Sandin will be a game-time decision after exiting the Capitals' Wednesday night matchup against the New Jersey Devils in the third period with an undisclosed injury. The Swedish defenseman has been held without a point in his first six games and has a -4 plus/minus rating.
Kuemper will likely be the starter for the Capitals on Friday after watching Hunter Shepard lead them to a 6-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils in his first career NHL game. Kuemper, and the Capitals as a whole, have struggled immensely to start the season. Kuemper's 3.67 GAA and .868 SV% through four games (1-2-1) pale in comparison to the 2.56 GAA and .916 SV% he has amassed over his 360-game career (166-123-44) and is a clear indication this Capitals team is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Despite being -125 home favourites, Kuemper and the Capitals will be challenged against the Minnesota Wild and their fifth-ranked offence (3.86 GF / GP).
Dach was placed on the injured reserve with an ankle injury before the start of the season and has now been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. The 62nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft has yet to play a game at the professional level and is coming off a season in the WHL where he scored 27 points (12G / 15A) in 23 games.
Vanecek is the likely starter for the Devils on Friday as they will look to bounce back after a 6-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Vanecek, who allowed two goals on 16 shots coming in relief of Akira Schmid on Wednesday, has been the better of the two goalies thus far despite a pedestrian 3.10 GAA and .900 SV% in four games (2-2-0). The Devils are listed as -191 home favourites against a Buffalo Sabres team that is averaging only 2.71 goals per game, the 21st fewest in the league.
Skinner will be the starting goalie for the Oilers on Thursday after serving as the backup for three of their last four contests. The Oilers, who will once again be without Connor McDavid (upper-body), will be desperate to get their season on track as they are off to a disappointing 1-4-1 start. Last year's best offensive team (3.96 GF/GP) is averaging only 2.83 goals per game and is being outscored by an alarm 17-27 total. The Oilers will be challenged by the New York Rangers (-126 road favourites) and will hope that sophomore Stuart Skinner can recapture some of the magic he had last season as a Calder Trophy finalist.
Quick gets a somewhat surprising nod on Thursday given starter Igor Shesterkin is coming off one of his best starts of the season on Tuesday against the Flames. Quick has just one start and two appearances to his name on the year but has performed well when called upon. His last start came on Saturday against the Kraken where he stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced enroute to a 4-1 victory.
Woll is on his way to cementing himself as the go-to guy between the pipes for the Maple Leafs as he is likely to start for the second straight game. This season, Woll has given the Maple Leafs a chance to win each night, boasting a 1.44 GAA and .957 SV% through three contests (2-1-0). Ilya Samsonov, who entered the season as the Maple Leafs' likely starter, has struggled immensely, posting an ugly 4.34 GAA and .831 SV% in four games (2-1-0). The Maple Leafs are slight -101 road underdogs against an undefeated Dallas Stars team (4-0-1).
The Senators starting goalie position looked like it was about to be overtaken by Anton Forsberg before a forgettable performance on Tuesday where he allowed five goals on 18 shots, opening the door back up for Korpisalo. Korpisalo has had an equally forgettable start to his tenure as an Ottawa Senator, sporting an ugly 3.63 GAA and .872 SV% through four games (1-2-0). Until one goalie can prove himself as the undisputed number one, the two will likely continue to rotate starts. Tonight, Korpisalo and the Senators are +113 road underdogs against a New York Islanders team that has lost three straight.
Hellebuyck will look to extend his two-game winning streak as he appears to be the starting goalie for the Jets on Thursday. After an uncharacteristic start to the season, posting a .843 SV% through his first three contests (1-2-0), Hellebuyck seems to have regained his Vezina-caliber form, boasting a .933 SV% in his two games since (2-0-0). Hellebuyck and the Jets might be facing their toughest matchup of the season as they visit the high-flying Detroit Red Wings who are averaging an absurd 4.86 goals per game to start the season (5-1-1).
Carlsson returns to the Ducks lineup on Thursday after sitting out the last two games as the team attempts to ease his workload early in the season. The has a goal, six SOG, two PIMs, and a +2 plus/minus in two games thus far in 2023-24 while playing over 20 minutes a night.
