offense but one that should be an easier matchup than Edmonton.

Pickard stopped 29 of 30 shots in Tuesday's 7-1 win over Utah.

The Oilers took a 3-0 lead in the first period, and that was more than enough for Pickard to work with. Sean Durzi's tally in the second period denied Pickard a shutout, but he still collected his third win in four outings in March. In all of those victories, he's allowed just one goal. The 32-year-old is up to 17-7-0 with a 2.60 GAA and a .902 save percentage over 26 outings this season. Pickard already has a career high in wins and could challenge the 20-win mark if he gets enough action over the final month of the campaign. The Oilers will likely turn back to Stuart Skinner for Thursday's home game versus the Jets.

Jarry made 34 saves in a 4-2 loss to the Islanders on Tuesday.

He had his team up 2-0 with some strong saves through two frames, but the Pens wobbled in the third, and Jarry couldn't stop the dam from breaking. He allowed three goals on the night. Jarry had won four straight in March since his call up, and he's been strong in all five starts. The Pens actually need to fall in the standings to get a great draft pick, and Jarry seems set on foiling those plans. He's been that strong.