NHL Player News

Merilainen was called up from AHL Belleville on Friday.

Merilainen has started the last two games, as Linus Ullmark (back) and Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) have both been out of action. Merilainen is 1-1-0 this season, allowing six goals on 39 shots. He could get another start in Winnipeg on Saturday if Ullmark and Forsberg are both unable to go.

Markstrom is in the starter's crease at morning skate and is expected to get the home start versus Carolina on Friday, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Markstrom is coming off back-to-back shutouts over his last two starts. The 34-year-old goaltender has had a comeback season in 2024-25, as he is 18-6-2 with three shutouts, a sizzling 2.12 GAA and a .912 save percentage, after a tough couple of campaigns in Calgary. The Hurricanes will be a challenging matchup, as they are fifth in NHL scoring, averaging 3.47 goals per game.

Murray was recalled from AHL Toronto on Thursday.

Murray made his first NHL start in 628 days Friday and stopped 24 shots in a 6-3 victory over Buffalo. He was sent down to the minors the following day for roster management purposes, allowing the Maple Leafs to avoid waivers. Look for the same situation this week as it is likely Murray starts Friday in Detroit, and if he does, he should return to the AHL on Saturday with Dennis Hildeby returning to the Toronto roster.

Hildeby was reassigned to AHL Toronto on Thursday.

The Maple Leafs recalled Matt Murray in a corresponding move, and Murray is slated to get one start on the weekend, either against Detroit on Friday or versus Washington on Saturday. Look for Hildeby to be recalled shortly as the Maple Leafs used Murray a week ago and promptly returned him to the AHL after his start, protecting his waiver status. Hildeby is 2-1-0 with a weak 3.69 GAA and an .875 save percentage.

Lindgren stopped 21 of 24 shots faced during Monday's 4-1 road loss to the Bruins.

Lindgren paid the price for the Capitals' failure to generate much of any offense, as they finished with just 11 shots in the final game before the holiday break. The Capitals continue to stick with a rigid rotation between Lindgren and Logan Thompson, which means the former is likely to return to action in a Sunday matinee in Detroit.

Swayman turned aside 10 of 11 shots faced during Monday's 4-1 home win over the Capitals.

Swayman had a very light night against a Capitals offense that was clearly struggling to generate offense in the second half of back-to-back outings. Though the 25-year-old has had a frightful start to the 2024-25 season, Swayman has been better of late with a 1.96 GAA and a .900 save percentage behind a 3-1-0 record over his last four starts, so the Bruins can only hope their franchise netminder has found his game as the calendar rolls towards 2025.

Saros stopped 25 of 27 shots in Monday's 4-2 win over the Hurricanes.

Saros was impressive in this contest and allowed only two goals in the third period en route to his eighth win of the campaign. The 29-year-old has had a few subpar outings, such as the 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins on Dec. 19 in which he stopped 15 of 20 shots, but he's been solid for the most part. Saros has posted a save percentage of at least .900 in three of his last four games, going 2-1-1 with a 2.50 GAA in that span.

Tokarski stopped 20 of 24 shots in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Predators. The fifth goal was an empty-netter with 3:12 left in the third period.

Tokarski made his second start of the season Monday, but he didn't look good, especially compared to his previous start when he stopped 27 of 28 shots en route to a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on Dec. 15. Tokarski is expected to remain as Pyotr Kochetkov's backup for the foreseeable future, so he's not expected to carry a lot of fantasy upside outside of being a potential streaming option when Kochetkov gets some rest.

Sorokin stopped 18 of 24 shots in Monday's 7-1 loss to the Sabres. Buffalo also scored on an empty net in the third period.

Those six goals are the most Sorokin's allowed in a single game in 2024-25. The Russian netminder hasn't been at his best of late, going 2-3-0 over his last five appearances while posting an absurdly high 4.54 GAA and a poor .836 save percentage. The Christmas break should give Sorokin some much-needed rest amid this woeful stretch of form.

Bobrovsky stopped 25 of 28 shots in Monday's 4-0 loss to the Lightning. Tampa Bay's final goal was scored into an empty net.

The Bolts struck early and grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period, and while Bobrovsky shut the door the rest of the way, the Panthers' offense never woke up. It was only the second loss for the veteran netminder across his last nine starts, a stretch in which Bobrovsky has compiled a 2.19 GAA and a .914 save percentage.