This situation has been a roller-coaster all day long. Originally he was ruled out, then was a maybe when Alex Killorn went down in practice. After the skate, head coach Jon Cooper said Killorn was fine and Drouin would not play. Now, with warmups underway Killorn is not on the ice and Drouin is, so he will make his much anticipated debut.
Varlamov missed three games with a groin injury, but he will be back between the pipes tonight against the Canucks. Varly has yet to record a win, while posting a 3.80 GAA and .910 SV% in his first three starts. Tonight he faces a Vancouver team coming off of a 4-1 win over the Blues last night.
This was supposed to be the case from the beginning, but when Alex Killorn left practice early, there was some speculation that Drouin may play for him. However, it turns out that Killorn is fine and will play, which means Drouin will have to wait to make his NHL debut. "Playing back to back Friday and Saturday plus traveling Sunday, [Drouin is] not going to play tonight," said head coach Jon Cooper.
Schneider allowed three goals on 31 shots in a loss to the Sharks on Saturday. After winning the first three starts of the season and allowing just six goals, Schneider has now lost back-to-back games while allowing eight goals on 57 shots (.860 SV%). He will face the Rangers, who he was 1-0-0 against last year.
Drouin did not take part in line rushes in the early part of the morning skate, but teammate Alex Killorn took a spill in practice and left the ice. Drouin took his spot on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Tyler Johnson, so if Killorn can't play expect Drouin to make his debut.
The third overall pick in the 2013 draft, Drouin, 19, had a goal, two assists and a plus-4 rating in his brief conditioning stint with Syracuse. He was assigned to Syracuse on Thursday to receive more live action to complete his recovery from a slight fracture in his right thumb sustained in September. The Lightning are in action on Monday night and it will likely be Drouin's NHL debut.
Horvat has been out with shoulder injury, but sending him on a conditioning stint is a good sign that the Canucks are planning to keep Horvat with the big club. He can stay with Utica for a maximum of two weeks.
Drouin scored the game-winning goal in his AHL debut and has recorded one goal and two assists in his first two AHL games. He can only stay in the AHL for a maximum of two weeks, but he could be recalled sooner than expected if he continues to play at a high level.
Schneider had a terrible night on Thursday. He was pulled after allowing five goals on 26 shots including a brutal goal that went of the end boards and then off him and in. The Devils will go right back to their star netminder in a rough matchup with the Sharks.
Varlamov participated in the morning skate Thursday and was the scheduled starter. He likely injured his groin at the very end of practice, or tweaked after injuring it in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss at Toronto. The Avs said Varlamov (0-2-1) should be available Oct. 24 against Vancouver. As a result of the injury, Reto Berra will start tonight and Calvin Pickard has been recalled.
Varlamov was originally expected to start, but head coach Patrick Roy called him a game-time decision because he is battling a groin injury. If he is unable to go, Reto Berra will draw the start. Stay tuned.
Schneider allowed a single goal on 27 shots in the Devils' 2-1 win over the Lightning on Tuesday. The win moved Schneider to 3-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .937 SV% on the young season. He is getting tons of goal support to start the year and he might need it tonight against a Capitals team who have 10 goals in three games.
Drouin said that his fractured thumb has healed and that he expects to play in Syracuse on Friday. Going to Syracuse is about Drouin getting his timing back and getting some game experience before he makes his NHL debut. He can stay in Syracuse for a maximum of two weeks and at this time there is no timetable for when he is expected to return to the Lightning.
Drouin suffered a fractured thumb in the preseason and has been working his way back from the injury and is believed to be close to returning. However, it looks like the Lightning will take a slow approach with Drouin and ease him back into playing with Syracuse before he makes his NHL debut.
Horvat, 19, has missed time due to a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason, but he is nearing a return which means he is nearing his NHL debut. The 2013 ninth overall pick had 30 goals and 44 assists (74 points) in 54 games with the London Knights of the OHL last season. He is a big body at 6-foot, 206 lbs. and is ready to make an impact at the NHL level.
Drouin will not play on Tuesday and has yet to participate in any contact drills. He stayed on late this morning and worked on faceoffs, so the rookie is getting closer. Contact is the next step in getting Drouin ready to make his NHL debut.
Schneider stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 5-1 win over the Panthers on Saturday. Schneider moved to 2-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .926 SV%. The most surprising thing is that the Devils have scored 11 goals in the first two games after averaging just 2.40 G/PG (27th in NHL) a season ago.
Varlamov allowed two goals on 33 shots in a 3-0 loss to the Wild on Saturday. Overall he allowed seven goals on 71 shots (.901 SV%) in the home-and-home series while the Avalanche scored zero goals. On Tuesday, he takes on a Leafs team coming off of a big win over the Rangers on Sunday.
According to the Lightning coach, Drouin has one last check-up before he is cleared to make his NHL debut. The Lightning play tomorrow as well, so it sounds like he could be cleared to play on Tuesday. There is still no word on who Drouin will play with when he gets into the lineup.
Drouin was on the ice for the morning skate once again, but did not take part in line rushes, so it does not look like he will be making hi NHL debut tonight. The Lightning play tomorrow as well, so consider him questionable for Tuesday's matchup with the Devils.
