Johnson has only played five of nine games for the Sabres in December, scoring zero points, four shots, and two hits. He will return to his familiar spot in the press box on Tuesday as a healthy scratch.
McAvoy will likely return to action on Tuesday after returning to practice on Monday as a full participant, including lining up on the top powerplay unit, a spot previously occupied by Kevin Shattenkirk. McAvoy has missed four straight games due to an upper-body injury suffered on December 7th.
Zacha will return to the Bruins' lineup on Tuesday after being a full participant at practice on Monday, re-assuming his previous duties, including centring the top powerplay unit. Zacha suffered an upper-body injury early in the Bruins' December 9th contest against the Arizona Coyotes. After a stretch of 17 points (8G / 9A) in 17 games, Zacha was held to only one point (0G / 1A) in the four games leading up to his injury.
Before the start of the season, Quinn was scheduled to return around Christmas and the 22-year-old will do so on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets as he completes his recovery from Achilles surgery. Quinn had a solid rookie season, scoring 14 goals with 23 assists (37 points) in 75 games. At practice on Monday, he skated on a line with Tage Thompson and Zach Benson.
Mrazek will likely start on Tuesday, giving him consecutive starts for the second time in the last two wakes, a rare occurrence in what has been a season mostly consisting of an equal rotation between Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom. Mrazek has played well for the bottom-dwelling Blackhawks this season, posting a 3.10 GAA and .907 SV% in 19 games (7-10-0), but has allowed four goals in each of his last two starts (0-2-0), posting a .867 SV%. As they are most nights, the Blackhawks are sizeable underdogs (+215) as they host the Colorado Avalanche, a team that defeated them 4-0 in their last meeting.
Czarnik was sent down to Grand Rapids (AHL) ahead of Monday's game but was immediately recalled on Tuesday morning as Klim Kostin suffered an upper-body injury. Czarnik has split time this season between Detroit and Grand Rapids, where he has seven points (3G / 4A) in nine games playing for the Griffins.
Kostin suffered an upper-body injury in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and did not return after playing 6:30 time-on-ice. Kostin has battled several injuries lately, playing only two of the last six games for the Red Wings. Austin Czarnik has been recalled from the Grand Rapid Griffins (AHL) in the interim while Kostin recovers week-to-week.
Oshie missed six games at the beginning of the month with an upper-body injury, returned to play four games, and then did not play on Sunday due to a lower-body injury. He has now been placed on the injured reserve and will be out of the lineup for at least a week. Oshie has struggled this year with only four points (2G / 2A) in 26 games but was on a two-game point streak, scoring two points (1G / 1A) in his last two outings.
Korchinskin has not played since December 7th, missing five games while tending to personal matters. The seventh overall pick of the Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft has seven points (2G / 5A) while averaging 19:31 time-on-ice in his rookie season.
Brodie did not play on Saturday due to an illness but will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the New York Rangers after participating in morning skate. Brodie has six points (0G / 6A), 16 hits, 66 blocks, and is averaging 22:15 time-on-ice, his highest total since joining the Maple Leafs in the 2020-21 season.
Matthews was a late scratch and did not play on Saturday due to an illness but is expected to return for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday against the New York Rangers after being a full participant at the morning skate. Matthews is producing at an alarming rate, with 10 points (7G / 3A) during a four-game point streak.
After winning eight straight contests, the Oilers have lost two in a row and will look to get back in the win column with Skinner between the pipes on Tuesday. Skinner last played on Friday, allowing five goals on 22 shots (.773 SV%) in a 7-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but was near impenetrable heading into that game, posting a .934 SV% over a seven-game stretch (7-0-0). The Oilers are -134 road favourites against the New York Islanders, who have lost two straight games (0-1-1).
Vasilevskiy has had an up-and-down season since making his season debut less than a month ago after returning from off-season back surgery but will start for the fifth straight game on Tuesday. Vasilevskiy has uncharacteristically allowed three or more goals in each of his last four outings (2-2-0), posting a .895 SV%, on par with his .897 SV% on the season. Vasilevskiy will look to get his season in order on Tuesday as Tampa Bay is a -169 home favourite against a St. Louis Blues club that has won two straight, coinciding with the firing of former head coach Craig Berube.
After alternating starts with Semyon Varlamov over the last week, Sorokin will start for the third time in the last five games for the Islanders. Sorokin has struggled to string together quality starts this season, never recording more than two in a row. After allowing four goals on 34 shots (.882 SV%) in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins in his last outing, he will be hard-pressed to regain his footing against the high-flying Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The Islanders are +121 home underdogs against an Oilers team that has lost two straight but previously won eight games in a row.
Colin Miller will watch the game from the press box as a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Brendan Smith to draw back into the lineup. Miller has played all 15 games for the Devils this season since making his debut on November 16th, tallying one point (0G / 1A), 10 blocks, and 18 hits while averaging 14:52 time-on-ice.
Smith will return to the lineup for the Devils as Colin Miller will be a healthy scratch. Smith has played only one of the last eight games for the Devils and has two points (0G / 2A), 36 hits, and 19 blocks while averaging 14:26 time-on-ice through 22 games.
Jones will likely start for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday after a heroic 38-save shutout in their last game, a 7-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In three appearances with the Maple Leafs this season (3-0-0), all over the last two weeks, Jones has been sensational, posting a 1.85 GAA and .949 SV%. If Jones can maintain consistency while Joseph Woll (lower-body) is injured, he will likely receive at least a timeshare between the pipes. The Maple Leafs are slight -113 home favourites on Tuesday against the New York Rangers, who the Maple Leafs convincingly defeated by a score of 7-3 in Jones' first start of the season.
Levi has been tremendous since re-joining the Sabres after a brief stint in the AHL, allowing two or fewer goals in all four games (3-0-1) and sporting a marvellous .942 SV%. Levi will likely start on Tuesday in a favourable matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, as the Sabres are sizeable -181 home favourites against a team that has lost five of their last seven contests (2-4-1). Levi will have started five of seven games for the Sabres since being recalled and is clearly the favourite between the pipes for the Sabres coaching staff.
Akira Schmid started each of the last two games for the Devils, a back-to-back set, as Vanecek was unable to play due to an illness. That said, he was in the starter's crease at Tuesday's morning skate, indicating he will likely return to net against the Philadelphia Flyers. Vanecek has struggled with consistency this season but is amid his best two-game stretch (2-0-0), allowing only three goals on a combined 49 shots (.939 SV%). The Devils are coming off a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and are -159 home favourites against a Flyers team with points in eight straight contests (6-0-2).
Pacioretty was a full participant at practice for the first time this season as he nears his return from his second Achilles surgery in less than a year. Over the last three seasons, Pacioretty has struggled vehemently with injuries, playing only 92 total games. After recovering from his first Achilles surgery, he was only able to play five games last season before re-injuring his Achilles and forcing an abrupt end to his season. If Pacioretty can stay healthy, he could be a big boost for a Capitals team that ranks third-worst in the league offensively (2.39 GF / GP) and has the league's second-worst powerplay (9.8%).
