Nashville Predators News

With Jake Oettinger sidelined due to a lower-body injury, Murray has been recalled and will serve as the backup to Scott Wedgewood. Murray has a 2.86 GAA and .908 SV% in 13 games (8-4-1) with the Texas Stars of the AHL this season. A concrete timeline for Oettinger's return to action is not yet available but it is unlikely that Murray will see much action between the pipes in Dallas unless he is with the club for an extended period.

Evangelista will get the opportunity to play on Friday as Kiefer Sherwood (upper-body) is unavailable. Evangelista has four goals and ten assists in 28 games this season.

Evangelista is expected to watch the game from the press box as a healthy scratch, allowing Philip Tomasino to draw back into the lineup. Evangelista has only one point (0G / 1A) in his last seven games while playing mainly with Kiefer Sherwood and Tommy Novak.

Haula missed the Devils' previous game due to an upper-body injury but will return Wednesday vs. Boston after only a one-game absence. The 32-year-old left-winger is having one of the most productive offensive seasons of his career with seven goals, 13 points, 20 PIMs and 40 SOG through 21 games prior to the injury.

Saros was tremendous in his last game, saving 36 of 37 shots (.973 SV%) in a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens and will look for his fifth straight victory on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Saros has been excellent during a four-game winning streak, allowing only six goals total on 133 shots (.955 SV%). The Predators are -135 home favourites against a surprising Flyers team that has won four straight but will turn to backup goalie Samuel Ersson.

Saros was tremendous in his last game, saving 36 of 37 shots (.973 SV%) in a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens and will look for his fifth straight victory on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Saros has been excellent during a four-game winning streak, allowing only six goals total on 133 shots (.955 SV%). The Predators are -135 home favourites against a surprising Flyers team that has won four straight but will turn to backup goalie Samuel Ersson.

Stastney set a new career high in games played Thursday (9) but has been reassigned to Milwaukee (AHL) Friday. The 23-year-old fifth-round pick had been playing an impressive brand of hockey prior to his demotion, with one goal, five SOG, four PIMs and a +6 plus/minus in nine games. He will return to Milwaukee, where he had a goal and four points in 10 games prior to his latest promotion.

Saros will search for his third straight victory as the starter for the third consecutive game on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Saros has been excellent lately, winning six of his last seven contests (6-1-0), posting a .914 SV% in the process. The Predators' resurgent play lately has them listed as -129 home favourites on Thursday against a Lightning team that has won two straight, outscoring their opposition 7-1, but played last night and will presumably turn to Jonas Johansson between the pipes.

Saros will search for his third straight victory as the likely starter for the third consecutive game on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Saros has been excellent lately, winning six of his last seven contests (6-1-0), posting a .914 SV% in the process. The Predators' resurgent play lately has them listed as -129 home favourites on Thursday against a Lightning team that has won two straight, outscoring their opposition 7-1, but played last night and will presumably turn to Jonas Johansson between the pipes.

Smith missed the Predators' previous game due to illness but will draw back into the lineup Thursday vs. Tampa Bay as Tyson Barrie returns to being a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old left-winger is having the best season of his young career thus far with four goals, five assists, 29 SOG, 28 PIMs and a +2 plus/minus in 24 games played.

Dennis Gilbert will draw back into the lineup for the Flames as Oesterle will be a healthy scratch on Thursday. The 31-year-old Oesterle has zero points and a -3 plus/minus in seven games with the Flames this season.

With Erik Gudbranson missing his second straight game due to an illness, Blankenburg will make his season debut for the Blue Jackets. The 25-year-old Blankenburg has 11 points (3G / 8A) in 18 games with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL this season.

With the news that Adam Boqvist (shoulder) has been placed on the Injured Reserve, Nick Blankenberg was recalled from Cleveland (AHL) for the first time this season. The 25-year-old defensemen appeared in 36 games for the Blue Jackets in 2022-23 and had four goals and 14 points. He had gotten off to an impressive start in the AHL so far, with three goals, 11 points, 20 PIMs and a +9 plus/minus in 18 games played prior to his promotion.