#Coyotes announce goalie Mike Smith is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Labarbera starts tonight and Johnson recalled on emergency basis. Will update as we know more but this is a big blow to fantasy owners if he's out for an extended period.
Edmonton Oilers News
Line Change
Mattias Ekholm will likely play his first game of the 2013 season against Vancouver tonight
Ekholm will probably take the place of defenseman Kevin Klein, who has what Predators coach Barry Trotz called a “below the neck” injury. The last time Ekholm wore a Predators sweater was Oct. 20, 2011.
Call up / Send down
Mattias Ekholm recalled to Nashville
Ekholm is not expected to have any fantasy relevance.
Goalie Start
Smith starts for the Yotes.
Smith allowed just one goal on 30 shots in a 3-1 win over the Oilers on Wednesday. He has a great matchup tonight vs. the Flames, start him with confidence.
Goalie Start
#Coyotes goalie Mike Smith, who is 4-1-1 with a 2.35 GAA vs. Edmonton, has stopped 64 of 65 shots in 2 starts since returning from injury
Smith allowed just one goal on 41 shots in a 2-0 loss to the Canucks on Monday. He has posted a 0.51 GAA and .985 SV% in two starts since returning from his upper-body injury. He faces a skilled Oilers team that can score at any time.
Defenseman Ryan Murray, selected No.?2 overall by the Jackets in the 2012 draft, began lifting weights yesterday for the first time since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in November.
Given that he's missed most of this season, Murray is expected to need another year of seasoning before cracking the 2013-14 CBJ roster.
Goalie Start
Smith is expected to be back in goal vs. Vancouver.
Smith posted a 24-save shutout vs. the Avalanche on Saturday. It was his first game game since suffering an upper-body injury that forced him to miss six games. He has a tough matchup tonight against the Canucks who are 8-2-0 in their last 10.
Sheppard, Tennyson out as Torres and Demers enter #sjsharks lineup vs. DAL.
Demers has missed the Sharks last four games with a concussion. He will return to the lineup tonight and take Tennyson's spot on the blueline.
Goalie Start
Mike Smith will start tonight vs. the Avs. #Coyotes
Smith has missed the Coyotes last six games with an upper-body injury. Phoenix did pretty well without their #1 goalie, going 3-1-2 in those six games. Smith will likely start the vast majority of the Coyotes remaining 10 games after tonight. The matchup with the Avs is a good one.
We'll likely find out after a.m. skate if Mike Smith will go tonight against the Avs.
Smith missed the Coyotes last six games with an upper-body injury.
Jason Demers also not ready yet. #SJSharks
Demers will miss his fourth straight game with a concussion.
Smith will not play tonight, but could be back as soon as Saturday.
Smith will miss his sixth straight game with an upper-body injury. Monitor his status prior to Saturday's game with the Avalanche.
Smith skated this morning with Burke but still not ready to return.
Smith will miss his fifth consecutive game tomorrow because of an upper-body injury. The next game Smith could start is Thursday vs. the Red Wings.
Call up / Send down
Brad Malone gets call up for COL, skating right now in Detroit.
Malone had 10 goals and 14 assists in 63 games in the AHL this season.
Line Change
Sharks defenseman Jason Demers won’t play on Saturday against Phoenix, possibly suffering from the effects of an apparent hit to the head from Detroit’s Cory Emmerton on Thursday.
Demers was not at the Sharks’ morning skate. “Not feeling good today, won’t play tonight,” head coach Todd McLellan said. He is not a fantasy relevant player having scored just one goal in 15 games this season.
Maloney said he's hopeful Smith joins the team on road trip but next week is likely earliest he returns.
Smith will miss his third straight game tonight with an upper-body injury. It doesn't sound like Smith will play on Saturday in San Jose. Monitor his status on Saturday, if he is unavailable the Coyotes next game is on Tuesday, at home vs. Los Angeles.
Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett said Tuesday that goalie Mike Smith is out for at least the next 2 games.
The Coyotes play Wednesday and Thursday so earliest Smith could be back is Saturday against San Jose.
RNH in middle with Smyth and Yakupov at OIL morning skate. Looks like RNH is in for Preds game.
RNH missed the Oilers last two games with strep throat, but he is ready to return tonight. After scoring 52 points in 62 games last season RNH has struggled this year only recording 11 points in his first 27 games.
Johnson is an emergency call-up. Smith is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The Coyotes don't play until Monday, so Smith has some time to heal. We'll have to wait and see if he will start Monday vs. Detroit.
#Oilers have put Nugent-Hopkins on IR and activated Belanger.
It doesn't look like RNH will make the road-trip with the Oilers, he is suffering from strep throat.