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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored a goal for the Vegas Golden Knights in their 6-3 victory over the Maple Leafs on Friday night. His contribution helped the Golden Knights secure a win in Mitch Marner's emotional return to Toronto.
Jack Eichel scored a goal in the Vegas Golden Knights' 6-3 victory over the Maple Leafs on Friday night. This extends his impressive point streak to 11 games. In the previous game on Thursday, he tallied an even-strength goal and a power-play assist in a 4-3 loss to the Bruins. During this 11-game surge, Eichel has accumulated seven goals and 19 points, including six power-play helpers, showcasing significant scoring contribution.
Mitch Marner received a loud, chilly reception, including boos and some cheers, in his emotional return to Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Friday night, his first game back since his sign-and-trade to the Vegas Golden Knights last summer. Despite the reception, his new team secured a 6-3 victory over the Maple Leafs. Marner, who played nine seasons for Toronto, expressed relief the homecoming was over. He previously recorded two assists against his former team last week and now has 12 goals and 40 assists in 50 games this season.
Mikko Rantanen (illness) is slated to play for the Dallas Stars against the Blues on Friday, despite being a true game-time decision and not taking line rushes during warmups. Rantanen missed the previous two games while under the weather. Nathan Bastian and Adam Erne will be scratched up front for the Stars.
Vancouver Canucks winger Evander Kane could be on the move before the 2026 trade deadline, with NHL insiders linking the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche as likely destinations. Kane, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has 84 hits in 49 games this season. Both teams are preparing for long playoff runs. A trade freeze will be in effect from February 4 to February 22.
Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) is confirmed to be in the lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning's game against the Blackhawks on Friday. The 28-year-old center had left Tuesday's game versus the Sharks, but appears to be fine and will resume his top-six role, expecting ice time in all situations. His return is a significant boost for the Lightning's offensive depth, as he is a key contributor in all phases of the game.
Jake Oettinger will start in goal for the Dallas Stars at home against the Blues on Friday, marking his second start in a back-to-back after Casey DeSmith played Thursday. The 27-year-old netminder has faced a challenging January, posting a 2-4-1 record with a 3.31 GAA and an .868 save percentage across seven games. He will look to improve his form against a Blues team that has struggled offensively, scoring only 11 goals in their last six contests.
Ilya Mikheyev, a 31-year-old forward for the Chicago Blackhawks, is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of his four-year, $19 million contract. He has recorded nine goals and 17 points in his first 45 games this season, contributing secondary scoring and playing a key role on the penalty kill. The Blackhawks are considering a short-term extension at a lower AAV than his current $4.75 million.
Adin Hill is confirmed to start on the road against the Maple Leafs on Friday, as reported by Danny Webster. Since returning from a lower-body injury, Hill holds a 1-1-0 record, allowing seven goals on 45 shots in two games. The Maple Leafs have struggled recently, losing four of their last five games (1-2-2) and scoring 14 goals. Hill previously played in Vegas' 6-5 overtime win against Toronto on January 15.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is confirmed to start in goal for the Lightning on the road against the Blackhawks on Friday, according to Tracey Myers. He enters the game on an impressive run, boasting a 10-0-1 record over his last 10 games, accompanied by a 1.97 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The Blackhawks, his upcoming opponents, have won three of their last six games, scoring 13 goals in that timeframe.
Kevin Lankinen is set to start in goal for the Vancouver Canucks against the New Jersey Devils on Friday, as reported by Olivia McDonald of CanucksInsider.com. Lankinen's recent performance has been challenging, with a 1-4-1 record, 3.32 GAA, and .893 save percentage over his last seven games since the start of the year. However, he faces a favorable matchup against the Devils, who rank as the third-worst scoring team in the NHL, averaging just 2.56 goals per game.
Olen Zellweger, a 22-year-old Ducks defenseman, is embracing a new role focused on the penalty kill, averaging 2:05 TOI on the PK over the last eight games. Despite his offensive potential (18 points in 49 games this season, 47 points in 137 career games), his power-play time has significantly decreased. He remains Anaheim's second-best defenseman at 5v5, driving offense with a 53.68% shot attempts share. Zellweger is in the final year of his entry-level contract and will be an RFA.
Mason McTavish (upper body) has returned to Anaheim, though head coach Joel Quenneville expressed hope he could rejoin the team on their current road trip. Quenneville stated Friday, "He's doing better, so I don't know if he's gonna return on this trip, but we're hopeful that he can make it back." Despite this, McTavish is likely to miss at least the next three games due to a back-to-back schedule. He remains a strong candidate for injured reserve if the Ducks require a roster spot, given his recovery timeline.
Spencer Martin is confirmed to start in goal for the New York Rangers on the road against San Jose on Friday, marking his third start in the team's last four games. This season, Martin holds a 1-1-0 record with a 4.11 GAA and an .848 save percentage across four outings. His increased workload comes as the Rangers continue to struggle without Igor Shesterkin (lower body), who has been sidelined since January 5. The opposing Sharks are currently ranked 17th in the league, averaging 3.08 goals per game.
Colton White, a 28-year-old defenseman, was called up by the New Jersey Devils from the Utica Comets (AHL) on Wednesday. He has contributed four assists in 23 games with the Devils this season. Drafted 97th overall in 2015 by the Devils, he previously played 107 NHL games over six seasons with the Devils and Ducks, accumulating 14 career assists. He rejoined the Devils in July 2024 as a free agent and will meet the team in Vancouver.
Philipp Grubauer is slated to start at home against Anaheim on Friday. He recently stopped 24 of 25 shots in a 4-1 win over the Islanders, improving his season record to 10-4-3 with a 2.37 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 19 outings. He faces a hot Ducks squad that has won five straight, despite averaging a modest 2.60 goals per game over that stretch.
Jacob Markstrom is expected to start on the road in Vancouver on Friday. He boasts a 3-1-0 record over his last four starts, allowing nine goals on 97 shots. This season, he holds a 13-11-1 record with a 3.27 GAA and an .882 save percentage across 26 appearances. He'll face the Canucks, who rank 28th in the NHL, averaging 2.58 goals per game.
Alex Nedeljkovic is slated to start at home against the Rangers on Friday. Sharing the net has benefited him, as he's won his last four starts, stopping 106 of 115 shots for a .922 save percentage. Overall, he's 9-8-2 with a 2.96 GAA and an .896 save percentage in 22 appearances this season. The Rangers are 27th in NHL scoring, averaging 2.67 goals per game.
Jordan Binnington is set to defend the road crease against Dallas on Friday. He has struggled significantly over his last three starts, posting an 0-3-0 record with a 5.03 GAA and a .828 save percentage. However, he previously had success against the Stars on Oct. 18, stopping 18 of 19 shots (.947 save percentage) in a 3-1 home victory.
Filip Chytil (upper body) is set to return to the Vancouver Canucks' lineup Friday against New Jersey, per Randip Janda. Chytil last played on Oct. 19, seeing only 5:02 of ice time before exiting with his upper-body injury, which caused him to miss the last 44 games. He will center Brock Boeser and Drew O'Connor on the second line. The forward has recorded three goals in six games this season.
