Grundstrom was a healthy scratch in the Kings season opener but is expected to replace Austin Wagner tonight in Calgary. Grundstrom, who had five goals and one assist in 15 games with the Kings last season, is expected to skate on the third line with Blake Lizotte and Tyler Toffoli.
Svechnikov had his 2018-19 season cut short after undergoing right knee surgery in mid-October. He started the season with the Griffins and had three points (1G / 2A) in the first game of the season. The 2015 first-round pick (No.19 overall) has four points (2G / 2A) in 16 career NHL games.
Price was peppered in the Canadiens season opener, stopping 40 of the 43 shots he faced in their 4-3 shootout loss. It was great to see Price stand-tall but the Canadiens will need to be sharper defensively to give Price a fighting chance. Tonight he faces a lethal Maple Leafs team, that he was 0-1-2 with a 3.63 GAA and .882 SV% against last season.
In 2018-19, Price was able to return to the 60-start, 30-win club for the fourth time in his career. As soon as it looked like Price’s career was on the downswing, he finished t-11th in SV% (.918). He will make his first start of 2019-20 vs. the Hurricanes, who he was 1-1-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .914 SV% against last season.
Liljegren was a healthy scratch in the Maple Leafs season opener and will open the year with the Marlies. The 20-year-old Swedish defenseman had 15 points (3G / 12A) in 43 AHL games last year.
During his first full NHL season, White had 14 goals and 27 assists (41 points) in 71 games. White averaged 16:12 TOI/gm while carrying a +3.4 CF% rel on the league’s worst team. White is set to start 2020 as the Senators No.1 centre and should build off of 2019 as he should play 17-18 minutes per night.
Nedeljkovic, who is viewed as one of the best goaltending prospects in the NHL, is coming off of an outstanding 2018-19 AHL campaign. Nedeljkovic led the AHL in wins (34) and GAA (2.26) en route to being named the league’s best netminder. He wasn’t done there, Nedeljkovic went 10-4-0 with a 2.34 GAA and .916 SV% in the AHL playoffs to help guide Charlotte to a Calder Cup Championship. With Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney both likely leaving in free agency, Nedeljkovic could see a lot of games at the NHL next year.
Skinner was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st but is now signed through the 2026-27 season. Skinner set a new career-high and led the Sabres with 40 goals and ranked third on the team with 63 points in 82 games. Skinner spent 70 percent of his 5v5 minutes on the top-line with Jack Eichel and the duo outscored the opposition 53-to-43 (per naturalstattrick.com).
Wennberg has appeared in four games in the second round but has averaged just 10:30 TOI and is expected to be replaced by Markus Hannikainen (undisclosed) on the fourth line in Game 6.
With Petr Mrazek out, Nedeljkovic comes up to serve as Curtis McElhinney’s backup on Wednesday. Nedeljkovic was excellent this season, going 34-14-1 with a 2.26 GAA and .916 SV% in 51 AHL games and was 3-1 with a 2.00 GAA and .923 SV% in four AHL playoff games before being called-up. It remains to be seen how long he will remain with Carolina.
Price allowed two goals on 24 shots in the Canadiens win over the Lightning on Tuesday. Price has won three of his last four starts while allowing 11 goals on 113 shots (.902 SV%). The Canadiens will obviously stick with Price down the stretch as they try to leap-frog the Penguins, Hurricanes or Blue Jackets for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Price allowed two goals on 24 shots in the Canadiens win over the Lightning on Tuesday. Price has won three of his last four starts while allowing 11 goals on 113 shots (.902 SV%). The Canadiens will obviously stick with Price down the stretch as they try to leap-frog the Penguins, Hurricanes or Blue Jackets for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Price allowed one goal on 24 shots in the Canadiens win in Winnipeg on Saturday. Price has gone 5-1-1 with a 2.00 GAA, .935 SV% and one shutout in his last seven starts and will need to stay red-hot to keep the Canadiens in the playoff hunt this week. Price has gone 0-2-0 with a 3.50 GAA and .904 SV% in two games vs. the Lightning this season.
