NHL Player News

Oettinger stopped 25 shots in regulation and overtime but was beaten twice on two shootout attempts in Friday's 5-4 loss to Colorado.

The 27-year-old netminder nearly escaped with the win, but Valeri Nichushkin ripped a shot past him through traffic with 15 seconds left in the third period. Oettinger saw his eight-start win streak come to an end, but he still hasn't lost in regulation since Jan. 18, going 8-0-1 since then with a 2.71 GAA and .876 save percentage.

Wolf will patrol the home crease versus Carolina on Saturday, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Wolf has been sharing the net with Devin Cooley since Jan. 10. Wolf is 17-23-3 with a 2.97 GAA and an .898 save percentage across 44 outings this season. The Hurricanes are fourth in NHL scoring, generating 3.48 goals per game.

Hyman scored two goals in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes.

Even though Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl grab most of the headlines when it comes to the Oilers, Hyman has been excellent of late and has posted five goals in his five outings following the Olympic break. Over that stretch, the 33-year-old winger has also racked up two assists, 14 shots, two hits, three blocked shots, two PIM and an even rating.

Staal scored a goal on two shots and posted a plus-3 rating in Friday's 6-3 win over the Oilers.

Staal snapped a four-game goal drought with a third-period empty-netter that gave the Hurricanes a 5-3 lead. The 37-year-old veteran remains productive in a bottom-six role. He's up to 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 59 contests in 2025-26. He looks poised to reach the 30-point plateau for a sixth straight season and could even hit the 40-point mark if he embarks on another hot streak. He hasn't recorded 40 points in a season since the 2017-18 campaign.

Blake scored two goals in Friday's 6-3 win over the Oilers.

Blake was remarkably efficient, finding the back of the net on both shots he put on goal. The 22-year-old winger isn't a regular source of scoring for the Hurricanes, but he's going through a prolific stretch of late. He has cracked the scoresheet in five of his last six appearances, tallying seven points (three goals, four assists) and a plus-5 rating over that stretch. Blake is having a career-best season in 2025-26, with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 62 appearances.

Protas (personal) will return to the lineup against Boston on Saturday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

After sitting out Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Utah, Protas will occupy a second-line role against the Bruins on Saturday. He has generated 20 goals, 42 points and 129 shots on net across 59 appearances this campaign.

Merzlikins will patrol the home crease against Utah on Saturday, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

Merzlikins has posted a 12-9-1 record this season with one shutout, a 3.47 GAA and an .887 save percentage through 24 appearances. Utah is tied for 14th in the league with 3.16 goals per game during the 2025-26 campaign.

Vejmelka was the first goaltender off the ice at morning practice, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports, and is expected to defend the visiting cage in Columbus on Saturday.

Vejmelka is having a career year, posting a 29-16-2 record with a 2.61 GAA and a .900 save percentage in the 2025-26 campaign. He has already set a new career high in wins, beating his previous best of 26 from last season. The Blue Jackets are averaging 3.13 goals per game, which ranks 17th in the league.

Ehlers recorded a goal, an assist, three shots and a plus-3 rating in Friday's 6-3 win over the Oilers.

Ehlers was unable to repeat the hat trick he scored against the Canucks on Wednesday, but he remains one of the Canes' most dangerous players despite holding a bottom-six role in the lineup. Ehlers has scored five goals in his last three outings and has cracked the scoresheet in six of his last seven appearances, racking up nine points (six goals, three helpers), 21 shots on goal, two hits and a plus-7 rating in that span.

Mikheyev delivered a goal and an assist in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Canucks.

The Russian winger cut Chicago's deficit to 3-2 late in the first period with a snap shot, and then added an assist in Frank Nazar's second-period tally. The 31-year-old Mikheyev, who snapped a five-game point drought with this performance, has 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) on the season.