Getting added to the COVID-19 reserve list means that DeBrincat likely will not be available for the Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back in Nashville. DeBrincat's roommate Adam Boqvist was also added to the list, so Chicago could be without two of their best offensive weapons in a tough series with the Predators.
Gibson allowed two goals on 33 shots in the Ducks loss in Vegas on Saturday. Gibson opened the season with back-to-back losses in Vegas but stopped 55 of the 61 shots that he faced (.902 SV%), so he’s off to a decent start to the season. Tonight he faces a Wild team that he was 1-1-0 with an .898 SV% in 2020.
With Robby Fabbri out because of COVID-19 protocol, Rasmussen will make his season debut on Monday afternoon. Rasmussen will centre Detroit's second line and comes in after picking up 18 points (5G / 13A) in 18 games with Graz EC during his COVID loan in the Austria's top league.
Gibson started 50-plus games for the third time in 2020 but set career-worts in GAA (3.00) and SV% (.904) behind a Ducks team that finished with the fifth-worst record in the NHL. Anaheim didn't too much to improve this offseason, so it could be a similar storyline in 2021 and he should especially be avoided tonight in Vegas. Gibson was 1-2-1 with a 4.48 GAA and .878 SV% in four games vs. the Golden Knights a season ago.
Arvidsson missed Wednesday's practice but head coach John Hynes expects him to be available for Thursday's game vs. the Blue Jackets. Arvidsson will look to bounce back after a down 2020 season, where he had just 15 goals and 13 assists (28 points) in 57 games.
Appleton produced high-end numbers at Michigan State and in the AHL but has just 18 points (8G / 10A) in 82 career NHL games. Given the Jets' solid depth on the wing, Appleton will likely be a fourth liner for the duration of 2021, making it unlikely for his numbers to improve.
Dries spent almost all of 2020 in the AHL, scoring 21 goals with 14 assists (35 points) in 50 games with the Colorado Eagles. The 26-year-old did appear in five game with the Avalanche and now has six points (3G / 3A) in 45 career NHL games. With the Avalanche having one of the deepest forward groups in the NHL, Dries is likely destined for the AHL in 2021.
Leonard was a sixth-round pick in 2018 and finished his junior season at UMass-Amherst as a Hobby Baker finalist after tallying a team-high 27 goals and 37 points. In his three-year stint with the MinuteMen, Leonard scored 105 points (56 goals, 49 assists) in 106 career games.
