NHL Player News

Shesterkin stopped 22 of 26 shots in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Shesterkin had a 3-2 lead to protect after the second period, but the Rangers got caved in during the third. They managed just one shot on goal, and Shesterkin couldn't hold the fort, giving up goals to Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker in a span of 1:23 to flip the game around. Shesterkin is down to 25-18-6 with a 2.53 GAA and a .911 save percentage after taking his second loss in his last five outings. With the Rangers eliminated from playoff contention, it's unclear if Shesterkin will maintain a heavy workload in the final week of the season. The team closes out the year on a three-game road trip, beginning Saturday in Dallas.

Luukkonen stopped 17 of 20 shots in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Luukkonen wasn't at his best, and Buffalo trailed 3-2 after two periods. He stayed in goal for the third, and the Sabres' defense stepped up, as Luukkonen faced just one shot in the final frame while his teammates rallied for the win. The 27-year-old has won four of his last five outings and is up to 21-9-3 with a 2.56 GAA and a .908 save percentage across 34 appearances. If Alex Lyon (lower body) isn't able to play Thursday at home versus the Blue Jackets, Colten Ellis will likely get the nod. However, Luukkonen's light workload in Wednesday's win could keep him in consideration.

Ingram was pulled from Wednesday's game versus the Sharks due to an undisclosed issue, Jamie Umbach of the Oilers' official site reports.

Ingram stopped eight of 10 shots in the first two periods before exiting the contest for precautionary reasons. He experienced some discomfort late in the second period, so Tristan Jarry entered the game in the third frame. It doesn't appear that the issue is serious, but it's unclear if Ingram will be available for Saturday's road matchup against the Kings.

Hlavaj recorded a 30-save shutout in AHL Iowa's 4-0 win over Texas on Wednesday.

Hlavaj made his 20th AHL appearance of the season and picked up his second shutout. He's had some moments, but his 6-10-4 record, 3.30 GAA and .885 save percentage show he still has some things to work on at Iowa. Hlavaj also had a 3.56 GAA and .908 save percentage across five games for Slovakia at the Olympics, helping his country to a fourth-place finish.

Murray posted a 16-save shutout in AHL Milwaukee's 7-0 win over Manitoba on Wednesday.

Murray ended a three-game skid with this shutout, which was his fourth of the season. He's managed a 20-20-2 record with a 2.81 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 43 appearances, a far cry from his 2.07 GAA and .932 save percentage in the 2024-25 regular season. Murray will likely remain in the AHL unless the Predators are without one of their regular goalies.

Stolarz needs imaging done to assess the severity of the lower-body injury he sustained Wednesday versus the Capitals, Luke Fox of Sportsnet reports.

Stolarz could be done for the season, considering the Maple Leafs have just four games left. Artur Akhtyamov will be recalled to start Thursday's road game against the Islanders and could fill the backup role behind Joseph Woll for the remainder of the campaign. If the injury ends Stolarz's season, he will finish with a 10-10-3 record, a 3.28 GAA and an .893 save percentage over 26 appearances.

Akhtyamov will be recalled from AHL Toronto and start Thursday's road game versus the Islanders, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Akhtyamov may stick with the Maple Leafs for the rest of the regular season after Anthony Stolarz (lower body) sustained an injury Wednesday versus the Capitals. Thursday's game will be Akhtyamov's first NHL start after his debut came in a relief appearance against the Oilers on Dec. 13, when he stopped all five shots he faced. He has a 20-12-6 record with a 2.90 GAA and a .903 save percentage over 36 AHL appearances this season.

Ingram will protect the road goal versus the Sharks on Wednesday, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.

Ingram will get the nod in the second half of a back-to-back after Tristan Jarry lost to the Mammoth in overtime on Tuesday. Ingram is 3-1-0 with 10 goals allowed over his last four games. The Sharks have scored 22 goals over their last six games, winning five of them as they work toward a playoff spot.

Stolarz sustained a lower-body injury in Wednesday's game versus the Capitals and won't return to the contest.

Stolarz needed help off the ice after stretching out his left leg to make a save early in the first period. Joseph Woll took over in goal Wednesday and will end up playing nearly the whole game. The Maple Leafs will likely need to call up a goalie to start Thursday's road game versus the Islanders. Given the time of the season and the nature of Stolarz's injury, the team may opt to shut him down for the rest of the campaign.

Lindgren (upper body) won't be in uniform for Wednesday's game versus the Maple Leafs, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Lindgren took a maintenance day Tuesday, and he will be out of the lineup for at least a game. It's not yet clear whether Lindgren will be able to suit up in either game of the Capitals' home-and-home set versus the Penguins this weekend.