Cajkovic has been dealt to Pittsburgh for Will Butcher in a minor deal Thursday. The 23-year-old right-winger has bounced from both of Iowa's minor league teams this season but played majority with the Heartlanders (ECHL) and had 12 goals and 18 points in 20 games.
Hamilton has been out of the lineups since November 28th and remains out indefinitely. The talented blueliner had five goals, 11 assists, 61 SOG, 20 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus in 20 games this season before getting hurt.
Hughes has already missed 11 games this season, eight with his current ailment, and although he still has a week-to-week prognosis, he appears to be making progress toward returning. The Devils have struggled, going 3-5 with Hughes out of the lineup.
Peeke will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Zach Werenski to make his return to the lineup. Peeke is averaging 16:19 time-on-ice and has six points (0G / 6A), 31 hits, and 32 blocks through 17 games this season.
Ruzicka had been held without a point in 10 straight games and was a healthy scratch for the Calgary Flames on Tuesday before being placed on waivers the following afternoon. The 24-year-old Slovak was the fourth-round pick of the Flames in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He has 40 points (14G / 26A) in 114 career games with the Flames.
DeSimone was a healthy scratch for the last five games for the Calgary Flames and was placed on waivers on Wednesday. The 29-year-old defenseman has five points (1G / 4A), 19 shots, 12 hits, and 21 blocks in 23 games this season.
Hayden played two games with Seattle over the past two weeks, being held off the scoresheet while averaging under seven minutes on the ice. Hayden has spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, scoring four goals with six assists (10 points) in 33 games.
Cody Glass will draw into the lineup in favour of Tomasino, who has been held off the scoresheet in three straight games while recording a -1 plus/minus and three shots on goal. Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild marks the second time in three contests that Tomasino has been a healthy scratch.
Philip Tomasino will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Glass to make his return to the lineup. Glass has been held without a point in five straight games while recording a -5 plus/minus.
Saros will start his sixth straight game on Thursday as the Predators attempt to end a two-game losing skid. Despite only winning two of his last five outings (2-3-0), Saros has played well, allowing three or fewer goals in each contest, boasting an impressive .932 SV%. The Predators are slight +102 road underdogs against a Minnesota Wild club riding a three-game winning streak.
After starting four straight, Tarasov served as the backup to Elvis Merzlikins in the last three contests but will return to the crease on Thursday night in Calgary. Tarasov has lost his last three games (0-2-1), allowing four or more goals in each, posting an abysmal .840 SV%. The Blue Jackets have been outscored 8-2 in their last two games (0-2-0) and are +168 road underdogs against the Flames.
Werenski has been out of the lineup since December 27th, missing 10 straight games, but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. He has been a solid contributor for the Blue Jackets on the blueline this season, scoring 19 points, all assists, in his last 23 games before his injury. Expect Werenski to regain his position as the quarterback on the Blue Jackets' top powerplay unit. David Jiricek was reassigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL in a corresponding move.
Pickard has been limited to only one game in the last nine for the Oilers but will return to the crease on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The lack of play hasn't been an indictment on Pickard's play but rather a testament to Stuart Skinner's, as Pickard has been stellar when called upon, allowing three or fewer goals in his last three games (3-0-0), posting a serviceable .904 SV%. The Oilers, winners of 14 straight, are gargantuan -601 home favourites against a Blackhawks club defeated 6-2 by the Seattle Kraken last night.
Jiriceck has spent most of the season with the Blue Jackets, appearing in 36 games and tallying nine points (1G / 8A). The No.6 pick from 2022 will return to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, where he has three assists in three games.
Mukhamadullin was the 20th overall pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft before being traded to the San Jose Sharks as part of the Timo Meier deal last season. In 39 games with the San Jose Baracuda, Mukhamadullin has 26 points (5G / 21A).
Kylington played two games with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) as part of a conditioning stint after not playing a single professional game since the 2021-22 season. That year, Kylington scored 31 points (9G / 22A) in 73 games with the Flames. He is expected to suit up on the third defensive pairing with Jordan Oesterle.
Pickard has been limited to only one game in the last nine for the Oilers but will return to the crease on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The lack of play hasn't been an indictment on Pickard's play but rather a testament to Stuart Skinner's, as Pickard has been stellar when called upon, allowing three or fewer goals in his last three games (3-0-0), posting a serviceable .904 SV%. The Oilers, winners of 14 straight, are gargantuan -601 home favourites against a Blackhawks club defeated 6-2 by the Seattle Kraken last night.
Markstrom will start for the second straight game on Thursday when the Flames host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Markstrom struggled in his return from a lower-body injury on Tuesday, allowing four goals, three unanswered, on 26 shots (.846 SV%) in a heart-breaking last-minute 4-3 regulation loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Flames, losers of three straight, are -179 home favourites against a Blue Jackets team that has been outscored 8-2 in their last two games (0-2-0).
Hanley has played each of the 10 games that Miro Heiskanen has been out of the lineup with a lower-body injury but will be a healthy scratch on Thursday as Heiskanen makes his return. Hanley recorded two points (0G / 2A) in that stretch.
