Blais has split his season between the AHL and NHL, picking up just one assist in 16 games with the Blues. He heads back to the AHL so that Jordan Binnington can join the Blues as they elect to go with three netminders for the foreseeable future.
Byron has been out since October 30th but took line rushes on Thursday morning and will likely make his return to the lineup on Saturday. To make room for Byron, Victor Mete was sent to Laval (AHL).
Kahkonen has been impressive with Iowa this season, going 4-1-1 with a 0.98 GAA and .966 SV% in six games. Kahkonen is expected to backup Alex Stalock on Friday because Devan Dubnyk is dealing with an illness.
Blais was recalled to serve as a reserve forward on the Blues’ two-game road-trip with Brayden Schenn going on IR. Blais has just two goals in nine games with the Rampage this season.
Byron has been out since October 30th and is expected to miss a couple more weeks after the Canadiens called him “week-to-week.” With Byron out, Andrew Shaw has taken on a larger role.
Byron was forced to leave Tuesday’s game vs. the Stars with a lower-body injury. Byron played just 8:41 TOI before leaving the contest and is not expected to play Thursday vs. the Capitals.
Matheson was suspended two games for his hit on Elias Pettersson last week, but will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Red Wings. Matheson has not registered a point this season, but generates a solid number of shots and blocks for daily fantasy players.
Matheson will not play Tuesday in Philadelphia or Friday in Washington, but is eligible to return Saturday vs. the Red Wings. Pettersson will miss at least 7-10 days with a concussion as a result of the hit.
Suzuki was the prized prospect that the Canadiens received in the Max Pacioretty trade but was unable to crack the opening night roster. The 2017 No.13 overall pick returns to Owen Sound, where he has scored 87 goals with 109 assists (196 points) in 129 games over the last two seasons.
Byron has enjoyed the best seasons of his career during his last two years in Montreal. The 29-year-old winger has registered back-to-back 20 goals seasons while averaging 39 points during that span. Byron is a versatile forward, who is capable of playing up and down the Canadiens’ lineup.
Dobson was picked No.12 overall in this summer’s draft but was always expected to head back to Juniors this year. The 18-year-old defenseman will try to build off of his 69-point (17G / 52A) sophomore season with Acadie-Bathurst.
Dobson is a two-way defenseman but has a polished offensive game, finishing tied for second among QMJHL defensemen in points (69) and third in goals (17). Playing in the Memorial Cup didn’t hurt his value either—he scored two goals with five assists in Acadie Bathursts’s four-game run.
Anderson will play for the first time since February 26th tonight vs. the Penguins. This is a massive boost for the Blue Jackets heading into the playoffs, as Anderson was on a 24-goal, 15-assist pace before he got hurt.
Danault was back in the Canadiens lineup on Saturday but was hurt after taking a high-stick in the face. Danault has been ruled out for tonight’s game in Columbus and is not expected to play vs. the Stars either. Nikita Scherbak is expected to draw in and take his spot in the lineup.
