Out of precaution, Rick Bowness and the Columbus coaching staff opted not to have Marchenko travel with the team to avoid potentially spreading his illness. With only two games for the Blue Jackets before the Winter Olympic break, Marchenko may be kept out of the lineup until action resumes in late February.
Parekh started the season in the NHL but struggled to acclimate before an injury sidelined him for a lengthy period. He was then sent to play for Team Canada at the U-20 World Junior Championship, where he excelled with 13 points (5G / 8A) in seven games. The talented 19-year-old defenseman carried that international momentum into a brief conditioning loan with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL), where he scored five points (2G / 3A) in four games. He will return to the Flames' lineup on Monday for his first NHL action since November 7th.
Vejmelka was solid in his most recent outing, saving 29 of 32 shots (.906 SV%), but still suffered his third consecutive defeat in a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. That said, the 29-year-old Czech goalie has been impressive in recent weeks, posting a 2.50 GAA and .909 SV% in his last 14 games (10-4-0). The Mammoth enter Monday's contest as significant -263 home favourites against the last-place Vancouver Canucks, who have scored only eight combined goals in their last four games (1-2-1).
Hellebuyck will return to the crease on Monday against Jake Oettinger, who he hopes will be his understudy at the upcoming Winter Olympics. The 32-year-old Hellebuyck was solid in his previous game, saving 33 of 36 shots (.917 SV%), but, as has been the case most of the season, the Jets still fell 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dating back to his return from a knee procedure in mid-December, Hellebuyck is posting uncharacteristically concerning numbers: 2.90 GAA and .894 SV in 20 games (5-9-6). The Jets enter Monday's contest as +129 road underdogs against a Dallas Stars team that has won five of its last six games (5-1-0).
Colorado has struggled in recent weeks, but Blackwood emphatically helped them return to the win column in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings, saving all 28 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. The shutout victory ended a four-game slide (1-3-0) during which Blackwood posted an ugly 3.84 GAA and .851 SV%. Colorado enters Monday's rematch as -190 home favourites against a Red Wings team that will be desperate to snap a three-game losing streak (0-2-1).
Drouin missed the Islanders' previous game because of an illness, but he will draw back into the lineup on Monday against the Washington Capitals. The 30-year-old Drouin has 20 points (3G / 17A) in 48 games this season, but has just one assist in his last 12.
Wolf was excellent in his previous outing, saving 23 of 25 shots (.920 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, and will look to build on his momentum on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. That said, the 24-year-old Wolf has struggled in recent weeks, posting an ugly 3.56 GAA and .882 SV% in his last nine games (2-6-1). The Flames enter Monday's contest as -101 home underdogs against a Maple Leafs team that snapped a six-game losing streak (0-5-1) on Saturday in a 3-2 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks.
After a concerning multi-week losing streak, Dallas has seemingly returned to their winning ways, riding a four-game winning streak. That said, despite winning four straight, Oettinger has continued to battle adversity, posting a 2.78 GAA and .874 SV% in that stretch. He has a 2.95 GAA and .868 SV% in his last 10 games (5-4-1) dating back to the beginning of January. Still, the Stars enter Monday's contest as -139 home favourites against a Winnipeg Jets team that has lost three of its last five games (2-2-1).
Rosen has spent the last six weeks in the AHL and will draw back into the Sabres lineup on Monday against the Florida Panthers. The 22-year-old Rosen has seven points (3G / 4A) in 13 games with the Sabres this season. Konsta Helenius will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Rosen's return.
Helenius was drafted 14th overall by Buffalo in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old Finnish forward is in his second professional season and has been impressive since making his NHL debut last month, scoring four points (1G / 3A) in seven games. Isak Rosen will draw into the lineup as his replacement.
Jesper Wallstedt is battling an illness and unavailable on Monday, prompting Minnesota to recall Petersen from Iowa. The 31-year-old Petersen will serve as Filip Gustavsson's backup on Monday and is unlikely to see any playing time during his call-up.
Pitlick scored a goal in Minnesota's previous game, a 7-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers, but he will head to the sidelines as a healthy scratch on Monday. The 34-year-old forward has two goals in 29 games this season.
Rittich snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) in his previous outing, saving 14 of 16 shots (.875 SV%) in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. The 33-year-old Czech goalie was tremendous to start his first season with the Islanders, posting a terrific 2.26 GAA and .919 SV% through 14 games (9-3-2), but has struggled to maintain that excellence. He has a 2.95 GAA and .859 SV% in his last eight games (3-4-1). The Islanders enter Monday's contest as +116 road underdogs against a Washington Capitals team on a two-game winning streak.
Wallstedt was terrific in Minnesota's previous game, saving 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in a 7-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. That said, Minnesota has regularly rotated goalies, and they would likely have turned to Filip Gustavsson on Monday even if Wallstedt had been healthy. The 23-year-old goalie has a 2.72 GAA and .913 SV% in 23 games this season (14-5-4).
After a concerning multi-week losing streak, Dallas has seemingly returned to their winning ways, riding a four-game winning streak. That said, despite winning four straight, Oettinger has continued to battle adversity, posting a 2.78 GAA and .874 SV% in that stretch. He has a 2.95 GAA and .868 SV% in his last 10 games (5-4-1) dating back to the beginning of January. Still, the Stars enter Monday's contest as -139 home favourites against a Winnipeg Jets team that has lost three of its last five games (2-2-1).
With Logan Thompson (upper body) also sidelined, Lindgren's injured has forced third-string goalie Clay Stevenson into Washington's crease. Fortunately for Washington, Thompson is targeting a return on Thursday in their final game before the Olympic Break.
Thompson returned to practice on Sunday and also participated on Monday, but has been ruled out of Washington's next two games, targeting a return on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. With Charlie Lindgren (lower body) also sidelined, Clay Stevenson has stepped in as Washington's third-string goalie.
Logan Thompson (upper body) was back at practice on Monday, but has been ruled out of the team's next two games, targeting a return to the crease on Thursday. As such, third-string goalie Clay Stevenson will return to the crease on Monday against the New York Islanders. The 26-year-old Stevenson made his season debut on Saturday, his second-career NHL appearance, saving 19 of 22 shots (.864 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals enter Monday's contest as -131 home favourites against an Islanders team whose three-game winning streak was snapped in a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
The Penguins have received adequate tandem netminding from Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs in recent weeks, and they will turn Silovs on Monday against the Ottawa Senators. The 24-year-old SIlovs saved 18 of 20 shots (.900 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, improving to 6-1-2 with a 2.68 GAA and .902 SV% in his last nine games. The Penguins enter Monday's contest as slight -107 home favourites against a Senators team that has outscored its opponents 16-4 in its last three games (3-0-0).
