NHL Player News

Varlamov (lower body) is out indefinitely after he stopped skating and facing shots, according to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com on Saturday.

Varlamov hasn't played since Nov. 29, and Marcus Hogberg (upper body) is unavailable, so the Islanders recalled Jakub Skarek from AHL Bridgeport on Monday to occupy the backup role behind Ilya Sorokin. The 36-year-old Varlamov has a 3-4-3 record with a 2.89 GAA and an .889 save percentage through 10 appearances this season.

Hellebuyck is expected to start on the road against Washington on Saturday, per Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Hellebuyck has won his past four starts while stopping 92 of 99 shots (.929 save percentage). That's just the latest stretch of success during a fantastic campaign in which he's posted a 32-7-2 record, 2.00 GAA and .927 save percentage in 41 appearances. The Capitals rank second in goals per game with 3.49.

Swayman will protect the home net versus the Rangers on Saturday, Andrew Fantucchio of Boston Hockey Now reports.

Swayman had a tough outing Tuesday, allowing six goals on 32 shots in a 7-2 loss to the Sabres. Swayman is 16-17-4 with two shutouts, a 3.03 GAA and an .895 save percentage over 37 starts this season. The Rangers are generating 2.96 goals per game, 15th in the league this season.

Shesterkin will defend the road net against the Bruins on Saturday, per Arthur Staple of The Athletic.

Shesterkin has lost his last two outings, surrendering nine goals on 48 shots. He has a 17-17-2 record with three shutouts, a 2.83 GAA and a .909 save percentage through 36 appearances this season. Boston ranks 26th in the league with 2.70 goals per game in 2024-25.

Allen will be between the visiting pipes in Buffalo on Sunday, according to James Nichols of NJD Hockey Now.

Allen garnered his third shutout, and second in his last four games Wednesday, turning aside 24 shots in a 5-0 win over Philadelphia. Allen has taken over as the Devils' No. 1 goaltender because Jacob Markstrom is on the shelf for another 3-5 weeks due to a sprained MCL. The Sabres are averaging 3.10 goals per game, 11th in the NHL this season.

Wolf will protect the home net against Detroit on Saturday, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Wolf is coming off a 30-save performance in Monday's 4-1 win over Anaheim. He has a 19-8-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.51 GAA and a .917 save percentage through 29 appearances this season. Detroit sits 21st in the league with 2.82 goals per game in 2024-25.

Gustavsson will patrol the visiting crease in Ottawa on Saturday, per Joe Smith of The Athletic.

Gustavsson has allowed only three goals on 53 shots while winning his last two starts. Gustavsson is 20-10-3 with three shutouts, a 2.56 GAA and a .914 save percentage over 34 appearances this season. The Senators are averaging 2.76 goals per game this season, 14th in the NHL.

Johansson (lower body) will be out of the lineup Saturday against the Islanders. according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.

The Lightning will start Andrei Vasilevskiy as usual with Matt Tomkins, who was recalled Saturday, as his backup. Johansson is 6-5-1 with a 3.24 GAA and an .892 save percentage across 13 appearances this season. Consider him day-to-day at this time.

Nedeljkovic will defend the home net versus Nashville on Saturday, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports.

Nedeljkovic has played well of late, going 3-2-0 over his last five starts. He has allowed only 11 goals on 158 shots (,930 save percentage), giving the netminder a 10-9-4 mark with a 3.15 GAA and an .896 save percentage. The Predators are generating 2.66 goals per game, 29th in the NHL this season.

Thompson will guard the home net versus Winnipeg on Saturday, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.

Thompson is having a sensational season, as he is 23-2-3 with a 2.05 GAA and a .927 save percentage. He is going after his seventh straight win and last lost in regulation Dec. 17 in Chicago. The Jets lead the NHL in goals, generating 3.58 per game.