NHL Player News

Pickard will start in goal on the road versus the Islanders on Friday, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports.

Pickard hasn't seen the ice since he was pulled from a March 4 game versus the Ducks after giving up four goals on 11 shots. He'll get a chance to redeem himself here in the second half of a back-to-back as the Oilers try to salvage a road trip that's started 0-2-0.

Merzlikins (personal) is temporarily unavailable, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports Friday.

That would explain why Jet Greaves was recalled from the minors on an emergency basis. It seems Merzlikins won't be an option Saturday versus the Rangers, so look for either Greaves or Daniil Tarasov to get the start. Merzlikins has a 22-18-4 record, 3.04 GAA and .896 save percentage in 44 appearances in 2024-25.

Greaves was summoned by Columbus on an emergency basis Friday.

Greaves has a 2.84 GAA and a .915 save percentage in 34 outings with AHL Cleveland in 2024-25. He also has a 2-1-2 record, 2.98 GAA and .906 save percentage in five appearances with Columbus. His promotion under emergency circumstances suggests that either Elvis Merzlikins or Daniil Tarasov might miss Saturday's home game against the Rangers.

Hofer stopped both shots he faced in relief of Jordan Binnington in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Penguins.

Binnington was pulled after giving up a goal to Bryan Rust in the third period, and Hofer was barely tested after entering the contest. The Penguins' last tally was an empty-netter. Hofer has allowed seven goals on 52 shots over four appearances (three starts) since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, as the Blues have tried to ride the momentum of Binnington backstopping Canada to the tournament win. Hofer's likely to be limited to backup duties up until the point the Blues are eliminated from playoff contention, which could go down to the wire. However, a back-to-back this weekend -- at Minnesota on Saturday, at home versus the Ducks on Sunday -- should allow each netminder to get a start.

Jarry stopped 33 of 36 shots in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Blues.

Jarry has been nothing short of outstanding since he got the start in the 3-1 win over the Wild on Sunday. The 29-year-old netminder has made three starts in a row for the Penguins, winning them all while notching a 1.99 GAA and an excellent .941 save percentage. He's not expected to play at this level for an extended stretch, but there's no question Jarry is trending in the right direction following this string of excellent outings.

Binnington stopped 15 of 19 shots before being pulled in the third period of Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Penguins.

Binnington had a disastrous performance in this loss and was lifted midway through the third frame after Bryan Rust made it 4-2 for the Penguins. This was just the second loss Binnington has suffered in regulation since the beginning of February, though, so fantasy managers shouldn't overreact to one bad outing. Binnington has gone a solid 7-2-1 with a 2.62 GAA and an .898 save percentage over his last 10 starts.

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.