Nugent-Hopkin was not at practice on Wednesday due to an illness, indicating he may be unavailable for Wednesday's game against the Boston Bruins. At practice, Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod were elevated to top-six roles.
Bolduc was recalled on Tuesday and is expected to make his NHL debut on Thursday against the New York Islanders. The 20-year-old Bolduc was drafted 17th overall by the Blues in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Bolduc has 23 points (8G / 15A) in 48 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) this season.
Perunovich has missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury and has been on Injured Reserve since January 30th but could return to the Blues' lineup on Thursday night. Before his injury, Perunovich was beginning to find his form, scoring five points (0G / 5A) in his last six games.
Fasching has been out of the lineup since before the All-Star break and will remain out for at least several more days after being placed on LTIR. The depth right-winger has struggled offensively with the Islanders this season, with three goals, eight points, 30 SOG and a -8 plus/minus in 35 games played.
Soderblom has been limited to only one start in the last eight games for the Blackhawks but will return to the crease on Wednesday. The Swedish netminder has failed to record a victory in his last 12 appearances (0-10-1) for the bottom-dwelling Blackhawks, posting an ugly .864 SV% while allowing three or more goals in all but two contests. The Blackhawks are +168 home underdogs against a Philadelphia Flyers club riding a two-game losing skid.
Vejmelka had the day off on Monday but will return to the crease on Wednesday, re-assuming his duties as the starting netminder while Connor Ingram is injured. Ingram has allowed four or more goals in three of his last four games (0-4-0) and has failed to record a victory in nine straight appearances. That said, Vejmelka has been outstanding against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his career, posting a 2.00 GAA and .943 SV% in three games (3-0-0).
Ryan Johnson will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Clague to make his season debut. The 25-year-old defenseman will get another opportunity after being recalled again from Rochester (AHL), where he has three goals and 20 assists (23 points) in 41 games.
Johnson has appeared in 14 straight games for the Sabres but will be replaced by Kyle Clague on Wednesday night. Johnson has been quietly productive from the blueline lately, tallying five assists in his last 12 games.
Luukkonen will start for the third straight game on Wednesday in a favourable matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Luukkonen had a terrible outing on Monday, allowing four goals on 15 shots (.733 SV%) in a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, a rare blip in an otherwise outstanding two-month run for the netminder. The Sabres enter action as -140 road favourites.
Skinner will return to the crease for the Oilers on Wednesday, his fifth start in their last six games. Skinner has recorded a sub-.900 SV% while allowing three or more goals in each of his last four games. That said, he saved 22 of 25 shots (.880 SV%) in a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. The Oilers enter action as -127 home favourites against a Boston Bruins club that defeated the Dallas Stars 4-3 in their last contest.
Acciari exited the Penguins' 3-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on February 6th after he suffered a concussion from a Brendan Dillon hit and has not played since. Acciari had played 11 of the past 12 games for the Penguins before his injury but failed to register a point in that time while averaging 12:58 time-on-ice.
Vesey played 14:05 in the Rangers' 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday but was not available for practice on Wednesday due to a lower-body injury. Vesey has 18 points (12G / 6A) in 54 games this season.
Panarin played 19:55 time-on-ice in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars but was unavailable for practice on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Panarin has seven points (1G / 6A) in his last three games. He already has tied a career-high in goals this season (32) and is pacing for his first 100-point season.
Akira Schmid has been sent down the Utica (AHL), resulting in Poulter being recalled. It is unlikely that Poulter will see any action while he is with the Devils as Nico Daws has controlled the crease lately. Poulter is an undrafted 22-year-old who has enjoyed a decent season with Utica, recording a 2.70 GAA and .908 SV% in 24 games (14-7-1).
Schmid has backed up Nico Daws the last two weeks since Vitek Vanecek suffered a lower-body injury but never saw any game action. Isaac Poulter has been recalled from Utica (AHL), likely to allow Schmid to play some games.
The Red Wings remain committed to Lyon, who will start for the third time in the last four games for the Red Wings. Lyon was excellent in his last outing, saving 38 of 41 shots (.927 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Seattle Kraken. That said, Lyon and the Red Wings welcome a challenging foe on Thursday night as the Colorado Avalanche and their league-best offence (3.68 GF / GP) visit Detroit.
Husso left last Tuesday's matchup vs. Edmonton due to a lower-body injury, and although this injury is unrelated to his previous ailment that kept him out of the lineup for an extended period, he remains week-to-week. The 29-year-old has struggled when called upon this season with his 9-5-2 record, 3.55 GAA and .892 SV%. Alex Lyon will continue to see the majority of Red Wing starts in his absence as veteran James Reimer backs him up.
Dowd played only 6:20 time-on-ice before exiting Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury. Before his injury, Dowd was riding a season-best three-game point streak, scoring three points (1G / 2A). The Devils return to action on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Dube has enjoyed a productive season with the Hershey Bears (AHL) and earned his first call-up to the Capitals. In 50 games with Hershey, the undrafted Dube has 34 points (24G / 10A).
Katchouk will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Reese Johnson to draw back into the lineup. The 25-year-old Katchouk has nine points (5G / 4A) in 36 games this season.
