Eller was set to miss his seventh straight game on Saturday, so his move to IR simply created a roster spot for Xavier Bourgault to be recalled from the AHL. Eller is expected to miss at least a couple more weeks with a broken foot.
Samoskevich missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, but is trending towards playing Saturday vs. the Lightning. Samoskevich, who is expected to start the game on the third line, has 17 points (4G / 13A) in 34 games, while averaging 2.2 SOG and 1.9 Hits per game this season.
Vasilevskiy stopped 23 of 24 shots that he faced in the Lightning's 4-1 win over the Blues on Monday. Since returning to the Lightning crease last Thursday, Vasilevskiy has gone 2-1-0 with an .894 SV%. Tonight he'll start in Florida in a coin-flip game (-105 each side). Vasilevskiy has gone 4-2-2 with a 2.38 GAA and .917 SV% in eight road games this season.
Miller played 12:48 TOI in last Sunday's game in Utah, but will come out of the lineup on Saturday vs. the Wild. Luke Schenn will draw back into the lineup to replace Miller.
Schenn has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but is expected to replace Colin Miller in the lineup vs. the Wild. Schenn provides very little offence, having just four assists in 24 games this season, but averages 2.5 hits and 1.2 blocked shots per game.
Shesterkin allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Rangers' 7-3 win in Washington on Tuesday. Shesterkin comes into Saturday riding a three-game winning streak, having sopped 83 of 91 shots (.912 SV%) in the process. Tonight he will face the Islanders for the second time this season--he allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 5-0 loss in early-November.
Bobrovsky allowed two goals on 19 shots in the Panthers' win in Carolina on Tuesday. Bobrovsky comes into Saturday riding a six-game winning streak, despite posting a pedestrian 2.62 GAA and .895 SV% during that stretch. Tonight he'll face the Lightning for the third time this season--he is 1-1-0 with a 2.04 GAA and .915 SV% in the first two meetings.
Santini has split his time between the AHL and NHL this season, totalling one assist in eight games with the Lightning. It's unclear if he'll draw into the lineup on Saturday or if he'll serve as a reserve defenseman vs. the Panthers.
Sabourin comes up from the AHL, potentially to suit up vs. the Panthers, who the Lightning have injury issues against this year. The veteran tough guy, has three points (1G / 2A) in seven NHL games this season.
With Bo Horvat returning to the Islanders' lineup on Saturday, Duclair will sit vs. the Rangers. Head coach Patrick Roy called it "heartbreaking" when deciding who to take out of the lineup and added that Duclair has "played well." Duclair has not scored in 10 games, picking up just three assists during that stretch.
Woll allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Maple Leafs' 6-3 win over the Penguins on Tuesday. Since returning to the Maple Leafs' crease in mid-December, Woll has gone 2-1-0 while stopping 81 of 89 shots (.910 SV%) in three games. Tonight he draws a tough matchup vs. The Senators, who have eon four of their last five games. Toronto are +116 home underdogs.
Luukkonen stopped 26 of 27 shots in the Sabres' win in New Jersey last Sunday. It was a great outing for Luukkonen, who had struggled in his two previous starts. Tonight he'll face the Bruins in Buffalo, where he has excelled this season. UPL has gone 4-1-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .921 SV% in five home games. The Sabres are -130 home favourites.
Bussi gave up three goals on 41 shots in the Hurricanes' shootout loss in Florida on December 19th. The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for Bussi, who has been outstanding this season, going 11-1-1 with a 2.11 GAA, .913 SV% and one shutout in 13 games. He is top-10 in the NHL with a 69.2% Quality Start%.
Hellebuyck allowed four goals on 22 shots in the Jets' 4-3 overtime loss in Utah last Sunday. Hellebuyck has now lost four in a row (0-2-2) while giving up 11 goals on 105 shots (.895 SV%). He draws a tough home matchup on Saturday with the Wild in town. Minnesota has won seven of their last nine games (7-1-1).
Hogberg is expected to serve as the Islanders' backup for both of their games this weekend, with David Rittich expected to start both games. Ilya Sorokin could be back as soon as Tuesday, at which point Hogberg will return to the AHL. He's 5-7-2 with a 3.08 GAA and .881 SV% in 14 AHL games this season.
With Ilya Sorokin (lower body) still on Injured Reserve, the Islanders will likely turn to Rittich in back-to-back games. The 33-year-old Rittich was excellent in yesterday's 2-0 win over the New York Rangers, saving all 27 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. He has a solid 2.25 GAA and .919 SV% in 14 games (9-3-2).
Sorokin's move to IR is retroactive to December 20th, which means he's eligible to return for their next game. Sorokin will travel to Columbus on Saturday, and could return as soon as Tuesday in Chicago. Look for David Rittich to start both of their games on their Saturday/Sunday back-to-back.
Horvat missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, but will play Saturday vs. the Rangers. Horvat, who will be back on the top line with Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman, has 19 goals and 12 assists (31 points) in 32 games this season.
Rittich stopped 31 of 32 shots in the Islanders' 2-1 win over the Devils on Tuesday. Rittich has played very well in his last three starts, going 2-0-1 while stopping 92 of the 97 shots (.948 SV%) that he's faced. Tonight he'll face the Rangers on home-ice, where he's gone 6-1-1 with a 2.08 GAA, .923 SV% and one shutout this season.
