Bobrovsky allowed two goals on 27 shots in the Blue Jackets win over the Avalanche on Tuesday. Bobrovsky has backed up Joonas Korpisalo twice already this season, but will make his third start of the year tonight in Tampa Bay. Bobrovsky was 0-1-1 while allowing six goals on 57 shots (.895 SV%) in two starts vs. the Lightning last year.
Mikkola, 22, was a fifth-round pick (No.127 overall) in 2015 and came to North America this fall after four years in Finland. The 6-foot-5, 198 lbs. blueliner made the opening night roster but sat as a healthy scratch vs. the Jets on Thursday. Chris Thorburn has been recalled to take Mikkola’s spot on the roster.
Last year, Bobrovsky started 60-plus games for the just the second time in his eight-year career but saw his numbers from 2017 drop a bit. Bob is one of the best goalies in the NHL and has done a fantastic job during his six seasons in Columbus—posting a 2.37 GAA and .923 SV%. He got opening night off so he could start the home opener and draws a solid matchup vs. a Hurricanes team that also played last night.
Jones has been moved to IR retroactive to September 25th and is expected to be out until at least late-October. Jones has been given a 4-6 week timetable and should become a sleeper as he drops down fantasy boards this week. The 23-year-old will look to build off of a career-best 57 points (16G / 41A) in 78 games. Zach Werenski will eat up massive minutes at even-strength and the top power-play while Jones is out.
Jones suffered an MCL sprain during Tuesday’s preseason game vs. the Sabres and will miss at least one month. This is another blow to Columbus’ blueline, who will also be without Ryan Murray (groin) to start the season and Zach Werenski is coming off of major off-season shoulder surgery. Werenski should be ready for the start of the year and anchor the top power-play unit with Jones out.
Reinhart set new career-highs in goals (25) and points (50) during the 2017-18 season. The former No.2 overall pick (2014) is expected to land a top-6 role and players with either Jack Eichel or Casey Mittelstadt in a new-look Sabres’ lineup. Reinhart has 60-point upside as he enters his fourth full season.
Reinhart is coming off of the best season of his career, posting 50 points (25G / 25A) in 82 games. He has increased his point totals in each of first three seasons in the NHL and is poised to do that again in 2018-19. The Sabres beefed up Reinhart’s surrounding cast and he projects to be a top-6 winger with either Jack Eichel or Casey Mittelstadt.
Domingue took over as the Lightning’s No.2 netminder after being acquired from the Coyotes, going 7-3-1 with a 2.89 GAA and .914 SV% in 12 games with Tampa Bay. The Lightning traded Peter Budaj to the Kings this summer, clearing the path for Domingue to be Andrei Vasilevskiy’s full-time backup next year.
Hinostroza, 24, is a Chicago native who was drafted in the sixth round in 2012 and set career-highs in games (50), goals (7), assists (18) and points (25) with the Blackhawks last season. He also spent some time in Rockford (AHL) where he was near a point-per-game with 22 points (9G / 13A) in 23 games. Hinostroza projects to be a middle-6 forward to start the 2019 season.
