NHL Player News

Haula scored two goals and fired three shots on net during Finland's 6-1 win over Slovakia in the Olympic bronze-medal game Saturday.

Haula was incredibly active in the second period, where he posted a two-minute minor penalty before he scored his first goal. The latter of his two twine finders was an empty netter for Finland's sixth and final goal of the game. The 34-year-old Haula finished the Olympics with three goals and six points, which is currently tied for 11th in the tournament. He'll return to Nashville with a bronze medal and could be in for a solid stretch of NHL play if he can maintain the momentum he built up during the Olympics.

Hlavaj turned aside 29 of 33 shots on goal during Slovakia's 6-1 loss to Finland in the Olympic bronze-medal game Saturday.

Hlavaj was tasked with defending against a strong offense in Finland, which was able to compile four goals against him across the first 50 minutes of the contest. With the loss, the 24-year-old Hlavaj finished the Olympics with a 3.56 GAA and a .908 save percentage across five appearances. While he'll head back to AHL Iowa without an Olympic medal, the young netminder was able to showcase his skills on the world stage, which could lead to an NHL call-up if Minnesota's Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt pick up an injury.

Saros stopped 30 of 31 shots on net during Finland's 6-1 win over Slovakia in the Olympic bronze-medal game Saturday.

Saros put together a phenomenal performance to help Finland earn hardware, allowing just one goal late in the second period. Across his six starts at the Olympics, the 30-year-old goalie posted a 4-2-0 record, a .940 save percentage and a 1.66 GAA. He'll look to carry his excellent run of play into NHL action with Nashville, where he has had an up-and-down season.

Huberdeau (hip) was put on injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Huberdeau will undergo season-ending hip surgery in March. He'll conclude the year with 10 goals and 25 points in 50 regular-season appearances. The 32-year-old forward has an eight-year, $84 million contract with a no-movement clause that runs through 2030-31, making it likely he will return to Calgary next season.

Crozier (abdomen) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Crozier is poised to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season after he underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury. He had one goal, nine assists, 44 shots on net, 31 blocked shots and 38 hits across 34 NHL appearances this campaign.

Hlavaj will start for Slovakia against Finland in Saturday's bronze-medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Hlavaj allowed four goals on 23 shots before being pulled midway through the second period in Slovakia's 6-2 loss to Team USA in the semifinals Friday. His GAA is up to 3.39, but that contrasts with a strong .915 save percentage across four outings in the tournament. After competing for a medal Saturdy, he'll probably rejoin AHL Iowa. He has a 3.33 GAA and an .884 save percentage in 18 appearances with Iowa in 2025-26.

Saros will start for Finland in the bronze-medal game against Slovakia on Saturday at the 2026 Winter Olympics, per Jaakko Perttila of Leijonat.com.

Finland will turn to Saros for the sixth consecutive time. Despite a strong performance that resulted in a 3-2 loss against Canada on Friday in the semifinals, the 30-year-old netminder has been excellent at the tournament with a 1.80 GAA and a .934 save percentage across five starts. Saros gives Finland a strong chance to take home the bronze medal, but it will not be easy against a Slovakian team that ranks fourth at the Olympics with 18 goals.

Rantanen (lower body) won't play in Saturday's bronze-medal game against Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Rantanen sustained the injury late in Friday's semifinal loss to Canada. The Finns will use Oliver Kapanen on the top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Artturi Lehkonen due to Rantanen's absence. Rantanen's availability for Wednesday's game against Seattle is unclear, but he will undergo further evaluation after returning to Dallas.

Paul (undisclosed) doesn't have a timeline in place for his return to the lineup, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday.

Paul hasn't been participating in practices after missing two straight games before the Olympic break. He isn't expected to be available to play next week when Tampa Bay's schedule resumes against Toronto on Wednesday, and it sounds like he will miss additional time afterward. Paul has six goals, 12 points, 48 shots on net and 42 hits in 34 appearances this season.

Zacha (concussion) will return to the lineup Thursday versus Columbus.

Zacha was unable to play for Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics after suffering a concussion against Philadelphia on Jan. 29. He will likely center Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson on the second line in his return to action. Zacha has 15 goals and 22 assists in 54 appearances this season, including 15 points on the power play.