NHL Player News

Rittich stopped 29 of 33 shots in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Panthers.

Rittich picked up just his third win over seven appearances since the start of January. The 33-year-old hasn't gotten a chance at much playing time when Ilya Sorokin is healthy, and that's unlikely to change. Rittich improved to 13-8-3 with a 2.63 GAA and an .899 save percentage over 24 starts this season. He probably won't have to wait long for his next appearance -- the Islanders' road trip out west begins with a back-to-back as they visit the Ducks on Wednesday and the Kings on Thursday.

Kaprizov scored a power-play goal on five shots in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Blues.

Kaprizov opened the scoring at 16:09 of the second period, though the Blues answered less than two minutes later. This was Kaprizov's second straight game with a power-play goal. He's earned six goals and four assists during a seven-game point steak, with six of those points coming with the man advantage. Kaprizov is up to 34 goals, 74 points (28 on the power play), 215 shots and a plus-8 rating over 61 appearances.

Gustavsson stopped 21 of 23 shots in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Blues. The third goal was an empty-netter.

Gustavsson couldn't keep the game tied late in the third period, with Pavel Buchnevich scoring the winner with 3:39 to go. This performance ended Gustavsson's four-game winning streak, though it was still a decent effort. He's now at a 21-10-6 record with a 2.58 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 38 appearances. The Wild have alternated goalies at times but weren't doing so in January, so it remains to be seen if Gustavsson will claim a majority of the starts over Jesper Wallstedt as the team looks to solidify its place in the standings.

Mailloux scored a goal on three shots, added three hits, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Wild.

Mailloux ended a seven-game point drought with the tally, which was just his second goal all season. The 22-year-old defenseman is maintaining a bottom-four role this season, and he's picked up some extra ice time recently while Colton Parayko (back) is sidelined. Mailloux has four points, 44 shots on net, 60 hits, 32 blocked shots, 33 PIM and a minus-19 rating over 45 appearances in his first full NHL campaign.

Buchnevich scored a goal on two shots, added an assist and went plus-2 in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Wild.

Buchnevich's tally at 16:21 of the third period was the game-winner, and he also set up Robert Thomas for an empty-netter. With five goals and three assists during a five-game point streak, Buchnevich is finally performing as expected after a lot of tough stretches earlier in the campaign. The 30-year-old forward has 14 goals, 38 points, 112 shots on net and a minus-12 rating through 60 appearances. Despite the struggles, he could still make a push for the 20-goal and 50-point marks, especially if his recent play holds up down the stretch.

Thomas scored an empty-net goal on three shots, added an assist, logged two PIM and went plus-3 in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Wild.

Thomas missed 13 games between a leg injury that required a procedure and a personal matter. The 26-year-old is now back to bolster the Blues' top line, at least for now -- his name has been surfacing in trade rumors since St. Louis has woefully under-performed in 2025-26. Thomas has done his part fairly well with 12 goals, 23 assists, 63 shots on net, 24 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating through 43 outings.

Hofer stopped 22 of 23 shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Wild.

Hofer has allowed two goals on 47 shots over two games since play resumed after the Olympic break. The 25-year-old has been good for most of the season, and he's settled into an even split of starts with Jordan Binnington lately. Hofer improved to 14-11-3 with a 2.81 GAA and an .899 save percentage over 32 appearances this season. If the goalie rotation continues, Binnington is projected to start Wednesday in Seattle while Hofer would line up for Friday in San Jose for his next start.

But scored twice in AHL Tucson's 6-4 win over San Jose on Sunday.

But has three goals and two assists over his last five games. He saw some time with the Mammoth prior to the Olympic break, but the return of Logan Cooley from a lower-body injury has closed the door for But having an opportunity to contribute with the big club. But is at 11 goals, 22 points and 69 shots on net over 25 AHL appearances.

Vatrano (shoulder) will not be in the lineup for Sunday's home game against the Flames, according to Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune.

Vatrano will miss his 21st consecutive game Sunday and remains on injured reserve. The Massachusetts native practiced Saturday, so he's seemingly nearing a return to game action. The Ducks' next game is at home against the Avalanche on Tuesday.

Strome (illness) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Flames, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Strome didn't practice Saturday due to his illness, and he'll be forced to miss Sunday's matchup. His next opportunity to return will be Tuesday against Colorado, but he isn't guaranteed a spot in the lineup when healthy since he's been scratched on several occasions recently.