NHL Player News

Vejmelka stopped 11 of 13 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens.

Vejmelka's workload Tuesday was his lowest in a start this season, and that's likely a good thing since the Canadiens were efficient with their chances. Utah did well to keep the game tied until Mikhail Sergachev sealed the win at 4:33 of overtime. This was Vejmelka's third win over his last seven appearances, and he hasn't allowed more than three goals in any outing in that span. The Czech goalie is up to 3-6-0 with a 2.25 GAA and a .922 save percentage over 11 games this season. Vejmelka figures to continue handling No. 1 duties as long as Connor Ingram (upper body) is out of action.

Kochetkov (concussion) is considered day-to-day but won't be in the lineup versus the Rangers on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

With Frederik Andersen (knee) also sidelined, the Canes will likely turn the crease over to Spencer Martin for Wednesday's matchup. Still, the fact that Kochetkov has been upgraded to day-to-day is a positive step forward and could be an indication he'll be ready to play in one end of the Canes' upcoming back-to-back against the Panthers on Friday and Saturday.

Vejmelka will guard the road goal against Montreal on Tuesday, per Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune.

After posting a 1-2-0 record with a .947 save percentage and a 1.70 GAA in his previous three outings, Vejmelka will start for the fourth time in six days in Tuesday's matchup. He has a 2-6-0 record with a 2.30 GAA and a .926 save percentage through 10 appearances this season. Montreal sits 19th in the league with 2.80 goals per game in 2024-25.

Lankinen will patrol the blue paint in Tuesday's road matchup with the Bruins, Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet relays.

Lankinen rebounded in a 4-3 win over Ottawa on Saturday after allowing eight combined goals in back-to-back losses. The Finnish netminder is sporting a 9-3-2 record, .901 save percentage and 2.74 GAA through 14 appearances. The 29-year-old will face a Bruins club that ranks 32nd in the NHL with 2.32 goals per game through 22 contests.

Varlamov stopped 17 of 20 shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Red Wings. The fourth goal was an empty-netter with three seconds left in the third period.

Varlamov made his fourth start of the month Monday and didn't look good, as this was the first time in that four-game stretch in which he posted a save percentage below the .900 mark. The 36-year-old veteran has looked solid in a backup role this season, though, going 3-4-2 with a 2.66 GAA and an .898 save percentage in his nine outings so far.

Demko (knee) is making strides in his recovery and could be a game-time decision sooner rather than later, Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet reports Tuesday.

Demko won't be an option versus Boston on Tuesday and likely won't play in the second half of the Canucks' back-to-back against Pittsburgh on Wednesday either. Still, it's a positive update from general manager Patrik Allvin regarding the backstop's availability. Once given the all-clear, the 28-year-old San Diego native should reclaim his spot as the No. 1 option in Vancouver, relegating Kevin Lankinen to the backup role.

Lyon stopped 27 of 29 shots in Monday's 4-2 win over the Islanders.

Lyon gave up goals in the early stages of the first and second periods, but other than that, he was solid between the pipes en route to earning his second consecutive win. The 31-year-old has made just three appearances since losing the starting gig and later missing three games with a lower-body injury from Nov. 8-13, going 2-1-0 with a 2.68 GAA and a .900 save percentage since his return.

Askarov was assigned to AHL San Jose on Tuesday.

Askarov picked up his first win as a Shark on Monday in a 7-2 victory over the Kings. Given his performance, this transaction could be a paper move to allow San Jose to accrue cap space, but that remains to be seen. Through two NHL appearances in 2024-25, Askarov is 1-0-1 with a .927 save percentage and a 1.96 GAA.

Shesterkin stopped 38 of 42 shots in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Blues. The fifth goal was an empty-netter with 2:45 left in the third period.

The 28-year-old star goaltender did everything in his power to avoid the defeat at home Monday, but the Blues scored two goals in the opening 10 minutes of the third period to pull away for good. Although Shesterkin has lost his past two starts while navigating amid an uneven stretch in November, fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about what he can bring to the table. Shesterkin has gone 4-4-0 with a 3.35 GAA and a .905 save percentage in eight outings this month.

Hofer stopped 27 of 29 shots in Monday's 5-2 win over the Rangers.

Hofer snapped a three-game losing streak with a solid showing against the Rangers, but fantasy managers shouldn't get too excited about this performance. He should return to his backup role behind Jordan Binnington for the upcoming games, meaning Hofer will only have upside as a streaming, matchup-based option in games where Binnington gets some rest. Hofer is 4-3-0 with a 3.23 GAA and an .899 save percentage in seven appearances this season.