Grossmann has missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury that he suffered on January 8th. Grossmann was skating with his usual partner, Mark Streit in practice on Wednesday afternoon, which is a sign he will be back in tomorrow.
Shinnimin has appeared in two games with the Coyotes this season. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward has also registered nine goals and 16 assists (25 points) and 45 penalty minutes in 40 games with the Pirates.
Holtby did not take part in the Capitals optional morning skate, so he is expected to start tonight vs. the Penguins. He allowed four goals on 30 shots in the Capitals loss to the Blue Jackets last night. He has lost three in a row, while allowing four goals in each of those contests. Things won’t get any easier with the Pens in town.
Bernier was pulled after giving up three goals on 13 shots in Toronto’s loss to Carolina before the All Star break. He has lost each of his last three starts while posting a 3.05 GAA and .888 SV%. Bernier was shelled for five goals on 26 shots in a 5-3 loss the first time he faced the Devils.
Zajac missed Tuesday’s practice, but took part in the Devils optional morning skate today, so there’s a chance that he could play tonight. Monitor his status during pre-game warmups.
Zadorov was suspended for Tuesday’s game for failure to report to the team after the All Star break. Look for him to be back in the lineup tomorrow vs. the Oilers.
Dumont, 24, has registered 12 goals and 15 assists (27 points) in 40 games with Hamilton this season. He has one goal and twi assists in 15 career NHL games. He skated as the extra forward in Habs practice on Wednesday, so don’t expect him to be in the lineup on Thursday.
Zepp, 33, was 3-1-0 with a 2.92 GAA and .889 SV% in his time with the Flyers. With Steve Mason back from his knee injury, Zepp has been reassigned to Lehigh Valley, where he is 11-5–4 with a 2.57 GAA and .921 SV% this season.
Zajac missed Tuesday’s practice, but it looks like he will be one of a handful of players to skate this morning. His availability for the optional morning skate is a good sign that Zajac will be available tonight vs. the Maple Leafs. Expect an update this afternoon.
Fleury gave up two goals on 26 shots in the Penguins loss to the Blackhawks last Wednesday. He was given last night off, but is expected to start tonight in Washington. January has not been great for Fleury, who has gone 2-3-2 with a 3.19 GAA and .892 SV% so far. He made 31 saves in a 3-0 loss in his first start vs. the Caps.
Schneider allowed two goals on 36 shots in the Devils 5-2 win over the Sharks in the final game before All Star break. Schneider has won four of his last six starts while posting a 2.07 GAA and .931 SV%. Tonight he takes on a Maple Leafs team he defeated 5-3 back in November.
Jagr was a full participant in practice on Tuesday and is expected to play tomorrow vs. Toronto after middling the last three games with an illness. Monitor his status during the pre-game skate.
Crawford made 33 saves on 35 shots in the Blackhawks 3-2 win over the Penguins last Wednesday. He has gone 4-4-0 with a 2.75 GAA and .920 SV% in eight starts this month. He comes into Los Angeles with a 10-4-1 record, 1.98 GAA and .931 SV% on the road.
Goc, 31, has two goals and four assists in 43 games with the Penguins this season. He averaged 12:26 TOI per game this season, with 3:00 coming on the penalty kill. He is a strong PK guy and is great on the dot--Goc led the Penguins and is 25th in the NHL winning 54% of his face-offs.
Lapierre had two goals and seven assists in 45 games with the Blues. He has averaged just over 10 minutes TOI per game this season, with 1:45 of that coming on the penalty kill. He is a strong face-off man, winning 54.9% of his draws this season.
Hudler was listed as a game-time decision, but he is on the ice for warmups which suggests that he will play tonight. He will skate on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.
Hutton gave up two goals on 27 shots in the Predators loss to the Canadiens last Tuesday. Despite the loss, it was a nice bounce-back performance for Hutton, who will start tonight vs. the Avalanche. He comes in at 1-4-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .897 SV% in eight starts this season.
Varlamov gave up two tallies on 24 shots in Colorado’s win over Boston last Wednesday. Varly has done 6-3-1 with a 2.08 GAA and .939 SV% in 10 games in January. He will start his fifth straight game tonight in Nashville—he is 4-6-5 on the road.
Letang missed the Penguins last game with a head injury, but will play tonight vs. the Jets. He has 32 points (9G / 23A) in 40 games.
Lehtonen gave up three goals on 27 shots in the Stars loss to the Bruins last Tuesday. He comes into tonight with a 3-2-2 record, 3.49 GAA and .886 SV% in January. In his first start vs. Montreal, he made 16 saves in a 4-1 victory. The Habs enter play having won three of four prior to the All Star break.
