NHL Player News

Vejmelka will defend the road goal in Seattle on Friday, according to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports.

Vejmelka has been sharp of late, going 6-1-2 with a 2.12 GAA and a .916 save percentage in his last nine starts. The 28-year-old is the undisputed No. 1 goaltender with Utah as Connor Ingram (personal) is sidelined in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The Kraken are generating 2.97 goals per game this season, 15th in the NHL.

Wedgewood will guard the visiting net in Calgary on Friday, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.

Wedgewood will replace Mackenzie Blackwood who is under the weather, but should still be well enough to back up Wedgewood. Wedgewood is coming off a 20-save shutout over Chicago on Monday, giving him a 7-4-0 record with a pair of shutouts in 12 games with Colorado this season. The Flames are generating 2.56 goals per game in 2024-25, the lowest in the NHL.

Blackwood is dealing with an illness Friday, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.

Scott Wedgewood will start Friday in Calgary because Blackwood isn't 100 percent. What remains to be seen is if Blackwood will still dress as the backup netminder. The Avalanche have only two goaltenders on their roster, so they would have to recall a goaltender or use an emergency netminder if Blackwood is ultimately unavailable. The 28-year-old Blackwood has a 24-16-6 record, 2.50 GAA and .914 save percentage in 47 appearances between San Jose and Colorado this season.

Allen stopped 31 of 33 shots in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Oilers.

Allen has won his last two starts and has looked brilliant in the process, stopping 54 of 57 shots faced in the process. The 34-year-old veteran has been limited to 25 appearances this season, and while his 11-13-1 record isn't eye-popping by any means, he sports a solid .910 save percentage and a 2.60 GAA.

Grubauer will be between the pipes versus Utah on Friday, Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times reports.

Grubauer returned to the win column Saturday for the first time since Dec. 30, stopping 23 shots in a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia. Grubauer spent a month in the minors in February after he was waived by the Kraken, and he returned with a flourish with Saturday's win. He is 6-15-1 with a 3.69 GAA and an .870 save percentage across 22 NHL appearances this season. Utah is averaging 2.83 goals per game in 2024-25, 21st in the NHL.

Skinner stopped 19 of 22 shots in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Devils.

Skinner didn't look good in this game against a Devils team that was shorthanded due to the absence of key elements such as Dougie Hamilton (lower body) and Jack Hughes (shoulder). Still, the struggles are becoming a worrisome trend for the 26-year-old Skinner. He's gone 2-5-0 with a 3.77 GAA and an .868 save percentage over his last nine outings, but perhaps the most troubling aspect of that stretch is he's posted a save percentage of .900 or higher on just one occasion.

Oettinger will guard the visiting cage in Winnipeg on Friday, per Mike Heika of the Stars' official site.

Oettinger had a tough time in Edmonton on Saturday, allowing five goals on 27 shots in a 5-4 loss. He is 30-14-2 with a 2.48 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 46 games in 2024-25. The Jets are producing 3.47 goals per game this season, third in the NHL.

Wolf will patrol the home crease versus Colorado on Friday, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Wolf has been stellar all season, but especially of late as he is 3-1-3 with a 2.09 GAA and a .924 save percentage in his last seven starts. Overall, Wolf is 22-12-5 with three shutouts, a 2.53 GAA and a .915 save percentage across 39 appearances this season. The Avalanche are generating 3.32 goals per game, sixth in the NHL.

Hellebuyck will guard the home crease versus Dallas on Friday, per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Hellebuyck continues to be the top goaltender in the NHL this season after winning the Vezina Trophy in 2023-24. He has 38 wins with six shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .927 save percentage, tops in all four categories this season. Dallas is generating 3.42 goals per game, fourth in the NHL.

Merzlikins stopped 25 of 28 shots in Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Golden Knights, with Vegas' final goal getting scored into an empty net.

Columbus' skaters couldn't solve Adin Hill in the other crease, giving Merzlikins no margin for error. The loss was the fourth straight for the 30-year-old, a stretch in which the streaky netminder has a 3.82 GAA and an .885 save percentage. The Blue Jackets are still clinging to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they might need Merzlikins to get hot over the final weeks of the regular season if they're going to close the deal.