It's unclear whether this is just maintenance or if Carlsson is dealing with an undisclosed injury. The second-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Entry Draft has nine goals and 14 assists in 40 games this season.
Daws has been a high-volume netminder for the Devils lately and will return to the crease for the ninth time in the 10 games. He is riding a two-game winning streak and was excellent in his last outing, saving 29 of 31 shots (.935 SV%). The Devils enter action as sizeable -282 road favourites against an Anaheim Ducks club that defeated them 5-1 earlier this season.
Dostal will get the nod for the tail-end of Anaheim's back-to-back after John Gibson got the start in San Jose on Thursday. Dostal took the loss his last time out, allowing three goals on 28 shots against the Predators on Sunday as the Ducks fell by a score of 4-2. Dostal record now sits at a lowly 8-15-1 on the year to go along with an .897 SV%. He draws another difficult matchup on Friday as the Ducks find themselves as +240 underdogs at home against the Devils.
After originally being confirmed to start the contest, Korpisalo was a late scratch for Friday's game against the Coyotes, with the team only announcing his absence less than 30 minutes before puck drop. Anton Forsberg will make the start in his place.
Vejmelka will get the opportunity to snap the Coyotes' 14-game losing skid on Friday, one loss short of their franchise-worst 15-game losing streak. Vejmelka has allowed four or more goals in each of his last seven starts (0-7-0), including allowing six goals on 36 shots (.833 SV%) in his most recent outing. The Coyotes, defeated 4-2 by the Toronto Maple Leafs yesterday night, enter action as +166 road underdogs against the Ottawa Senators.
Ersson will get a second consecutive start for the Flyers after grabbing a win over the Lightning on Tuesday. Ersson stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced enroute to the 6-2 victory. The 24-year-old netminder now owns a 17-11-4 record on the season to go along with a .901 SV% and a 2.55 GAA. He is in a good spot to stay in the win column on Friday with the Flyers being -150 road favourites over the Capitals.
Forsberg will make the start on Friday against the Coyotes after all, as Joonas Korpisalo was a late scratch for the game due to illness. Forsberg got shelled his last time out, allowing four goals on 10 shots before being pulled in favour of Korpisalo in a 6-3 loss to the Capitals on Monday. Luckily for Forsberg, the Senators enter action on Friday as -186 home favourites against an Arizona Coyotes club riding an unprecedented 14-game losing skid (0-12-2).
Colorado cleared up $775,000 in cap space a week before the trade deadline as they traded Kurtis MacDermid for Zakhar Bardakov and a 2024 seventh-round pick. The Avalanche acquired Bardakov, a 23-year-old winger who was drafted in the 2021 seventh round (203rd overall). He currently skating with SKA St. Petersburg (KHL) and had six goals and 12 points in 51 games with them this season.
MacDermid's three-year tenure in Colorado is up after he was traded a week before the Trade Deadline to New Jersey for a 2024 seventh-round pick and Zakhar Bardakov on Friday. The 29-year-old hybrid bruiser has found himself the odd man out of Colorado's lineup more often than not this season but still has managed two goals, 12 SOG, 23 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus while averaging only 5:05 TOI per game.
Bains first taste of NHL action is over after a decent five-game showing as he was reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL) on Friday. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie is one of the NHL's most interesting and impressive stories this season but unfortunately, he failed to produce in his short showing with zero points, three SOG, six PIMs and a -3 plus/minus while averaging a decent 12:57 TOI per game.
Burakovsky did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday due to an undisclosed injury and is questionable for Saturday. He played 18:15 time-on-ice in Seattle's Tuesday-night outing, a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins, recording one assist and two shots on goal. He has three points (0G / 3A) in his last four games after being held without a point in seven games straight.
Smith returned to action from a one-game absence, scoring a goal in 15:19 time-on-ice in the Devils' most recent game, a 7-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. His status for Friday's game against the Anaheim Ducks is up in the air.
Zellweger is the likely replacement on the Ducks' blueline for Cam Fowler, who left Thursday's contest in the first period after taking a puck to the face. The 20-year-old Zellweger has 37 points (12G / 25A) in 44 games with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Roest was the sixth-round pick (175th overall) in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and has earned himself a three-year, entry-level contract. The 20-year-old has 59 points (31G / 28A) in 54 games with the Everett Silvertips of the AHL.
Colorado has begun to show more trust in Justus Annunen, starting two of the last four games, but will return to their workhorse Georgiev on Saturday. Georgiev was excellent in his last outing, saving 33 of 34 shots (.971 SV%) in a statement 5-1 victory over their division rivals, the Dallas Stars. Georgiev and the Avalanche will face off against a Nashville Predators club that has outscored their opposition by a whopping 32-12 margin during a seven-game winning streak.
Monahan joins Nikolaj Ehlers, Mason Appleton, and Gabriel Vilardi as game-time decisions ahead of the matchup on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. All four of them played in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars with Appleton recording two shots and five hits.
Ehlers joins Sean Monahan, Mason Appleton, and Gabriel Vilardi as game-time decisions ahead of the matchup on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. All four of them played in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars but Ehlers was the only one to find the scoresheet, recording one assist and four shots on goal.
Monahan joins Nikolaj Ehlers, Mason Appleton, and Gabriel Vilardi as game-time decisions ahead of the matchup on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. All four of them played in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars with Monahan being held off the scoresheet for only the second time in the last six games.
Daws has been a high-volume netminder for the Devils lately and will return to the crease for the ninth time in the 10 games. He is riding a two-game winning streak and was excellent in his last outing, saving 29 of 31 shots (.935 SV%). The Devils enter action as sizeable -282 road favourites against an Anaheim Ducks club that defeated them 5-1 earlier this season.
Fleury will return to the crease on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues, the front end of a back-to-back for Minnesota. The veteran netminder saved 30 of 32 shots (.938 SV%) in a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken in his last outing on February 24th. He has four wins in his last five appearances, allowing two or fewer goals four times.
