Lowry was expected to blossom into a top-6 forward this season, but has struggled to just eight points (1G / 7A) in 31 games this season. He heads to Manitoba and the Jets are expected to recall a forward in the next 24 hours.
Hertl was a late scratch on Tuesday because of a lower-body injury. He is reportedly feeling better but you will still need to keep a close eye on Hertl during the Sharks morning skate on Thursday.
Sparks allowed two goals on 27 shots in the Maple Leafs win over the Devils on December 8th. Sparks has won three of four starts with a 2.21 GAA and .921 SV% since being recalled from Toronto (AHL). With James Reimer still out and Jonathan Bernier still struggling, Sparks will get the nod today vs. the Sharks. It’s a good matchup with the Sharks coming in losers of six of their last seven.
Rask gave up a single goal on 27 shots in the Bruins win over the Panthers on Saturday. Jonas Gustavsson started on Monday, so look for Rask to be between the pipes tonight vs. the Penguins. Pittsburgh will be without Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury, Beau Bennett and maybe Nick Bonino. Rask has won three straight and should make for a good start tonight.
Bonino missed the Penguins morning skate with an illness and is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday games vs. the Bruins. With Bonino likely out, Conor Sheary will make his NHL debut.
Dubnyk missed the last four games with a groin strain, but will return tonight vs. the Rangers. Prior to getting hurt, he had won gone 2-0-0 with a 0.40 GAA and .986 SV% in three starts. Darcy Kuemper played well while filling in for Dubnyk, but this is Dubnyk’s crease and he should resume a regular workload going forward.
O’Neill was a healthy scratch in the last two games and was placed on waivers on Wednesday, likely to create a roster spot to activate Travis Zajac from IR.
After being reinstated on Tuesday, Kassian was placed on waivers and cleared this afternoon. He has been sent to St. John's where he will work on his game after not playing for the first two and a half months of the season. Kassian will need to improve at the AHL level before the Habs call him back up.
Zatkoff allowed two goals on 36 shots in the Penguins loss to the Oilers on November 28th. Zatkoff has lost his last two starts but sits at 2-1-1 with a 2.43 GAA and .936 SV% on the season. With Marc-Andre Fleury out, Zatkoff will start the Pens first game without their No. 1. He will face a Bruins team that is 3-1-3 in December.
Holtby stopped 44 of 45 shots in the Capitals win in Pittsburgh on Monday. Holtby has won three in a row while posting a 1.30 GAA and .962 SV% and has been victorious in 11 of his last 12 starts—yep, one loss since November 12th. Holtby is simply the best fantasy netminder going right now and is a must-start whenever he gets the call.
Khokhlachev underwent hand surgery on November 10th but returned to the Providence lineup on December 4th. He has 20 points (6G / 14A) in 17 games with Providence, but no points in two games with the Bruins. He is eligible to play on Wednesday vs. the Penguins.
There was no reports prior to puck drop that Hertl was even dealing with an injury, but when the official lineup came through, Herlt was listed as a scratch. He was expected to skate on the Sharks top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, but that spot will now likely belong to Dainus Zubrus tonight. Consider Hertl day-to-day until more reports are released.
Rinne allowed three goals on 25 shots in the Predators loss to the Avalanche on Saturday. Rinne has lost four of his last five starts while posting a 2.84 GAA and .897 SV%. His struggles have been well documented and he will be in tough tonight against a surging Flames squad that has won five consecutive games.
Foligno is a late scratch with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Foligno will be replaced by Cal O’Reilly.
With Marcus Johansson out, O’Reilly will make his Sabres debut on Tuesday. O’Reilly will play his first career game with his brother Ryan. O’Reilly has three goals and 11 assists (14 points) in 21 games with Rochester (AHL)—he has 41 points (13G / 28A) in 114 career NHL games.
Rinaldo suffered an upper-body injury on Monday night and then was placed on IR on Tuesday. With Rinaldo out, Tyler Randell will remain in the lineup for the foreseeable future.
Bjugstad has missed the last eight games with what was an undisclosed injury, but on Tuesday the Panthers announced that he is dealing with migraines. Bjugstad is undergoing a battery of tests to determine what the cause of the migraines is.
Klinkhammer has been out since October 27th with a lower-body injury, but will return to the lineup on Tuesday. Klinkhammer will skate on the Oilers’ second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle.
Lack allowed four goals on 29 shots in the Hurricanes win in Arizona on Saturday. He won both games of the back-to-back, stopping 56 of 61 shots (.918 SV%). Coach Bill Peters will go with the goalie coming off of a win so Lack will start in Philadelphia. The Flyers have lost three of their last four.
