Head coach Lindy Ruff said that Gonchar is healthy enough to play, but he is not sure his conditioning is where it needs to be to play tomorrow. Monitor his status during Tuesday's morning skate.
Nichushkin has missed the last nine games, but was on the ice for Stars practice this morning after a two-game conditioning stint with Texas (AHL) over the weekend. Head coach Lindy Ruff said whether or not he plays will be based on his conditioning, but considering he just returned from a conditioning stint, it would seem likely that he will play.
The Stars are fully expecting to have their star winger in the lineup on Tuesday vs. the Kings. He is off to a stellar start to the season, recording seven goals (t-4th in NHL) and eight assists (t-15th) for 15 points (t-3rd) in 11 games this season. Monitor his status during Tuesday's morning skate.
Howard gave up two goals on 21 shots and allowed two shootout attempts in the Wings' 3-2 loss to the Sabres on Sunday. Howard has been great, posting a 5-1-3 record with a 1.95 GAA and .927 SV%, but his struggles in the shootout continue. After a disappointing loss on Sunday, expect an angry Red Wings team to show up in Ottawa.
Nikitin missed the last three games with back spasms, but will be back on the blueline tomorrow in Philadelpha. Nikitin will be paired with Justin Schultz in his return. He has one goal and two assists in eight games this season.
Sestito, who was playing in just his second game of the season on Sunday, left with a lower-body injury and did not return. It was unclear how Sestito suffered the injury, but it is serious enough to keep him sidelined for awhile. With Sestito out, Bo Horvat will make his NHL debut on Tuesday.
Despite taking a puck to the face on Sunday, Bieksa will travel with the team on their upcoming four-game road-trip. The trip starts tomorrow in Colorado, but there is no word on whether Bieksa will be in the lineup.
Horvat, 19, has no points in five games with Utica during his conditioning assignment, but will draw into the lineup on Tuesday with Tom Sestito out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
Ward allowed two goals on 32 shots for a second straight win on Sunday vs. the Kings. He started both games on the weekend, winning them both while stopping 55 of 57 shots (.965 SV%). The Hurricanes will roll with the hot-hand as they look for their third consecutive win tonight in Columbus.
Bennett was cleared for contact on Monday, so he will head to WBS to practice and get a couple of games in on the weekend. Bennett has not played yet this season after suffering a knee injury in training camp. He could find himself in the Penguins top-6 upon his return to the lineup.
Stastny will miss his seventh straight game tonight and will likely miss his eighth tomorrow, but getting in a couple contact practices over the next few days could have him back in the lineup on Thursday vs. New Jersey or Saturday against the Predators.
Killorn recently returned from a four-game absence, but suffered an upper-body injury in his third game back on Saturday vs. Washington. Tampa Bay is off until Thursday, so no decision has been made on Killorn's status.
Quincey missed Sunday's game vs. the Sabres with an ankle injury that he suffered in Friday's win over the Kings. There was no word on how serious the injury was, but clearly it was just minor if he is already back at practice. Monitor his status prior to Tuesday's game vs. Ottawa.
Goloubef suffered a long-term injury on Saturday and the Blue Jackets don't know if it will require surgery at this time. There is no word on what the nature of the injury is, but we know he won't be in the lineup anytime soon.
Calvert has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury his suffered on October 24th. Columbus has been working with a ton of injuries, but it looks like they could get both Calvert and Boone Jenner back on Tuesday. Calvert registered two points (1G / 1A) in the first seven games.
Miller was expected to resume skating today and he did after the team left the ice. He remains without a timetable for his return, but returning to the ice is a good sign that he is nearing a return.
There is no word as to why Seguin was absent from the skate, but we should get an update from coach Lindy Ruff shortly. Valeri Nichushkin skated in his spot on the top-line.
Malone was placed on waivers on Sunday with the intention of sending him to the AHL. Now that he has cleared, he can be sent down at any time, but with Mats Zuccarello listed as a game-time decision, there is a good chance Malone will stay with the team for tonight's game.
Semin served as a healthy scratch in the last two games and surprisingly enough, the Canes recorded their first two victories of the year. With that being the case, Semin will likely have the shortest of leashes heading into tomorrow's clash with the Blue Jackets. We've seen a ton of players respond well to being a healthy scratch, lets see how Semin answers.
McElhinney surrendered four goals on 27 shots in the loss to the Maple Leafs on Halloween. With Sergei Bobrovsky still sidelined with a broken pinky, McElhinney will make his third start i four games. He has allowed 11 goals on 78 shots (.859 SV%) in three games.
