Ekholm was a minus-3 in the Predators last two games - a minus-4 on the season. He had actually replaced Seth Jones on the top pair in Friday's contest but was moved back on Saturday. Ekholm has four assists in 17 games, and likely won't be a healthy scratch for long.
Bartley has been healthy scratch for the Predators previous five games, but will dress tonight vs. the Islanders. In 12 games this season he has not registered a point while averaging 13:40 TOI on the Predators third pair.
Gleason has been skating with the Hurricanes but is not ready to return to the lineup. He will miss his fifth straight game - he has only appeared in three games this season. Gleason should be considered questionable for Friday vs. Anaheim, but should be ready to go next week.
Downie will play with a cage on tonight and will replace Michael Raffl on the third line with Matt Read and Sean Couturier.
Morris will miss his third straight game after being injured in the first period last Tuesday. He did not skate yesterday either, so he should be considered questionable for Thursday.
Bourque was sent home to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Taylor Beck will enter the lineup for the Predators.
Vrbata was on the ice with his teammates this morning but skated by himself and did not participate in line rushes. Tonight would be the third straight game he has missed since being injured last Wednesday. If he doesn't play tonight, Vrbata will likely be back on Thursday vs. Chicago, barring any setbacks.
Stempniak missed the last seven games with a broken foot. He was off to a strong start prior to the injury - he posted four goals and five assists in 10 games. Tonight he will skate on the Flames third line with Sven Baertschi and Sean Monahan.
Smith gave up three goals on 32 shots in a win over the Capitals on Saturday. Smith has been on fire lately (won 5 of his last 6) but tonight he has a tough test in St. Louis. He is much better at home than he is on the road - 3-3-1 with a 3.50 GAA and .906 SV% away from Phoenix this season.
Mason allowed two goals on 26 shots in a win over the Oilers on Saturday. Mason continues to play well despite this only being his fourth win of the season. His 2.34 GAA ranks 17th in the NHL while his .925 SV% is good for 10th. He will face the Senators who have won three straight.
Varlamov turned aside 33 of 34 shots to take the win over the Capitals on Sunday. The W moved him to 9-2-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .936 SV% on the season. He continues to be a reliable fantasy starter and has a strong matchup tonight vs. the Hurricanes and their 28th ranked offence.
Stoll will miss his third consecutive game after being injured in the November 2 loss to the Predators. His participation in practice suggests he is not far from returning to the Kings lineup. Monitor his status prior to Thursday's game @ the Islanders.
Cleary like all other Red Wings not named Zetterberg or Datsyuk have struggled to find the score sheet this season. The veteran has one goal and two assists in 18 games.
Hiller should be considered day-to-day and could start Thursday against the Lightning.
Raffl has one assist in 11 games he should be considered day-to-day.
Downie missed four games after suffering a concussion in a fight on November 1. Tonight will be his second game back with the Flyers, he had one goal and six assists in 11 games with the Avalanche. Downie will skate on the third line with Matt Read and Sean Couturier.
Niemi allowed four goals on 46 shots in a loss to the Jets on Sunday. It was Niemi's fifth straight loss and the fourth time in those five losses that he has allowed four goals. He and the Sharks have drastically cooled off after a blistering start, but a trip to Calgary tonight should help them right the ship.
Getzlaf will miss his second straight game tonight. He is day-to-day and is expected to practice tomorrow. Should he practice tomorrow he will likely return to the lineup on Thursday vs. the Lightning.
Shaw, who would have been a restricted free agent following this season, is now signed through 2015-16. He’s currently making $577,500, but is due for a significant raise after playing a major role in the Hawks’ run to the Stanley Cup in the spring. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately known. Twice passed over in the NHL draft, Shaw finally was taken by the Hawks in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. He has 25 goals and 24 assists and a plus-11 rating in 103 career regular-season games.
Andersen stopped 35 of 36 shots in a win over the Canucks on Sunday. The win moves him to move to 6-0. He has a fantastic matchup tonight vs. Florida - he is a must-start at this point.
