Jones was a late addition to Thursday's lineup after Mika Zibanejad left warmups with an undisclosed injury. Jones will draw in as the Rangers will opt to dress seven defensemen in Zibanejad's absence.
Luukkonen will start for only the third time in the last seven games for the Sabres despite being terrific in his last two. Luukkonen has saved 58 of the last 61 shots he's faced (.951 SV%), winning both contests, snapping a previous skid of six straight losses (0-5-1) where he had an abysmal .839 SV%. The Sabres are -120 home favourites on Thursday against an Ottawa Senators club that has lost four straight, scoring three or fewer goals in each contest.
Since Lyon returned shortly after the Christmas break, the Red Wings have bounced back from a 1-5-0 skid in his absence with a 4-1-0 record in their last five, all games that Lyon has started. Lyon has undoubtedly been the most reliable netminder for the Red Wings this season, as is evident from his .921 SV% over his last three games (3-0-0). That said, the Red Wings are +144 home underdogs against a tough opponent in the Edmonton Oilers, among the league's hottest teams and are riding an eight-game winning streak.
Norris finished Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Calgary Flames but will be unavailable for Thursday's tilt against the Buffalo Sabres as he is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old Norris is amid a seven-game pointless skid but was having a decent season before then with 20 points (8G / 12A) in his first 26 games.
Luukkonen will likely start for only the third time in the last seven games for the Sabres despite being terrific in his last two. Luukkonen has saved 58 of the last 61 shots he's faced (.951 SV%), winning both contests, snapping a previous skid of six straight losses (0-5-1) where he had an abysmal .839 SV%. The Sabres are -120 home favourites on Thursday against an Ottawa Senators club that has lost four straight, scoring three or fewer goals in each contest.
Zucker served the final game of his three-game suspension on Tuesday and will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Zucker had been held without a point in seven of his last eight games before being suspended.
Johnson has not played since New Year's Eve but is expected to draw back into the lineup on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. Johnson was held off the scoresheet in his last four games while firing four shots on goal.
Leschyshyn has spent the majority of his season playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, scoring six points (3G / 3A) in 14 games. The 24-year-old will make his season debut with the Rangers on Thursday.
Kesselring will take the place of Juuso Valimaki, who is the odd-man out on Tuesday. Kesselring has an impressive return of four goals and five assists in 21 games this season.
Despite an excellent performance in his last outing, Levi had the night off on Saturday but will return to the crease on Tuesday as the Sabres look for their third straight win. After allowing three or more goals in four straight games (1-2-0), posting a lousy .850 SV%, Levi returned to form in his last contest, saving 32 of 33 shots (.970 SV%) in a 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Sabres are slight -111 home favourites against the Seattle Kraken, who have been on fire lately, winning six straight, outscoring their opposition 16-6.
Leschyshyn had three goals, three assists, eight PIMs and a +1 plus/minus in 14 games with Hartford (AHL) this season but has earned his first call up of the year to the Rangers and will replace Brennan Othmann on the active roster. The 24-year-old appeared in 35 games with Vegas and the Rangers in 2022-23 and miraculously failed to pick up a point while amassing 31 SOG, eight PIMs and a -10 plus/minus.
Greenway did not participate at practice on Monday due to an illness but is expected to be ready for Tuesday's game against the Seattle Kraken. Greenway has been held without a point in five straight games but has accumulated eight hits over that stretch.
Despite an excellent performance in his last outing, Levi had the night off on Saturday but will return to the crease on Tuesday as the Sabres look for their third straight win. After allowing three or more goals in four straight games (1-2-0), posting a lousy .850 SV%, Levi returned to form in his last contest, saving 32 of 33 shots (.970 SV%) in a 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Sabres are slight -111 home favourites against the Seattle Kraken, who have been on fire lately, winning six straight, outscoring their opposition 16-6.
Greenway did not participate at practice on Monday due to an illness and his status is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Seattle Kraken. Greenway has been held without a point in five straight games but has accumulated eight hits over that stretch.
The Avalanche had already announced that Byram was still undergoing evaluations and would not play Saturday, but now he has landed on IR and will miss at least one week. Look for Caleb Jones to draw into the lineup on Saturday.
Byram left Thursday's game with a lower-body injury and did not return. The Avalanche said that he's still being evaluated, so he will not be available for Saturday's game vs. the Panthers. Expect Caleb Jones to draw into the lineup tomorrow.
