Samsonov allowed one goal on four shots after replacing Braden Holtby in the Capitals' blowout loss in Boston before the break. In his previous four starts, Samsonov has gone 4-0-0 while posting a 2.01 GAA and .924 SV% and draws a solid matchup with the Blue Jackets in town. Columbus is banged up but they've thrived against Washington this season--outscoring them 8-to-2 in the first two meetings.
Blackwood stopped 32 of 33 shots in the Devils win in Chicago on Monday. Blackwood has played well in his last four games, going 3-1-0 with a 2.10 GAA and .932 SV%. It seems unlikely that this trend will continue moving forward, especially on Friday with the Maple Leafs in town. Toronto has won five in a row and have averaged 5.40 goals per game over that stretch.
Nashville has a game on Friday but heads out on a four-game road trip on Saturday, so Tinordi will likely serve as an extra defenseman. Tinordi has five assists in 28 AHL games this season.
Blackwell was with the Predators prior to the break, picking up one assist in six games before being sent down for the break. Blackwell is third on the team in points (23) in 26 games with the Admirals this season.
Walman has four goals and 14 assists (18 points) in 32 AHL games this season. Walman has never appeared in an NHL game in his career and he will likely serve as an extra defenseman on their one-game trip to Winnipeg.
Both Kempny and Radko Gudas are battling illness, so Christian Djoos was called up from the AHL in case one or both of them miss tonight's game vs. the Blue Jackets.
Both Gudas and Michal Kempny are battling illness, so Christian Djoos was called up from the AHL in case one or both of them miss tonight's game vs. the Blue Jackets.
Both Radko Gudas and Michal Kempny reportedly sick and game-time decisions, Djoos could make his season debut on Friday. The 25-year-old blueliner has scored three goals with 15 assists (18 points) in 25 AHL games this season.
Kampfer hasn't played a lot of hockey this season, appearing in just four games with Boston (0 points) and six with Providence (4 assists). He could draw into the lineup on Friday with Torey Krug landing on IR with an upper-body injury that he suffered just before the break.
Krug suffered an upper-body injury in the Bruins final game before the break, a 7-3 win over the Capitals. Being moved to IR means he'll miss at least two games, so look for Matt Grzelcyk to man the top power-play unit on Friday.
Clendening has not appeared in an NHL game this season but has 90 career games under his belt. Clendening has enjoyed a strong AHL campaign to-date, scoring five goals with 13 assists (18 points) in 26 games.
Carlsson appeared in two games before the break but was a healthy scratch in their last game. Overall, he has no points in two NHL games but has accumulated nine points (1G / 8A) in 28 AHL contests.
Lilja was reassigned for the Christmas break but appeared in the final two games before the break, averaging 9:59 TOI/gm. He has just two assists in 12 games with the Blue Jackets this season and nine points (4G / 5A) in 18 AHL games.
MacInnis played with the Blue Jackets for the final two games before the Christmas break but was sent back to Cleveland for the break. The 23-year-old, former second-round pick has not registered a point with Columbus but has three goals and 12 assists (15 points) in 28 AHL games this year.
Atkinson was hurt vs. the Kings on December 19th and missed the final two games before the Christmas break. This is a tough time for Atkinson to get hurt because he was finally heating up--scoring five goals with two assists in his previous nine games. With Atkinson, among others, sidelined newcomers like Kevin Stenlund and Eric Robinson have been tasked with playing top-6 roles for Columbus.
Saad was hurt in Winnipeg on December 19th and will be out until mid-January with an ankle injury. With Saad out, head coach Jeremy Colliton has already tried Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane together for a period of time, so that's something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
This is new territory for Seabrook, who has missed only 19 games since becoming a full-time NHLer in 2006-07. While his play has fallen off a bit in recent years, Seabrook is still an integral part of the Blackhawks blueline, playing 18:09 ATOI this season. IN addition to the right shoulder surgery, Seabrook is also scheduled to have surgery n his right hip in early-January and his left hip in early-February, paving a long road to recovery for the 34-year-old defenseman. The one bit of positive news is his move to LTIR frees up $6.875M in cap-space for Chicago to work with this season.
This is the second time in less than a year that de Haan has underwent major surgery on his right shoulder, which is obviously troubling for the Blackhawks who have him under contract through the 2021-22 season. With de Haan out for the year and being moved to LTIR, the Blackhawks gain $4.55M in salary cap relief but it will be difficult for them to replace de Haan through their minor league system or through a trade.
