It looks like Jokiharju will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Jokiharju has had an impressive rookie campaign, picking up 10 assists in his first 22 games, but will be replaced by Brandon Manning on Friday.
McAvoy has missed the last 11 games because of a concussion but could return during the Bruins back-to-back on Friday/Saturday. Monitor his status as the week progresses.
Lindholm missed last night’s game with a lower-body injury and was moved to IR. This is another big loss for the Ducks’ blueline that is already without Cam Fowler. Lindholm’s move to IR means that he will miss at least the next two games. Brandon Montour stepped up huge in Lindholm’s absence on Sunday, collecting one goal and two assists in the overtime loss.
Zadorov played a season-low 7:22 on Wednesday and will be replaced by Patrik Nemeth on Friday. Zadorov has just one goal and two assists in 18 games this season.
The Bruins are extremely banged up on the back-end, so 2013 fifth round pick Connor Clifton will play tonight in Dallas. Clifton has just four assists in 14 AHL games this season and 17 points (4G / 14A) in 68 career games with Providence.
The Bruins blueline continues to take hits, with Zdeno Chara sustaining what looked to be a serious injury on Wednesday. Clifton could make his NHL debut on Friday after picking up just four assists in 14 games with Providence.
McAvoy has missed the last eight games with a concussion and isn’t expected to return any time soon. McAvoy will not travel at the start of the Bruins road-trip, so he’ll miss at least Wednesday’s game in Colorado and likely their back-to-back on Friday and Saturday.
Zacha struggled to start the season with New Jersey, failing to pick up a point in his first 10 games. Since being sent to Binghamton, the former No.6 overall pick had five assists in four games. Zacha has been brought back up because Brian Boyle has landed on IR.
Zacha has not recorded a point in 10 games this season, so he heads to the AHL for the first time since 2015-16. Zacha has been a solid defensive centre for the Devils, but they were expecting to get more offence out of him when they picked him No.6 overall in 2015. His move to the AHL will allow him to play huge offensive minutes and try to re-discover that part of his game.
Gaunce has one goal in three games with Utica this season. The Canucks lost Brandon Sutter for at least one month, so Gaunce comes up to serve as a reserve forward. He has just 12 points (5G / 7A) in 114 career NHL games.
McAvoy’s move to IR is retroactive to October 18th, so he’s eligible to return whenever he is 100 percent. McAvoy did not skate on Monday after retuning to the ice on Saturday, so his move to IR suggests that he may have suffered a setback. McAvoy won’t play Tuesday, but monitor his status as the week progresses.
McAvoy will miss his second straight game on Thursday and the Bruins are unsure how long their young defenseman will be sidelined. With McAvoy, Torey Krug, Kevan Miller and Urho Vaakanainen all out, Jeremy Lauzon has been called up and will make his NHL debut tonight.
McAvoy took a hit against Edmonton last week and has not been feeling right according to head coach Bruce Cassidy. McAvoy will undergo testing in Boston, so he won’t be available for Saturday’s game in Vancouver. Kevan Miller is also out, so Urho Vaakaninen has been recalled and will play.
Jokiharju missed Wednesday’s practice because of the flu, but traveled to Minnesota and is expected to play tonight. Jokiharju has five assists in his first three games of the season and was bumped to the top power-play unit recently—adding to his growing fantasy value.
Jokiharju’s rookie season is off to a great start and he was moved to the top power-play unit on Tuesday, but he’s questionable for Thursday’s game vs. the Wild. Keep an eye on his status during Thursday’s morning skate.
Kuraly had 14 points (6G / 8A) in 75 games with the Bruins last season. Boston has one of the deepest forward depth charts in the NHL, so Kuraly will be locked into a fourth line role again in 2019.
The Hurricanes were reportedly far apart in their contract negotiations with Lindholm, who is an RFA. With no contract in sight, the Hurricanes elected to move on from the former No.5 overall pick (2013), who has averaged just 14 goals and 28 assists (42 points) over the last four seasons. Matt Cane of HockeyGraphs predicts a five-year extension worth $24.98M ($4.978M AAV) for Lindholm.
