Duclair was a late scratch for Friday's game with Sharks head coach David Quinn only alluding to "a couple of guys" not feeling well heading into Friday night's game in Vegas. Duclair has three goals and two assists through his first 13 games of the season. Oskar Lindblom will make his season debut in place of Duclair.
Nosek missed the Devils' previous 10 games due to a lower-body injury but has been activated from the injured reserve and was a game-time decision Friday vs. Washington. The 31-year-old failed to pick up a point in his two games played so far in 2023-24 but had 18 points (11G/7A) last season with Boston.
Tuch has managed soreness and an undisclosed injury for the last few weeks but has not missed any game action. Tuch, who was a game-time decision on Friday, hadn't been affected by his injury, resisting nine points (4G / 5A) in his last seven games.
Pesce has missed the Hurricanes' previous eight games due to a lower-body injury and was a game-time decision Friday as the team heads to Florida. The 28-year-old will make a welcome return to the lineup as he's averaged at least 21:42 TOI in each of the last four seasons and has a goal, an assist, seven SOG, four PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through five games prior to the injury.
Levi is the starter for the Sabres on Friday after serving as the backup to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the team's 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. Levi last played on November 4th, saving 25 of 29 shots in a 6-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. His rookie season has not gone as smoothly as anticipated, posting a .341 GAA and .885 SV% through five games (2-3-0). The Sabres are -118 home favourites against a Minnesota Wild team coming off a 4-1 loss last night at the hands of the New York Rangers.
Raanta will be the Hurricanes' starting goalie for the second consecutive game since the news that Frederik Andersen will be out indefinitely due to a blood clotting issue. In his first game as the bonafide number-one goalie, Raanta saved 19 of 21 shots (.905 SV%) and is on a personal three-game winning streak, saving 61 of 66 shots in that span (.924 SV%). The Hurricanes are -128 road favourites but will be challenged against a Florida Panthers team with points in six of their last seven games (5-1-1).
Lindgren last played on November 4th, saving an impressive 34 of 35 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets and will start again on Friday against the New Jersey Devils. Partially due to injuries, Lindgren has been limited to only two appearances this season (1-1-0), posting a 2.51 GAA and .929 SV%. The Capitals and Lindgren will have their work cut out for them against a Devils team that ranks fourth-best in the league offensively (3.67 GF / GP) but will once again be without one of the league's best scorers, Jack Hughes.
Vanecek allowed five goals on 31 shots on Tuesday in a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche but will look to rebound on Friday. Before that most recent loss, Vanecek had won four consecutive games, saving 108 of 120 shots faced (.900 SV%). Lindy Ruff's high-tempo offensive structure isn't particularly conducive to low-scoring affairs, but Vanecek should continue to garner a healthy amount of victories throughout the season. On Friday, the Devils are -170 home favourites against a Washington Capitals team that ranks second-worst in the league offensively (2.00 GF / GP).
Spurgeon has missed the Wilds' first 13 games of the season due to an upper-body injury but has been activated from the LTIR Friday and will make his season debut Friday vs. Buffalo. The 33-year-old is entering his 14th NHL season and had 11 goals and 34 points in 79 games played in 2022-23.
Nosek missed the Devils' previous 10 games due to a lower-body injury but has been activated from the injured reserve and is expected to play Friday vs. Washington. The 31-year-old failed to pick up a point in his two games played so far in 2023-24 but had 18 points (11G/7A) last season with Boston.
Hunt failed to pick up a point through five games played while averaging only 8:36 TOI/GP and has been reassigned to Iowa (AHL) Friday. The 21-year-old returns to Iowa, where he had seven PIMs and a -3 plus/minus in four games played.
Spurgeon has missed the Wilds' first 13 games of the season due to an upper-body injury but has been activated from the LTIR Friday and is a game-time decision vs. Buffalo. The 33-year-old is entering his 14th NHL season and had 11 goals and 34 points in 79 games played in 2022-23.
Fagemo had a goal, no assists and seven SOG through four games with Nashville but has been placed on waivers Friday. The 23-year-old left-winger who was originally acquired off waivers in the preseason, is in his third NHL season and has three goals, and four points in 17 career games played.
Whitecloud has battled an upper-body injury that has prevented him from playing this season but will finally make his debut on Friday against the San Jose Sharks. Last season, Whitecloud played 59 games with the Golden Knights, tallying 12 points (5G / 7A) and a +10 plus/minus rating.
Hill will get his second consecutive start on Friday as he looks to rebound from his first regulation loss of the season. Hill has performed admirably throughout the season, boasting an impressive 1.97 GAA and .934 SV% in eight games (6-1-1). He allowed three goals on 32 shots (.906 SV%) on Wednesday, a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, but will have the opportunity to make up for it against the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks (1.31 GF / GP). The last-place Sharks have won two games in a row, but the Golden Knights are still astronomic -501 home favourites on Friday night.
Dostal will return to the Ducks' crease on Friday after watching John Gibson save 64 of 67 shots (.955 SV%) over the past two games (1-1-0). To that point, Dostal had outplayed Gibson on the season, but still has stellar numbers, boasting a 2.80 GAA and .920 SV% through six games (5-1-0). The 23-year-old Czech goaltender will look to extend his winning streak to five games as the Ducks take on a Philadelphia Flyers team that ranks in the bottom half of the league offensively (2.92 GF / GP) and will be without their starting goalie, Carter Hart.
Duck coach Greg Cronin announced that Zegras has been dealing with a lower-body issue for some time, which could be part of the reason for his sluggish start to the 2023-24 campaign. The talented forward has seen his ice-time drop nearly a full minute since last season and has only scored two points (1G / 1A) in 12 games thus far.
Carter Hart was originally the confirmed starter for the Flyers on Friday but has since been ruled out of the game due to illness. Ersson has started two of the last three games for the Flyers but has struggled to guide his team to victory. In five games (1-3-1), Ersson has an ugly 3.52 GAA and .830 SV%. The Flyers are slight -110 road favourites against an Anaheim Ducks team that will be without star forward Trevas Zegras.
Lauko is set to return for the Bruins on Saturday after missing the last seven games with a facial fracture. On October 24th, Lauko took a skate to the face and was forced to leave the game after playing 9:13. The Czech forward has zero points, six shots, and a -4 plus/minus rating through six games this season.
Czarnik will not play for the second time in the last three games for the Red Wings as he nurses a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old Michigan-born forward is averaging 8:35 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in 11 games this season.
