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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Philipp Grubauer will start in goal for the Seattle Kraken at home against the Nashville Predators on Thursday. This marks his third start in five games and kicks off the third of four consecutive back-to-back sets for the Kraken. Grubauer has been strong in his last two outings, allowing just two goals on 74 shots en route to two victories.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty, 21, is steadily improving at the NHL level after missing the start of the 2025-26 season due to injury. The 2022 14th overall pick recorded 4 goals and 7 points in a 5-game AHL stint before posting 2 goals and 3 points in 14 NHL games this season, totaling 22 career NHL games. Coach Dan Muse highlights McGroarty's all-around game, including offensive zone creation and defensive responsibility on the third line, where he's building chemistry with linemates.
Mikhail Sergachev, 27, contributed a power-play goal and two assists, one also on the man advantage, in the Utah Mammoth's dominant 7-2 win over the Islanders on Thursday. The blueliner assisted Dylan Guenther's opening goal and added his other two points in the third period. Sergachev has been productive since shaking off a late November slump, tallying 3 goals and 13 points, including 2 power-play goals and 3 power-play assists, over his last 15 games.
Nick Schmaltz, 29, scored two even-strength goals, including the game-winner, and added a power-play assist in the Utah Mammoth's 7-2 rout of the Islanders on Thursday. The center gave Utah a 3-1 lead late in the second period. Schmaltz has been consistently productive, avoiding back-to-back games without a point for a month. Over his last 14 contests, he has racked up 4 goals and 14 points, with two power-play assists during that span.
Clayton Keller, 27, delivered a strong performance for the Utah Mammoth on Thursday, scoring a power-play goal and adding two assists, one also with the man advantage, in their 7-2 victory over the Islanders. All three of Keller's points came in the third period as Utah pulled away. The winger has recorded three multi-point performances in his last six games and has collected 5 goals and 15 points in 15 contests since the beginning of December, including 1 goal and 5 assists on the power play.
Dylan Guenther, 22, delivered a standout performance for the Utah Mammoth on Thursday, recording his first career hat trick and adding a power-play assist in a dominant 7-2 win over the Islanders. Guenther opened the scoring 36 seconds into the second period, later buried a backhand feed for a 2-1 lead, and completed his hat trick with his 20th goal of the season in just 41 contests. He also contributed to a Mikhail Sergachev tally. Over his last 11 games, Guenther has erupted for 10 goals and 14 points.
New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat sustained an apparent lower-body injury during Thursday's game against Utah, struggling to leave the ice in the third period. He is scheduled for evaluation on Friday, with more details expected post-assessment. His potential absence for Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs could lead to increased ice time for Simon Holmstrom or Calum Ritchie, or lineup spots for Anthony Duclair or Marc Gatcomb. The center limped down the tunnel after the incident.
Jonas Johansson is slated to start on the road for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Kings on Thursday. In his last outing Sunday, Johansson secured a 5-4 shootout win over Montreal, making 31 saves on 35 shots. He currently holds an 8-6-1 record with a 2.82 GAA and an .896 save percentage across 16 appearances in the 2025-26 season. He'll face a Kings team that ranks 29th in goals per game.
Cam Talbot is confirmed to start in goal for the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday against the Penguins. The 38-year-old netminder will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, following John Gibson's win on Wednesday. Talbot enters the game having won his last two starts, stopping 56 of 60 shots. He faces a challenging Penguins offense that has scored 18 goals in their last four games.
Darcy Kuemper is set to make his return to the net for the Los Angeles Kings, guarding the home goal against the Lightning on Thursday. This marks his first start since December 15, when he sustained an upper-body injury against the Stars. Kuemper was activated from injured reserve on Tuesday. He faces a challenging opponent in the Lightning, who have scored 23 goals during their current five-game winning streak.
Eric Comrie is slated to guard the road goal for the Winnipeg Jets against the Maple Leafs on Thursday, marking his first appearance since December 11. The 30-year-old netminder previously concluded his stint as the Jets' starter with three consecutive losses, allowing 13 goals, before Connor Hellebuyck's return from knee surgery. Comrie will face a formidable Maple Leafs offense that has tallied 20 goals over their last five games.
St. Louis Blues forward Zach Dean, 22, has been cleared by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and is set to return to the Springfield Thunderbirds, the team's AHL affiliate. Dean was placed in the program before the season, missing all games to date. He played 11 games with the Thunderbirds last year, recording one goal and four points. A 2021 first-round pick by Vegas, Dean was acquired by the Blues in the Ivan Barbashev trade and is due for RFA status at season's end.
Vancouver Canucks forward Marco Rossi (lower body) is expected to miss at least one week, per Randip Janda of Sportsnet 650. Rossi missed Thursday's practice and the final eight minutes of Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Philadelphia. The 24-year-old has recorded five goals and 15 points in 25 games this season between Minnesota and Vancouver. Aatu Raty is slated to replace him in the lineup Friday against Seattle.
Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland (undisclosed) is expected to miss at least a week, according to Randip Janda of Sportsnet 650. He sustained the injury during Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Philadelphia. Garland has seven goals and 22 points in 33 appearances this season. Nils Hoglander is expected to draw back into the lineup Friday against Seattle due to Garland's absence.
Carolina Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi is slated to start at home against Montreal on Thursday, aiming for his third straight win. He has turned aside 36 of 40 shots (.900 SV%) across his past two outings. This season, Bussi holds a 13-1-1 record with a 2.08 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 15 appearances. Montreal is tied for sixth in goals per game with 3.28.
Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (upper body) has been activated from injured reserve and is confirmed to start Thursday's game against the Islanders. He was initially listed as a game-time decision. Vejmelka will patrol the visiting crease, marking his return after missing the last two games. In a corresponding move, Matt Villalta was sent to AHL Tucson. This season, Vejmelka holds a 16-10-2 record with a 2.70 GAA and an .894 save percentage over 29 appearances.
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) participated in Thursday's morning skate wearing a non-contact jersey, a significant step in his recovery from offseason groin surgery. Despite the progress, head coach Paul Maurice ruled him out for Friday's Winter Classic against the Rangers. Tkachuk has missed the first 39 games this season and is expected to return to the lineup in the next week or two. He recorded 22 goals and 35 assists in 52 regular-season games during the 2024-25 season.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (groin) did not participate in practice, indicating he is not ready to return for Thursday's game against Montreal. This will mark his third consecutive game missed. In 28 appearances during the 2025-26 season, Gostisbehere has recorded four goals and 29 points. Mike Reilly and Joel Nystrom are expected to continue playing regularly in his absence, alongside Jaccob Slavin (upper body).
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is expected to start at home against Winnipeg on Thursday. Woll is currently on a three-game winning streak, coming off a 33-save shutout victory over New Jersey on Tuesday. This season, he holds an 8-4-1 record with a 2.51 GAA and a .920 save percentage across 13 appearances. The Winnipeg Jets rank 23rd in the NHL for goals per game, averaging 2.82.
New York Islanders goaltender David Rittich will make his sixth consecutive start, playing at home against Utah on Thursday. This extended run in net is due to Ilya Sorokin remaining sidelined with a lower-body injury. Rittich has performed well in his last five games, posting a 3-1-1 record while allowing only eight goals on 144 shots. For the season, he holds a 10-4-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.27 GAA, and a .917 save percentage across 16 games.
