The Blue Jackets played with only 11 forwards on Saturday as Danforth, originally believed to be out with an illness, is dealing with a concussion. The right-winger had two points (1G / 1A) in his last three games.
Primeau will make his first start since the Canadiens traded Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils. Primeau should be in line for more action down the stretch as he shares the crease with Sam Montembeault. That said, Primeau has allowed three goals in back-to-back games, including a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in his last outing on March 2nd.
Barkov has eight points (3G / 5A) in his last six games and is expected to play on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. Newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko lined up on the first line with Barkov and Sam Reinhart on Saturday and the trio connected for three even-strength goals.
Rodrigues was limited to only 9:05 time-on-ice in his last game before exiting with a lower-body injury. Before his injury, Rodrigues had three points (2G / 1A) in his last four games.
Ekblad exited Saturday's 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames in the first period after playing only 5:10 time-on-ice due to a lower-body injury. Before his injury, Ekblad had two points (0G / 2A) during a two-game point streak. The Panthers will likely be cautious with him for the remainder of the season as they approach the playoffs.
Norris missed the majority of the previous two seasons due to ongoing shoulder issues and will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season after undergoing shoulder surgery again. The 24-year-old Norris ends the season with 30 points (16G / 14A) in 50 games.
Chartier played the last three games for the Senators but will return to the sidelines for at least a week due to an upper-body injury. In 37 games this season, Chartier has three points (2G / 1A) and a -4 plus/minus while averaging 10:46 time-on-ice.
Coyle's status for Monday's tilt against the St. Louis Blue is up in the air as he is battling an illness. After a tremendous run with 24 points (8G / 16A) in 19 games, Coyle has fallen off significantly, with only seven points (3G / 4A) in his last 15.
Cole Perfetti will draw back into the Jets' lineup on Monday, sending Kupari to the press box as a healthy scratch. Kupari played the last two games for the Jets, averaging under 10 minutes of ice-time while tallying four hits and one shot.
Perfetti did not play in Saturday's 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks but will draw back into the lineup on Monday against the Washington Capitals. Perfetti has been limited to a single point (0G / 1A) in his last 18 games. On Monday, Rasmus Kupari is expected to be the odd man out of the lineup.
Schmidt will be a healthy scratch on Monday, allowing newcomer Colin Miller to make his Jets' debut. Schmidt played the last two games for the Jets, averaging over 18 minutes time-on-ice while tallying two shots on and two hits.
Gustafsson will be a healthy scratch on Monday, allowing newcomer Tyler Toffoli to make his debut. Gustafsson played 10:52 time-on-ice in his last outing and recorded one hit.
The Jets acquired Colin Miller from the Devils for a 2026 fourth-round pick ahead of last week's trade deadline. Miller is an impending unrestricted free agent with a $1.85 million AAV. He has seven points (3G / 4A), 72 hits, and 31 blocks in 40 games this season.
The Jets acquired Tyler Toffoli from the Devils for a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick before last week's trade deadline. Toffoli joined the New Jersey Devils in the offseason and was off to a blistering start, scoring 21 points (12G / 9A) in his first 21 games before slowing down to a more modest 23 points (14G / 9A) in his 40 subsequent games. Nevertheless, Toffoli adds a significant boost to the offensive depth of a Jets team that has already bolstered their lineup by adding Sean Monahan several weeks ago.
Hofer has been limited to only one start in the last six games but will return to the crease on Monday night. The 23-year-old Hofer has been serviceable this season but is riding a three-game losing streak (0-4-0), posting a .893 SV%. The Blues have lost three straight (0-3-0) and enter action as sizeable +200 road underdogs against a Boston Bruins club that has outscored their opposition 9-2 in their last two games (2-0-0).
Hellebuyck had a forgettable performance in his last outing, allowing five goals on 37 shots (.865 SV%), but will likely return to the crease on Monday. The Vezina front-runner has struggled lately, allowing three or more goals in five straight games (2-3-0) while posting a subpar .890 SV%. The Jets enter action as sizeable -202 home favourites against the Washington Capitals.
Meyer played 14 games for the Blue Jackets in the 2022-23 campaign but has exclusively played in the AHL this season. In 55 games with the Cleveland Monsters, the 26-year-old Meyer has 37 points (22G / 15A).
Merzlikins has not played the last four games but will likely return to the crease on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite his recent inactivity, Merzlikins has been solid lately, allowing only two goals in each of his last three outings (2-1-0), including saving 26 of 28 shots (.929 SV%) in his last outing, a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Marner was not at practice on Monday due to a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. With the Maple Leafs off until Thursday, there is hope that Marner will be ready to return to the lineup, but if he isn't, recently recalled Nicolas Robertson should be the beneficiary.
On the tail-end of a back-to-back, the Rangers are expected to turn to the red-hot Shesterkin between the pipes against the Carolina Hurricanes. After an nconsistent start to the 2023-24 campaign, Shesterkin has been nearly unbeatable since the All-Star break, posting an incredible .948 SV% while limiting the opposition to one or fewer goals in six of 10 games (8-1-1).
