Karlsson is battling a lower-body injury and will be out of the lineup week-to-week. The 32-year-old Karlsson started the season with 17 points (7G / 10A) in his first 26 games but has been limited to only one point (0G / 1A) in his last 12.
Blumel has been a prolific scorer at the AHL level for several seasons but has not been able to translate that to NHL success. In his most recent seven-game stint with Dallas, Blumel scored one point (1G / 0A). The 24-year-old Czech forward has been a constant offensive threat for the Texas Stars (AHL), where he has 32 points (18G / 14A) in 32 games this season.
Bichsel was the 18th overall pick of the Stars in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut earlier this season, scoring two points (2G / 0A) in eight games. The 20-year-old defenseman has six points (3G / 6A) in 28 games with the Texas Stars (AHL) this season.
Wagner is an NHL veteran with 396 games of experience but has split the 2024-25 season between the Avalanche and the Eagles (AHL). The 33-year-old forward has one point (1G / 0A) in 23 games with the Avalanche this season.
Ivan has seen some deployment at the AHL level lately where he's tallied two points (1G / 1A) in two games with the Eagles (AHL). The 22-year-old Czech forward has eight points (5G / 3A) in 40 games with the Avalanche but has been held off the scoresheet in 18 straight.
Smith has been battling a nagging back issue, limited to only four games since December 12th. The 35-year-old forward is averaging 11:41 time-on-ice and has 11 points (6G / 5A) in 30 games this season.
Del Mastro was a fourth-round pick, 105th overall, of the Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut last season, playing two games. He has spent the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, tallying eight points (0G / 8A) in 38 games with the Rockford IceHogs.
Dobson exited Monday's 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets after 15:38 time-on-ice due to a lower-body injury. The talented 25-year-old defenseman will be sidelined week-to-week but fortunately will not require surgery to address the injury. The Islanders's offense, which ranks fifth-worst in the league with only 124 goals through 46 games, will greatly miss the services of Dobson's 24 points (6G / 18A) from the blue line.
After a season-best seven-game winning streak, the Red Wings have struggled, being outscored 11-3 amid a three-game losing skid (0-2-1). Talbot will return to the crease on Thursday and hope to rebound from his previous outing when he allowed five goals on 16 shots (.688 SV%) in a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 37-year-old netminder has a 3.07 GAA and .901 SV% in 25 appearances this season (11-10-2). The Red Wings enter Thursday's contest as -126 home favorites against a Montreal Canadiens squad with points in eight of their last nine (7-1-1).
Gostisbehere was not at the Hurricanes' morning skate on Thursday, attending to personal matters, but should be ready to play in the evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 31-year-old Gostisbehere continues to quarterback the top powerplay unit in Carolina and has 28 points (6G / 22A) in 40 games this season. That said, his productivity has dipped significantly, with only three points (0G / 3A) in his last 12 games after being nearly a point-per-game player with 25 points (6G / 19A) in his previous 27.
Richard was a fourth-round pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2015 NHL draft but has been limited to only 31 career NHL games, scoring 14 points (6G / 8A). Primarily an AHL player, the 28-year-old Richard has 19 points (8G / 11A) in 18 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) this season.
Kane was absent from the morning skate on Thursday and will not play in the evening against the Montreal Canadiens due to an upper-body ailment. The 36-year-old Kane has been held off the scoresheet in two straight games after a stretch where he tallied 16 points (6G / 10A) in 10 games.
The Flyers have won three straight, all with Ersson between the pipes, and will roll with him again on Thursday against the New York Rangers. Ersson was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 27 of 28 shots (.964 SV%) in a 2-1 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings. The 25-year-old Ersson has a 2.70 GAA and .892 SV% in 25 appearances this season (14-7-2). The Flyers enter Thursday's contest as +133 road underdogs against a Rangers club coming off a dominant 5-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.
Sillinger was a surprise scratch before Wednesday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and his status remains uncertain on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 21-year-old Sillinger is averaging 17:40 time-on-ice and has 23 points (7G / 16A) in 45 games this season.
Crozier made his season debut last week and recorded zero points in three games with Tampa Bay. The 24-year-old defenseman returns to the AHL, where he has nine points (3G / 6A) in 22 games with the Syracuse Crunch.
After a forgetful 21-game stretch where the Rangers only won five games (5-16-0), they have rebounded admirably, collecting points in nine straight (6-0-3), partly due to terrific play from Shesterkin. Shesterkin has saved the last 47 shots he's faced, recording consecutive shutouts. The 29-year-old netminder is up to a 2.78 GAA and .912 SV% in 33 games (16-15-2). The Rangers enter Thursday's contest as -147 home favorites against a Flyers club with points in six straight (5-0-1).
After a season-best seven-game winning streak, the Red Wings have struggled, being outscored 11-3 amid a three-game losing skid (0-2-1). Talbot will likely return to the crease on Thursday and hope to rebound from his previous outing when he allowed five goals on 16 shots (.688 SV%) in a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 37-year-old netminder has a 3.07 GAA and .901 SV% in 25 appearances this season (11-10-2). The Red Wings enter Thursday's contest as -126 home favorites against a Montreal Canadiens squad with points in eight of their last nine (7-1-1).
The Hurricanes have won three straight and will likely turn to Andersen between the pipes on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Andersen was serviceable in his return from a multi-week absence, saving 22 of 25 shots (.880 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 35-year-old netminder has a 1.78 GAA and .929 SV% in five games this season (4-1-0). The Hurricanes enter Thursday's contest as -380 home favorites against a Blue Jackets squad coming off a dominant 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.
Gustavsson did not play the previous two games due to an illness but will return to the crease on Thursday against the Utah Hockey Club. The 26-year-old netminder has struggled lately, allowing four or more goals in four straight (1-3-0). He has a 2.58 GAA and .914 SV% in 31 games (18-9-3). Minnesota enters Thursday's contest as -140 home favorites against a Utah team coming off an impressive 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
Updates surrounding Kaprizov's lower-body injury were few and far between, but after missing 12 straight games, he will finally return to the lineup on Thursday against the Utah Hockey Club. Before his injury, the 27-year-old Kaprizov was amid an excellent campaign among the league leaders, scoring 50 points (23G / 27A) in 34 games.
