NHL Player News

Sorokin will protect the home goal versus Philadelphia on Friday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Sorokin faced the Flyers on Jan. 16, allowing four goals on only 23 shots in a 5-3 loss. Sorokin was sharp in his following contest, turning aside 25 shots in a 3-1 win over Columbus on Monday. He is 14-14-4 with a 2.81 GAA and a .902 save percentage across 32 starts this season. The Flyers are coming off a 6-1 defeat to the Rangers on Thursday and are averaging 2.98 goals in 2024-25.

Markstrom is expected to be out of action for 4-6 weeks after suffering a sprained MCL, the Devils announced Friday.

Fortunately for Markstrom and the Devils, that recovery period includes the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, so he won't miss as many games as he otherwise might have. In fact, if the veteran netminder can return in the four-week range, he would only miss seven games and would be ready to face the Stars on Feb. 22. Still, fantasy managers should probably plan for the backstop to miss a little more time and to return in early March. Don't be surprised to see Markstrom land on injured reserve in the next day or two in order to free up a roster spot for Nico Daws or Isaac Poulter to be called up from AHL Utica. Jake Allen figures to see the bulk of the netminding duties in Markstrom's absence.

DiPietro was sent to AHL Providence on Friday, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports.

DiPietro was recalled by Boston on Thursday, and he served as the backup goaltender during the team's 2-0 win over Ottawa. However, he'll head back to the minors a day later, which signals that Jeremy Swayman (upper body) could be available for the Bruins' game against the Avalanche on Saturday.

Askarov stopped 32 of 38 shots in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Predators.

Askarov, who was dealt from Nashville to San Jose this past offseason, fared no better against his former team in this game than Alexandar Georgiev did Tuesday in Music City. This was Askarov's third straight loss, and he's allowed 13 goals in that span. The 22-year-old is down to 3-5-2 with a 2.93 GAA and a .903 save percentage over 10 contests. It's a poor time for a slump, as Vitek Vanecek (face) could resume practicing soon, and it's possible his return will lead to Askarov's return to the AHL if he can't get his performance back on track. Neither Askarov nor Georgiev will be recommended in fantasy for Saturday's home game against the Panthers.

Annunen stopped 30 of 35 shots in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Sharks.

Annunen didn't have the benefit of joining in progress for this game as he did in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Sharks. Despite the ugly stat line, Annunen came away with his fourth straight win, though he blew a three-goal lead during the second period. The 24-year-old netminder is now 12-6-0 with a 2.95 GAA and an .894 save percentage over 20 appearances between the Predators and the Avalanche this season. Juuse Saros will likely be back between the pipes Saturday in Anaheim.

Lindgren posted a 22-save shutout in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Kraken.

This was Lindgren's first game action since Jan. 10 versus the Canadiens. The 31-year-old had lost his previous four results (0-2-2), but he snapped that skid with his first shutout of the season. His upper-body injury gave Logan Thompson a chance to gain some momentum between the pipes, so it's possible Lindgren may not see the steady 50-50 split of playing time there was prior to his absence. Lindgren is 10-8-2 with a 2.65 GAA and a .900 save percentage over 21 outings. The Capitals continue their road trip in Vancouver on Saturday.

Daccord stopped 29 of 31 shots in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Capitals. The third goal was an empty-netter.

This was always going to be a challenging matchup, but the Kraken's offense went quiet, which didn't help Daccord's cause. He kept it from being a more lopsided contest, but he ended up with his second loss over eight outings in January. He's allowed more than two goals just twice this month. Daccord is 16-11-2 with a 2.47 GAA and a .916 save percentage through 31 games. The Kraken host the Penguins on Saturday.

Nedeljkovic stopped 29 of 33 shots in Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Ducks. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Nedeljkovic allowed a pair of goals in the first and third periods, but the Penguins' offense didn't put up much of a fight. This was just his second loss in his last five games, a span in which he's allowed 15 goals. The 29-year-old's performance has run the gamut lately, which may make him a frustrating goalie to roster in fantasy. He's 9-8-4 with a 3.26 GAA and a .893 save percentage over 22 appearances. The Penguins' road trip continues Saturday in Seattle.

Gibson stopped 31 of 32 shots in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Penguins.

The Ducks' offense was strong and gave Gibson plenty of help to end his losing streak -- he went 0-3-1 over his last five outings. The 31-year-old netminder is now 8-8-2 with a 2.76 GAA and a .913 save percentage through 20 appearances. Goal support was the main problem in his previous losses -- the Ducks hadn't scored in a Gibson start since Jan. 7. The Ducks' next game is Saturday at home versus the Predators, but the team has been alternating between Gibson and Lukas Dostal for most of January.

Demko allowed six goals on 34 shots in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Oilers.

That won't boost morale -- Demko lost for the third time in four starts, and he's allowed 16 goals in that span. Kevin Lankinen (illness) was well enough to back up, but it's possible the Canucks did not want to put him in unless absolutely necessary, leaving Demko to suffer instead. For the season, Demko is down to 3-5-3 with a 3.47 GAA and an .867 save percentage over 12 outings. It arguably can't get much worse for the 29-year-old, who should probably be avoided in fantasy for Saturday's home matchup against the Capitals.