Koekkoek has been a healthy scratch for the last four games but will replace Dennis Gilbert against the Predators. Koekkoek has three assists and a minus-4 rating in 16 games this season.
Caggiula has been battling concussion symptoms for a long time and Thursday will be his first game since November 10th. Caggiula will draw in on the Blackhawks' top line with Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik and comes in with three goals and one assist in 15 games this season.
Smith gave up four goals on 36 shots in the Oilers win in Toronto on Monday. Smith will make his fourth straight start on Thursday after going 2-0-1 with a 2.65 GAA and .918 SV% in his previous three outings. He'll face a Canadiens team that is riding a seven-game losing streak (0-6-1) while scoring 2.57 goals per game.
Klingberg will miss his second straight game on Wednesday and likely won’t play Thursday in Vegas either. With Klingberg out, Esa Lindell is expected to continue to quarterback the second power-play unit.
Kulak has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace Cale Fleury in the lineup on Tuesday. Kulak has just three assists and a minus-8 rating in 30 games this season.
Klingberg missed Friday's game vs. the Red Wings but will travel out west with the Stars, which suggests that he could be back in the lineup this week. Monitor his status following Tuesday's practice and during the morning skate ahead of Wednesday's game.
Walman made his NHL debut in Colton Parayko's spot on Saturday but switched places with Niko Mikkola on Monday. Walman is back with the Rampage, where he has four goals and 14 assists (18 points) in 32 games.
Smith stopped 35 of 36 shots in the Oilers win in Boston on Saturday afternoon. It was a fantastic outing for the veteran netminder, who has stopped 58 of the 62 shots (.935 SV%) in his previous two outings. Tonight he'll take on a Maple Leafs team that is on a 10-game point streak, going 9-0-1 while scoring 4.90 goals per game over that span.
Klingberg will miss Friday's game vs. the Red Wings with a lower-body injury that he suffered in the Winter Classic. With Klingberg out, Taylor Fedun will draw into the Stars lineup for the first time since December 20th.
Klingberg is dinged up from the Winter Classic and was not on the ice for Thursday's practice, making him questionable for Friday's game vs. the Red Wings. He is officially listed as day-to-day but monitor his status during tomorrow's morning skate.
Smith allowed one goal on seven shots after replacing Mikko Koskinen in the Oilers loss to the Flames last Friday. Smith has not recorded a win since November 23rd, going 0-3-1 with a 4.35 GAA and .840 SV% in four starts and two relief appearances since. He'll try to get back on track against a Sabres team that has lost four straight while averaging 1.75 goals for per game.
Koekkoek played in two straight games but will come out with Olli Maatta drawing back in against the Flames.
With Jonathan Bernier returning to the crease last night, Pickard was the No.3 goalie on the Red Wings roster. So he returns to the AHL, where he is 9-7-3 with a 3.03 GAA and .893 SV% in 19 games this season.
Skinner was forced to leave Friday's game with an upper-body injury and Buffalo announced that he will miss at least three weeks. Skinner has been stuck in a tough stretch, point just one assist in his last nine games but this is still a horrible loss for the Sabres. Skinner will be out until at least mid-to-late January.
With Jonathan Bernier banged up, Pickard comes back up and could get a start this weekend with the Red Wings having a back-to-back in Florida. He has struggled at both levels this season but has gone 9-7-3 with a 3.03 GAA and .893 SV% in 19 AHL games.
Walman has four goals and 14 assists (18 points) in 32 AHL games this season. Walman has never appeared in an NHL game in his career and he will likely serve as an extra defenseman on their one-game trip to Winnipeg.
Demers underwent a procedure on his knee in early-December and missed the last six games but will play tonight in Nashville. Demers has five assists in 30 games in 2019-20.
