Sgarbossa has been in the Capitals system since the 2018-19 season but has only played 17 games with the club in that span, scoring six points (2G / 4A). He has spent most of his time with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, where he has been stellar this season, scoring 28 points (5G / 23A) in 28 games.
Greenway has only played two of the last 14 games for the Sabres due to an upper-body injury dating back to November 24th. The 6'6 power forward was a full participant at practice on Wednesday and is expected to return to the lineup imminently. He has seven points (2G / 5A), averaging 16:24 time-on-ice while playing predominantly with Casey Mittelstadt and Zach Benson this season.
Skinner has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury but was a full participant at practice on Wednesday, and will be a game-time decision on Thursday. Skinner has 22 points (12G / 10A) in 30 games this season and is averaging 17:46 time-on-ice, the most since his inaugural season with the Sabres in 2018-19. The Sabres are 1-2-0 in his absence, including a 9-4 blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Blackwood was the undisputed starter for the Sharks earlier this season but as the quality of his play has tapered off, he has found himself in an equal timeshare with Kaapo Kahkonen. Blackwood has allowed four or more goals in three of his last four games (1-2-0), posting an uncharacteristically low .868 SV%, considering he was sporting a .903 SV% in the 17 games leading up to that. The Sharks are +135 home underdogs on Thursday against an Arizona Coyotes team riding a three-game winning streak, outscoring their opposition 7-3.
Demko will return to the crease after serving as the backup on Tuesday as the Canucks will search for their seventh win in their last eight games. Demko is riding a personal four-game winning streak, allowing only five total goals while posting a stellar .940 SV%. In his last matchup against the Dallas Stars, Demko saved all 27 shots he faced for a 2-0 shutout victory. Even so, the Canucks are listed as +134 against a Stars team that has scored three or more goals in four straight games (3-0-1).
Makar has struggled to stay in the lineup lately, playing only four of the last nine games for Colorado, but will be a game-time decision after being a full participant at practice on Thursday. Makar is among the league leaders for defensemen, scoring 37 points (8G / 29A) in 27 games this season.
Day has been recalled and reassigned several times in the last month but has not cracked the Lightning lineup during his stints at the NHL level. The 25-year-old Day was the third-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has eight points (0G / 8A) in 16 games this season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
Georgiev allowed three goals on 22 shots (.864 SV%) in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday but will likely return to the crease for his third straight start on Thursday. Georgiev has a below-.500 rating over his last seven outings (2-3-1), posting an unimpressive .889 SV%. The 27-year-old netminder's quality of play has significantly worsened from his stellar 2022-23 campaign when he finished the season with a 2.53 GAA and .918 SV% in 62 games (40-16-6). That said, the Avalanche are sizeable -160 home favourites against the Ottawa Senators, who are losers of five straight.
Emil Heineman will make his NHL debut on Thursday as Pezzetta will watch from the press box as a healthy scratch. Pezzetta had played four straight games for the Canadiens, recording one point (0G / 1A), three shots, and 15 hits.
Michael Pezzetta will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Heineman to make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Heineman was the 43rd overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL Draft and has four points (1G / 3A) in seven games with the Laval Rocket this season.
Blais has only played one of the last six games for the Blues but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Blais' ice time has decreased by more than a minute this season but he is still committed to his hard-nosed style of play, averaging 3.08 hits per game.
Hofer will likely start for the first time since December 8th, a five-game stretch, on Thursday after Jordan Binnington allowed five goals in an eventual 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Blue's last game. Hofer saved nine of 10 shots (.900 SV%) entering the game in relief on Thursday and has failed to record a save percentage above .900 in each of his last four outings (0-3-0). The Blues are +187 road underdogs against the Florida Panthers, who have been held to one or fewer goals in three of their last four outings (1-3-0).
Kochetkov has almost exclusively been the starter for the Hurricanes the last several weeks and will likely start for the fifth time in the last six games on Thursday. His competition between the pipes has been underwhelming but Kochetkov has earned the increased workload under his merit, allowing only six combined goals over his last four games (3-0-1), posting a dazzling .946 SV%. The Hurricanes, coming off a convincing 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, are -140 road favourites against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that has won three of their last four (3-1-0).
The Sabres will hope Levi can erase a forgettable Tuesday night performance from his memory as the rookie goaltender was amid a terrific stretch leading up to it. On Tuesday, Levi was pulled after allowing four goals on 18 shots (.778 SV%) in an eventual 9-4 loss at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had won three of four (3-0-1) leading up to that contest, allowing two or fewer goals in each, posting a sparkling .942 SV%. The Sabres are +127 road underdogs against a Toronto Maple Leafs team that is 6-1-3 in their last 10.
Girard returned to practice, skating as an extra, for the first time after entering the players' assistance program nearly one month ago. Girard has played 15 games this season, scoring one point (0G / 1A) in his first 13 before tripling that with three points (2G / 1A) in his last two games. During Girard's absence, Josh Manson has seen a significant uptick in usage and production.
Petersen has been called up again from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, a semi-regular occurrence over the last month as Carter Hart has battled several injuries and is currently not able to play due to an illness. Petersen has a 3.50 GAA and .896 SV% in two games with the Flyers this season (1-1-0) and will serve as the backup to Samuel Ersson on Thursday.
With Jake Oettinger still out of the lineup on a week-to-week basis, as he tends to a lower-body injury, Wedgewood will start for the third consecutive game. Wedgewood has been extremely serviceable when called upon this season, albeit unspectacular, posting a 7-1-2 record along with a 3.21 GAA and .906 SV%. Wedgewood and the Stars have a tough task ahead on Thursday, but they are still -148 home favourites against a Vancouver Canucks team that defeated the Stars 2-0 in their only other matchup this season and has points in seven straight (6-0-1).
Kurashev was a late scratch on Monday but returned to practice on Thursday and will likely play on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens. Kurashev is averaging nearly 20 minutes per night over his last four games, collecting three points (1G / 2A) and six shots on goal.
Gustavsson has started four of the last five games for the Wild and will return to the crease again on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. In his last contest, Gustavsson allowed four goals on 30 shots (.867 SV%) in a 4-3 loss to the Penguins but has allowed two or fewer goals in each of the seven games prior (6-1-0), posting a stellar .954 SV%. Minnesota has been rolling since introducing John Hynes as their new head coach, posting an 8-3-0 record, and are -178 home favourites against a Canadiens team that has collected a point in three straight outs (2-0-1).
Rust has missed five straight games for the Penguins after suffering an upper-body injury on December 6th. Rust's return to the ice is an encouraging sign for the Penguins, but he is still on a week-to-week timeline to return as he has not yet been cleared for contact. Before his injury, Rust was having a terrific season, scoring 20 points (10G / 10A) in 22 games.
