Jarred Tinordi will draw into the Blackhawks' lineup on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken in favour of Phillips. Phillips played the last three games for the Blackhawks, registering five hits, and a -4 plus/minus.
After a come-from-behind 4-3 victory against the Calgary Flames last night, the Blues will switch to Hofer between the pipes on the back end of a back-to-back. Hofer has started about one of every three games for the Blues lately but has not been able to consistently lead them to victory. The 23-year-old Hofer is 0-3-0 in his last three starts, allowing three or more goals in each, posting a pedestrian .900 SV%. The Blues are sizeable +211 road underdogs against a red-hot Vancouver Canucks team that has won eight of their last nine contests (8-1-0).
Petr Mrazek was rewarded with a two-year contract extension on Wednesday, but the Blackhawks will turn to Soderblom between the pipes for only his second start in the last two weeks. Despite his lack of play, Soderblom has been serviceable lately, allowing three or fewer goals in his last three starts (0-3-0) and posting a solid .918 SV%. That said, the Blackhawks are +262 road underdogs against a Seattle Kraken team outscored 15-5 in their last four games (0-4-0).
Werenski has been out of the lineup since December 27th, missing 10 straight games, but is expected to 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.
DeSimone has been a healthy scratch the last two games and was placed on waivers by the Flames on Wednesday. The 29-year-old defenseman has five points (1G / 4A), 19 shots, 12 hits, and 21 blocks in 23 games this season.
Ruzicka has been held without a point in 10 straight games and was a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. 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.
Roy made his NHL debut earlier this month and played six straight games, recording two points (1G / 1A). The 20-year-old was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL draft and has excelled in his first year as a pro, picking up 30 points (12G / 18A) in his first 34 AHL games, good for second on the team.
DeSmith is responsible for the Canucks' only loss in their last nine games, but played very well in that performance, saving 40 of 43 shots (.930 SV%) in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 15th. DeSmith has been serviceable when called upon this season, posting a reliable 2.55 GAA and .915 SV% in 14 games (7-3-3). The Canucks, riding a three-game winning streak, are -241 home favourites against a St. Louis Blues club that has outscored their opposition 7-3 in their last two games (2-0-0).
Grubauer has been out since December 9th with a lower-body injury but was activated off the Injured Reserve Tuesday. Joey Daccord may have stolen the 32-year-old Grubauer's starting position after he posted a subpar 5-9-1 record, 3.25 GAA and .884 SV% before his injury early in the season.
Dunn has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury but will likely return to the lineup on Wednesday after being a full participant at practice on Tuesday. Before his injury, Dunn was on a tremendous run, with 10 points (4G / 6A) in his last eight games.
DeSmith is responsible for the Canucks' only loss in their last nine games, but played very well in that performance, saving 40 of 43 shots (.930 SV%) in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 15th. DeSmith has been serviceable when called upon this season, posting a reliable 2.55 GAA and .915 SV% in 14 games (7-3-3). The Canucks, riding a three-game winning streak, are -241 home favourites against a St. Louis Blues club that has outscored their opposition 7-3 in their last two games (2-0-0).
Johnson missed time with a lower-body injury earlier this season and will be sidelined again, starting with Wednesday's contest against the Washington Capitals. The 37-year-old Johnson has zero points, seven hits, and six shots in his last eight games.
Engvall has missed the last four games due to an upper-body injury but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. Engvall has five goals and nine assists in 41 games this season.
Despite showcasing his worst performance in a Red Wings uniform on Tuesday, allowing five goals on 32 shots (.844 SV%) in a 5-4 loss to the Dallas Stars, Lyon will return to the crease on Thursday against his former club, the Philadelphia Flyers. Lyon played well against the Flyers last month, saving 15 of 16 shots (.938 SV%) but exited the contest in the second period due to an injury.
Compher did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to an illness and his status is up in the air for Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Compher recorded a late tally in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Dallas Stars and has three points (2G / 1A) during a three-game point streak.
Schmaltz last played on January 16th, exiting the game with a lower-body injury after playing only 11:11 time-on-ice, and he has missed three games since. The talented playmaker has five points (3G / 2A) in his last six games and is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers.
Georgiev will likely start his third straight game in a Wednesday night matchup against the Washington Capitals. Despite salvaging a respectable 6-3-0 record, Georgiev has been leaky between the pipes lately, posting a .885 SV% while allowing three or more goals in all but one contest. Colorado is a -255 home favourite against a Washington club that the Minnesota Wild defeated 5-3 last night.
Dumba played only 7:12 time-on-ice in Monday's victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins before exiting the game with an upper-body injury. The Coyotes recalled Victor Soderstrom from the Tuscon Roadrunners (AHL) on Tuesday in anticipation of Dumba being out of the lineup for several weeks.
Vejmelka served as the backup to Connor Ingram for the last five games but will return to the crease on Wednesday. After a brief stretch of promising play in December, Vejmelka has allowed three or more goals in four straight games (1-3-0), posting an ugly .852 SV%. The Coyotes, winners of two straight, are sizeable +204 road underdogs against a Panthers club that snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday.
Scheifele will miss his fifth straight game due to a lower-body injury despite being a full participant at the last two Jets' practices. Before his injury, Scheifele had five points (2G / 3A) while riding a four-game point streak. His next opportunity to return to the lineup will be on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
