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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
St. Louis Blues and Springfield Thunderbirds forward Matt Luff, 28, has been selected as the Thunderbirds' representative for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic, held Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. Luff leads the team with 12 goals and 30 points in 29 AHL games this season. He also saw NHL action in December, scoring one goal in five games for the Blues while averaging 9:08 of ice time, following a recall due to injuries.
Bridgeport Islanders defenseman Cole McWard, 24, has been selected to the AHL's Atlantic Division All-Star team for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic (Feb. 10-11). McWard leads Bridgeport defensemen with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 29 games this season. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the New York Islanders organization this past offseason and has appeared in three NHL games with New York, going pointless, and recently serving as a healthy scratch.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is set to play against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, January 15, 2026, despite missing the morning skate for "maintenance," as confirmed by head coach Craig Berube. Knies logged 14:45 of ice time in the previous game. He may be moved to the fourth line for the first time this season, potentially to limit his minutes. Knies previously missed three games in November due to a lower-body injury that had been nagging him for a month.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan, 20, is receiving his Memorial Cup Championship ring from the OHL's London Knights. Cowan was the Memorial Cup MVP, recording 3 goals and 4 assists in 5 games, and tied Mitch Marner's franchise record with 15 points in back-to-back tournaments. He holds London's playoff points record with 96 points in 60 games. Now in his first NHL season, Cowan is an integral part of the Maple Leafs, having scored 7 goals and 7 assists through 35 games, including a recent OT winner. He faces Marner and the Golden Knights on Thursday.
St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (lower body) has been placed on injured reserve Thursday and will be sidelined for at least two weeks. The 26-year-old, who has 11 goals and 22 assists in 42 games this season, was initially ruled out of Friday's game after being injured Saturday. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks and could miss all 10 games before the Olympic break. Brayden Schenn is expected to fill his first-line role during his absence.
New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom has been moved to the team's top power-play unit, replacing Jonathan Drouin, as the Islanders look to spark their struggling man-advantage. The Islanders' power play is last in the NHL at 15.2% and has gone 0-for-6 in their last three games. Holmstrom has been playing well recently, recording four goals and one assist over his last four games. The team hopes his recent performance can boost their offense ahead of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (personal) has been ruled out of Thursday's game in Utah, marking his second consecutive absence. Heiskanen, who has seven goals and 29 assists in 46 games this season (including one goal and 13 assists on the power play), is currently in his longest point drought of the season, having not tallied a point in his previous four games.
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger will start Thursday's road game against Utah, returning to the crease after a night off Tuesday. Oettinger has started only one of the Stars' last four games and has been relatively shaky since the start of the calendar year. However, he recorded a successful outing against Los Angeles on Monday, turning aside 24 of 25 shots in a 3-1 victory.
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll is slated to start Thursday's road game against the Golden Knights in Vegas. Woll enters the contest on a three-game winning streak, including a 4-3 overtime victory in Colorado on Monday. This season, the 25-year-old netminder holds an 11-4-2 record with a 2.54 GAA and a .918 save percentage across 18 appearances. He faces a Golden Knights team ranked 10th in NHL scoring.
Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka is expected to start Thursday's home game against Dallas after being the first goalie off the ice. The 29-year-old netminder is currently on a four-game winning streak, boasting a 1.49 GAA and .943 save percentage during that span. Vejmelka leads the NHL with 21 wins and has made 35 starts, trailing only Juuse Saros. He is on pace for 30-40 wins and could be a Vezina Trophy candidate.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is a game-time decision for Friday's matchup against the Panthers due to an illness. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour noted Gostisbehere felt unwell Wednesday and missed Thursday's practice. Over his last five games, Gostisbehere has recorded three points (two goals, one assist), 10 blocked shots, 10 PIM, and a hit, averaging 19:40 of ice time. His availability for Friday remains uncertain.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram is slated to start Thursday's home game against the Islanders. After resting during Tuesday's back-to-back against Nashville, Ingram will return to the crease for his third start in the Oilers' last four games. Over his last three appearances, Ingram has posted a strong 2-0-1 record with a 1.95 GAA and a .930 save percentage, looking to continue his solid play.
Jacob Fowler will get the starting nod on the road against the Sabres on Thursday. The 21-year-old netminder has featured in three of the Canadiens' last seven outings, going 1-2-0 with a 2.08 GAA. With the team still carrying three netminders, Fowler's fantasy value is limited unless he secures a larger workload moving forward.
Spencer Knight will patrol the home crease for the Chicago Blackhawks versus Calgary on Thursday. Knight has been strong between the pipes this season, posting a 13-12-6 record with two shutouts, a 2.63 GAA, and a .910 save percentage. He will face the low-scoring Flames, who rank 31st in the NHL, averaging just 2.54 goals per game.
Rasmus Dahlin scored two power-play goals in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Flyers, doubling his season's power-play tally. The star blueliner potted Buffalo's first and fourth goals of the night from the high slot. Through 41 games this season, Dahlin has accumulated six goals and 32 points, along with 110 shots on net, 54 blocked shots, 39 PIM, 32 hits, and a minus-13 rating.
Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) is doubtful for Thursday's game against the Jets, marking his third consecutive missed game. Despite the absence, he is reportedly getting closer to returning and will travel with the team for their Saturday game in Buffalo. Through 45 appearances this season, Eriksson Ek has recorded 11 goals and 32 points.
Jesper Wallstedt was the first goalie off during Thursday's morning skate, indicating he will draw the home start against the Jets. This marks his second consecutive start, a first since early November, as he and Filip Gustavsson have typically alternated. Wallstedt has a 1-1-2 record with a 3.35 GAA and .886 save percentage in his last four starts, but holds a strong 2-0-0 record with a 1.53 GAA and .948 save percentage in two road starts against Winnipeg this season.
Will Smith (upper body) will miss Thursday's game in Washington, marking his 13th consecutive absence since his Dec. 13th injury. The Sharks forward, who has recorded 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games this season, remains a possibility to return to action Friday in Detroit, according to head coach Ryan Warsofsky. He could potentially play alongside Macklin Celebrini upon his return.
Jeremy Swayman will guard the home crease for the Bruins against Seattle on Thursday. He enters the game following a perfect performance in his last start, where he stopped all 24 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Red Wings. This season, Swayman holds an 18-11-2 record with a 2.79 GAA and a .904 save percentage across 32 appearances. The Kraken rank 25th in NHL scoring, averaging 2.76 goals per game.
Nico Hischier delivered a stellar performance in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Kraken, scoring two goals, including a power-play marker and the overtime winner. Jack Hughes set up the Devils' captain for a breakaway in the extra frame, allowing Hischier to slide a backhand past Philipp Grubauer. This marks Hischier's second multi-goal game of the season, bringing his total to five goals and 11 points over his last 13 games, with three goals and two assists coming on the power play.
