Gaudreau played only 9:02 time-on-ice before exiting Thursday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury and will be out on Friday against the Florida Panthers. Gaudreau has one point (0G / 1A) in his last nine games.
Necas has been out since January 2nd due to an upper-body injury but will return to the Hurricanes' lineup Friday vs. Detroit. The 25-year-old broke out with a 71 point campaign in 2022-23 but has failed to take another step forward this season with just nine goals and 26 points in 38 games prior to the injury.
Raanta will take the Hurricanes' crease for a fifth straight contest Friday after losing his previous start after allowing four goals on 24 shots (.833 SV%). The 34-year-old has had his struggles well documented this season after he was waived and unclaimed earlier in the season and holds a 9-6-2 record, 3.28 GAA and a .869 SV%. He takes on the red hot Red Wings Friday, who has points in seven straight contests and are fourth in the NHL in goals per game (3.55).
Karlsson was the only surprise absent player at Pittsburgh's practice Friday as he missed it due to illness and will hope to be good to go for Saturday as the Penguins head to Vegas. The 33-year-old was acquired by Pittsburgh in a blockbuster deal during the offseason after winning the Norris Trophy in 2022-23 and has a decent seven goals, 31 points, 102 SOG, 24 PIMs and +10 plus/minus through 42 games played.
Rondbjerg had four goals, 10 assists, eight PIMs and a -7 plus/minus in 25 games played with Henderson (AHL) but has earned another call up to Vegas Friday and is expected to draw into the lineup Saturday vs. Pittsburgh. The 24-year-old has appeared in nine games with the Golden Knights this season and has three points, 11 SOG, and a +3 plus/minus.
Amadio missed the Golden Knights' game Thursday vs. New York due to an upper body injury and has been officially placed on the Injured Reserve Friday. The 27-year-old is in his third full season with Vegas and on pace for his best statistical season with six goals, 17 points, 58 SOG, and a +5 plus/minus through 42 games played.
Sturm has been out since December 12th due to an abdomen injury but will draw back into the Sharks' lineup for the first time in a month Saturday vs. Anaheim. The 28-year-old role playing centre has struggled to produce so far in 2023-24, with his two goals, four points, 30 SOG, 10 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus through 26 games played prior to the injury.
Couture is expected to return to the Sharks roster and make his season debut Saturday vs Anaheim which will provide a sizeable boost given that Mikael Granlund will be out of the lineup week-to-week due to an upper-body injury. The 34-year-old was originally only expected to miss a few games to start the season but badly reaggravated his injury and has missed the Sharks' first 45 games. He is coming off a 67-point (27G/40A) season in 2022-23 and hasn't played less than 48 games in a season since 2009-10.
Robertson has previously been recalled once before this season but failed to appear for the Rangers during that time and has yet to make his NHL debut but earned his second recall from Hartford (AHL) Friday. The 22-year-old defensemen was the Rangers' 2019 second round pick (49th overall) and had two goals, 13 points, 16 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 32 games with Hartford prior to his call up.
Annunen made his season debut on Tuesday, allowing Alexandar Georgiev to have a long overdue night off, saving 36 of 40 shots (.900 SV%) in a 7-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. Annunen will return to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, where he has a 2.62 GAA and .908 SV% in 18 games (9-5-4).
The Hurricanes claimed Spencer Martin off of waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, allowing the Hurricanes to ease Kochetkov slow back into the lineup as he recovers from a concussion. Kochetkov has skated at practice the last couple of days, indicating that his return to the lineup is on the horizon despite being placed on the injured reserve.
Sorokin will start the eighth straight game on Friday and attempt to snap a three-game losing streak. Sorokin has only one win in his last six outings (1-5-0), allowing three or more goals five times, posting a pedestrian .900 SV%. That said, Sorokin is coming off a great performance in a losing effort, saving 40 of 43 shots (.930 SV%) in a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Islanders have a favourable matchup as they are -250 road favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks club that played last night and was shut out 3-0 by the Buffalo Sabres
MacLean will likely suit up on the fourth line in his NHL debut on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The undrafted 24-year-old out of Livingston, New Jersey has spent the entirety of the last four seasons in the AHL, tallying 78 points (29G / 49A) in 193 games.
Martin will add some depth to an uncertain Hurricanes crease after being claimed off waivers from the Blue Jackets. Pyotr Kochetkov (concussion) and Frederik Andersen (blood clot) are both currently sidelined for the Hurricanes, though Kochetkov's return to the lineup seems imminent. Martin last played on January 2nd, allowing four goals on 27 shots (.852 SV%) in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, a fair representation of his seasonal 3.65 GAA and .887 SV%.
Karlsson last played for the Canucks on January 4th, one of four games this season. He has yet to record a point while averaging 10:09 time-on-ice.
Originally believed to be a possibility on Saturday, Scheifele will remain out of the lineup through the weekend and possibly beyond, as he has not resumed skating yet. Scheifele has been replaced on the top line by Adam Lowry, who will have a tough time replacing Scheifele's production as, before his injury, he had five points (2G / 3A) while riding a four-game point streak.
Sorokin will likely start the eighth straight game on Friday and attempt to snap a three-game losing streak. Sorokin has only one win in his last six outings (1-5-0), allowing three or more goals five times, posting a pedestrian .900 SV%. That said, Sorokin is coming off a great performance in a losing effort, saving 40 of 43 shots (.930 SV%) in a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Islanders have a favourable matchup as they are -250 road favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks club that played last night and was shut out 3-0 by the Buffalo Sabres.
Johnson left Thursday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an upper-body injury after playing only 11:18 time-on-ice. The veteran Johnson has been held off the scoresheet in seven straight games.
Jokiharju played the last two games after missing the previous two but returns to the sidelines with a day-to-day prognosis due to soreness. In his last two games, Jokiharju has averaged over 19 minutes on ice while tallying seven shots and four hits.
With Pinto's 41-game suspension for activities relating to sports wagering nearing an end, the Senators have signed the 23-year-old to a one-year $775,000 contract. The final game of his suspension is on Saturday, and he will be eligible to return to the lineup for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Senators forward had 35 points (20G / 15A) in 82 games last season.
