Markstrom stopped 26 of 27 shots in the Canucks win over the Sabres on Thursday. Markstrom has won each of his first three starts while posting a 1.65 GAA and .932 SV%. He has had a great start to the year and draws a great matchup against a struggling Kings team.
Tkachuk has one goal, nine shots and a minus-1 rating while averaging 11:55 through his first five NHL games. It looks like he will sit tonight while Freddie Hamilton makes his season debut.
Markstrom allowed one goal on 24 shots in the Canucks’ overtime win over the Blues on Tuesday. Markstrom has won each of his first two starts while stopping 42 of 46 shots (.913 SV%). With Ryan Miller still a nicked up, Markstrom will make his third consecutive start tonight vs. the Sabres. A banged up Buffalo team presents a good matchup for Markstrom.
Markstrom allowed three goals on 22 shots in the Canucks’ overtime win over the Hurricanes on Sunday. Ryan Miller played great on Saturday, but will not play tonight because of muscle tightness, so Markstrom gets a second straight start. However, there are better options with a very dangerous 3-0-0 Blues team in town.
Kulikov missed the Sabres’ season opener, but will be in the lineup when they take on the Oilers tonight. Kulikov will take Casey Nelson’s spot in the lineup and is expected to play on the third pairing with Cody Franson. The 25-year-old had one goal and 16 assists (17 points) in 74 games a season ago.
Ryan Miller started the Canucks’ season opener last night, so Markstrom will start tonight as the Canucks host the Hurricanes. The 26-year-old had a nice 2015-16 season, going 13-14-4 with a 2.73 GAA and .915 SV%, but he will need to be better than that if he want to surpass Miller as the starter in Vancouver.
Kulikov missed the Sabres’ season opener on Thursday but was on the ice for practice on Friday and is encouraged that he will be able to play on Sunday. Kulikov was skating on the third pair with Cody Franson.
Kulikov had been practicing with the team leading up to tonight’s season opener, but his bruised tailbone has not healed enough for him to be in the lineup vs. Montreal. Casey Nelson will replace the offseason acquisition to start the year.
Gudas was suspended for six games after his shoulder-to-head hit on Bruins’ rookie Austin Czarnik on Saturday night. The Flyers’ will already be without Michael Del Zotto on the back-end, but it looks like Brandon Manning (shoulder) will be healthy enough to replace Gudas in the season opener.
Tkachuk was selected sixth overall this summer after picking up 107 points (30G / 77A) in 57 games with the London Knights. Tkachuk has impressed in his first NHL training camp and will break camp with the Flames. He is expected to start on a line with Sam Bennett and Troy Brouwer, which gives him an excellent chance to produce right away.
Marchand, 28, is coming off of a career-high 37 goals and 60 points. The Canadian-born winger has scored 20-plus goals in every full 82-game season that he has played in and is in a great spot on Patrice Bergeron’s wing out in Boston. He has had a very strong showing in the World Cup of Hockey which shows last year may not be a fluke.
Ekblad was sent home after suffering a neck injury and a reported concussion at the World Cup of Hockey. Ekblad is back skating in Florida and is expected to be ready to anchor the Panthers’ top-pair in the season opener.
Markstrom’s NHL career didn’t get off to a great start, but he seems to have settled in in Vancouver. He was excellent with Utica (AHL) two years ago and went 13-14-3 with a 2.73 GAA and .915 SV% in 32 games with the Canucks last season. Markstrom will battle with Ryan Miller for starts as the Canucks’ No. 1 netminder.
Ekblad, 20, will carry a $7.5 million cap-hit in the 2017-18 season, which would make him the sixth highest paid defenseman as of now. The 6-foot-4, 216 lbs. blueliner has had two great years to kick off his NHL career—posting 39-points (12G / 27A) in 2014-15 and 36 points (15G / 21A) last season. Ekblad will be the cornerstone of the Panthers franchise through the 2024-25 season.
Jones, 21, had 20 points (2G / 18A) in 41 games with the Blue Jackets after he was acquired from Nashville. Overall, he had 31 points (3G / 28A) in 2015-16, which was a new career-high for the 2013 4th overall pick. Jones has top-pairing upside and the Blue Jackets are hoping he takes a big step forward in 2016-17.
