NHL Player News

Askarov is expected to guard the home net against Nashville on Thursday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.

Askarov will attempt to get back into the win column after losing his past two starts while allowing seven goals on 53 shots (.868 save percentage). He's 3-4-2 with a 2.57 GAA and a .912 save percentage in nine outings in 2024-25. Nashville ranks 28th in goals per game with 2.63.

Demko will defend the visiting cage in Edmonton on Thursday, according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet.

Demko is 1-3-0 in his last four starts, allowing 12 goals on only 82 shots. His lone win was against the Oilers, but he needed to make only 13 saves in a 3-2 win Saturday. Overall, the 29-year-old netminder is 3-4-3 with a 3.23 GAA and a .873 save percentage. The Oilers are averaging 3.26 goals this season but will be without the services of Connor McDavid, who will miss the second game of his three-game suspension.

Vejmelka will be between the road pipes against the Wild on Thursday, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.

Vejmelka didn't appear in either of Utah's last two games, but he'll return to the crease Thursday and will attempt to turn things around after taking losses in four of his last five outings. Across those five starts, he went 1-3-1 with a 3.02 GAA and .885 save percentage.

Allen stopped all 16 shots he faced in relief of Jacob Markstrom (lower body) in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Bruins.

Markstrom is set to miss time, so Allen is likely to see a heavier workload for a while. This was Allen's first win since Nov. 23 -- he had lost all six of his appearances from Nov. 30 to Jan. 18. The 34-year-old netminder has done alright in limited action with a 6-8-1 record, a 2.66 GAA and a .901 save percentage through 15 games played. The Devils' next game is against one of Allen's former teams, as they're in Montreal on Saturday.

Wolf will guard the cage at home versus the Sabres on Thursday, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Wolf has been rolling of late, going 4-1-0 with a 1.99 GAA in his last five appearances. At this point, the 23-year-old netminder has entrenched himself in the crease ahead of Dan Vladar and should continue to see the bulk of the workload going forward.

Hofer will patrol the home crease versus Vegas on Thursday, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com.

Hofer has won his last two starts, allowing three goals on 52 shots in victories over Anaheim and Calgary. The wins pushed Hofer's record to 10-4-1, with a 2.74 GAA and a .906 save percentage over 16 appearances this season. Vegas is generating 3.38 goals per game, fourth in the NHL in 2024-25.

Pickard will tend the twine at home versus Vancouver on Thursday, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports.

Pickard is 3-0-0 in his last three appearances while sporting a 2.59 GAA and .892 save percentage. While the 32-year-old netminder shouldn't be expected to challenge Stuart Skinner for the starting job in Edmonton, he may force the Oilers to give him more opportunities in the crease if he keeps winning.

Hildeby was assigned to AHL Toronto on Thursday.

Hildeby has seen sporadic playing time for the Maple Leafs this year, and he had started in just three of the team's last nine games. He went 1-2-0 with a 2.97 GAA and .868 save percentage during that time but should see more consistent opportunities in the minors. Matt Murray was recalled by the Maple Leafs and should serve as Joseph Woll's backup while Anthony Stolarz (knee) remains sidelined.

Murray was recalled from AHL Toronto on Thursday.

Murray has appeared in two games for the Leafs this season in which he posted a 1-1-0 record to go with a 3.53 GAA. Even with his promotion, the two-time Stanley Cup champion figures to serve as the No. 2 option behind Joseph Woll. In the minors this year, Murray is sporting an impressive 1.68 GAA and .934 save percentage while going 8-4-2 in 15 outings.

Talbot will get the starting nod at home against Montreal on Thursday, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Talbot will look to bounce back from a disappointing outing against the Lightning on Saturday in which he was given the hook after two periods. The veteran backstop has gotten two games off following that debacle, so he should be extra rested heading into Thursday's tilt. Prior to the game against the Bolts, Talbot had been riding a five-game winning streak and will look to rediscover that form against the Habs.