NHL Player News

Shesterkin was the first goalie off the ice Thursday, Colin Stephenson of Newsday reports, indicating he'll be in goal on the road against Utah.

Shesterkin has been much better since his return from an upper-body injury, going 2-0-1 with a 1.92 GAA in his three starts. With the 29-year-old Russian available again, the Rangers seem set to continue to ride their workhorse backstop, as this will be his fourth straight start. Still, a back-to-back against Columbus and Montreal on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, figures to see Jonathan Quick get into a game.

Soderblom will serve as the starting goaltender for Thursday's road game against Nashville, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Soderblom has struggled over his last two starts, going 0-2-0 with a 5.11 GAA and .853 save percentage against the Rangers and Oilers. Across 19 appearances this season, he's posted a 6-11-1 record, 2.99 GAA and .903 save percentage, and he'll have a favorable opponent Thursday, as the Predators are averaging 2.47 goals this season, which is the second-worst mark in the league.

Dobes will patrol the road crease in Dallas on Thursday.

Dobes is a perfect 3-0-0 with a 0.97 GAA and a .959 save percentage to begin his NHL career. The 23-year-old has won all three games on the road, including wins over Florida, Colorado and Washington, not exactly the pushovers of the NHL. He will have another tough test, as the Stars are tied for sixth in the NHL overall standings with 57 points, while averaging 3.21 goals per game this season, which ranks ninth in the league.

Wolf will patrol the visiting crease in St. Louis on Thursday, Derek Wills of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Wolf has won his last three games and is 7-1-1 over his last nine starts, with a 1.99 GAA and a .929 save percentage. Overall, the Flames' No. 1 goaltender is 15-6-2 with a pair of shutouts, a 2.50 GAA and a .916 save percentage this year. He has finally come into his own as an NHL goalkeeper after he was considered one of the top goaltenders in the minors over the last three seasons. The Blues are averaging 2.80 goals per game, which ranks 24th in the NHL this season.

Blackwood will man the blue paint against Edmonton at home Thursday, Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports reports.

Blackwood has been nearly unbeatable since joining Colorado, posting a 9-2-1 record in his 12 outings to go with a 1.68 GAA and .938 save percentage. Even with Scott Wedgewood back from a lower-body injury, fantasy managers should expect to see a heavy dose of Blackwood going forward.

Saros will defend the home cage versus Chicago on Thursday, according to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean.

Saros has started three of the last six games ahead of Thursday's matchup, after he started 30 of the first 37 games of the season. Saros has a 9-18-6 mark with four shutouts, a 2.78 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 33 appearances this season. The Blackhawks are averaging only 2.55 goals per game, which ranks 30th in the NHL in 2024-25.

Oettinger will patrol the crease in Thursday's home clash with Montreal, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Oettinger is riding a six-game winning streak during which he's posted a 1.78 GAA and .930 save percentage. If there is a knock on the 26-year-old netminder's performance this season, it's the fact that he has just one shutout in 32 appearances, and that came back on Oct. 12 versus the Islanders. Still, Oettinger is sporting a career-best 2.31 GAA and should easily reach the 30-win mark for the fourth straight season.

Talbot will defend the cage on the road against the Panthers on Thursday, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Talbot will look to extend his four-game winning streak during which he recorded a 2.98 GAA and .885 save percentage. After a winless December, the veteran backstop is now undefeated in January. Even with three netminders on the roster, Talbot will likely continue to see the bulk of the workload as long as he maintains his winning ways.

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

Hofer gave up two goals on 23 shots in a 6-2 victory over Anaheim on Jan. 9, the last time he was between the pipes. Hofer is 9-4-1 with a 2.86 GAA and a .902 save percentage over 15 appearances this season. He will face the Flames, who are averaging 2.63 goals per game in 2024-25, which ranks 27th in the league.

Hellebuyck will defend the home crease against the Kraken on Thursday, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Hellebuyck has been stellar over his last three starts, going 3-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .959 save percentage. He'll tend the twine for a third consecutive game and will have a relatively favorable opponent, as the Kraken rank 19th in the NHL with 2.91 goals per game.