NHL Player News

Ersson will be between the home pipes versus Columbus on Saturday, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Ersson has struggled since returning from a lower-body injury that cost him 11 games, going 1-3-0 and allowing 15 goals on only 87 shots (.828 save percentage). His lone win was against Saturday's opponent, as the Blue Jackets managed only 18 shots on goal in a 5-3 win for the Flyers on Dec. 10. Columbus has been surprisingly strong offensively in 2024-25, averaging 3.24 goals per game.

Gibson stopped 19 of 22 shots in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Avalanche. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Gibson did a good job to keep the Avalanche off the board in the first period, but they put up two goals in each of the last two frames. This was Gibson's fifth loss in his last six outings, and he's given up at least three goals in five of those games. The 31-year-old has seen a slight majority of the playing time lately, but his status as the clear No. 1 netminder is tenuous at best. Gibson is now 5-5-1 with a 3.01 GAA and a .903 save percentage through 11 games. The Ducks are on the road Sunday in Utah and Monday in Vegas, so look for Gibson and Lukas Dostal to split the starts over the next two contests.

Wedgewood stopped 30 of 32 shots in Friday's 4-2 win over the Ducks.

Wedgewood earned his fourth win in six outings with the Avalanche in this contest. He limited the damage to goals by Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn, helping the Avalanche sweep a back-to-back set. Wedgewood improved to 5-4-1 with a 2.69 GAA and a .908 save percentage over 11 appearances between Colorado and Nashville this season. He's settled in nicely to the backup role with his new team, and he's a strong fantasy play whenever he starts. Mackenzie Blackwood will likely get the nod versus the Kraken on Sunday.

Oettinger permitted two goals on 29 shots in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Rangers. The third goal was an empty-netter.

Oettinger took his fifth loss in his last eight outings, though this one wasn't his fault. The Rangers got to him twice in the first period after Roope Hintz opened the scoring, but the Stars failed to pull even over the final 40 minutes. Oettinger is down to 16-9-0 with a 2.42 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 25 appearances. The Stars' last game before the holiday break is on the road Monday against a red-hot Utah team, so Oettinger may be a bit of a risky fantasy play for that matchup.

Shesterkin stopped 41 of 42 shots in Friday's 3-1 win over the Stars.

Shesterkin had allowed 11 goals over his last four starts, going 1-3-0 in that span. While it'll take more than one good game to get the Rangers back on track, this was a statement win for Shesterkin, who was just 1-3-0 when facing 40-plus shots prior to this contest. He improved to 11-12-1 overall with a 2.95 GAA and a .912 save percentage over 24 starts. Fantasy managers should buy low on the 28-year-old goalie -- there may not be a better opportunity than now. The Rangers continue a tough stretch of games at home Sunday versus the Hurricanes.

Fleury stopped 16 of 18 shots in Friday's 2-1 loss to Utah.

Fleury has lost three of his last five appearances, though he's given up two or fewer goals in four of those games. The 40-year-old netminder was beaten twice by Dylan Guenther, and that was the difference in Friday's narrow loss. Fleury is down to 6-3-1 with a 2.81 GAA and an .898 save percentage over 11 outings (10 starts) this season. Jesper Wallstedt will tend the twine on the road versus the Jets on Saturday, but Fleury could be back between the pipes at home against the Blackhawks on Monday.

Vejmelka stopped 28 of 29 shots in Friday's 2-1 win over the Wild.

Mats Zuccarello opened the scoring midway through the first period, but that was all the Wild could put past Vejmelka. Dylan Guenther provided the offense with both of Utah's goals, and Vejmelka protected the lead for the last 10 minutes of the third. He's won four starts in a row, giving up seven goals on 101 shots in that span. Vejmelka is at an 8-7-2 record with a 2.29 GAA and a .918 save percentage through 19 appearances this season. Utah's got a back-to-back up next -- they host the Ducks on Sunday and the Stars on Monday, so Vejmelka could start Monday's game if the team opts to play its top goalie against the stronger opponent.

Kochetkov conceded three goals on 22 shots in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Capitals.

Kochetkov turned in a solid performance Friday in a goaltender duel against Charlie Lindgren, but the Hurricanes weren't able to muster up enough offensive support for their netminder. Kochetkov hasn't been able to get into a groove lately, as he's alternated wins and losses over seven appearances in December. The 25-year-old is sporting a 13-6-0 record, .900 save percentage and 2.51 GAA through 20 appearances. Carolina has had five different goaltenders make an appearance in 2024-25, but Kochetkov has been the only one to start in at least eight games.

Talbot stopped 29 of 33 shots in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Canadiens.

Talbot made just his third appearance of December after battling a nagging lower-body injury. The 37-year-old goalie didn't look great in this one, which extended his winless run to four outings. Talbot is now 6-7-2 with a 2.78 GAA and a .914 save percentage over 17 appearances this season. Alex Lyon figures to get the nod in Saturday's rematch in Montreal, and if Talbot continues to struggle, he could lose playing time moving forward.

Lindgren turned aside 24 of 25 shots in Friday's 3-1 win over Carolina.

Lindgren collected his seventh win in his last nine appearances Friday. He almost registered his first shutout of the season in the victory, but Seth Jarvis got Carolina on the board at 10:22 of the third period. The 31-year-old has been spectacular in December, posting a 3-1-0 record, .942 save percentage and 1.50 GAA through four appearances. The Minnesota native has allowed exactly one goal in three of those four contests. Lindgren is up to a 10-6-0 record, 2.59 GAA and .905 save percentage through 16 appearances.