Andersen was already expected to miss Thursday’s game so moving him to IR was simply a formality to open up a roster spot. The Maple Leafs are also without Garret Sparks (concussion protocol) so Michael Hutchinson was recalled to start on Thursday afternoon.
Hutchinson allowed four goals on 35 shots in his Toronto Marlies (AHL) debut after being acquired from Florida. With Frederik Andersen (groin) and Garret Sparks (concussion protocol) out, Hutchinson is expected to make his Maple Leafs debut on Thursday. Hutchinson was 1-1-2 with a 4.17 GAA and .839 SV% in four games with the Panthers earlier this season.
Luongo was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots in the Panthers shootout win in Detroit on Monday. Luongo has been solid for the majority of the season but has struggled as of late—in his last four starts, Luongo has gone 1-2-0 with a 2.83 GAA and .903 SV% in his last four starts. Tonight he faces a Sabres team that he has been absolutely dominant against in his career—20-8-2 with a 1.96 GAA, .934 SV% and five shutouts.
Jones allowed four goals on 26 shots in the Sharks win in Edmonton last Saturday. Jones had an ugly end to the month of December, allowing a combined 13 goals on 108 shots (.880 SV%). Tonight he will face an Avalanche team that is struggling mightily right now—Colorado enters play on a five-game losing streak and have lost nine of their last 11 (2-6-3).
Richardson has missed the last three games with the flu but will replace Nick Schmaltz in the lineup on Wednesday. Richardson is projected to start on a line with Alex Galchenyuk and Vinnie Hinostroza and returns to the lineup with 10 goals and four assists (14 points) in 36 games this season.
Howard allowed three goals on 27 shots in the Red Wings shootout loss to the Panthers on Monday. Howard had a tough finish to the 2018 calendar year, going 0-3-1 with a 2.98 GAA and .900 SV% in his final four starts. Things won’t get any easier tonight with the Flames in town—Calgary has the fifth-best record in the NHL (10-3-2) since the start of December.
Schmaltz was forced to leave Sunday’s game vs. Vegas with a lower-body injury and will not play on Wednesday. Schmaltz is listed as day-to-day, which makes him questionable for Friday’s game vs. the Devils.
Simek suffered a concussion in a collision with Sam Bennett on Monday. With Simek out on Wednesday, Joakim Ryan will draw back onto the blueline for just the second time in 15 games.
McNiven served as Antti Niemi’s backup for three games while Carey Price was out. With Price set to return on Thursday, McNiven heads back to Laval, where he has gone 4-4-1 with a 2.56 GAA and .884 SV%.
Price has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury but could start Thursday vs. the Canucks. Antti Niemi posted a 3.68 GAA and .881 SV% in those three games but went 2-1-0. It would be Price’s first start since December 22nd. The 31-year-old was 8-3-0 with a 2.42 GAA and .916 SV% in December.
Helm has missed the last 21 games with a shoulder injury that he suffered in New Jersey on November 17th. Helm will return on the Red Wings’ third line and skate with Luke Glendening and Andreas Athanasiou. He had just six points (1G / 5A) in 20 games before getting hurt.
Koskinen surrendered four goals on 36 shots in the Oilers loss to the Jets on Monday. Koskinen has fallen into a bit of a slump lately, losing four in a row while allowing a combined 16 goals on 115 shots (.861 SV%). The 30-year-old hasn’t been great on the road (3.25 GAA, .893 SV%) but a matchup with the Coyotes sets him up as a solid option tonight.
Hill gave up four goals on 41 shots in the Coyotes win in Anaheim last Saturday. Hill had a ridiculous stretch of games to start his NHL career but his game has fallen off as of late. Hill has allowed at least three goals in six straight games, giving up a total of 21 goals on 186 shots (.887 SV%). He just isn’t experienced enough to trust from a fantasy perspective, especially against Connor McDavid.
Gunnarsson has been out since November 16th but is ready to play on Thursday if the coaches call upon him. Gunnarsson had no points, just eight shots and a plus-2 rating in seven games before getting hurt.
Varlamov will not be available to serve as Philipp Grubauer’s backup on Wednesday, so Pavel Francouz was recalled on Tuesday. Consider Varlamov as questionable heading into Friday’s game against the Rangers.
Archibald has spent most of the season with Utica (AHL), where he has 11 goals and five assists (16 points) in 23 games. The 28-year-old forward, who stands at 6-foot-3, 210 lbs., Archibald has 14 points (6G / 8A) in 52 career NHL games.
Nilsson has gone 3-8-1 with a 3.09 GAA and .895 SV% in 12 games with the Canucks this season. With Craig Anderson out with a concussion the Senators are trying to upgrade their goaltending situation by swapping McKenna for the 28-year-old Nilsson. His career .905 SV% suggests that he won’t be too big of an upgrade though.
Pyatt has recorded just two assists, 29 shots and a minus-16 rating in 37 games this season—averaging 11:42 TOI/gm. Pyatt will switch locker rooms tonight but will likely serve as a healthy scratch against the team that just traded him. Pyatt could be on his wait to Utica (AHL) after clearing waivers at noon.
McKenna was set to serve as the Senators backup vs. Vancouver tonight but now he switches locker rooms and will be Jacob Markstrom’s backup vs. the Senators. McKenna has gone 1-4-1 with a 3.96 GAA and .897 SV% in 10 games with Ottawa this season.
Markstrom allowed two goals on 33 shots in the Canucks win in Calgary last Saturday. Markstrom was outstanding in December, going 8-1-0 with a 1.66 GAA and .943 SV% in nine games. The 28-year-old has been red-hot and is a must-start against a Senators team that ranks 30th in the NHL with 34 points (15-21-4) through 40 games.
