Mikkola was limited to only 13:26 time-on-ice in Monday's 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and will be out of the lineup on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. Adam Boqvist will return to the lineup as Mikkola's replacement on the blue line.
Boqvist has been a pleasant addition as a depth-forward for the Panthers. The 26-year-old Boqvist is averaging 13:00 time-on-ice and has 11 points (5G / 6A) in 33 games this season.
Exiting the holiday break, the Panthers will turn to Knight between the pipes on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. Knight was excellent in his previous outing, saving 19 of 21 shots (.905 SV%) in a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 23-year-old Knight has a 2.78 GAA and .891 SV% in 13 games (6-5-1).
For the seventh time in eight games, Utah HC will roll with Vejmelka between the pipes. Vejmelka was riding a four-game winning streak before allowing three goals on 29 shots (.897 SV%) in Utah's most recent contest, a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. The 28-year-old Czech netminder has a solid 2.33 GAA and .917 SV% in 20 appearances (8-8-2). Utah HC enters Friday's contest as +117 home underdogs against a Colorado Avalanche club riding a three-game winning streak.
Blackwood was acquired in a trade from the San Jose Sharks nearly three weeks ago and has been excellent since his debut with Colorado. Blackwood has a 2.03 GAA and .931 SV%, earning himself a five-year contract extension after only four games with the Avalanche (3-1-0). The 28-year-old netminder has a 3.05 GAA and .905 SV% in 219 career games (84-92-25), primarily while playing for non-playoff teams in New Jersey and San Jose.
Edvinsson has not played the last two games for the Red Wings but could draw back into the lineup on Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 21-year-old defenseman has primarily played on the Red Wings' top defensive unit alongside Moritz Seider, scoring 13 points (3G / 10A) in 30 games.
Harris has been a lineup-regular for the Blue Jackets lately but will be a healthy scratch on Friday against the Boston Bruins. The 24-year-old defenseman is averaging 11:58 time-on-ice, scoring two points (1G / 1A).
Tanev missed his first game of the season in the Maple Leafs' previous outing. The 35-year-old Tanev is averaging 19:36 time-on-ice, recording 10 points (1G / 9A), a +11 plus/minus, and 99 blocks in 34 games this season.
Oettinger had the night off in the Stars' final game before the holiday break but will return to the crease on Friday against the Minnesota Wild. The 26-year-old Oettinger has a 2.42 GAA and .910 SV% in 25 games this season (16-9-0). He saved 22 of 23 shots (.957 SV%) in a 2-1 win over Minnesota on November 16th. The Stars enter the action on Friday as -169 home favorites.
Ovechkin has been practicing in a full-contact jersey for the last week and could return to action on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 39-year-old Ovechkin was well on his way to surpassing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record (894) before his injury this season. He is 27 goals away, a feat that continues to be jeopardized with each game he misses.
Matthews will miss his third straight game due to an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old Matthews has had an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign and is pacing for his lowest offensive output since his rookie season, with 23 points (11G / 22A) in 24 games.
Kaprizov will not play against the Dallas Stars on Friday, a crushing blow for a Minnesota team already without top-six forward Joel Eriksson Ek. The 27-year-old Kaprizov has been sensational this season, among the league leaders, scoring 50 points (23G / 27A) in 34 games.
In the front end of a back-to-back set against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Bruins will turn to Korpisalo between the pipes. The 30-year-old Korpisalo has been solid in limited action this season, posting a 2.42 GAA and .904 SV% in 12 appearances (7-3-1). The Bruins enter Friday's contest as -157 road favorites against a Blue Jackets club that defeated them 5-1 on November 18th.
The Blues snapped in a three-game losing skid in their final game before the holiday break, courtesy of a 4-0 shutout victory by Jordan Binnington over the Detroit Red Wings. However, they will revert to Hofer on Friday against the Nashville Predators. Hofer saved 25 of 27 shots (.926 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 2-1 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. The 24-year-old Hofer has a 2.63 GAA and .909 SV% in 12 games this season (7-3-1). The Blues enter Friday's contest as +118 home underdogs against a Nashville Predators club with points in four straight (3-0-1).
Mrazek has only played one of the last eight games while battling an injury but will return to the crease on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. In his most recent outing, Mrazek allowed five goals on 29 shots (.828 SV%) in a 6-4 loss to the Calgary Flames. He has a 2.94 GAA and .902 SV% in 21 appearances this season (7-12-1). The Blackhawks enter Friday's contest as +144 road underdogs against a Sabres squad that snapped a 13-game losing skid on Monday.
Amadio did not play in Ottawa's most recent game and is expected to miss some time. The 28-year-old Amadio is averaging 14:09 time-on-ice, recording 10 points (2G / 8A) and 35 hits in 33 games.
Woll has played four of six games since Anthony Stolarz suffered a lower-body injury and will likely return to the crease on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 26-year-old Woll allowed three goals on 25 shots (.880 SV%) in a 4-2 loss to the Red Wings on December 14th. He has a 2.61 GAA and .908 SV% in 15 games this season (9-6-0). The Maple Leafs enter Friday's contest as -145 road favorites.
Philipp Kurashev will likely draw back into Chicago's lineup on Friday, resulting in Anderson being a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Anderson is averaging 12:24 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in 18 games this season.
Joey Anderson will be a healthy scratch on Friday, allowing Kurashev to re-enter the lineup. Kurashev has not played the last four games. After scoring an impressive 54 points (18G / 36A) in 75 games last season, the 25-year-old Kurashev only has five points (3G / 2A) in 28 games this season.
Edvinsson has not played the last two games for the Red Wings but could draw back into the lineup on Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 21-year-old defenseman has primarily played on the Red Wings' top defensive unit alongside Moritz Seider, scoring 13 points (3G / 10A) in 30 games.
