Gustavsson will draw the starting assignment for Sweden against Finland on Friday at the 2026 Winter Olympics, per Ethan Sears of the New York Post.

Gustavsson will make his second straight start for Sweden, allowing two goals on 22 shots in a 5-2 victory over Italy on Wednesday. The 27-year-old netminder is 20-9-6 with a 2.64 GAA and a .906 save percentage over 36 games this season for the Wild. The Finns have their backs against the wall after dropping a 4-1 decision to Slovakia on Wednesday.

Saros will be between the pipes versus Sweden on Friday at the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to Finnish reporter Ville Touro.

Saros will make his second start for Finland after allowing three goals on 24 shots in a 4-1 loss to Slovakia on Wednesday. Saros is 21-17-5 with a 3.20 GAA and an .892 save percentage across 44 appearances for Nashville this season. It's a must-win game for Finland against their archrivals from Sweden, as another loss will severely hurt their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Czata scored three goals and added an assist in OHL Niagara's 6-3 win over Owen Sound on Thursday.

This was Czata's best game of the season and his second hat trick. He's recorded five goals and seven assists during an eight-game point streak, his best stretch of the campaign. He has a career-high 22 goals, but his playmaking has dropped with just 17 assists so far this season, giving him 39 points in 48 appearances. That matches his 0.81 points-per-game pace from the 2024-25 regular season, when he had 21 goals and 34 helpers in 68 contests.

Aitcheson notched three assists in OHL Barrie's 6-3 win over Kingston on Thursday.

Aitcheson didn't go more than three games without a goal prior to the World Junior Championship, but he's currently in an 11-game goal drought. He's remained productive with 15 helpers during that span. The Islanders prospect is up to 22 goals, 31 assists and a plus-36 rating across 42 appearances this season, putting him seven points shy from a new career high.

Hemming scored twice and added an assist in OHL Barrie's 6-3 win over Kingston on Thursday.

Hemming had gone seven games without a multi-point effort, earning three goals and two assists in that span. The Finnish forward is up to a career-best 19 goals in just 32 OHL contests this season, surpassing the 18 tallies he posted in 60 regular-season outings last year. He's produced 46 points, 127 shots on net and a plus-28 rating, and he's three points away from exceeding his point total from last year.

Eichel dished out two assists and placed three shots on goal in the United States' 5-1 win over Latvia in Olympic round-robin play Thursday.

Eichel was the top playmaker for the United States' power play, as he recorded each of the primary helpers on the team's two goals scored with a man advantage. His first was on Tage Thompson's goal midway through the second period before later making the pass that led to a goal for team captain Auston Matthews. Prior to Eichel receiving the keys to Team USA's power play, he recorded 27 points across his last 18 games with the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old center should see a large chunk of ice time this tournament from the United States' top six.

Hughes supplied three assists and put a shot on goal in the United States' 5-1 win over Latvia in Olympic round-robin play Thursday.

Hughes led the United States in points Thursday with an assist on three of the team's last four goals. He slid the primary helper on each of Brock Nelson's two goals in the second period before sealing the hat trick of helpers with a secondary apple on Auston Matthews' power-play tally in the third. After missing New Jersey's final three games before the Olympic break, he showed no lingering signs of injury while skating on the productive fourth line for Team USA. He should remain in the mix to lead the United States in points for the Olympics if he can maintain a spot in the lineup moving forward.

Tkachuk distributed two assists and fired four shots on net in the United States' 5-1 win over Latvia in Olympic round-robin play Thursday.

Tkachuk secured his two-point performance inside the first two periods of the contest. He picked up his first helper with the primary pass to his brother, Brady Tkachuk, for the opening tally before later helping Brock Nelson score the United States' fourth goal. Between a limited sample size with the Panthers this season and the Olympic opener, Tkachuk has showcased a steady involvement in both offenses. The assistant captain earned a spot on the United States' top line and power-play unit, which gives him the chance to post big offensive numbers in the Olympic tournament.

Nelson scored two goals and placed three shots on net in the United States' 5-1 win over Latvia in Olympic round-robin play Thursday.

Nelson caught fire in the United States' opening contest for the Olympic tournament with a pair of goals in the second period, which included Thursday's go-ahead goal. The two-goal performance could have been even larger, but he was denied two goals late in the first period due to a ricocheted shot off the post and goalie interference committed by his linemate J.T. Miller. Before the Olympic break, Nelson led the NHL with 15 goals since Dec. 29, and his two-goal effort Thursday proved that his hot hand hasn't disappeared. The 34-year-old center has the potential to steal the show at the Olympics with his current scoring pace across all competitions.

Merzlikins stopped 33 of 38 shots on goal in Latvia's 5-1 loss to the United States in Olympic round-robin play Thursday.

Merzlikins had the odds stacked against him in Thursday's contest and played well to not allow the game-winning goal before the 30-minute mark. His early effort Thursday reflected where he left off with Columbus before the Olympic break, as he had a 3-0-0 record, a 1.67 GAA, a .933 save percentage and a shutout across his last three starts. He'll likely receive one more start during Olympic round-robin play and should get a game of rest if Latvia turns to Penguins netminder Arturs Silovs to change things up.