DeBrincat was absent from Wednesday's morning skate due to illness but did skate Thursday and was a game-time decision vs. Winnipeg. The 25-year-old has been off to an absurd start during his Detroit tenure as he leads the NHL in goals (9) and is third in points (13) while adding 23 SOG and a +6 plus/minus across seven games thus far in 2023-24.
Georgiev will get his seventh start on Thursday and will look to build on his tremendous early-season results. The Avalanche are one of only three teams without a loss this season (6-0-0), thanks partly to a remarkable start from Georgiev, who has a 1.98 GAA and .930 SV%. The Avalanche are -145 road favourites against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that has lost three straight and been outscored 20-17 on the season (2-4-0).
Jarry will return to the Penguins' crease after serving as backup to Alex Nedeljkovic in a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. After a hot start to the season where he registered a .944 SV% in his first two games (1-1-0), he has since sported an ugly .833 SV% in his two games since (0-2-0). The Penguins have hit a rough patch as a whole, losing three straight games and being outscored 14-6 in the process. Jarry and the Penguins will have their work cut out for them on Thursday as they are facing a Colorado Avalanche team that has yet to lose a game (6-0-0).
Johansson is coming off his best performance of the season, a 32-save shutout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite being a journeyman for most of his career and never starting more than 13 games in a single NHL season, Johansson is off to a great start with the Lightning as he continues to fill in for the injured Andrei Vasilevskiy. In six games thus far (3-1-2), Johansson has a 2.99 GAA and .917 SV%, significantly better than the 3.29 GAA and .892 SV% he has accumulated throughout his 41-game NHL career ( 14-14-6). The Lightning rank 12th-worst defensively (3.43 GA/GP) but will look to improve that total as they are -285 home favourites against a San Jose Sharks team averaging a league-worst 1.33 goals per game.
Gibson returns to the Ducks' crease for Thursday's game against the Bruins after Lukas Dostal got the nod in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime victory over the Blue Jackets. Gibson has performed admirably to open the campaign with a .907 SV% and a 2.72 GAA through his first three starts, but a lack of goal support still leaves him searching for his first win of the season. Things won't get any easier for Gibson tonight with the Ducks being a +250 road underdog in Boston.
Andersen has not played since October 17th due to a upper-body injury but did back up Pyotr Kotchetkov on Tuesday and will start Thursday vs. Seattle. The 34-year-old veteran is undefeated at 2-0-0 despite his unimpressive .855 SV% and 4.14 GAA. He will face the Seattle Kraken Thursday, who have won two of their last three games but rank 28th in the NHL in goals per game (2.29).
Crouse was absent from Thursday's team practice as he dealt with an illness and will now be a game-time decision Friday vs. Los Angeles. The 26-year-old has struggled out of the gate thus far in 2023-24, with only an assist, eight SOG, four PIMs and a +1 plus/minus through six games.
Vejmelka lines up to face the Los Angeles Kings for a second straight contest after losing in overtime to them in his previous start 2-1 after stopping 16 of 18 shots (.889 SV%). The 27-year-old has been sensational when called upon in 2023-24, with his 2-2-0 record, .942 SV% and 1.85 GAA. He takes on Los Angeles again Friday, who has won three of their last four games and are second in the NHL in goals per game (4.5).
Kassian was released from a PTO by Anaheim at the end of the preseason and has announced his retirement after 12 NHL seasons on Wednesday. The 32-year-old played 661 games for four different NHL teams (EDM, VAN, BUF, ARI) and had 92 goals, 203 points and 913 PIMs. He last played for Arizona in 2022-23, where he had two goals, zero assists, 50 PIMs and a -18 plus/minus in 51 games played.
Spence has been recalled from Ontario (AHL) just a day after being sent down in what was mostly a paper transaction. The 22-year-old defensemen has appeared in five games so far in 2023-24 and has an assist, three SOG, and a +1 plus/minus. He should be back in the Kings' lineup for their next game Friday vs. Arizona.
