NHL Player News

Soderblom will guard the road goal versus the Sabres on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Soderblom will handle the second half of the Blackhawks' back-to-back set after Spencer Knight was in goal for a 3-2 loss to the Kraken on Thursday. With just three goals allowed on 67 shots on net over his last two games, both wins, Soderblom has some momentum coming into this matchup. The Sabres have scored 20 goals over the last six games but have posted a 2-4-0 record in that span.

Luukkonen will guard the home goal versus the Blackhawks on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

This will be Luukkonen's first action in four games and his first start since Nov. 6 versus the Blues. He's fallen out of favor a bit in a crowded crease, but the Sabres' goaltending battle hasn't really had a standout participant yet. Luukkonen has posted an .883 save percentage over four contests and may be challenged heavily by the Blackhawks' offense.

Swayman will defend the road crease against Los Angeles on Friday.

Swayman's five-game winning streak came to an end Monday against the Hurricanes, but he's still been effective in recent weeks, going 5-1-0 with a 2.47 GAA and .920 save percentage over six appearances in November. He'll have a relatively favorable matchup against the Kings, who are averaging 2.76 goals per game this season, which is tied for the seventh-worst mark in the league.

Bussi will serve as the starting netminder for Friday's road game against Winnipeg, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports.

Bussi has seen limited playing time to begin the regular season, including just one start over the Hurricanes' last 10 games. However, he's been effective when called upon, going 4-1-0 with a 2.60 GAA and .898 save percentage. The Jets will present a tough challenge Friday, as they rank sixth in the NHL with 3.32 goals per game.

Schmid made 25 saves on 26 shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Mammoth.

Schmid's elite run continued Thursday, as he allowed just one goal near the midway point in the second period. He's won each of his last three starts and has a 1.33 GAA and a .941 save percentage in that span. Overall, the 25-year-old goaltender has a 9-1-2 record with a 2.33 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 12 appearances this season. Schmid has been one of the top goaltending stories of the season, stepping up for the team's opening-night starter Adin Hill, who has been out of the lineup since Oct. 20 with a lower-body injury. Even when Hill returns, Schmid might have done enough to earn a time share between the pipes for Vegas and should be a solid goaltending option in most fantasy formats for the foreseeable future. His next chance to guard the crease is Saturday in Anaheim.

Vejmelka stopped 29 of 33 shots on goal in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Golden Knights.

After a clean first period, Vejmelka struggled in the second, allowing three of Vegas' four goals Thursday. With the loss, the 29-year-old goaltender has an 8-5-2 record with a 2.93 GAA and an .880 save percentage through 15 appearances this season. After a strong start to the season, he has begun to regress with an 0-1-2 record and an .875 save percentage across his last three starts. The Mammoth have proven that they can be competitive in the Central Division at times this season, but they are currently mired in a four-game losing streak. If they can flip the switch sooner rather than later, Vejmelka is set to benefit as the team's clear top option between the pipes. Depending on the matchup, Vejmelka is a solid spot start in standard fantasy leagues and should be rostered in deep leagues that feature two goalies due to his sheer volume of opportunities. His next chance to take the ice is Saturday on home ice against the Rangers.

Gustavsson is expected to start Friday's road game against Pittsburgh, Wild broadcaster Joe O'Donnell reports.

Gustavsson has lost out on some playing time recently, as Friday's start will be just his third over Minnesota's last seven games. However, he's been effective across his past two outings, going 1-0-1 with a 1.88 GAA and .907 save percentage. The Penguins have been decent offensively this year, ranking ninth in the league with 3.26 goals per game. Gustavsson started at home against the Penguins on Oct. 30, turning aside 30 of 33 shots (.909 save percentage) en route to a 4-1 loss.

Hellebuyck will undergo minor arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to be out of action for 4-6 weeks, Darren Dreger of TSN reports Friday.

Eric Comrie will take over as the No. 1 goaltender while Hellebuyck is out of action. Hellebuyck is 8-6-0 with a 2.51 GAA and a .913 save percentage across 14 starts this season. Look for the Jets to recall a goaltender from AHL Manitoba, likely Thomas Milic.

Lankinen stopped 20 of 24 shots in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Stars.

Lankinen was unable to fend off a balanced attack from the Stars, who got a goal from each of their four forward lines. The 30-year-old netminder has gone 2-3-2 over seven games since taking over as the Canucks' primary goalie while Thatcher Demko (lower body) is out. Overall, Lankinen is at a 4-6-2 record with a 3.49 GAA and an .886 save percentage through 12 appearances. He's a risky goalie overall, but the Canucks' next game is Sunday versus the Flames, which is a good matchup should Lankinen get the start.

Silovs was the first goalie off during Friday's morning skate, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, signaling that he'll draw the home start against the Wild.

Silovs has struggled to enter the win column over the past month, as he's gone 1-1-4 across his last six starts despite a decent 2.56 GAA and .917 save percentage during that time. He'll have a favorable matchup against the Wild, who are scoring 2.76 goals per game this year, which is tied for the seventh-worst mark in the NHL.