NHL Player News

Merzlikins will start in Saturday's home clash against the Kraken, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.

Merzlikins will get his chance to bounce back after falling in overtime during his last appearance March 12. Overall, the 31-year-old netminder has a 13-9-3 record, a 3.40 GAA and an .885 save percentage across 27 appearances this season. The Kraken have lost each of their last two games. With a red-hot Blue Jackets' lineup in front of him, Merzlikins holds solid fantasy value for Saturday's start.

Askarov (lower body) isn't expected to be an option for Saturday's home game against Philadelphia, according to Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.

Askarov remains day-to-day and will miss his sixth straight game. It is still unclear when he will be available to return to the lineup. He has earned a 19-17-3 record this season with a 3.56 GAA and an .886 save percentage through 40 appearances.

Vladar will defend the road net against San Jose on Saturday, according to Max Miller of NHL.com.

Vladar is coming off a 34-save effort in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime win over Anaheim. He has a 22-11-7 record during the 2025-26 campaign with a 2.44 GAA and a .907 save percentage through 42 appearances. San Jose sits 18th in the league with 3.06 goals per game this season.

Lilleberg (face) will play in Saturday's road clash against the Oilers, per Sports TV host Julie Stewart-Binks.

Head coach Jon Cooper noted that Lilleberg will wear a protective cage on his helmet in Saturday's contest. It will mark Lilleberg's first game since March 3 after he sustained a facial fracture during a practice session. He'll step into the lineup for Victor Hedman (illness).

Hedman (illness) won't play against Edmonton on Saturday, according to Sports TV host Julie Stewart-Binks.

Hedman left Thursday's game in Vancouver with an illness. It has been a tough season for the 35-year-old, as he has one goal and 16 assists through 33 appearances. It's unclear if he will be ready to play against Calgary on Sunday. Emil Lilleberg (facial fracture) will replace Hedman in Saturday's lineup.

Myers is in a 17-game point drought and has been scratched 16 times in that span, including Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.

Myers has just two assists over 34 outings this season. The 29-year-old defenseman fills a bottom-four role when he plays, offering little fantasy upside. He has added 37 shots on net, 49 hits, 45 blocked shots, 18 PIM and a minus-8 rating.

McCabe notched an assist and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.

McCabe has three helpers, 15 shots on net, 33 blocked shots, 13 hits and 13 PIM over 13 contests since the Olympic break. The 32-year-old defenseman continues to fill a top-four role and has some multi-category upside in deeper fantasy formats. For the season, he's at 21 points, 65 shots on net, 92 hits, 166 blocks, 44 PIM and a plus-12 rating through 68 outings.

Toffoli (lower body) remains questionable to play on San Jose's upcoming three-game road trip, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News on Saturday.

Toffoli will sit out Saturday's home matchup against Philadelphia. He is still going through testing to determine when he will be ready to return to the lineup. Toffoli has generated 18 goals, 44 points, 151 shots on net and 44 hits in 67 outings this season.

Jarnkrok notched an assist in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.

Jarnkrok had gone 14 games without a point, though he was also out of the lineup five times in that span. Even when he plays, he has been confined to bottom-six minutes and minimal power-play time, providing little fantasy value. Jarnkrok is at just eight points, 39 shots on net, 28 hits and a minus-8 rating over 46 appearances.

Desharnais (upper body) will not play in Saturday's home contest against the Flyers, per Max Miller of NHL.com.

Desharnais will miss his first contest since his return to the lineup Jan. 19. Across 40 games this season, the 29-year-old blueliner has five points, 60 PIM, 24 shots on net, 72 hits and 67 blocked shots. His next opportunity to return is for the start of San Jose's upcoming three-game road trip, which kicks off Tuesday in Nashville.