Stamkos missed the morning skate but head coach Jon Cooper expects him to play on Tuesday. Cory Conacher was brought up from the AHL in case Stamkos can't play. Stamkos is currently on a five-game point streak, posting two goals and six assists (eight points) during that stretch.
Saros gave up three goals on 10 shots in relief of Pekka Rinne in the Predators 7-2 loss to Chicago on Saturday. It was an ugly outing for the entire team and dropped Saros' November SV% to .895. He really hasn't played well this season, so he's not the great spot-start option he's been in recent years. Winnipeg is also on a four-game road winning streak and have won six of their last seven away from home while averaging 3.71 goals per game.
Haula returned to the Hurricanes lineup for two games but did not look 100 percent and head coach Rod Brind'Amour expects him to be out for an extended period of time. Haula will be replaced by Eetu Luostarinen moving forward.
Jost is day-to-day with an upper-body injury so Jayson Megna will replace him in the lineup in Vancouver. After tonight, the Avalanche are off until Tuesday, so monitor Jost's status heading into that contest in Calgary.
Haula missed the last four games but will draw back into the lineup in Buffalo. Lucas Wallmark and the third line played well while Haula was out, so he will return on the fourth line with Brian Gibbons and Brock McGinn. Haula has eight goals and three assists (11 points) in 14 games this season.
Saros allowed four goals on 23 shots after replacing Pekka Rinne in the Predators loss in Colorado on Thursday. In six appearances this season, Saros has gone 1-4-0 with 3.98 GAA and .876 SV%, not the type of numbers we're used to seeing from the 24-year-old netminder. He was 1-2-0 with a 4.10 GAA and .874 SV% in three starts against the Sharks last year.
Saros allowed four goals on 23 shots after replacing Pekka Rinne in the Predators loss in Colorado on Thursday. In six appearances this season, Saros has gone 1-4-0 with 3.98 GAA and .876 SV%, not the type of numbers we're used to seeing from the 24-year-old netminder. He was 1-2-0 with a 4.10 GAA and .874 SV% in three starts against the Sharks last year.
Oesterle missed two games but will be back in vs. the Wild. Oesterle has some offensive ability but plays a limited role. He has turned that into three assists in eight games this season.
Haula did not travel to Philadelphia and will be replaced by Haydn Fleury, who will dress as a seventh defenseman. Haula will be replaced by Lucas Wallmark on the third line and is listed as day-to-day.
Vegas is set to start a four-game road-trip on Tuesday so Hague and Nic Roy come up from the AHL as reserves. For Hague, he has appeared in eight games with Vegas this season, tallying two assists, nine shots and seven hits while playing 14:59 ATOI. With Nate Schmidt back on the blueline, it may be difficult for the young defenseman to get into the lineup on this trip.
Oesterle missed six games while in concussion protocol but will play Saturday vs. the Avalanche. Aaron Ness or Ilya Lyubushkin will sit and Oesterle returns with two assists in six games this season.
Saros stopped 28 of 30 shots in the Predators win in Tampa Bay last Saturday. Pekka Rinne struggled on Thursday, so the Predators will turn to their younger netminder vs. the Rangers. He had a tough start to the season but will try and build off of his best outing to date. He is 6-6-1 in his last 13 starts on home ice.
Forsberg has missed the last six games but will play Thursday vs. the Flames. Forsberg has enjoyed a tremendous start to the 2019-20 season, scoring five goals with three assists (eight points) in six games.
Forsberg missed the last six games with a lower-body injury but was back on the ice for Thursday's morning skate and is expected to play vs. the Flames. Forsberg, who has eight points (5G / 3A) in six games this season, will be back on the second line with Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund.
Gravel appeared in three games with the Maple Leafs during his call-up but returns to the Marlies with Travis Dermott (shoulder) set to make his season debut on Tuesday. Gravel has no points in three AHL games this season.
Josi was in the final year of his seven-year deal that carried a $4.0M AAV cap-hit. Josi will go from being one of the biggest bargains to the third-highest paid defenseman when his new contract kicks in. Josi is currently tied for second among defensemen in points with 13 (5G / 8A) in 11 games.
Hague had three shots while playing 18:34 TOI last night and has two assists in eight NHL games overall. The Golden Knights are off until Thursday, so this could be nothing more than a money-saving paper move. However, Nate Schmidt was also a full participant in Monday’s practice, so it could also be a sign that he will return to the lineup on Thursday.
Forsberg skated in a non-contact sweater during Monday’s practice, suggesting that he’s not quite ready for Tuesday’s game vs. Chicago. His return to practice is a good sign that he is nearing a return and could be back this week (TUE vs. CHI, THU vs. CGY & SAT vs. NYR).
