With Wyatt Kaiser returning from illness, Phillips has been sent down to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Last season, Phillips split time between Rockford and Chicago. The 23-year-old defenseman set a career-high in games played last season, scoring six points (0G / 6A) in 33 games with the Blackhawks.
Kaiser was absent from the first game of the season for the Blackhawks due to an illness but will likely be inserted back into the lineup shortly. The 22-year-old defenseman played 32 games with the Blackhawks last season, tallying seven points (0G / 7A), 46 blocks, and 22 hits.
Marino was acquired in a trade from the New Jersey Devils in the offseason but has not been able insert himself into the mix for the Utah Hockey Club just yet. The 27-year-old Marino was absent from training camp due to an upper-body injury and is still likely several weeks away from returning. Marino is joining his third NHL franchise and had four goals, 25 points, 41 PIMs and 57 SOG in 75 games played with New Jersey in 2023-24.
Hatakka suffered an injury in preseason that ultimately resulted in undergoing shoulder surgery. The 23-year-old had a legitimate shot of making the Devils out of training camp after Luke Hughes was announced out due to injury, but will now, unfortunately, be sidelined for the foreseeable future. In 12 games in 2023-24, he had two assists, 12 SOG and a +5 plus/minus while averaging just 14:39 TOI/GP.
Lundestrom collided with Leo Carlsson at practice on Thursday and was down on the ice for several minutes before being assisted off. The 25-year-old Lundestrom is in his sixth season with the Ducks after scoring 11 points (5G / 6A) in 46 games last season.
Jost has 456 games of NHL experience since debuting in the 2016-17 season with the Colorado Avalanche, but he spent a sizeable portion of last season in the AHL, registering 14 points (4G / 10A) in 25 games with the Rochester Americans. He looks destined to spend some time in the AHL again this season after clearing waivers and reporting to the Chicago Wolves.
Petr Mrazek struggled in the Blackhawks season-opening 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club, allowing four goals on 26 shots (.846 SV%). As such, the Blackhawks will turn to Soderblom for their second game of the the season, a tilt against the Winnipeg Jets, who steamrolled to a 6-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. The 25-year-old Soderblom appeared in 32 games last season (5-22-2), posting a pedestrian 3.92 GAA and .879 SV%.
On the front end of a back-to-back, the Blues will turn to Hofer in the crease on Thursday evening against the San Jose Sharks. The Blues were victorious in their opening night contest in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory on Tuesday with Jordan Binnington in net against the Seattle Kraken. The 24-year-old Hofer had a steady workload last season as Binnington's backup, posting a solid 2.65 GAA, .913 SV%, and one shutout in 30 appearances (15-12-1). The Blues enter action as -154 road favorites against an improved Sharks club that finished 31st in the league offensively last season with 181 goals.
Rooney exited Wednesday's game against the Vancouver Canucks with only 1:03 time-on-ice after being on the receiving end of a hard hit by J.T. Miller. Last season, Rooney played 33 games with the Flames, tallying four points (3G / 1A), 29 blocks, and 65 hits.
The Sabres alternated between Luukkonen and Devon Levi in their back-to-back set to open the season in Prague as part of the NHL Global Series and will return to Luukkonen between the pipes for their first contest in North America. Luukkonen struggled in his first game, allowing three goals on 22 shots (.864 SV%) but is coming off a splendid 2023-24 campaign where he posted an impressive 2.57 GAA and .910 SV% in 54 appearances (27-22-4). The Sabres enter action on Thursday as +100 home underdogs against the Los Angeles Kings.
Lindstrom played for the Canadiens last season before being placed on waivers and being claimed by the Anaheim Ducks. The Canadiens signed him to a one-year, two-way contract on Wednesday and subsequently placed him on waivers. In his first stint with the Canadiens last season, Lindstrom tallied six points (0G / 6A), a +12 plus/minus rating, 40 blocks, and 54 hits in 32 games.
On the front end of a back-to-back, the Blues will likely turn to Hofer in the crease on Thursday evening against the San Jose Sharks. The Blues were victorious in their opening night contest in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory on Tuesday with Jordan Binnington in net against the Seattle Kraken. The 24-year-old Hofer had a steady workload last season as Binnington's backup, posting a solid 2.65 GAA, .913 SV%, and one shutout in 30 appearances (15-12-1). The Blues enter action as -154 road favorites against an improved Sharks club that finished 31st in the league offensively last season with 181 goals.
The Blue Jackets will turn to Merzlikins in their season opener on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. After an outstanding rookie season in 2019-20, where he posted a 2.35 GAA, .923 SV%, and five shutouts in 33 games (13-9-8), Merzlikins' quality of play has tailed off significantly and has been borderline abysmal. In his last two seasons combined, Merzlikins has a horrid 3.77 GAA and .889 SV% in 71 appearances (20-35-10). The Blue Jackets enter action as +223 road underdogs against the Wild.
The Blue Jackets will turn to Merzlikins in their season opener on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. After an outstanding rookie season in 2019-20, where he posted a 2.35 GAA, .923 SV%, and five shutouts in 33 games (13-9-8), Merzlikins' quality of play has tailed off significantly and has been borderline abysmal. In his last two seasons combined, Merzlikins has a horrid 3.77 GAA and .889 SV% in 71 appearances (20-35-10). The Blue Jackets enter action as +223 road underdogs against the Wild.
Jenner is expected to miss the next 5-6 months as he rehabs from the successful shoulder surgery that he underwent on Wednesday. The 31-year-old Blue Jackets' captain will hope to return by seasons end while his absence will create a massive hole in their lineup after he had 22 goals, 35 points and 155 SOG in 58 games in 2023-24. Expect Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli to lock down top-six roles while he recovers.
Kuemper was acquired via trade with the Washington Capitals in the offseason in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 34-year-old Kuemper had a forgettable 2023-24 campaign, posting a career-worst 3.31 GAA and .890 SV% in 33 appearances (13-14-3). Before last season, Kuemper was the picture of consistency, posting a superb 2.53 GAA and .918 SV% in 225 games (112-80-24) in his previous five seasons combined. After a solid preseason performance, posting a 1.52 GAA, .918 SV%, and one shutout in three contests (2-1-0), Kuemper is motivated to return to his form of years past. The Kings enter action on Thursday as slight -104 road underdogs against the Buffalo Sabres.
Ingram was solid in his season debut for the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday, saving 24 of 26 shots (.923 SV%) in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The 27-year-old Ingram made his mark known in the 2023-24 season, posting an impressive 2.91 GAA, .907 SV%, and six shutouts in 50 games (23-21-3). Utah HC plays their first road game on Thursday and is a +132 underdog against a New York Islanders club playing their first game of the season.
Bains made his NHL debut last season, being held without a point in eight games for the Canucks. The 23-year-old Bains spent most of the 2023-24 campaign with the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL), tallying an impressive 55 points (16G / 39A) in 59 games and could be in line for a more prominent role in the NHL this season.
Boqvist returned to Florida's morning skate on Thursday but will be out with an upper-body injury after taking a puck high and leaving the Panthers' previous game early. The 24-year-old has battled unfortunate injuries throughout his entire six-year career and will be replaced by Nate Schmidt on Thursday. Head Coach Paul Maurice stated he felt good about Boqvist's return in Florida's next game on Saturday.
Schmidt was a healthy scratch in the season opener for the Panthers but will draw into the lineup with Adam Boqvist temporarily sidelined due to an upper-body injury. Schmidt had 14 points (2G / 12A) in 63 games while also racking up 66 hits and 76 blocked shots in the 2023-24 season.
