Burakovsky has not played since October 21st, missing 20 games with an upper-body injury, but is expected to make his long-awaited return to the lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. Burakovsky had two points (0G / 2A) in six games before his injury and will likely slot in on the second line with Jared McCann and Alexander Wennberg.
Justin Schultz is expected to be a healthy scratch, allowing Evans to make his NHL debut on Thursday. The 21-year-old Evans was the 35th overall pick of the Kraken in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has spent the last two seasons with the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL, scoring 52 points (8G / 44A) in 89 combined games. He is expected to play with Brian Dumoulin on the third defensive pair.
Hellebuyck has been sensational lately and will likely return to the crease on Thursday after having the night off in the Jets' previous game on Monday. Posting a 5-2-0 record in his last seven games, Hellebuyck has one shutout and a stellar .942 SV%, allowing more than two goals in only one contest. The Jets are +119 road underdogs against their division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche, who will welcome Cale Makar back into the lineup.
Jones will be a healthy scratch for the Avalanche as defensemen Bowen Byram and Cale Makar, both previously game-time decisions, will suit up for Thursday night's contest against the Winnipeg Jets. Jones has two points (0G / 2A), averaging 12:45 time-on-ice in 12 games with the Avalanche this season.
Byram only played 14:52 in the last game for the Avalanche, exiting with an upper-body injury, but has been deemed fit to play on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. Byram had an elevated role in the last two games with Makar out of the lineup but will return to his usual spot alongside Josh Manson on the second defensive pair for the Avalanche.
Makar did not play on Sunday after exiting Saturday's contest late in the third period with a lower-body injury and missed a second game on Tuesday. He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and has been cleared to return to the lineup on Thursday when the Avs play host to the Jets. Makar has been otherworldly from the Avalanche blueline this season, scoring 34 points (7G / 27A) and a +18 plus/minus through 23 games.
Jordan Oesterle will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Gilbert to re-enter the lineup for the Flames on Thursday. The left-handed defenseman has played 15 games with the Flames this season, scoring two points (0G / 2A), averaging 12:48 time-on-ice.
Walker Duehr will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Pospisil to draw back into the lineup for the Flames. The Slovak-born Pospisil has five points (3G / 2A), averaging 13:09 time-on-ice, and 32 shots on goal through 14 games this season. He is expected to play on a line with Connor Zary and Nazem Kadri.
Dennis Gilbert will draw back into the lineup for the Flames as Oesterle will be a healthy scratch on Thursday. The 31-year-old Oesterle has zero points and a -3 plus/minus in seven games with the Flames this season.
Martin Pospisil will draw back into the Flames lineup as Duehr will be a healthy scratch on Thursday. Duehr has four points (1G / 3A), averaging 8:11 time-on-ice through 15 games this season.
Robinson was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Sabres yesterday in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick and is expected to make his debut with his new team on Thursday. Robinson has a goal, nine SOG, and a -3 plus/minus through seven games this season.
With Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen still out of the lineup with an illness, Levi will likely start against the Boston Bruins on Thursday after serving as the team's backup on Tuesday. This will mark Levi's first start at the NHL level since November 25th when he was subsequently sent down to the AHL, where he posted a 2.94 GAA and .921 SV% in two games (1-1-0) with the Rochester Americans. The Sabres are +239 road underdogs against a Bruins team that scored five goals on Levi (.722 SV%) on November 14th in a 5-2 victory.
Dermott joins Sean Durzi (lower-body) as game-time decisions for the Coyotes' blue line ahead of their Thursday night matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. Dermott has not played since November 7th, when he recorded one assist and fired three shots on goal in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
Durzi exited Monday's game against the Washington Capitals with a lower-body injury in the first period. Despite playing only 4:02 time-on-ice, Durzi recorded a point (0G / 1A), snapping a seven-game pointless skid. Durzi and Travis Dermott (hand) will both be game-time decisions for the Coyotes on Thursday.
Ingram has taken over the Coyotes net, rightfully so, and will start his sixth straight game. Ingram has been the backbone for the Coyotes during their five-game winning streak, in which he has two shutouts, and they have outscored the opposition 19-5. Ingram has been amongst the league's best and most consistent netminders this season, boasting a 2.23 GAA and .930 SV% through 15 games (11-3-0). The Coyotes are slight -102 home underdogs but mustn't be overlooked as they enter their matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers playing their most complete hockey this season.
Hart was tremendous, saving 31 of 32 shots (.969 SV%) in a 2-1 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday and will start again on Thursday against the red-hot Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes have won five straight, outscoring their opposition 19-5, but even so, the Flyers are slight -108 road favourites. Hart has had some spells of bad play this season but has been mostly solid, posting a 2.55 GAA and .913 SV% through 15 games (7-6-1) as the Flyers look for a third straight victory.
Blackwood allowed six goals on 36 shots (.833 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 6-5 loss to the New York Rangers, an outlier in a mostly positive stretch of play for the Sharks Netminder. In his three games before (1-1-1), Blackwood allowed only six total goals and posted a .937 SV%. That said, the Sharks are considerable +251 road underdogs against a Detroit Red Wings team that ranks third-best in the league offensively (3.79 GF / GP) and will welcome Patrick Kane to the lineup for his debut with the team.
Philip Broberg has been loaned to the Bakersfield Condors (AHL), prompting the Oilers to recall Gleason. Gleason has not played in the NHL since the 2018-19 season, a four-game stint with the Dallas Stars, scoring one point (0G / 1A). The undrafted 25-year-old has been successful in the AHL this season, scoring nine points (2G / 7A) and a +5 plus/minus in 14 games.
With trade talks speculating as a result of Broberg being unable to make an impact with the Oilers, he has been loaned to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Broberg, the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, is averaging only 10:32 time-on-ice and has failed to record a point through 10 games this season. Benjamin Gleason has been recalled from Bakersfield to replace him in the Oilers lineup.
