Zacha exited Saturday's contest against the Arizona Coyotes with an upper-body injury after playing only 6:42 time-on-ice. Zacha has centred the top line and top powerplay unit all season, scoring 19 points (8G / 11A) in 26 games, averaging 18:22 time-on-ice. Morgan Geekie is expected to center the top line between Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak during Zacha's absence.
Reimer made his first appearance on Saturday since November 16th, entering the game in relief, saving all 11 shots he faced in a 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Reimer regularly saw action in the Red Wings crease before Alex Lyon emerged and demanded starting time with his strong play. In seven games this season, Reimer has played mostly well, posting a 2.18 GAA and .922 SV% in the process. The Red Wings, however, are without Dylan Larkin and J.T. Compher and, as such, are sizeable +189 road underdogs against a Dallas Stars team that has lost three of four games.
Larkin exited Saturday's contest against the Ottawa Senators, playing only 5:26 time-on-ice, after a scary incident that left him motionless on the ice for several moments. Larkin was able to skate off the ice with the help of his teammates but will be out of the lineup for a minimum of one week as he has been placed on the injured reserve. Zach Aston-Reese and Austin Czarnik have both been recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Larkin's absence creates a void at the center-ice position for the Red Wings, who are already without J.T. Compher (soreness).
McTavish has missed the last three games for the Ducks but appears to be nearing a return, likely at some point on their upcoming four-game road trip. Before his injury, McTavish was held without a point in four straight games, recording a -7 plus/minus and six shots on goal.
Zegras has not played since November 7th but could return to the lineup for the Ducks on their upcoming four-game road trip. Zegras struggled to start the season but was presumably playing through his current injury, scoring only two points (1G / 1A) in 12 games. Expect Zegras to get top offensive deployment immediately when he returns to the lineup.
Drysdale has not played since October 15th due to a lower-body injury but could return to the lineup at some point during the Ducks' upcoming four-game road trip. Drysdale has struggled to stay healthy during his young NHL career, but the 21-year-old has 42 points (7G / 35A) in 115 career games and has the offensive pedigree that could make him a staple on the powerplay for the Ducks.
Georgiev had the night off in Colorado's 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday but will likely return to the crease on Monday against the Calgary Flames. The Avalanche have struggled lately, paralleled by Georgiev, who has lost three of his last four starts (1-2-1), salvaging a serviceable .907 SV%. Working to his advantage is a favourable matchup as the Avalanche are -170 home favourites against a Flames team that has lost three of their last four (1-3-0), scoring three or fewer goals in each contest.
Rust missed three games late last month and will once again be sidelined on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury. This is a devasting blow for a Penguins team that has struggled offensively lately, scoring only three total goals in their last three games (0-2-1). Before his injury, Rust was having a terrific season, scoring 20 points (10G / 10A) in 22 games.
Tinordi has missed the last three games and has now been placed on the injured reserve due to a concussion. The Blackhawks have recalled Filip Roos as a replacement in the interim. Before his injury, Tinordi had one point (0G / 1A), 21 blocks, and 32 hits in 12 games this season.
Roos has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL as Jarred Tinordi has been placed on the injured reserve due to a concussion. The 24-year-old Roos has four points (1G / 3A) and a -6 plus/minus in 16 games with the IceHogs this season.
Lagesson did not play the last two games for the Maple Leafs due to an illness but could potentially return to the lineup on Monday against the New York Islanders. Lagesson is averaging 15:00 time-on-ice, has one point (0G / 1A), and 25 hits in 14 games, skating primarily alongside Simon Benoit.
An injury to Joseph Wall thrust Samsonov back into the crease on Saturday after not playing in five games, but the Russian netminder played one of his best performances of the season, saving all 18 shots he faced in a 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators for his first shutout. Samsonov has been wildly inconsistent this season, posting a 3.21 GAA and .886 SV% through 11 games (5-1-3), but will hope his most recent performance can spark a string of solid play. The Maple Leafs are -116 road favourites on Monday against a New York Islanders team that is suddenly scoring at a high rate, scoring three or more goals in each of their last six contests (4-1-1).
Sorokin was terrific in his last game, saving 34 of 36 shots (.944 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime victory over the high-flying Los Angeles Kings and will start again on Monday. Sorokin has had an up-and-down season, highlighted by his lower-than-usual .588 quality start percentage. In addition, Sorokin is also sporting career lows in save percentage (.913) and goals against average (3.12). However, the Islanders have points in their last five games (4-0-1) and are only slight +106 home underdogs against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who also have points in five straight (4-0-1).
Hintz was a very late scratch from the Stars contest on Saturday due to an illness, but after being a full participant at the morning skate on Monday, will likely return to the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings. Hintz has played well this season, scoring 22 points (10G / 12A) in 24 games, but has not yet been able to build on his point-per-game pace from the 2022-23 campaign when he scored 75 points (37G / 38A) in 73 games. Assuming he returns to the lineup, he should slot back into his familiar place, centring Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson.
Lundkvist will be a healthy scratch for the fourth time in the last six games as the Stars will welcome Joel Hanley back into the lineup. Lundkvist, who was acquired by the Stars last offseason for a first-round pick, has failed to impress the Stars' coaching staff and establish himself as a permanent fixture in their lineup. He has seven points (0G / 7A), averaging 14:39 time-on-ice in 23 games this season.
Hanley will draw back into the lineup as Nils Lundkvist will be a healthy scratch for the Stars against the Detroit Red Wings. Between a Thomas Harley injury last month and Lundkvist being a frequent healthy scratch lately, Hanley has semi-regularly found himself in the Stars lineup. The 32-year-old serves as a third-pairing defenseman and is averaging 12:48 time-on-ice but has yet to record a point this season.
Oettinger will start on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings after allowing six goals on 27 shots (.778 SV%) in Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. After a tremendous start, Oettinger's season totals have fallen rapidly, posting a 2.84 GAA and .905 SV%, triggered by three consecutive losses where he has allowed four or more goals in each game, sporting an ugly .815 SV%. The Stars have been outscored 19-10 over their last four games (1-3-0) but are still sizeable -209 home favourites against a Red Wings team suffering a variety of injuries, most notably Dylan Larkin (upper-body) and J.T. Compher (soreness).
After joining the Blues late last season, Vrana has been unable to make his desired mark with the team and has subsequently been placed on unconditional waivers. Vrana has mostly played this season alongside Kevin Hayes and Alexey Toropchenko, scoring six points (2G / 4A) in 19 games.
After alternating starts evenly for the first six weeks of the season, Vejmelka has served as the backup for the last two weeks as Connor Ingram has demanded the crease, playing exception hockey over that stretch. Vejmelka will start for the first time since November 22nd and hope this extended rest can help him get his season on track, as he has a subpar 3.45 GAA and 892 SV% in 11 games (2-6-2). With Ingram faltering over his last two games, Vejmelka will once again have the chance to win some starts between the pipes as the Coyotes are +112 road underdogs against the Buffalo Sabres.
